When I’m running my engine and my alternator is producing power my system is showing -230 W On my DC panel. I have a single shunt to my multi +2 inverter charger And DC loads selected on my settings. When the alternator is not running, my DC load looks appropriate for the load selected on my DC panel.
The DC loads tile is a calculation based on all the DC info it has and the alternator is a charging source so a negative DC load. The system is working as designed. If you look, the math adds up, ac out, 135W so lets say DC input to inverter 145W, battery is charging 37W so total power supply = 182W which matches the tile.
If you want the DC loads tile to match your SmartShunt DC meter reading, then you have to set it as “DC System” not “DC Loads”, all covered in the SmartShunt manual.
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This makes a little more sense thank you for providing.
Just as a note I don’t have the smart shunt wired to my DC panel but to my batteries bank.
Could you please provide the reference number in the manual you are referring to as I have just read through it and don’t see what you are referring to specifically.
Thanks for all the help!
-Jon
I think I misunderstood. You said
Do you mean you have DC Loads set on the Cerbo GX in the Cerbo System Settings. I read it to mean that you have set the SmartShunt to DC Loads.
You have clarified
So you have the SmartShunt set as a battery monitor so the system is working perfectly as I originally said, the calc is correct, alternator charge appears as negative current.
Therefore, disregard the second part of my answer because you are not using the shunt as an energy meter.
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So using it as a battery monitor with the DC tile up and no alternator running am I getting correct DC Watt usage or would the correct thing be to purchase a second smart shunt and set it up specifically for my DC panel?
Side question: is there a way to add AMPs to the AC and DC load tile? Is there a way to add a tile that shows the alternator for example like when I plug into shore power I see a tile for shore power loads.
You can fit a SmartShunt to your DC loads, set as an Energy Meter and if you set it to type “DC System” it populates the DC tile. If you habe this setup, the tile still only displays Watts, but if you tap on it, it drills down into details. I have this on my boat.
You can add a SmartShunt to the alternator set as an Energy Meter. This will show as a separate tile on the new UI (but not the old UI). The problem is getting the SmartShunt into a negative readout from the alternator if it does not have an isolated negative. On my boat I have a case negative alternator, but the way the engine block and hull ground are connected back to the batteries I could fit a shunt. This is part of a Wakespeed WS500 regulator.
