TM-2030 Technical Manual
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A: What you may need to know before installing the TriMetric meter.
Review this (briefly) before installing.
The TriMetric is usually located in the living area where people using the power can readily observe it. It is usually
located less than 100 ft from batteries. For greater distances refer to section B2 for details. If the optional SC-2030
Solar charger is also to be used, the charger is typically located near the batteries where it can be completely controlled
from the TriMetric TM-2030.
The TM-2030 measures volts, amps, watts, percent full on your “main” system. In addition, it will monitor voltage
only on a second battery having a common negative connection, which could be the engine starting battery.
Permissible battery voltage: This meter is suitable for battery systems with nominal voltage from 8 to 65 volts. It should
not be connected to systems which will ever exceed 65 volts.
You may choose three different operating levels from simplest to more complex: The meter comes initially
programmed at the lowest Operating Level: L1 which will furnish the most important data. There are also levels “L2” or
“L3” which add more functionality, but with more complexity. For new users, begin with L1, and after becoming familiar
with the meter advance to L2 or L3 later at any time. L4 adds (only) a more stringent requirement for what is considered
to be "charged," intended mainly when using the optional SC-2030 solar charger. These levels are described in the
TriMetric User’s Instructions.
Lightning considerations: The meter has been designed with good protection against lightning.
It is possible to wire the TriMetric so it reads only total solar input current, or only total load current (and amp-
hours): In this case refer to our web site: BogartEngineering, SUPPORT/APPLICATION NOTES” entitled : Using
TriMetric for measuring only wind or solar charging source.
Serial data output is available for all real time data— This is a data access method for techies. See application note on
the Bogart Engineering web site under SUPPORT/APPLICATION NOTES entitled: TM-2025-TM-2030 Technical
Information on Serial Data Output
Mounting the meter: There are two versions of the TM2030 which differ only in their size, front label colors and whether
the meter includes its own enclosure.
The TM-2030 RV model comes in a white, surface mount enclosure (3 x 4-1/4 x 1-1/4 inch deep). It can be mounted
to a wall with screws at the top and bottom flanges.
The TM-2030 A can be mounted in many standard “double gang” electrical boxes available in hardware stores.
For detailed drawings, see application notes on the Bogart Engineering web site under SUPPORT/APPLICATION
NOTES: “Mounting Drawings for .TM-2020/TM2030.”
A shunt (an accurate, very low resistance power resistor) must be wired into your battery system as described in
section B of these instructions, shown on the wiring diagram page 8. The “amps” shown on the meter measures
whatever current passes through this shunt—so it must be wired in series with the wire which carries the current to be
measured. The shunt is almost always installed between the negative terminal of the battery and all the loads and
charging sources (see Figure 1 on page 7.) It is located near the batteries, since the high current carrying wires must be
kept short. The TriMetric meter measures the current ("amps") by measuring the very small voltage drop across this
shunt. The voltage drop across the shunt is very small—with the 500A/50mV shunt it is equivalent to only a 2 foot
additional length of 0000 gauge cable in series with your main wiring.
TriMetric maximum current capability: The TriMetric meter itself will measure current (amps) properly up to 999 amps
with a 500A/50 mV shunt. With the 100A/100 mV shunt the meter measurements will be OK up to 300 amps. However,
at these currents the shunt is going to get too hot. The typical 500A/50mV shunt will be OK up to 420 amps. The
typical 100A/100A shunt will be OK up to 70 amps maximum. These are charging or discharging amps values, NOT amp
hour numbers.
MORE SHUNT INFORMATION
There are two choices of shunt, depending on your system size: the 500A/50mV or 100A/100mV size. Most systems
will use the 500 amp-50 mV shunt. This gives an “ampere” resolution as low as 0.1 amp and will read to a steady 430
amps before the shunt overheats. For smaller systems (with 12V systems with inverter 800 watts or less) you could use a
100A/100mV shunt It has the advantage that you can read currents as low as 0.01 amp, however has the 70 amp
maximum amp limitation noted above. The correct shunt must be programmed as described in section C2 on page 6
Technical note: It is only the shunt ratio between amps to mV. which is important to the meter--so, for example, a 200 amp-
200 mV. shunt can, from the meter's point of view, be considered equivalent to the 100 amp-100 mV shunt. The implication,
when a shunt is rated at "100 amps-100 mV." is that it may safely carry up to 100 amps maximum--however in many cases so-
called "100 amp" shunts will not carry this much without overheating. For more information see application note on the
Bogart Engineering web site under SUPPORT/APPLICATION NOTES entitled: Shunt Info.