"Watt's Up" Multi-Colored Watt Meter Adds Peak Amps and Minimum Volts

[RCElec]

RC Electronics is pleased to announce that our “Watt’s Up” watt meter is now in stock and available for purchase in three colors - Onyx, Kryptonite and Electric Blue. The latter two are transparent colors.

Instead of just wondering, “Watt’s Up” helps you know important things like, current through your ESC and motor, battery health and actual charge.

We humbly think “Watt’s Up” offers the best balance of power analyzer features on the market.

In addition to the features you expect in a watt meter, we've added some unique features including:

Capture of peak amps and minimum volts over the measurement duration
Connecting a receiver battery to the auxiliary power input allows measurements down to 0 volts e.g. you can measure a single battery cell
Resolutions of 0.01 A, 0.01 V, 0.001 Ah, 0.1 W and 0.1 Wh over entire operating ranges
Designed to handle 3000 W (60 V x 50 A) continuously and 6000 W (100 A) for shorter durations
Small size – like a big pack of gum, and weight – 2.5 oz. So you can pack more gear

A picture of the Kryptonite version next to the two other available colors is attached.

The introductory price is $59.95 with FREE SHIPPING and we are giving a discount if you buy more than one.

You can get more information on the Watt's Up RC Watt Meter (http://www.rc-cars-planes.com/watt-meter-info.html?src=rcg_pa) and buy it on-line at our website. “Watt’s Up” is also available at select dealers.

We are looking for more product reviewers. Please contact us if you are interested and have relevant experience.

Thanks for taking the time to consider "Watt's Up"!

-The RC Electronics Team

[flatfour]

Is there a button to alternate the display mode, or is it automatic?

[RCElec]

Is there a button to alternate the display mode, or is it automatic?
A good question that we should have addressed.
No, there is no button.
The two display screens alternate continuously every three seconds. You can tell which is which by the presence of the 'p' and 'm' suffixes indicating Amps peak and Volts minimum.
Thanks for asking.
-K

[jbeanelliott]

What is the sampling rate of "Watt’s Up” watt meter?
Does it use a sample-and-hold circuit?
Will it capture short time duration spikes in voltage?
If so, what is the shortest time of a spike it can capture?
Thanks.

[RCElec]

What is the sampling rate of "Watt’s Up” watt meter?
Does it use a sample-and-hold circuit?
Will it capture short time duration spikes in voltage?
If so, what is the shortest time of a spike it can capture?


This can be a complicated subject, but I think the simple answers are appropriate, so here they are.

Yes, there is a sample-and-hold (s/h).
A sample is collected by the s/h every millisecond so the sample rate is 1000 samples/sec.
Every 400 mS (0.4 S) the display on the "Watt's Up" is updated with the average of the last 400 samples and with the peak Amps and minimum Volts captured.

A spike that occurs during a single sample (1 mS) will be captured and used for the Peak Current and Minimum Voltage. Unless the spike lasts the entire sample time, it may not be reported accurately (as it is averaged over the 1mS sample). So the simple answer is that a spike must last at least 1 mS to be accurately captured, but see the next paragraph.

A caveat all s/h circuits have is that if the signal situation is changing very rapidly the s/h value may understate the change from the prior sample. For example, if the current goes from 0 to 100 Amps for 1 mS and back to 0 Amps over a 3 mS interval, the "Watt's Up" may show a peak value less than 100 Amps. However, that's an unlikely scenerio in RC model applications.
I hope I've answered your questions.
Thanks for asking.
-K

[PerfectStranger]

Just got mine in the mail today. Very happy with it so far in limited use.

matt

[sharam]

I see that the Wattsup device has 100amp maximum; just out of curiosity, what happens if you try to measure more than 100 amps?

[RCElec]

I see that the Wattsup device has 100amp maximum; just out of curiosity, what happens if you try to measure more than 100 amps?

Another good question. You planning on building an Arc Welder? Just Kidding <g>.
The "Watt's UP" has no set maximum values on its measurement abilities.

The maximum values it can measure depend on the measurement dynamic range left after calibrating the device's components to deliver at least the guaranteed specifications. Put another way, we must sacrifice some measurement range to compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the components that make up the "Watt's Up."

So some units may measure as much as 120A, but this is not guaranteed. This is why there is no "overrange indication". We want to allow for the most your individual unit can measure beyond the guaranteed amounts in the specifications.

Keep in mind that while able to make the measurement, you may be exceeding the safe operating limits of the device. At 120 Amps, device heating is the limitation.

I hope I've answered your question and thanks for asking.
-K

[California Condor]

I just received mine and it seems like a very nice device. I do not, however, like the 3 second switching of the displays. I would much prefer a button or at least a longer interval.

[RCElec]

I just received mine and it seems like a very nice device. I do not, however, like the 3 second switching of the displays. I would much prefer a button or at least a longer interval.

Thanks, glad you like it.
We appreciate your feedback regarding the display alternation interval. Can you tell us more about how you use it and what you would like the timing for the display screens to be?
Thanks!
-K

[California Condor]

I fly Old Timers (SAM SOS) and it is a help in optimising power systems for maximum duration. All very low power. I much would prefer a button/switch but an interval of about 10 seconds would help.

[badbill]

It almost seems that I should have one of these :-)

Bill Davenport
AMA 28141

[BEC]

Review is up on the Ezone main page.

[RCElec]

I fly Old Timers (SAM SOS) and it is a help in optimising power systems for maximum duration. All very low power. I much would prefer a button/switch but an interval of about 10 seconds would help.

Do you mean you would like 10 seconds of Amps, Volts, Watts & Ah and then 3 seconds (or some other value) of peak Amps, voltage minimum, Watts and Wh?

Thanks much for your answer and sorry for the delay replying.
-K

[MDKING]

I got mine for Christmas, and for the first time in the 10 months I have been flying electrics, I now know what my "actual" Voltage pull, Current(I), and Power(W) truely is. I have used my Watts meter on SS running Brushless system, Unicorn, running a CC45/Mega 16/15/3, 9cell 1400AA and 11.1 Lipos, I love this thing.
BUT!!!!!
Having a button, or switch of somesort to toggle back and forth would be nice. Also the sampling rate would be nice around 200ms with averaging. Being able to download through a USB cable to an computer to graph this would also be nice, not on this hand held unit but something like it. I know there are others out there that does this, but you have sold me on your products.

Regards, and thank you.

Mark D King
Sherman TX
mvking@cableone.net

[MDKING]

I got mine for Christmas, and for the first time in the 10 months I have been flying electrics, I now know what my "actual" Voltage pull, Current(I), and Power(W) truely is. I have used my Watts meter on SS running Brushless system, Unicorn, running a CC45/Mega 16/15/3, 9cell 1400AA and 11.1 Lipos, I love this thing.
BUT!!!!!
Having a button, or switch of somesort to toggle back and forth would be nice. Also the sampling rate would be nice around 200ms with averaging. Being able to download through a USB cable to an computer to graph this would also be nice, not on this hand held unit but something like it. I know there are others out there that does this, but you have sold me on your products.

Regards, and thank you.

Mark D King
Sherman TX
mvking@cableone.net

[RCElec]

I got mine for Christmas, and for the first time in the 10 months I have been flying electrics, I now know what my "actual" Voltage pull, Current(I), and Power(W) truely is. I have used my Watts meter on SS running Brushless system, Unicorn, running a CC45/Mega 16/15/3, 9cell 1400AA and 11.1 Lipos, I love this thing.
BUT!!!!!
Having a button, or switch of somesort to toggle back and forth would be nice. Also the sampling rate would be nice around 200ms with averaging. Being able to download through a USB cable to an computer to graph this would also be nice, not on this hand held unit but something like it. I know there are others out there that does this, but you have sold me on your products.

Regards, and thank you.

Mark D King
Sherman TX
mvking@cableone.net
Mark,
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you're finding the "Watt's Up" to be so useful.
I appreciate your feedback about the button or some other way to control toggling and we have it on our "requested features for future versions list".

Can you please clarify what you mean by a 200mS sampling rate? As you may know, the "Watt's Up" sampling rate is 1000 samples per second (1 mS) and updates the display values every 400mS (2.5 times per s).

We have had other requests for the sorts of logging/reporting capabilities you have mentioned. Unfortunately, they would significantly raise the price. So what price premium would you be willing to pay for such features? Would you pay to upgrade your unit to a version that had the USB link?

Thanks much for your thoughts and input!
-K

[simonbryant]

Hi,

Is there a later version without the 3 second toggling feature?
Can these still be purchased in Green?

Regards

Simon

[Tim Wolff]

The green color is called Kryptonite. Appears to be availabile on the web page, but looks as if all colors are backordered until 3/22.

FWIW: I've had the chance to use my Watt's Up a few times. I have to say it is a very useful tool. The hook for me was the low voltage operation for my single-cell li-poly setups.

[simonbryant]

-K
I don't suppose you would ship to the UK?

Simon

[PerfectStranger]

simon

stevensaero (http://www.stevensaero.com/cart/cart.php?target=category&category_id=67) has them and does ship internationally. bill is a great guy.

matt

[RCElec]

The green color is called Kryptonite. Appears to be availabile on the web page, but looks as if all colors are backordered until 3/22.

FWIW: I've had the chance to use my Watt's Up a few times. I have to say it is a very useful tool. The hook for me was the low voltage operation for my single-cell li-poly setups.

Folks,
Thanks for the helpful feedback.
We try to keep all colors available on our website (we have Electric Blue now) and you can also find stock at dealers who carry our product (also listed at our website). If the website is out of stock of an item it will say so when it is placed into the shopping cart. So, you needn't wonder.
We will have all colors back in stock March 22, 2005.
Thanks for your interest and support,
-K and the RC Electronics Team

[simonbryant]

simon

stevensaero (http://www.stevensaero.com/cart/cart.php?target=category&category_id=67) has them and does ship internationally. bill is a great guy.

matt

Thanks... i think he's out of stock on Kryptonite....

It seems like RC Elec will not sell to me as i'm accross the Atlantic, looks like i'm forced in to buying an Astro Watt Meter.... :mad:

[RCElec]

Thanks... i think he's out of stock on Kryptonite....

It seems like RC Elec will not sell to me as i'm accross the Atlantic, looks like i'm forced in to buying an Astro Watt Meter.... :mad:

Dear Simon,
I'm sorry you're having a tough time getting our Watt meter.
We'd be glad to sell you a "Watt's up", but are temporarily out of stock on Kryptonite & Onyx. Our website lists dealers who do international shipping (please see our Order Shipping page) and may have that color.
Please understand that it is expensive for us to ship internationally and keep our costs down. So, unless an international customer wants three or more units, we recommend trying our dealers that ARE setup to ship internationally.

Mad's Bad. We want you to be happy.
Please try the dealers and let me know what happens.
-K

[simonbryant]

Hi -K

I'm not so much mad, more frustrated that i cannot purchase one off the shelf.
I've tried your dealers, some of which either have no stock or do not ship to the UK?

If you know of anyone of your dealers that may have the odd one in Kryptonite lying around i would be most grateful if you could hold it for me.

Thanks again

Simon

[PerfectStranger]

if i want to put the meter between my charger and battery to monitor mah going INTO the pack, does the charger go on the "source" side and pack on the "load" side?

thanks,
matt

[flatfour]

That is correct if monitoring charging

[RCElec]

if i want to put the meter between my charger and battery to monitor mah going INTO the pack, does the charger go on the "source" side and pack on the "load" side?

thanks,
matt
Matt,
You are correct.
Think of it like this. Where is the energy coming from and what is the LOAD for energy that you want to measure?
In your case, the charger provides energy and so is the "SOURCE" and the battery is the "LOAD" that accepts it. This thinking ensures current is flowing from SOURCE to LOAD which is what the "Watt's Up" expects to see.
This thinking works for all "Watt's Up" applications. Batteries to motors, batteries to receivers/servos, batteries to speed controls, batteries to dischargers, Lead acid batteries to chargers -- you get the idea.
BTW, SOURCE & LOAD only matter for measurements other than voltage, because for voltage, no current is needed through the meter.
Best,
-K

[yankeefaninpa]

This sounds like a very useful product.

Can you give me a quick overview of how I would use it ?

Do I fly with it and then analyze the results or do I do all the analysis on the ground ?

How do I get an estimate of how much flying time I would get from my setup ?

Thanks.

[RCElec]

This sounds like a very useful product.

Can you give me a quick overview of how I would use it ?

Do I fly with it and then analyze the results or do I do all the analysis on the ground ?

How do I get an estimate of how much flying time I would get from my setup ?

Thanks.
Yankeefaninpa,
You connect the "Watt's Up" like jumper cables and it shows you, in real time, all the electrical parameters of your model. This lets you confirm that you are not overloading anything and that your components are operating properly. With a "Watt's Up" you can learn about and investigate your models electrical behavior.
Flight time can be determined by dividing the Amps used during a flight test run of your model and dividing that into the Ah capacity (at that current) of your main battery pack. e.g. you might get 20 Amps for 7.5 minutes from a pack rated 2500 mAh at 10C discharge. It may be hard to find a published 10C capacity, in which case you can use the "Watt's Up" during a test discharge to see what your pack's capacity really is.
You can also use the "Watt's Up" instead of a multi-meter for many applications like cell balancing or setting cutoff voltages and currents in speed controls or confirming battery charge.
You can fly it or just use it on the ground as test equipment.

For lots more information about electrical measurements and "Watt's Up" application, please take a look at the user's manual in the downloads section of our website at RC Cars & Planes (http://www.rc-cars-planes.com).
Thanks for getting in touch.
-K

[RCElec]

We're glad to announce that all colors of the "Watt's Up" Watt meter are back in stock and ready to ship. Tame those Amps and Volts!
-K

[Canada Goose]

I am just getting electrics and can see what a valuable tool this will be. However, like others have mentioned I would not be fond of the constant 3 second switching of displays. Can you make one with a toggle switch or are you going to produce a new version soon? Either way, I will wait till that switching feature has been addressed before making a purchase.
Cheers
Mike

[RCElec]

I am just getting electrics and can see what a valuable tool this will be. However, like others have mentioned I would not be fond of the constant 3 second switching of displays. Can you make one with a toggle switch or are you going to produce a new version soon? Either way, I will wait till that switching feature has been addressed before making a purchase.
Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike,
Yes, we certainly agree with your assessment of the value of a tool like ours for electric hobbyists!
FYI, thousands of folks seem to be ok with the alternating display, however we have released a new version (V2) that keeps Volts, Amps & Watts on screen all the time and also adds peak Watt's measurement. The other five measured values are sequentially reported in the remaining screen position we call the "Data Queue". I think your wait is over <g>.
Best regards,
-K

[BEC]

Well I, for one, like V2 MUCH better for this reason. :D

[KeithK]

Can version 1 be upgraded to V2?

[gliegler]

Hi Mike,
Yes, we certainly agree with your assessment of the value of a tool like ours for electric hobbyists!
FYI, thousands of folks seem to be ok with the alternating display, however we have released a new version (V2) that keeps Volts, Amps & Watts on screen all the time and also adds peak Watt's measurement. The other five measured values are sequentially reported in the remaining screen position we call the "Data Queue". I think your wait is over <g>.
Best regards,
-K

I am also interested in a upgrade from v1 to v2.

Gary

[RCElec]

All,
Some comments for those interested in the Version 1 to Version 2 "Watt's Up" change.

The firmware cannot be field upgraded. Note that there's nothing functionally wrong with version 1. We just added Peak Watts and changed the display operation a bit in version 2.

Please see Upgrade Details (http://www.rc-cars-planes.com/wu-upgrade.html) for the details of the upgrade program we have in place.

Please understand that we're a small company trying to keep costs low and develop new products. This upgrade program is a money loser for us.

We hope this will address everyone's needs.
Best regards,
Keith