Blue Sea Systems DC Analog Ammeter, 2.75 in Face, 12V/24V DC Backlight

Overview

This Blue Sea Systems DC analog ammeter is a panel meter for reading DC current on boat electrical systems, with Standard 2.75 in face variants covering 0-25A through 0-200A ranges. It gives a direct analog reading for battery, charging, distribution, and equipment circuits where a quick glance at current draw matters more than a menu-driven display.

The range uses a 2.75 in (69.85 mm) meter face and a backlit dial for low-light helm, cabin, or electrical panel locations. Backlighting has separate 12V DC and 24V DC connections, drawing 16 mA at 12V DC or 20 mA at 24V DC, while the meter current is 1 mA at full scale.

Key features

• Standard 2.75 in (69.85 mm) analog face fits common Blue Sea Systems meter panel layouts.
• DC ammeter range options cover 0-25A, 0-50A, 0-75A, 0-100A, 0-150A, and 0-200A circuits.
• Backlit meter face supports low-light visibility at the helm, nav station, cabin panel, or electrical service area.
• Separate backlight connections support 12V DC or 24V DC lighting circuits.
• External-shunt versions use a 50 mV shunt at full scale and power the meter from the shunt connection.
• The 0-25A version uses an internal shunt, which reduces the number of separate components in lower-current installations.

Variants

This DC analog ammeter is offered in six amperage ranges. The main differences are the current scale printed on the meter face and the shunt arrangement used for that range.

The 0-25A version uses a built-in internal shunt. The 0-50A, 0-75A, 0-100A, 0-150A, and 0-200A versions use an included external shunt, which lets the meter read higher current through a separate shunt connection rather than routing the full circuit current through the meter body.

Installation and setup

For the external-shunt versions, the meter uses a simple 4-wire connection from the shunt, with the meter sensing and powering from that shunt connection. This layout keeps the high-current path at the shunt and lets the meter sit in the panel where it is easy to read.

The backlight wiring is handled separately from the current-sensing circuit. Use the 12V DC or 24V DC backlight connection that matches the boat lighting circuit so the meter illumination can be tied into the panel light switch or a dedicated instrument-light feed.

Use cases on board

This meter is a good match for boats with straightforward DC systems where the operator wants a constant visual indication of current draw or charging current without scrolling through a digital monitor. It works well on DC distribution panels, battery-related circuits, charging equipment circuits, and other onboard loads within the selected amperage range.

Because the variants span low-current and higher-current applications, the correct model should be matched to the maximum expected circuit current. A meter range that is too low can be overloaded, while a range that is too high may make small changes harder to read on the analog scale.