Victron bmv-712 vs smart shunt/cerbo/touch combo

I've seen more than a few setups where people have the cerbo gx + touch display, but they also run the bmv 712. Is there some advantage to this?

It seems like if you already have the cerbo and touch display, wouldn't it be easier to just use a smart shunt and have everything integrated into the touch display? Or does the bmv have some features that the smart shunt lacks? From comparing features they appear about the same other than some alarms.

Prob depends on how they bought the equipment.

Bought the BMV712 first then added on with a multiplus and then wanted a display for the entire system.

Charleswgibbs said:

I've seen more than a few setups where people have the cerbo gx + touch display, but they also run the bmv 712. Is there some advantage to this?

It seems like if you already have the cerbo and touch display, wouldn't it be easier to just use a smart shunt and have everything integrated into the touch display? Or does the bmv have some features that the smart shunt lacks? From comparing features they appear about the same other than some alarms.

Click to expand...

The BMV has a set of contacts that can be programmed to change state at a certain SOC.
This can be used to control external devices.
As far as I know, this is it's only benefit over the Smart Shunt.

I have a Smart shunt and a BMV700 with the dongle. I get 10 ft. of Bluetooth out of Smart Shunt and 100 ft. out of BVM.

If the Smart Shunt connects to cerbo gx + by bluetooth this might be a problem.

I like that the BMV712 additional port can be used to do (one of these):

- Watch a second unrelated battery (starter battery or a water pump 12v battery for example)
- Watch a battery bank midpoint voltage to help detect cell failures
- Control a relay

I don't have the GX touch screen (or GX device at all), I just have a raspberrypi4 running VenusOS with no screen. We use phones or computers to access the local VenusOS console, or phones/computers to access VRM. So somebody that doesn't have a phone/computer can check SoC with a local display. We don't really use the display much though, partially because it hasn't been mounted in a useful spot (like next to laundry machines).

timselectric said:

The BMV has a set of contacts that can be programmed to change state at a certain SOC.
This can be used to control external devices.
As far as I know, this is it's only benefit over the Smart Shunt.

Click to expand...

Ah I missed that feature. It does sound useful! I just kept seeing people with both and couldn't figure out why.

Thanks guys

Charleswgibbs said:

Ah I missed that feature. It does sound useful! I just kept seeing people with both and couldn't figure out why.

Thanks guys

Click to expand...

I have a Smart Shunt and wish that it had that feature. But, I'll find a different way to trigger load shedding.

Victron SCC can code their VE direct port to function as a relay based on voltage.

I wonder if the same is applicable to the Smart Shunt.

740GLE said:

Victron SCC can code their VE direct port to function as a relay based on voltage.

I wonder if the same is applicable to the Smart Shunt.

Click to expand...

That would be nice. But, they haven't advertised that option.

How is the 712 relay function different than the relay function provided by the Cerbo?