shipping container apart from residence, which monitor should I use. BMV-712 or Smart Shunt or does it matter?

[Joe_]

My equipment.
3 SOK budget server batteries no external communication
Schneider xw-pro only speaks Schneiderese.
2 EG4 charge controllers. Talk but not to the other pieces.

My solar equipment lacks compatible communications. The batteries have BT communication limited to the bms for troubleshooting only.
From reading on the forum the victron shunt based options are a good solution. Also they are recommended on the Current Connected page for their budget batteries.

I'm only looking for SOC of the batteries once I am up and running. Faulted equipment would be nice too. There are programmable contacts on the Schneider. Probably on the EG4's also. SOC is my main concern, the rest would be nice but not absolutely necessary at the moment. But to have it all would be wonderful.

I'd like to see this in the house 40 ft away. There is a fairly strong wifi signal at one end of the container. The container shields all wifi communication.
It's really hot both in and outside of the container. 110 today. But I can drill holes in it and mount antennas of some sort.
Is either one of the two victron devices easier to get talking across wifi to a phone, pad or laptop where hopefully I could load the Victron app to monitor to get SOC? I'd like the screen of the one so while I am at the equipment it is easier to access. But I am not familiar enough to know if I will be sacrificing something that would make communications much easier by choosing the one with the screen.

More questions...

Does the Victron's software load on windows 7 as well as 11? Does it load on linux. I use linux lite.
Any advice on which of the two shunts to buy and/or what to look into as far as interfacing with wifi and software to display the results?

Is there a better way other that does not involve a jackhammer, conduit and cat 5 cable to get a integrated solution?
Thanks in advance for the help.





I am on starlink and there is reception for it's router at the outside of one end of the shipping container. I have extra old computers, wifi routers, pads, arduino's and a couple of versions of RP's.

I don't have a cat5 cable out to the container yet. Because of the work involved. I'd like to figure out a wifi method of communication for the present.
Are both of Victrons shunt solution about the same for communication and the real difference is the screen?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

My container blocks all BT and wifi signals.

Smartshunt has very limited range as the BT transmitter in the shunt itself suffers from interference from shunt operation.

BMV-712 BT transmitter is in the display. You could mount the display so that it's visible from the outside of your container and get excellent BT range.

Neither has Wifi capabilities.

Here's the kicker:

4. Phone, tablet and laptop compatibility

www.victronenergy.com

Note that on Windows, VictronConnect cannot use Bluetooth Smart to connect to a product. Other connection methods, such as USB, or LAN and WiFi do work properly.

You would need to use a mac, tablet or phone to use BT. Not sure about Linux.

 

[Joe_]

Thank you for the link.

 

[Joe_]

BMV-712 BT transmitter is in the display. You could mount the display so that it's visible from the outside of your container and get excellent BT range.

That would be an amazingly easy way to get the SOC. I like that. The only down side is I would have to go out of the container to read the display.
However maybe that isn't that big a deal. Or is it? Does victron equipment readily re establish blue tooth communications with a device such as a phone? Or is it a pain to get it to pair?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

That would be an amazingly easy way to get the SOC. I like that. The only down side is I would have to go out of the container to read the display.

Right. With a smartshunt, you wouldn't even have that. You'd have to use a phone or tablet in the container. I would expect that with line of site out the hole created for the display, it would work fine.

However maybe that isn't that big a deal. Or is it? Does victron equipment readily re establish blue tooth communications with a device such as a phone? Or is it a pain to get it to pair?

I've never had paring/BT connection issues. 99% of the time, I'm using VC remote through VRM, but you probably don't want to go that route.

Have you looked into Solar Assistant? It might get you what you're looking for.

 

[Joe_]

Right. With a smartshunt, you wouldn't even have that. You'd have to use a phone or tablet in the container. I would expect that with line of site out the hole created for the display, it would work fine.



I've never had paring/BT connection issues. 99% of the time, I'm using VC remote through VRM, but you probably don't want to go that route.

Have you looked into Solar Assistant? It might get you what you're looking for.

I read about it here and went to look at it but it didn't at that time occur to me how it would be helpful in my situation.
Now that I understand more from this conversation I will re visit it and take a look.

 

[LakeHouse]

Right. With a smartshunt, you wouldn't even have that. You'd have to use a phone or tablet in the container. I would expect that with line of site out the hole created for the display, it would work fine.



I've never had paring/BT connection issues. 99% of the time, I'm using VC remote through VRM, but you probably don't want to go that route.

Have you looked into Solar Assistant? It might get you what you're looking for.

I'll second the Solar Assistant suggestion. I use SA and a BMV-700. I can get the info I want from the shunt live from anywhere, and the 700 is about $50 cheaper than a 712 or Smart Shunt.

 

[Hedges]

You should be able to put in a passive repeater, antenna inside/outside your Faraday cage.
But being a rectangular box, standing waves may trash the signal.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I'll second the Solar Assistant suggestion. I use SA and a BMV-700. I can get the info I want from the shunt live from anywhere, and the 700 is about $50 cheaper than a 712 or Smart Shunt.

I have a 702 for the temp sensor. I can never get enough temp sensors... I currently have 7

 

[Q-Dog]

You can get up to a 30 meter (almost 100') cable for the BMV monitor. That might let you mount the gauge in the house?

 

[fat_old_sun]

Does the Victron's software load on windows 7 as well as 11? Does it load on linux. I use linux lite.
Any advice on which of the two shunts to buy and/or what to look into as far as interfacing with wifi and software to display the results?

Is there a better way other that does not involve a jackhammer, conduit and cat 5 cable to get a integrated solution?
Thanks in advance for the help.





I am on starlink and there is reception for it's router at the outside of one end of the shipping container. I have extra old computers, wifi routers, pads, arduino's and a couple of versions of RP's.

I don't have a cat5 cable out to the container yet. Because of the work involved. I'd like to figure out a wifi method of communication for the present.
Are both of Victrons shunt solution about the same for communication and the real difference is the screen?

An option - a Bogart Trimetric & its WiFi Module. The WiFi range is 300+ ft in unobstructed settings. The battery info is presented on a local web page the module serves, so OS agnostic. It can also join your starlink router & be accessible remotely.