Magnum Energy Battery Monitor Kit ME-BMK - Manual (Page 27)

23 © 2010 Magnum Energy, Inc.
Using the ME-RTR Router with the BMK
5.0 Using the ME-RTR Router with the BMK
This section discusses how to set up and operate the BMK using the ME-RTR router.
It also shows what BMK menu options are available using the router.
The fi rst section provides information about Charge Effi ciency and how to
manually access/adjust this setting. Normally, the ME-BMK battery monitor
automatically calculates the battery’s effi ciency.
Info: The factory default charge effi ciency setting is Auto. This set-
ting allows the charging effi ciency to be automatically calculated.
In most circumstances, the Auto setting will determine the best
charge effi ciency.
CAUTION: If you do not know your battery’s charging effi ciency,
leave it at the factory default setting. If the setting is manually set
but incorrect, the state-of-charge information will become more
inaccurate with every charge.
What is Charge Effi ciency? When a certain amount of energy is removed or
discharged from the battery, this removed energy will need to be returned to
keep the batteries at a 100% state of charge. As batteries are being charged,
they lose energy; either in the form of heat, or while gassing. This loss of energy
while charging means the battery will not be fully charged if you only return the
current that was removed. To compensate for the battery’s ineffi ciencies while
charging, a charge effi ciency setting is provided. The charge effi ciency setting
compensates the AH I/O (Amp-Hrs In/Out) reading by ensuring the amp-hrs
returned to the battery are greater than the amp-hrs removed.
For example, if your AH I/O display reads 000 and you begin powering a 25
amp load for two hours, the display will show -050. This indicates that you
have discharged 50 amp-hrs (2 x 25) from the battery. If the charge effi ciency
setting is set to 95%, then as you begin charging and return 50 amp-hrs, the
AH I/O reading will be less than zero, indicating that the amp-hours removed
have not been fully returned. The 95% charge effi ciency setting requires 52.5
amp-hours (50/95) to be returned before the AH I/O returns to 0.
5.1 Accessing the Charge Effi ciency Menu Item
On the ME-RTR router, navigate to the BMK Home screen (see the ME-RTR
Owner’s Manual, PN: 64-0030, for information on how to access the router’s
BMK Home screen). Press the SETUP pushbutton, and then rotate the
SELECT knob until the 05A Charge Eff menu appears (see Figure 5-1). Press
the SELECT knob to access the Set Charge Eff function where you can adjust
the current charge effi ciency setting.
SETUP
press
05A Charge Eff
Auto
P## View BMK Setup
rotate
to:
press to
select
From the BMK
Home screen:
Battery Monitor
Soc=**% *Hrs
**VDC ** ADC
P## ACC BMK Home
Figure 5-1, Accessing the Charge Effi ciency Menu Item (ME-RTR)