Source for panel meter for the shunt in my MNE175STS-L E Panel.

[TomW]

My MNE175STS-L Epanel showed up last week. It installed very easy, except for horsing the FX 2524 and door panel onto the box. I guess I'm not 50 anymore  . It was a very nice way to install the FX and a Classic 150 in a small footprint on my Power Room wall. Well thought out and decent instructions.

I mounted our FX2524, a Classic 150 and 3X MNSPDs on the box. It went very smoothly and was well worth the money to get such a neat install without trying to hunt down all the bits needed to do it.

All is well but I am not having much luck sourcing a meter to match the included 500 A 50 Mv shunt.

I would like a large face analog meter for this application.

Anyone have a source for one? I have several small 50 Mv analog meters but would like a larger face panel meter.

Don't laugh, it is much much neater than my old installation with cables everywhere. It is actually plumb on the wall but the photographer is known to be half a bubble off most days.  . I will add some wire loom tube to cover the misc cables for network, Mate & USB to the Classic. Speaking of the Mate, is there a bracket I can get that accepts the flush mount Mate 2 I think it is with the oval hole?

That morphodite circuit board mounted on plywood in the upper left corner is my CAI Webcontrol board that controls my solar tracker. It calculates sunrise and sunset on the fly and tracks accordingly. Software by Ross Wheeler. It also monitors several one wire temperature sensors in and around the Power Room.



Thanks.

Tom

[dbcollen]

Looks good Tom, You can rescale any millivolt meter to work with that shunt, I would look at surplus stores for a meter you like and make a custom face for it.

[Vic]

Hi Tom,

Nice install using the e-panel.

Analog meters are getting harder to find.  Many,  many are out there in people's garages and parts troves,  but finding one can be difficult.

Of course,  you would want a Center Zero Meter.  Often referred to as 0-200-0  or similar 50 Mv Full-Scale meter.

Initially,  you could use a Digitall Panel Meter,  as these will handle the Polarity indication for current into vs out of the battery bank.

I have only looked on the allelectronics.com site,  and they have NO center - zero analog meters.

You might try fairradio.com,  as they are a real Military Surplus dealer.   Will poke around a bit more,  and try to give a link to anything that I see.

Good Luck,  Vic

[Vic]

Ok Tom,

There is one 50 Mv Ammeter on the Fair Radio site,  but it has an assymetrical scale:
https://www.fairradio.com/catalog.php?mode=viewitem&item=4062

This page has the largest number of center zero meters:
https://www.fairradio.com/catalog.php?mode=view&categoryid=3984

Any meter can be re-scaled,  and re-faced.  As long as the meter has enough sensitivity  the scaling could be done with a resistor.  Some that are not sensitive enough could be driven by an OpAmp etc ...  But there are billions or analog meters rattleing around,  many of them are just resting,  waiting to be ussed.

Believe that you are a technical type person,  so you probably know more than I about this.

Surplus Sales of Nebraska is a company that is extremely proud of all of its merchandise,   BUT:
http://www.surplussales.com/Meters/MtrDCUA.html

There are several MicroAmmeters on the above page with center zero ...

As dcollen  stated,  a localish Surplus store (which are becoming rare),  a Ham Radio Swapmeet or similar might help.

Good Luck,   Vic

[TomW]

Vic;

Thanks for the links. I kind of forgot about Fairradio.

I do know how to match meter scales to various shunts.

I kind of like this one in fact I ordered 2 of them:

https://www.fairradio.com/catalog.php?mode=viewitem&item=4062



That last link you posted must have the platinum plated internals at those prices 

Thanks.

Tom

[Vic]

Hi Tom,

Glad that you found something that you can use.

Yea,  rarely does SS of NE have anything that seems to me to be a good deal.  However,  the photos in their site are quite nice,  and I must be an an exception,  as they are still in business.  I have purchased from them in the distant past.

Have dealt with Fair Radio for many more items,  and they seem very honest -- had a problem with a mil surplus item that they had shipped to me.  Called them,  mentioned that half of the unit had obviously been sitting in water for weeks/months,  but still had some value to me,  and I'd pay half of their asking price.  They said,  no problem,  you can keep the first one,  and they shipped another that was in very good shape at no cost.  They even took my word about the initial problem.  Good folks to deal with,  IMHO,  Have fun with the system.  Vic