Battery monitors for when you're not home...?

[wanye]

Is there a way to monitor your batteries from your phone when you're away from home??

 

[Checkthisout]

Is there a way to monitor your batteries from your phone when you're away from home??

Yes, tons. What parameters are you wanting to monitor? Do you already have a CC or Inverter that has built-in monitoring that you could web-enable?

 

[John Frum]

Yes.
Can you code?
If not, Victron has you covered.

 

[wanye]

Monitoring battery capacity would be ideal. I cannot code and neither my CC nor inverter have built in monitoring that I could web-enable.

 

[John Frum]

What about your battery?

 

[wanye]

As far as I know, no.

Was hoping there were a shunt monitor (or similar) available that would broadcast to my wifi. A quick web search yielded zero results, so figured I'd ask this forum for advice.

 

[John Frum]

Here is a low tech battery monitoring solution.
Get an old style answering machine.
Power it from your battery.
If you can leave a message the system is running and the battery is above low voltage cutoff.
If not there could be problem.

I wonder if you can still get one at the local thrift shop.

 

[Checkthisout]

Monitoring battery capacity would be ideal. I cannot code and neither my CC nor inverter have built in monitoring that I could web-enable.

Sounds like you need a smart shunt that measures amps and voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0856PHNLX?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_6PR16J4VWWX00A20QKH8

You'll then need to connect this to a PC or Cerbo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KGF57?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KZ5ET4TRE7J51BDNN7Q9

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Victron BMV or smart shunt and GX device connected to your wifi/LAN = VRM - live access from your phone any time you have internet:

 

[newbostonconst]

Sounds like you need a smart shunt that measures amps and voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0856PHNLX?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_6PR16J4VWWX00A20QKH8

You'll then need to connect this to a PC or Cerbo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KGF57?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KZ5ET4TRE7J51BDNN7Q9

Like your option, but for a lot less then the $400....you can do this....I do it for my Midnite SCC.

$100 Victron smart shunt connected Bluetooth to an old phone and then have a $35 WYZE camera pointed at the phone where you can view through the WYZE app for free everywhere there is wifi.... all for under $150 and easy to setup.

Edit: I added my BMV-700 shunt to the video feed on an old phone....Here is a screen shot....hooky but cheap, quick, and easy.....

 

[memilanuk]

Like your option, but for a lot less then the $400....you can do this....I do it for my Midnite SCC.

$100 Victron smart shunt connected Bluetooth to an old phone and then have a $35 WYZE camera pointed at the phone where you can view through the WYZE app for free everywhere there is wifi.... all for under $150 and easy to setup.

While I'll give ya points for creativity, it seems distinctly lacking in terms of interacting with the actual Victron app...

 

[rmaddy]

If you just wish to monitor your battery remotely (voltage, state of charge, charge/discharge current, etc.) then using a Victron SmartShunt and a Raspberry Pi (RPi) running Victron's Venus OS would be a "cheaper" option. You need a cable to connect the SmartShunt to the RPi. You need a cheap buck converter to power the RPi off of a 12V battery. The RPi can connect to local WiFi to send the battery data to Victron's VRM website. You can access your data simply by visiting the VRM website. Maybe about $250 depending on how much an RPi is going for these days.

 

[Checkthisout]

Like your option, but for a lot less then the $400....you can do this....I do it for my Midnite SCC.

$100 Victron smart shunt connected Bluetooth to an old phone and then have a $35 WYZE camera pointed at the phone where you can view through the WYZE app for free everywhere there is wifi.... all for under $150 and easy to setup.

Yeah. My thinking is the easiest way for a Newbie to do it.

I run a mini-pc and remote into that and just look at my EPEVER that way. Other guys are just using the Pi in place of the PC.

 

[Checkthisout]

Here is the display I see when I remote into the mini pc I run at the off-grid cabin.

The TYCON TP-Din which manages the backup generator, the Reolink cameras that keep an eye on the place, the EPEVER charge controller and the Modem can all be looked at here. Running a PC or Pi lets you get around the issue of a lack of static IP address and of course runs the programs that let you access components that are not web-enabled to run through 3rd party servers.

 

[wanye]

Thank you for all of the quick and thoughtful responses! I think I might just aim one of those WYZE cameras at our current shunt monitor display. I'll leave the display on the "capacity" screen and aim the camera right at it. I didn't know about those little cameras, but they seem perfect... and cheap!! $35? How do they do that?
Thank You Thank You!!!

 

[Checkthisout]

Thank you for all of the quick and thoughtful responses! I think I might just aim one of those WYZE cameras at our current shunt monitor display. I'll leave the display on the "capacity" screen and aim the camera right at it. I didn't know about those little cameras, but they seem perfect... and cheap!! $35? How do they do that?
Thank You Thank You!!!

Easy peasy!

 

[jbird526]

If you just wish to monitor your battery remotely (voltage, state of charge, charge/discharge current, etc.) then using a Victron SmartShunt and a Raspberry Pi (RPi) running Victron's Venus OS would be a "cheaper" option. You need a cable to connect the SmartShunt to the RPi. You need a cheap buck converter to power the RPi off of a 12V battery. The RPi can connect to local WiFi to send the battery data to Victron's VRM website. You can access your data simply by visiting the VRM website. Maybe about $250 depending on how much an RPi is going for these days.

Here's a post outlining the RPi solution. https://panbo.com/victrons-venus-os-on-a-raspberry-pi-install-and-configuration/

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

Yeah. My thinking is the easiest way for a Newbie to do it.

I run a mini-pc and remote into that and just look at my EPEVER that way. Other guys are just using the Pi in place of the PC.

I don't use equipment that uses the cloud for data privacy reasons

In the earlier days - I used a camera pointing to my EPEVER - to monitor on desktop. I have VPN on my desktop for remote viewing from my phone.

But it occurs to me that even cheaper cameras have cloud store/access - you might find a way to set one up.

I not only use cameras for monitor, but to record to see what happened over the last several days if necessary. Here's an example of one of my cameras - that monitor output from the inverters.... Only using 1 inverter right now - 2nd one needed at full summer.

 

[MisterSandals]

I didn't know about those little cameras, but they seem perfect... and cheap!!

Make sure you figure out how much of your internet data it will use broadcasting video 24/7.

 

[Checkthisout]

I don't use equipment that uses the cloud for data privacy reasons

In the earlier days - I used a camera pointing to my EPEVER - to monitor on desktop. I have VPN on my desktop for remote viewing from my phone.

But it occurs to me that even cheaper cameras have cloud store/access - you might find a way to set one up.

I not only use cameras for monitor, but to record to see what happened over the last several days if necessary. Here's an example of one of my cameras - that monitor output from the inverters.... Only using 1 inverter right now - 2nd one needed at full summer.
View attachment 92042

Ha ha. Enable FTP so you get footage of the fire.

 

[wanye]

Make sure you figure out how much of your internet data it will use broadcasting video 24/7.

For the WYZE Cam V3, it appears that SD video will use between 1.4-2.8 GB/day and HD video will use 5.8-10 GB/day to broadcast 24hrs continuous. You can also turn the camera on/off from your phone and/or schedule times that it will turn on/off automatically.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

For the WYZE Cam V3, it appears that SD video will use between 1.4-2.8 GB/day and HD video will use 5.8-10 GB/day to broadcast 24hrs continuous. You can also turn the camera on/off from your phone and/or schedule times that it will turn on/off automatically.

Many cameras also offer the option to just take a picture. I did this with my Blink camera when I wanted to see the thermometer in the RV:

 

[Checkthisout]

The reolinks only use data when you open the app and view the camera or the client if you're on a pc. Thought all cameras were this way?

 

[newbostonconst]

For the WYZE Cam V3, it appears that SD video will use between 1.4-2.8 GB/day and HD video will use 5.8-10 GB/day to broadcast 24hrs continuous. You can also turn the camera on/off from your phone and/or schedule times that it will turn on/off automatically.

The cameras also usually only transmit when you are connected to it unless you pay for cloud storage.

Here is my cheap, easy, and quick camera view of my Victron shunt and Midnight SCC. Available to view anywhere in the world....

 

[TomC4306]

I prefer a more polished approach than webcams aimed at meters.
Visible anywhere. Rich data. Change settings.

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