On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:50:02 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

Nope. Now it would read "charge" all the time, even during discharge.

The ammeter is an indication of what the battery is doing.
It needs to be wired as shown so that there are two directions of
electron flow so you know whether the alternator is managing to keep
up or not. If the alternator's output isn't wired to the bus itself
rather than the contactor, you'll have no idea if it's working
properly. The ammeter won't be able to tell you anything worthwhile.

Dan
'
Ah, that explains some other issue I have. In my flying homebuilt,
(the one I had to buy that was finished and flying because I didn't
know it would take so many years to complete my Glasair) It's amp
meter only shows a charge, but will never indicate a discharge. It
just goes to the center position when there's a load and the
alternator isn't turning. So where I the best place to install a
shunt? I need to rewire that darn thing.
Rich