Confused about what a Victron Smart Shunt or BMV does

[Reef Whooligan]

I am installing a relatively simple system using a Victron Smart Solar 100/50 MPPT and a Victron 12/800 inverter. I may also add a Victron Blue Smart IP22 charger to charg from generator if that's ever needed. All of these have bluetooth (with dongle on the inverter) so I am confused on what something like the Smart Shunt or BMV-712 would do. Am I going to get the information I need from the MPPT and inverter alone or would it be beneficial to use one of these additional products?

 

[brb58]

The smart shunt or the BMV 712 is the ONLY way you will be able to see what your state of charge is. In addition, it will share the battery voltage with the MPPT so that the MPPT solar controller can compensate for voltage drop between it and the battery.

 

[backwoods]

a shunt informs you of your battery state of charge (SOC) it will inform you of how many amps are being used, current voltage of battery and how much capacity you have in that battery. You don't need the victron shunt.
You can get by with a cheaper shunt that does the same thing without the bluetooth.
Victron's bluetooth range is seriously lacking anyway so you basically need to be standing on top of their hardware anyhow.
and I'm not a fan of location being turned on to locate (communicate) their hardware..

 

[brb58]

a shunt informs you of your battery state of charge (SOC) it will inform you of how many amps are being used, current voltage of battery and how much capacity you have in that battery. You don't need the victron shunt.
You can get by with a cheaper shunt that does the same thing without the bluetooth.
Victron's bluetooth range is seriously lacking anyway so you basically need to be standing on top of their hardware anyhow.
and I'm not a fan of location being turned on to locate (communicate) their hardware..

I can be inside my house and am able to connect to my BMV 712 in my trailer in my front yard.

Location services has to be turned on on Android devices. That's just a function of bluetooth low energy with Android. That is true with any BLE device...not just Victron. Victron is not going to track you. If you use an iPhone, location services is not required.

The cheaper battery monitors usually don't include calculations for Peukert's constant which is necessary for accuracy particularly if you are using lead acid batteries and high current draws like inverters.

 

[backwoods]

I can be inside my house and am able to connect to my BMV 712 in my trailer in my front yard.

Location services has to be turned on on Android devices. That's just a function of bluetooth low energy with Android. That is true with any BLE device...not just Victron. Victron is not going to track you. If you use an iPhone, location services is not required.

The cheaper battery monitors usually don't include calculations for Peukert's constant which is necessary for accuracy particularly if you are using lead acid batteries and high current draws like inverters.

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I am fully aware this is a google issue and not a victron issue, and I don't like it.
I also am aware that there is a workaround for this if victron truly cared. There is something they can do about it, they just choose
to take the lazy way out. I simply was stating how I FELT about it.
PS the range sucks on my victron battery charger, it loses signal when I go from the attached garage to just inside the house.
I guess mine is a dud

 

[Reef Whooligan]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. All of my stuff will be close to the battery (about 3ft or less) so I'm not sure voltage drop or temperature differences will be an issue. In this case will a victron communicating with the MPPT do much for me vs something cheaper like the Renogy shunt and display?

 

[brb58]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. All of my stuff will be close to the battery (about 3ft or less) so I'm not sure voltage drop or temperature differences will be an issue. In this case will a victron communicating with the MPPT do much for me vs something cheaper like the Renogy shunt and display?

The Renogy doesn't have Peukert's constant. Also I wouldn't buy Renogy...EVER!

I never even look at my BMV display...bluetooth only.

 

[brb58]

I am fully aware this is a google issue and not a victron issue, and I don't like it.
I also am aware that there is a workaround for this if victron truly cared. There is something they can do about it, they just choose
to take the lazy way out. I simply was stating how I FELT about it.
PS the range sucks on my victron battery charger, it loses signal when I go from the attached garage to just inside the house.
I guess mine is a dud

You don't like it because you think they are going to track you? Even if they did...which they don't...not very interesting to them. If you do have a smart phone...you are already being tracked if they want to.

 

[Reef Whooligan]

I never even look at my BMV display...bluetooth only.

Smart Shunt has been added to the list. Thanks for the help!

 

[EZPZ]

Just out of curiosity, are there any smart shunts without Bluetooth that then can talk to an inverter via a comms cable? Either can or rs485. Not specifically victon but any inverter using standard comms protocols. I can see a use case for this, but don’t see a use case for it going to an app just for battery monitoring. Yes you want to know the soc of your batteries but then why not just look at the inverter app, surely that info is available there….educate me