The TR16 Battery Monitor Setup Instructions for Lead-Acid RV Users

[GrampaKilt]

The TR16 battery monitor is a poor RVer's substitute for the Victron BMV 700 series. It's probably the best and most popular of the cheaper battery monitors currently priced for about $30 USD at Aliexpress. The original instructions were a literal Chinese to English translation fiasco which probably forced more purchasers over to the Victron than actually installed the TR16!

Recently, properly translated English instructions were released, a huge improvement, but still confusing and inaccurate in places especially for users of Lead Acid batteries. Since I've lost some hair (from pulling it out) over setup of the TR16, I've written my own set of instructions and am posting it below as a link to Google Drive. I think they're pretty good. My long suffering spouse, who knows naught of batteries, felt she could setup the TR16 using them. That said, I'd be interested to hear suggestions for improvement from other forum members.

Here's hoping that these instructions help prevent further male pattern baldness! GK https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wmgwDycxc9Vuancw2r8nEb9q7z_AA92N/view?usp=sharing

[Sylvain]

Although I don't own a TR16 your instructions are very easy to follow and to understand.  You really make me want to buy a battery monitor now!  Thanks for sharing GK.

[Sylvain]

Hello GK, I was wondering if you bought the 50A shunt or the 100A shunt?  I guess the 50A would be enough since our travel travel has a 30A plug? 

Thanks

[Merlin]

Hell GK, I was wondering if you bought the 50A shunt or the 100A shunt?  I guess the 50A would be enough since our travel travel has a 30A plug? 

Thanks

I see David answered your other post about this. I just wanted to scoot in here and note that DC amps are an order of magnitude different scale as AC amps. DC amps are measured with only 12V and AC amps are measured with 120V. So it's irrelevant for a DC shunt that your trailer has a 30A AC plug (if that's what you are referring too). What's relevant is the max expected DC amp load. 

[DavidM]

Merlin is absolutely right about DC vs AC amps. But the most I have measured is about 20A while the slide was going out. Even if everything else was on at the same time, which is doubtful, you would never hit 50A. Now if you have a big battery bank and an inverter powering the microwave, then yes you could hit 50+A.

Come to think of it, why not go 100A. And FWIW a brief spurt of say 75 amps in a 50A shunt shouldn't hurt anything. You will probably not measure anything during that brief period but it shouldn't hurt anything.

David

[Sylvain]

Thanks Merlin and David for the precision.  Again your help is so appreciated.  Everything is clear now!

[GrampaKilt]

Hell GK, I was wondering if you bought the 50A shunt or the 100A shunt?  I guess the 50A would be enough since our travel travel has a 30A plug?

I was in the wild (no access to the interwebs--the horror!) for the past while...I purchased the 50A, but the 100A shunt seems to be the one marketed by Amazon.ca currently. I'd buy that one since it opens up the possibility of installing a larger Watt inverter sometime in the future. GK

[Merlin]

Hell GK, I was wondering if you bought the 50A shunt or the 100A shunt?  I guess the 50A would be enough since our travel travel has a 30A plug?

I was in the wild (no access to the interwebs--the horror!) for the past while...I purchased the 50A, but the 100A shunt seems to be the one marketed by Amazon.ca currently. I'd buy that one since it opens up the possibility of installing a larger Watt inverter sometime in the future. GK

How in the world did you survive no access to the Internet? Do you have some kind of superpower?

[Sylvain]

Hell GK, I was wondering if you bought the 50A shunt or the 100A shunt?  I guess the 50A would be enough since our travel travel has a 30A plug?

I was in the wild (no access to the interwebs--the horror!) for the past while...I purchased the 50A, but the 100A shunt seems to be the one marketed by Amazon.ca currently. I'd buy that one since it opens up the possibility of installing a larger Watt inverter sometime in the future. GK

No problem GK!  Thanks for you reply!  I ordered it last week from Banggood.  I'm pretty sure it's going to take at least 2 months to get here!  I ordered the 100A shunt.