If you have one of the BatteryPlus35 range of chargers and want to add any connections directly to the battery, you will want to look at a BC300 wireless shunt. As the BP35 range measure the flow of electricity inside the unit, it cannot see any items such as heaters or inverters which are wired to the batteries directly. The BC300 allows them to see this reading and once again give accurate readings.
If you are finding that your batteries are not being displayed properly, read below to check that your BC300 is fit correctly.
The BC300 is a directional flow meter in essence. If it's installed back to front or if things are wired in such a way so that they pass around it, it will not be able to give the correct readings.
Before starting, turn off all loads and remove all fuses from the system. Refer to the BP35 section of "How do I add/remove batteries?" for how to isolate the batteries safely. Also, check that you can activate the pairing button on the CommLink without any tools. If you cannot, have a pen or the like ready for the pairing step.
- Unplug the data cable on the right-hand side of the BP35. connect this cable to one of the entry points on the Commlink
- Connect one end of the supplied data cable to the BP35 comms port and the other side to the CommLink.
- if possible, connect the BP35 to mains so it's operating in power supply mode, this allows an easier time to pair when the time comes.
- Each of your batteries (if there is more than one) should be connected to one another before the BC300 is added. This is so that the flow goes through each battery directly, without passing through the BC300. After all, we want to know how much power is coming out of the battery bank, not what is moving around inside it.
- Once all the positives are connected and all the negatives are connected, we can look to add the BC300 and wire it into the main system. This is done by bolting the input side of the BC300. This is the point closest to the "B" in BC300" as printed on top of the unit. If your negative battery cable going to the next battery doesn't fit underneath, it can be placed on the top of the unit, however, it MUST be put on the input side still.
- Connect the Positive feed to the Battery. Once the Positive connection is made, the BC300 will enter pairing mode and the status light will begin to flash blue as it searches for the CommLink. This will give you two minutes to go inside and press the pairing button on the CommLink.
- Once inside, the pairing button can be found on the end of the CommLink, opposite of the connectors plugged in previously, on the right side. It is recessed slightly but should be accessible without tools.
After pressing the pairing button, the BC300 and CommLink should pair. The CommLink should flash green once every 5 seconds. If the Commlink is showing an Amber light, disconnect the Positive power feed for the BC300 from the battery, leaving it off for around 30 seconds, before trying again.
When completed, the installation should look similar to this example with 3 batteries connected: