Can Two Battery Banks Be Combined for Monitoring with a Single Link1000?

[Grayson]

I have 2 large battery banks .Each bank is monitored to a information accumulator which keeps track of battery use and amp-charge input. each bank has a voltage shunt for amperage input
the information accumulator(Link2000 which take care of 2 battery banks) is bad and not to be found.The only thing to use is a Link1000(one Battery)
The easy way out is to add the 2 mv shunt outputs and use the 2 banks as one.Can 2 very low voltage sources be put in series and the results imputed to the link 1000

 

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

You are talking about Link 1000 batter monitor correct? So that it is able to monitor the amperage? The low voltage sources in series will just sum up the voltage, meaning if you had two 12v batteries, and wired them in series, they would then be 24v. I think it would be best to wire them in parallel then wire that to the link 1000. But I have never worked with sail boat circuits or a Link 1,000.

 

[Grayson]

I think we are on the same page,but they have to add , so the small milli volt signal wire from each shunt have to be in series to add. I have been told it is not workable but they give me no reason.
Is there a voltage adding circuit that is available on the market that might suit my purpose?

 

[RaulTheUCSCSlug]

I've never worked with one but there are this things that sum the voltage called "summing amplifiers" so that there is one voltage signal on the output. A quick google search gave me this:

http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/opamp/opamp_4.html

Now if you just want to add them then yeah series should be fine. I'm not sure why they would say it isn't workable though. Try thinking how it would affect any components on the big picture scale of things? If there is nothing that could happen from it from perhaps drawing too much energy from another source or getting an alternating current from somewhere or something then you should be fine. My only experience with electronics and circuits is all small DIY electronics projects. So this is to the extent of my knowledge.

 

[jim hardy]

I would guess from reading the owner's manual at
http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Discontinued-Products/Link2000-445-0198-98-01_rev-1%28Vendor%29.pdf page 38
you have a shunt in each battery's negative wire,
if that's so,
since the shunts are in different circuits they can't be wired in series .

 

[anorlunda]

The OP is confusing. I have a hard time understanding what you are trying to do.

If you want to monitor two battery banks, you will need two Link 1000 monitors, or one Link 2000.

If you want to monitor all batteries at once with a single Link 1000, the batteries must be connected as a single bank.

Putting a starting battery on a second bank can be useful. Using the battery selector switch, the two banks can provide backup for each other. Battery monitors such as the Link 1000 make sense only for the house batteries, not the starting battery.

On my boat, I have decided that dividing house batteries into multiple banks has only disadvantages, no advantages.

Fair winds.

 

[jim hardy]

If you want to monitor two battery banks, you will need two Link 1000 monitors, or one Link 2000.

If you want to monitor all batteries at once with a single Link 1000, the batteries must be connected as a single bank.

agreed. Succinctly stated, too.

That gizmo tracks amp hours by integrating current as measured by the shunt. How would it know which of two banks to credit/debit?

 

[anorlunda]

agreed. Succinctly stated, too.

That gizmo tracks amp hours by integrating current as measured by the shunt. How would it know which of two banks to credit/debit?

The Link 2000 is acually two independent monitors sharing electronics and display.