Instruction Manual

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displays. This is useful for monitoring average wind generator “amps” input, or other rapidly varying
charging source. These are used for the “battery alarm” parameters, where it is not desired to
sound an alarm for very short term anomalous events, and for logging of volts and amps where it
would not be desirable to record a very short term event.
1.C.8Temperature
This measures temperature from -20C to 65C (-4F to 150F). The TS-1 temperature sensor
accessory is necessary when measuring temperature.
1.D: Summary of specific logged data measurements made by the PentaMetric
1.D.1Periodic amp-hour, watt hour, volts, amps, battery %full and temperature
It logs daily, or as frequently as once per minute amp hour and watt hour production (or load), to
monitor the performance of up to 3 charging sources or loads. Use this to keep records of daily (or
hourly) solar or wind power production, or total load power per day, or per hour. It also records
instantaneous “volts” and “amps” at periodic intervals to measure, for example, battery discharge
profiles. It also measures minimum and maximum temperature during the interval. It can also
monitor periodic (for example hourly) charge and discharge amp hours, watt hours, volts, amps,
and battery % full for a battery system.
If amp hours are measured each hour on all 3 channels then over 1 month of data can be
stored. If measured once/day then 2 years can be stored. See section 6.C.1 for more details.
1.D.2 Charging cycle charge efficiency, self discharge current and cycle
length (hours).
It measures the system “charge efficiency” (expressed as a percentage) of up to two battery
banks, or “self discharge” amps, recorded for each “discharge/charge” cycle. This will indicate
whether the batteries are retaining their charge properly. The “charge efficiency” means: the ratio of
“amp hours” required to charge, compared with amp hours discharged during one
discharge/charge cycle. The “self discharge” amps means the average amps lost during a period
of one cycle. These are two different ways to measure the same thing: the energy loss due to
battery self discharge current (as well as gassing when the batteries are near full charge.) The
display unit shows this efficiency (or self discharge current) over the last cycle, the last 4 cycles,
and the last 15 cycles. Using the computer interface, logged information on all past cycles may
also be displayed and shown in a table. See section 6.C.3 for more details.
1.D.3 Discharge volts/amps profile for each battery bank for each discharge
(and charge) cycle.
It logs the battery (filtered) volts and amps periodically (for up to two battery banks) while the
battery is being discharged and charged during each charge/discharge cycle. These values are
recorded each time the battery “state of charge” decreases (or increases) by an increment of 5%
of the total (programmed) battery system capacity, and therefore shows a “discharge profile” of the
battery. This provides a method of determining that the battery capacity is OK, by observing that
the battery voltage does not unduly drop as the state of charge decreases .See section 6.C.2 for
more details.
1.E: Visual or audible alarms (or status):
It provides up to 5 visual or audible alarms for “high battery”, “low battery”, “battery has gone too
long since being fully charged” and “battery has gone too long since being equalized”. It also
registers the “status”, which is not really an alarm: “battery now fully charged”. Each of these is
provided for up to 2 battery banks. All of these may be individually disabled, or enabled for either
visual, or visual and audible alarms. Also see section 6.E.