Although there are only three, each is intended for specific vessels and recreational vehicles.
When deciding which set is right for you, first consider what you want to measure. Of course, this also depends on your equipment – how many liquid tanks, which type of batteries, and how many batteries you have as well as if you will be charging the batteries with solar panels.
The Pico system is modular, so don’t worry if down the road you figure out that you have run out of space to measure additional devices – all shunts and modules can be bought later and easily connected to the system.
What is Pico, and what do shunts and modules bring?
Pico is a monitor that shows the status of batteries, tanks, temperatures, appliance consumption (stovetop, refrigerator, battery charger, etc.), as well as how much electricity the generators bring to your boat or recreational vehicle. Most often these are solar panels.
If you want to measure any of the above, you need shunts and modules in addition to Pico. One high-amp shunt, such as our SC303, is sufficient for battery monitoring. But if you want to know how much energy is consumed by an individual device, such as a refrigerator, add the SCQ25 module to the system.
First you need to know the basics
We have a bit more to explain before we delve into the packs.
Foremost, you need to understand what each module allows you to do. The most important difference between the modules is the type and number of inputs each has.
The types of inputs are current, resistance, and voltage.
You can find a detailed explanation of:
- what you can measure with a specific input,
- which sensors you can use for each input, and
- the basics of monitoring batteries, tanks, and temperatures
… in this blog post. If you are not yet familiar with our system, we recommend you read the blog post first before continuing with the following descriptions of the sets.
Otherwise, let’s explore the sets.
Pico One set
Pico One is a basic set intended for smaller vessels and all types of recreational vehicles. It gives you a complete overview of the service battery bank. The system will show you the remaining capacity, voltage, and current associated with this battery. Pico will calculate the remaining time based on the current consumption or the time until the battery is full if it is in the charging state. In addition, you will be able to monitor the status of another battery, such as the starter battery.
When we talk about batteries, we mean an individual battery or a battery bank. Pico displays the status of one battery bank as one battery.
In addition to the battery, the set allows you to measure the level of 2 tanks or 2 temperatures (depending on the sensors you use).
The measurement of all this data is provided by the shunt, which is labeled SC303. It is an innovative combination of a high-amp shunt and a tank-level monitoring module.
If we look at its inputs, we see that it has 2 voltage inputs, 2 resistance inputs, 1 space for connecting the temperature sensor (included in the package), and one current sensor. A maximum of 300 amperes of long-term current can flow through it.
The SC303 can also be used to separately monitor the power consumption of high current users such as an inverter.
Pico Standard set
Let’s go one step further – The Pico Standard set contains everything that the Pico One has, plus a module for monitoring the liquid level and voltage.
It is a very versatile ST107 module with 4 resistance and 3 voltage inputs. The first can be used to measure temperatures or connect resistance sensors to measure liquid levels. The other voltage inputs are available for connecting voltage sensors for liquids or voltage battery monitoring.
A special feature of the ST107 module is the built-in, programmable alarm relay, which, for example, will warn you when the battery level is below 30% or when the water tank is almost empty.
Pico Blue set
And here we present our best-selling set. It is intended for anyone who wants to have complete control over what is happening on their boat, yacht, motorhome, trailer, or other recreational vehicle.
It gives you a detailed overview of how much energy you have at a given moment and how much is consumed or produced by each device. With this information, you will know for sure how many days you can stay in your hidden corner of the world – without the risk of running out of energy to return to civilization.
What does the package contain? Let’s start with the SC503 shunt. If you remember the Pico One set, then you know that it contains the SC303 module. The only difference between the two shunts is the maximum allowable long-term current value that they have. In the case of the SC503, this is 500 amps.
The Pico Blue, like the Pico Standard, contains the ST107 tank level and voltage module.
What makes this package unique and innovative is the SCQ25 module. It is a module that you will not find anywhere else and stands out among products on the nautical and caravanning market.
SCQ25 is a low-amp module designed to measure the consumption or production of electrical energy of individual devices. It allows monitoring of up to 4 devices and a maximum of 25 amps of long-term current that can flow through each channel on the module. If an individual device requires a higher current, you can connect two channels in parallel to double the current to 50 amperes. In this case, it is necessary to record such binding in the Pico monitor so that it will show you the right data.
Our customers mostly use this module to measure the consumption of refrigerators and lights as well as to monitor the amount of energy provided by solar panels. Not only that, data on the energy itself also tells you whether a particular device is working optimally.
You can add multiple SCQ25 modules to your Pico system. It all depends on your needs and the way you travel. If you want to include several modules in the system, simply connect them with the data cable. Each module has 2 special connectors for this purpose.
Will your decision be easier now?
So that’s it! Hopefully, we were able to clearly explain the difference between the sets. Sometimes the content of the set itself doesn’t say much about what you need, so you can only make the right decision once you know what you want to monitor, which sensors you can use to collect certain data, and how many inputs you need.
We only have one more piece of advice:
If electricity is not your thing, leave the installation of the system to professionals.
For any additional questions about our system, please contact us at [email protected].
