SeeLevel Tank Monitor on 21RBS

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Here's the SeeLevel tank level monitor installed in the 21RBS.

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The power wire is tapped onto the TV Booster supply line in the cabinet. The sensor wire is run through the floor in the cabinet (careful not to drill into the fresh tank  ). The cable is then routed to the three tanks with generous use of zip ties.
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[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]I just sprayed the SeeLevel sensor boards with 3M Professional Grade Rubberized Undercoating as recommended by the manufacturer. Available at Autozone and O'Reilly. A bit pricey and way too much for the small amount need, but it covers well and is easy to spray.
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[tinkeringtechie]

Is this the stuff? [a href="http://www.amazon.com/3M-03584-Professional-Rubberized-Undercoating/dp/B002H9CMCQ"]http://www.amazon.com/3M-03584-Professional-Rubberized-Undercoating/dp/B002H9CMCQ[/a]

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]Yes, that's the stuff. It sprays nicely but can run if you apply it too liberally. No problem unless your hand/arm is in the drip path. You will be black for a week. Now what to do with the rest of the can?
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[tinkeringtechie]

I'm tempted to spray it in the wheel wells or somewhere else that might need protection from debris, water, etc...

[charliem]

[font size="3"][font face="arial"]That would work but for very little gain. I'm thinking of making a cardboard boat and spraying It. Cheap rubber boat.  

I just put the second coat on. I'm done.
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[tinkeringtechie]

I just installed my Seelevel yesterday. I'm curious if we put the sensors in the same locations.

Fresh: right next to outlet, cut 4 pads off
Gray: facing dump valve, cut 4 pads off
Black: back side (curb side), cut 5 pads off

Gray and black placement was determined by the "shelves" that prevented accessing the top except on one side. Fresh water could have gone anywhere but next to the outlet seemed most meaningful. I aligned gray and black with the top of the tank and aligned fresh with the bottom.

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/1045/thread" timestamp="1400428858" author="@tinkeringtechie"]I just installed my Seelevel yesterday. I'm curious if we put the sensors in the same locations.

Fresh: right next to outlet, cut 4 pads off
Gray: facing dump valve, cut 4 pads off
Black: back side (curb side), cut 5 pads off

Gray and black placement was determined by the "shelves" that prevented accessing the top except on one side. Fresh water could have gone anywhere but next to the outlet seemed most meaningful. I aligned gray and black with the top of the tank and aligned fresh with the bottom.[/quote][font size="3"][font face="arial"]I think we're very close. Great minds think alike.

I placed the fresh sensor on the curb side end to shield it from road spray and aligned it so that it would read the useable water level. There are a few gallons left when the pump starts sucking air. Three sensors pads working.

The gray is similar to yours, on the street side end several inches forward on the dump pipe fitting, aligned with top of tank. Four sensor pads working.

The black sensor is on the curb side end as high as I could get it. Four sensor pads working, but I ordered the shorter sensor strip for this one. I think it was JS or JK.

It'll be interesting to see what your black sensor reports when the tank is full.

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[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/1053/thread" timestamp="1400449141" author="@charliem"][font size="3"][font face="arial"]It'll be interesting to see what your black sensor reports when the tank is full.

[/font][/font][/quote]It will say full because I'll make it say full 

Actually I'll be using their panel for a few months (hopefully no more) while I'm working on my custom monitor. Once I finish I'll perform a full calibration on a level surface from empty to full. That calibration will also compensate for variations in tank geometry as I will be filling the tanks at a constant rate and graphing the results. From empty to full I should have a linear line over time even though the readings may not be. I'll make adjustments to map the readings to the "true" level.

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/1054/thread" timestamp="1400451791" author="@tinkeringtechie"][quote source="/post/1053/thread" timestamp="1400449141" author="@charliem"][font size="3"][font face="arial"]
[/font][/font][/quote]It will say full because I'll make it say full 

Actually I'll be using their panel for a few months (hopefully no more) while I'm working on my custom monitor. Once I finish I'll perform a full calibration on a level surface from empty to full. That calibration will also compensate for variations in tank geometry as I will be filling the tanks at a constant rate and graphing the results. From empty to full I should have a linear line over time even though the readings may not be. I'll make adjustments to map the readings to the "true" level.[/quote][font size="3"][font face="arial"]Yes, I understand you micro guys. "It's only software". However, if you run a calibration before correction I'd be interested. [/font][/font]

[jtelles3993]

I just received the SeeLevel II 709 (P3) late today. I've read through this thread and [a href="http://livinlite.proboards.com/thread/226/seelevel-tank-monitor"]this thread[/a] and did get a lot of answers - especially where to locate the tank sensors. But it does appear that no one has simply retrofitted the existing wiring from the old probes as shown in this video:

[video src="https://youtu.be/Z-SyklZWlVM"][/video]

I'd like to use the same wires on my 21RBS if possible - any thoughts?






 

[charliem]

[font size="3"]It's pretty easy.

Method One: Pick a spot to mount the panel. If you want to mount it near where the OEM panel is and use the existing wiring, that's fine. The OEM panel has a plethora of wires running down to the tanks; probably 4 for each tank. The SeeLevel only needs two wires running from the panel to the tanks. Two wires total! Just pick any two wires leaving the OEM panel, label one "ground" or "black" and the other "sensors" or 'blue". Run these two wires to the three tanks in any order. My panel is mounted under the sink cabinet so I ran to the fresh, then gray, then black tanks, but it could have been any order. The order doesn't make any difference since you code each sensor as you attach it by trimming the tabs on the sensors. On each tank connect the black wire from the sensor to the wire you labeled "black". Connect the blue wires from the sensors to the wire you labeled "blue". That's it: Six connections for three tanks. Then, back at the panel, connect the black ground wires to a good ground and the red power lead to a 12 volt source. You're done.

Alternate Method: This is a little harder to understand and employs more wires, but you may want to consider it. At each tank, pick two wires connected to the four sensor array. I don't know what colors LL used, but let's say one black and one blue. Discard the other wires. At each tank connect the blue wire to the blue wire from the new sensor. At each tank connect the black wire to the black wire from the new sensor. Back at the SeeLevel panel connect the three black wires from the sensors to the black wire from the panel and connect this junction to a good ground. At the panel connect the three blue wires from the sensors to the blue wire from the panel. Connect the red wire from the panel to a good 12 volt source. Your done.

Be sure to identify each sensor for it's intended tank by trimming the small tabs on the circuit boards.

The sensor boards will not be exactly the same height as the tanks. You should bias the placement of the sensors on the tanks to emphasize  the important region. i.e. offset the sensor toward the bottom of the fresh tank and towards the tops of the gray and black tanks. The fresh tank nearing empty is more significant than the full tank whereas the gray and black tanks approaching full are more significant than the empty tanks.
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[jtelles3993]

Very good read Charlie. Thanks for taking the time to pound all that out. Makes a lot of sense on the placement of the sensors based on tank type! Also the "method one" wiring does seem simple enough? I guess I'll dive in tomorrow and see what I can accomplish.. wish I had you here with me for guidance!

[jtelles3993]

Did some looking and from my OEM panel I only have 3 wires, 14ga, that actually go towards the tanks. I'll trace those tomorrow under the camper. One is black, one is blue, the other a brownish orange.

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/8683/thread" timestamp="1427775012" author="@surfsup"]Did some looking and from my OEM panel I only have 3 wires, 14ga, that actually go towards the tanks. I'll trace those tomorrow under the camper. One is black, one is blue, the other a brownish orange.
[/quote][font size="3"]Very interesting. Can you find any manufacturer/model info? Also any description or pictures of the tank probes and how they're hooked up? We've been a bit vocal on knocking the standard 4 light/4 probe monitors, but maybe we've not been giving LL credit where it's due. Only three wires to the tanks would indicate some sort of proportional capacitive sensors. Regardless, you'll love the SeeLevel.
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