Things that Work! Steamco Solar Electric's SPM2000 System Power Monitor tested by Bob-O Schultze The SPM2000 offers more functions than the average Ampere-Hour cum Multimeter system monitors on the RE market today. It displays Volts, Amps, Watts, Amp-Hours, or Watt-Hours on each of two separate channels. The advantage of this system is that it can be configured to measure both power produced and power consumed, monitor two different power inputs, the power consumption of two different loads, or whatever your monitoring needs might be. Shipping and Documentation The SPM2000 arrived at HP's test site in a standard cardboard shipping box with the meter itself well protected by a generous amount of plastic bubble-wrap. The 19 page manual is easy to read with large 14 point type (no squinting) and a good table of contents. Four pages of easy to understand schematics describe the basic shunts-to-meter connections and examples of various monitoring schemes. I particularly liked the two pages in the back devoted to the Troubleshooting Guide. With a minimum of six wire connections just between the meter, the shunts, and the battery bank plus the many possible variations of input/output configurations, the extra help for the do-it-yourselfer is much appreciated. Specifications and Installation The SPM2000 comes complete with two 200Amp 100mV shunts. The shunts are supplied as an assembly with one end of both shunts bolted together with a thick copper buss bar. An in-line 1A fuse, and about six feet of hook-up wires complete the kit. Unless you want to mount the monitor further than six feet from your battery bank, there is nothing else to buy. The meter itself is 6 inches wide, by 8.25 inches tall, by 2 inches deep. The all-metal box is designed for surface wall mounting and is electrically grounded to the battery negative terminal. Wire access is thru a 1/2" EMT conduit connector which makes the monitor ideal for full NEC compliant systems. The SPM 2000 will monitor either 12 or 24 VDC systems and is internally protected against reverse polarity in case of an installation "Oopsie!". The monitor has an operating range of 10.0 to 40.0VDC and an internal power consumption of 90mA. It will display Amps to 199.9, Volts to 40.0, Watts to 7996.0, Amp-Hrs to 999999.9, and Watt-Hrs to 999999.9. I thought those last measurements were a bit much until I used the SPM2000 for a 60 day consumption test of a SunFrost RF- 16 and racked up over 31000 Watt-Hrs! An easily accessed manual push-button clears accumulated Amp and Watt Hours. Function and Measurement The SPM2000 is easily operated. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is large and very readable. A display contrast adjustment is provided to maximize readability under different lighting conditions. A horizontal row of push-button keys below the display select the function to be displayed. The keys are marked A,V,W,AH,WH,1,2. When the corresponding key is pushed, the display will read Amps, Volts, Watts, Ampere-Hrs, Watt-Hrs, Channel 1, or Channel 2 respectively. For example, a display reading of "4.5 AMPS 1" would indicate that 4.5 Amps were flowing thru Shunt #1. Pretty straightforward. Using a Fluke 87 as the standard, measurements confirmed that the SPM2000 performed within the manufacturer's specifications for accuracy. Warts Just one, really, and it's more of an omission. I'd like to see a backlight on the display. Most instrument installations are close to the batteries, controllers, etc. Usually, the places where those things live are in a shed, under a stairwell, or in some other poorly lighted area. A system monitor that is easy to see is going to be looked at more often. Conclusions I liked both the performance and the flexibility of the SPM2000. High quality components are used throughout and the monitor carries a full two year parts and labor warranty. At a retail price of $399.00, the SPM2000 isn't cheap, but in this case you get what you pay for. Access Author: Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection, POB 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044 ¥ 916-475-3401 Maker: Steamco Solar Electric, 2700 Cantu Lane NW, Bremerton, WA 98312 ¥ 206-830-4301