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As the use of lipo batteries in submarines is expanding, these little battery monitors should be common knowledge by now-They're cheap (5 for $10 or so) and can be programmed for various LVCO alarm with the push of a button. They are also quite small , very light and VERY LOUD. They connect to the balance leads of the lipo to sense each cell separately.
My problem is they plug into the battery balance leads on the battery which is usually buried in the boat.. I really don't like leaving it connected, displaying awayand using a minute amount of electricity (I don't really know how much) while you're having lunch, even though the master switch on the boat is off and I'd rather not open the boat every time I stop using it.
What I am going to do is isolate the negative lead from the other leads-and solder a wire to it-you now can plug in the monitor to the other cells and the unit will stay off line until a ground is supplied to this wire. This can happen many ways-a double pole master switch, an unused leg on a master relay. Or in my case I happen to use a 433mhz remote switch as my ships master to actuate a master relay -when the master is on power pulls in the micro relay to supply the ground needed by the monitor. I NEVER have to remove the monitor(s) from the boat.
This set up will work outstandingly with a single monitor in any lipo powered submarine
I used Two of these monitors on my Mark V SOC (one for each battery) -Its been working flawlessly ever since-BG
My problem is they plug into the battery balance leads on the battery which is usually buried in the boat.. I really don't like leaving it connected, displaying awayand using a minute amount of electricity (I don't really know how much) while you're having lunch, even though the master switch on the boat is off and I'd rather not open the boat every time I stop using it.
What I am going to do is isolate the negative lead from the other leads-and solder a wire to it-you now can plug in the monitor to the other cells and the unit will stay off line until a ground is supplied to this wire. This can happen many ways-a double pole master switch, an unused leg on a master relay. Or in my case I happen to use a 433mhz remote switch as my ships master to actuate a master relay -when the master is on power pulls in the micro relay to supply the ground needed by the monitor. I NEVER have to remove the monitor(s) from the boat.
This set up will work outstandingly with a single monitor in any lipo powered submarine
I used Two of these monitors on my Mark V SOC (one for each battery) -Its been working flawlessly ever since-BG
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