Fitting a Turnigy Watt Meter to the Magic Pie - help

[Magzy]

Having an issue connecting this thing up to the GM Controller.

I bought a Turnigy watt meter from hobby king: (cheapo $23 - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=10080)

With the sole intention of using it to monitor power output and consumption of the Magic Pie and it's controller to determine what the max amps/watts are.



The Watt meter connects to the battery ok and gives a reading of ~53v ish (all good)

However, a problem arises when the "load side" of the turnigy is connected to the controller and the switch on the positive lead as in the following diagram.


(I'm assuming here that "SOURCE" on the watt meter is the battery side and "LOAD" is the controller side - pls correct me if I am wrong here)

When I flick the switch, the Ignition lights on the throttle don't come on and there's no power. The reading on the meterstill shows ~53v

Somehow, (i think) the controller is not getting the signal from the thin red wire that it's to be switched on. (??)

However, removing the watt meter as per diagram allows the system to be switched on (ignition lights and power to the motor)

Can anyone help me identify what I am not doing right with this?

Thanks,
Magz

[Webby]

Hi Magz

I have been drawing stats from the same meter you have for the last 1000 miles. When you want stats from the controller/motor then you connect the 'source' end to the battery and the 'load' end to the phase wires i.e. to the motor and controller.

After you finish the trip your will get a scrolling of data similar to this if you do a 20 mile trip -

Amp peak = 14.5
Ah = 10.30
Watt min = 47.3
Wh = 495
Watt peak = 750

Now when I say 'connect together' I mean anderson connector on battery to turnigy(source) and turnigy(load) to anderson from phase (thicker battery wires) that lead to pie.

The turnigy meter does not come with Anderson connectors so you have to do that yourself .

Hope it helps mate and happy piedom to you.

Webby

[Webby]

sorry correction ...

Watt min should of course read ' VOLT min '

[_GonZo_]

You are conecting it correctly.
Looks to me that the power-meter is not working.

Check if there is continuity on both cables from the source to the load, there should be.

BTW what type of switch you use there?

[Magzy]

You are conecting it correctly.
Looks to me that the power-meter is not working.

Check if there is continuity on both cables from the source to the load, there should be.

BTW what type of switch you use there?

There's continuity on the load side of the watt meter according to my voltmeter.

Is it possible to have voltage coming out of the watt meter but no current?

this is the switch I'm using: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SK0976&CATID=28&form=CAT&SUBCATID=401 and it's on the pos lead of the load.

[Magzy]

Hi Magz

I have been drawing stats from the same meter you have for the last 1000 miles. When you want stats from the controller/motor then you connect the 'source' end to the battery and the 'load' end to the phase wires i.e. to the motor and controller.

Now when I say 'connect together' I mean anderson connector on battery to turnigy(source) and turnigy(load) to anderson from phase (thicker battery wires) that lead to pie.

Are you saying connect the load side of the watt meter to the phase wires, the motor, or the controller??

Can you do a rough sketch to illustrate what you mean here?
Thanks,
Magz

[_GonZo_]

I was meaning that you check continuity of the red and black cables throw the Wat-meter.

As you say it is possible to have some voltage but not current, that it is posible if the wat metter has got a protection against big loads, or shortcuts.
It is possible that when you connect the controller there is an instant big load (due condensers charge) and the wat-meter goes to protection mode.

That switch is only up to 10A, better take it out or replace for a higher amp. one.

[Bikemad]

There's continuity on the load side of the watt meter according to my voltmeter.

Is it possible to have voltage coming out of the watt meter but no current?

this is the switch I'm using: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SK0976&CATID=28&form=CAT&SUBCATID=401 and it's on the pos lead of the load.

Highly unlikely, as the Red and Black wires are each a single long wires that go right through the meter, they have a small section in the middle where the insulation has been removed and the small bared section of wire is soldered directly to the circuit board of the meter. If power is not going to the controller and battery indicator meter, there must be a poor connection at the external load end of one of the two wires, or possibly a fault with your switch. That meter will allow power through these wires in both directions, but it can only monitor power consumption in one direction, or only regenerated power if the source and and load are transposed.



I made up some gender changers on mine so I can use the same meter to measure my regen current, and also to monitor my battery while charging at home:



Re-check your connections on the load side of the meter and check for voltage going into and out of the switch connections.

Alan
 

[_GonZo_]

Re-check your connections on the load side of the meter and check for voltage going into and out of the switch connections.

Bikemad is right, first check that.
And let us know.

[Bikemad]

Unfortunately I was not right about the wires inside the watt meter. The red wire is a single continuous wire:



But the black wire is actually two separate pieces of wire soldered either side of the internal shunt:



Although they're not very clear, the above pictures will hopefully make sense.
The Black wire is mounted on top of the lower circuit board and the Red wire is mounted underneath the board.

Unfortunately my memory seems to degrade at this time of night (it's gone 1:25am here).

Alan
 

[Magzy]

alan - pls can you post those pics on the GM website - I'm at work and those pics on photobucket are blocked 

[Magzy]

Re-check your connections on the load side of the meter and check for voltage going into and out of the switch connections.

Bikemad is right, first check that.
And let us know.

Connections were all hard soldered in with electrical solder.
Volt meter showing ~53v on the Bar connections that connect to the controller.

Switch was working and has always been working - even now with the watt meter disconnected.

I'll try again this weekend when the new controller arrives. 

[Bikemad]

alan - pls can you post those pics on the GM website - I'm at work and those pics on photobucket are blocked 

This should help.

Alan
 

[Magzy]

Thanks for this Alan,

Much appreciated.

I'll give it another go over at the weekend.