WindyNation AccuMax Watt Volt Ammeter Power Meter

[SternWake]

https://www.amazon.com/WindyNation-AccuMax-Ammeter-Power-Analyzer/dp/B014KAT6ZA

I have been using other clones of this wattmeter, specifically the GTpower ( 2 of them) and I had a Andoer version too.

To all these clones I removed the 12awg leads and soldered 8awg leads to the circuit board and internal Shunt so they could pass 40 amps all day without overheating.  They are not perfectly accurate, but good enough except at currents under about 0.35 amps.

One of them resides on my Meanwell rsp-500-15 adjustable voltage power supply output, the other one portable with 45 amp Anderson powerpoles so I can put it inline on almost any device that draws 40 amps or less and has the powerpole connector.

More recently i saw that Windynation offered a version that comes with 8awg leads, and I decided to click place order.

Long story short, it was a bad purchase.  While it read accurately on voltage, amperage, wattage, the KWH and AH figures were wildly inaccurate.  I am not sure how they could pull this off.  I mean all they had to do was multiply amp draw over a time period but the AH figure was out by 1/3, and the KWH figure read 0.11 KWH when the GTpower meters read 6xx WH which would be 0.6xx KWH

I was going to use it and just ignore the KWH and AH figures, even though I find these figures to be the most revealing, but then the thing decided to freeze up, and displaying only voltage  Unplug it and restart it and it is fine, for a few hours, but then stops counting current and time passed and displays only voltage.  making it essentially useless.

So before anybody runs down this same path, i would recommend the cheaper clones.  The GTpower version can be had for 13$ on Amazon currently.  the 12 awg leads should be good for upto 25 amps continuously, but I'd not really feel comfortable passing that much and having the meter be accurate as it did get warm passing that much current before I upgraded the wire to 8awg.

https://www.amazon.com/GT-Power-Ana...=1467868207&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=gtpower+130

I had an Andoer branded clone which I found to be accurate reading low currents down to the hundredth of an amp:

https://www.amazon.com/Andoer-Hight...d=1467868277&sr=8-2&keywords=andoer+wattmeter

But I had to give this one away with a very capable power pack I built for a friend.

These are hardly battery monitors as they only measure current flowing in one direction, but they could be used inline from house battery to fuse block to get a fairly accurate estimation on how much battery one is consuming in a certain timespan.

I just wanted to prevent others wasting their money on the Windynation version of this meter.  i thought I linked it here once before, but could not find it.

 

[Txjaybird]

When I saw the name of this thread I said to myself " wow I wonder if this is about a dume-a-flotchy, a whatcha-ma-callit or a thing-a-majig"    :huh:  after reading your post I see it's a thingy to measure your whatts und volts...yes?

All kidding aside I book marked it because someday I will understand more about this subject than I do now.....It better be way more or I'll get electrocuted.......again [ it's O.K. I need cute-ing up most days anyways]           

I do remember a post with Windy Nation in it, only because I like the name so can't say where or what about it was.

Nice of you to give others a heads up about the thingydoodle.        JEWELLANN

 

[SternWake]

How dare you call it a thingydoodle when it is so obviously a wattyamachacallit!!!
Jeez.

 

[rvpopeye]

I'm sure glad you cleared that name up !
I thought it was a whoozawhatsit..........
Well , guess I'll just use my old flukeadillo and go measure some wallavolts and gittramps.

 

[DannyB1954]

Just don't let the smoke out of the wires, and you will be fine.

 

[SternWake]

I'm still testing this unit, and while it has not froze up again, and its WH and AH readings are still way out of whack, but now the amps displayed is also jumping around wildly.


There is a possibility that it is being affected by electrical noise as its behavior differs in different environments with different types of loads.

Before it goes wacky, its amp and watt  and volt readings are good and accurate and precise enough.

Still bummed at the performance as is, but perhaps some ferrite chokes over the cables might reduce the possible interference, but I doubt it/
Will report back if ferrite chokes do anything.

If not I will cut off or perhaps desolder the 8awg and the 45 amp powerpoles and utilize those, elsewhere.