ammeter may have double posted

if i posted this already i lost the first one.

like many of us i have more electronics on my rig than i know what to do with. so i thought i might add an ammeter (plus the dual gauge pod on top of the dash will give me a spot to put a clock, since my radio is in the tuffy center console)

the autometer ammeter has a 60-0-60 range and it says not to use with an alternator greater than 60 amps. so first, what is the output of a stock 05 tj alternator.

then im wondering if wired correctly this ammeter should just show current flow between the alternator and battery right? so that shouldnt ever exceed around 20 amps right?

the other question is will this even show me what i want to see. that is if the picture below is right. it wont tell me if my battery is being discharged by the extra stuff. so would i need to wire all the extra stuff at the spot marked "2" or put the ammeter between the extra stuff and the battery without putting the starter on it, (however you wanna look at it)

but the problem there is my "extra stuff" (lights, amps, air compressor) probably total more than 60 amps so if the engine is running the alternator will get most of it, and if im drawing off the battery the ammeter will tell me exactly how much the alternator isnt covering, but without the engine running i will be pulling all of that off the battery which would possibly exceed 60 amps

im a little confused and i imagine if your reading this you might be to and im pretty sure my answer should be, just use the voltmeter to judge my situation but any help would be appreciated

Stay away from ammeters - they are little better than useless.
They merely add an impedance to the battery and require you to drag hi-current wiring into your cabin (assuming a non-remote sensor for the gauge).

The voltmeter will tell you if you are discharging.
It will also tell you if your are overcharging the battery (>14.4V) which an ammeter won't.
And it will show if your battery is not fully charged (~12.6V) or flat (~11.6V) - an ammeter won't.
It can also indicate an aging or failing battery (deeper dip during cranking etc).


About all an ammeter is good for is to allow you to calculate reserve time remaining assuming you know your AH capacity and the batteries state of charge.
But the voltmeter tells you its state of charge - it's similar to a hyrometer. IE from ~11.6V 0% to 12.7V 100% capacity.

But if you insist, then the wiring shown is ok except that the "extra stuff" must be taken from the alternator side. (Otherwise the alternator will show the current that the "other stuff" is consuming - and you won't know how much is to the battery itself.)