Something for the weekend...

[Zephod]

It's not quite finished and installed yet but it's coming along.

This takes output from the charge controller and supplies two dual USB chargers. A voltmeter shows what the charger (or in this case my test battery) is providing. A toggle switch turns the power on or off. The red button powers the second voltmeter which gives me the battery voltage.

It's taking quite a while to build. The box is aluminum and will be resistant to anything Chinese components can do, I hope. I'd buy American but for two problems - price and availability. I simply can't afford much, having to throw all this money in all at once (even over the course of 3 years).

Fortunately my piggyback spade connectors arrived today. The push button is one of those Radio Shack anomalies that has to be soldered.




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[windtrader]

nice gauge. Where did you source them? I'm starting to source instruments to report out the house battery bank, batteries, and start bank. The bus was rarely used in boondock mode and there is not a single one in the coach.

[Zephod]

nice gauge. Where did you source them? I'm starting to source instruments to report out the house battery bank, batteries, and start bank. The bus was rarely used in boondock mode and there is not a single one in the coach.

eBay. This is similar.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Voltmeter-Blue-LED-Dual-USB-Car-Charger-Rocker-Switch-Cigarette-Lighter/282297591335?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dbbb1f6792aca400b86986fc04167abac%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D112477265087&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253A29aac9d4-7fbb-11e7-a48d-74dbd180d314%257Cparentrq%253Ad8e9381815d0aa162142083efff8aba8%257Ciid%253A1

Each item on that fascia is interchangeable. You can get them for 1, 2 or 3 items. Mine were both doubles. eBay was good for the box and the piggyback spade connectors too.


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[Zephod]

There, tested and installed. The off the shelf spray paint didn't quite match the wall paint but it's close.

Tomorrow I have to do prep work for my bus route but Tuesday should see that wired in.

When the switch is on, the left voltmeter plus the two double USB sockets are on. That voltmeter measures what the charge controller supplies. The red button activates the right voltmeter which tells me what the battery voltage is.


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[windtrader]

eBay. This is similar.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Voltmeter-Blue-LED-Dual-USB-Car-Charger-Rocker-Switch-Cigarette-Lighter/282297591335?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dbbb1f6792aca400b86986fc04167abac%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D112477265087&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%253A29aac9d4-7fbb-11e7-a48d-74dbd180d314%257Cparentrq%253Ad8e9381815d0aa162142083efff8aba8%257Ciid%253A1

Each item on that fascia is interchangeable. You can get them for 1, 2 or 3 items. Mine were both doubles. eBay was good for the box and the piggyback spade connectors too.


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Thanks. Good to know about these. I'm adding some light in the battery bay to monitor voltage on each battery and the bank total. http://www.ebay.com/itm/281478533527 Will add some inside the coach next.