Can someone loan me a shotgun so I can shoot the Victron Multiplus II?

[OffGridIdaho]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Stupid idiot engineer failure #1 NO FLIPPING BLUETOOTH! Seriously ? WTH? WHY????????????? What century are we living in?
Stupid idiot engineer failure #2 Need special cable to connect and special device to do it on.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #3 Cant login through Cerbo (that I spent $350 on) and program or look at settings.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #4 Need to connect through some magical special cable and DOWNLOAD the settings.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #5 After downloading the setting you need to have YET MORE SPECIAL SOFTWARE to edit the settings.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #6 After editing your downloaded special file on your special software you have to save and then upload the the file back up to change settings.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #7 All of the above is NOT in the WORST MANUAL I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, its only online and found after extensive searching and reading multiple pages not one source.
Stupid idiot engineer failure #8 The manual, where to start, its horrible and offers zero information, zero wiring diagrams, zero anything.

I will stop there, but I could list a dozen more things I hate about this device and manual. ARGHHHHHHHH!

 

[Crowz]

Ouch. That does suck.

In its defense (which I'm not really a victron fan like some) that model is 6 years old release date wise.

Most of the equipment I bought back then is pretty annoying setup software wise.

 

[Bluedog225]

This should be fun….

 

[ricardocello]

Not to pile on here, but this superb rant sounds like my constant complaining about having to use Windows 95-like software (VEConfigure) to configure my Quattros. They've got all this new fancy Victron Connect application that STILL cannot setup a MultiPlus or Quattro with anything "non-standard", like Split Phase power (duh in US), ESS, or Programmable Relays. You know, things you might actually want to do.

#1: As for flipping Bluetooth, I'm somewhat ambivalent. It would sure be great if they did.
#2: I assume the MK3-USB. Not that horrible, but certainly dorky.
#3: Yup, cerbo does absolutely no configuration for Multiplus.
#4, #5, #6: See my paragraph above.

So I share your ARRRGH.
But I still love the system when it is running. And that has been 100% of the time.

 

[Bluedog225]

Credit where due, it’s a big step above punch cards.

 

[Danke]

Should’ve bought Chinese.

 

[OffGridIdaho]

Credit where due, it’s a big step above punch cards.

OMG now that was funny. My dad used to bring those used cards home and I scattered them all over the back yard. Then I had to pick them all up.

 

[OffGridIdaho]

Can anyone tell me where to get the ve-bus config software and guide me through downloading the damn file and makes changes and uploading? My head is spinning from all the 1980's scata nonsense. Tonen-ring anyone?

 

[OffGridIdaho]

Should’ve bought Chinese.

 

[Bluedog225]

If you soft focus on the image, the Templar’s cipher is revealed.

​

 

[OzSolar]

Can anyone tell me where to get the ve-bus config software and guide me through downloading the damn file and makes changes and uploading? My head is spinning from all the 1980's scata nonsense. Tonen-ring anyone?

Success with Victron is 1000% reliant on your supplier. No mortal has any chance of successfully setting up their first system without help. Your supplier is seriously at fault for not warning you about this.

 

[ScropusGobbleBottom]

No mortal has any chance of successfully setting up their first system without help

really? I never knew it was like this!
But I just got a couple mppts and the shunts and the usb dongles and their weird cable and useless bluetooth thingy and their....

BUT I stuck it to the man and made the poor mans cerbo with the Ras Pi

 

[Bluedog225]

I fear the only ones on the forum who are able to help may be real life injuneers.

 

[ricardocello]

@OffGridIdaho I Recommend you sign up as a user on professional.victronenergy.com.
Watch the installer and training videos, they go through it in good detail.
Including the passwords needed to do what you want.

 

[Bluedog225]

Do you have DVCC enabled with SVS, STS and SCS enabled?

Kidding! I have no idea what this means.

Sorry waffleman!

 

[JRH]

Success with Victron is 1000% reliant on your supplier. No mortal has any chance of successfully setting up their first system without help. Your supplier is seriously at fault for not warning you about this.

It was somewhat intimidating at first… thanks to Mr Eggo for helping me past that stage with the Vic stuff.( and battery set up too.)
It’s been smooth sailing ever since..

Nothing great is ever easy… I have no beef with any of the pieces I own…
Take your time, read and experiment…Nirvana awaits the patient student.…

J…

 

[ricardocello]

Do you have DVCC enabled with SVS, STS and SCS enabled?

DVCC: Yes
SVS: Hell No
STS: Yes
SCS: No

These all do very useful things in modular victron land, but you don’t just check them and see what happens!

 

[Lt.Dan]

I have to admit I setup my first Victron setup a few weeks ago. An older (and slightly used) Victron Multiplus 12v/3000va. I also happened to get a Color Touch GX with it and thought we were in business. I went to put it in my Dads motorhome and had a HELL of a time trying to figure out how to program it. It is NOT easy, and the Color Touch GX is of NO help changing ANY settings other than the Input AC current limit.

I was super frustrated at this, because I just wanted to program an Absorb/Float voltage. I also couldn't change any settings in the VRM portal that the Color Touch GX offered (atleast that I could figure out).

We ended up using the super primitive DIP switches I think to get it pretty close. I can't remember now.

 

[Nan_wpg]

Success with Victron is 1000% reliant on your supplier. No mortal has any chance of successfully setting up their first system without help. Your supplier is seriously at fault for not warning you about this.

I would disagree with this.

My first system has just been completed. 100% Victron (except sok battery) and I was able to set it up.

I consider myself kinda on the dumb side so I did me homework, lots of reading and questions here.

 

[OpenNRG]

Adam De Lay has some good videos on Victron.

https://www.youtube.com/@AdamDeLay07/playlists

 

[Horsefly]

If you have an Android phone, get the MK3-USB-C. Plug the RJ-45 side into the MPII, and plug the USB-C side into the phone. You can view and update all the Multiplus settings from the Victron Connect Ap on the phone.

 

[Dooug]

I had no issues programming my single multiplus through the VRM via cerbo. There a few exceptions to you can do program with this method, but a single multiplus should do everything you need. The YouTube video was helpful.

-Download Ve config on PC computer.
-Enter VRM , select device list and click remote reconfigure
- open Ve config and load the download file
- makes changes and save the file
- upload to VRM and it will load it into the multiplus

VRM: Remote VEConfigure [Victron Energy]

www.victronenergy.com

 

[ricardocello]

You can view and update all the Multiplus settings from the Victron Connect Ap on the phone.

Not all, but most of the ones people care about.
You can’t setup split phase or parallel units (last time I checked).
You can’t add or configure any assistants.

 

[Horsefly]

I've configured Multiplus inverters with both VEconfigure (running on a Windows laptop) as @Dooug described, and Victron Connect on an Android Phone. It is *MUCH* easier on using the Android phone. But you do need the MK3-USB-C for the phone route.

 

[Horsefly]

Not all, but most of the ones people care about.
You can’t setup split phase or parallel units (last time I checked).
You can’t add or configure any assistants.

Ahhh. You are probably right. I didn't need to do either of those things on the two Multiplus installs I did. I found the VEconfigure method to be not very intuitive, but I guess there were some features / options in it that I never managed to stumble on (or need).