eruptn 95 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 Hi Looking at the collection of battery monitoring kit out there. Firstly do they offer much more than a good voltmeter and an understanding of what is a good, bad or ugly value? I have a analogy meter that you can guess the last 0.3-0.4 volts or there about. Also have a simple 2 battery system, start and house, charged by the alternator. As I have hole on the electric panel the Victron, Master Volt and Enerdrive units look a simple solution as they should go in the existing hole or do I just go for good digital meter to replace the analogy one. Then there is the BEP DC monitor, Votronic LCD, the Renogy (recently flagged as not a good electronic supplier-although they appear popular in reviews) and the real flash PICO by Pimarine. There are also a few 'Ali' brands out of China. What are the common practices and experiences out there in this space. Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 Volts are not a good indication of state of charge, unless the battery has been at rest (no charge or discharge) for 10 hours. That is unrealistic. Battery monitors can be good or bad. Even the same models. Depending on setup and understanding of the user. Apart from the new balmar SG 200, which is quite clever, and learns the battery over a few cycles, the others all must be setup properly, or won't tell the truth! I like the Victron BMV-712 - smart. It has a shunt to measure amps in/out, but you must program actual capacity, Peukerts number, fully charged volts and tail current to make them accurate. Your battery manufacturer should be able to provide this info. Once done, they are a great asset, as they can easily tell you battery %, voltage, and current in and out, including to an app on your ph via bluetooth, showing historical data etc. I have used this data several times to get batts replaced under warranty for customers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winter 42 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 +1 for the Victron 712. Great units. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winter 42 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 And yes, they do offer more than your standard analog or digital voltmeter. They count power in, and power out - so you know your battery state as a %, rather than a voltage. Of course they show you voltage as well. https://victronenergy.co.nz/collections/battery-management-and-monitoring/products/battery-monitor-bmv-712-smart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CarpeDiem 430 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 Or if want to go cheaper still, consider the Victron smartshunt. https://victronenergy.co.nz/collections/battery-management-and-monitoring/products/smartshunt-500a-50mv They also have an new IP65 version if you want to mount it in dubious location. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
motorb 26 Posted November 23, 2022 Share Posted November 23, 2022 14 hours ago, Island Time said: Volts are not a good indication of state of charge, unless the battery has been at rest (no charge or discharge) for 10 hours. That is unrealistic. I'd they're good enough provided you know what the number means for your battery and it's limitations. With the way things are going, I'd assume everything to be bluetooth before much longer and just keep a cheap tablet onboard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aardvarkash10 959 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 If you have a lot of different loads and/or different chemistries and/or large or complex battery and charging systems, knock yourself out with an all singing all dancing battery monitor. But for a simple lead acid same chem/same construction system, an ammeter and voltmeter should provide all the info you need. In both cases, knowing what you are looking at is more important than how much information it can deliver. IMO, YMMV Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vivaldi 53 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 10 hours ago, Winter said: +1 for the Victron 712. Great units. Plus 2 from me - really easy to use and understand your state of charge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eruptn 95 Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 Thanks guys, the victron was the one I was biasing too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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