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John Schmidt avatar image
John Schmidt asked

VE-Bus Smart Dongle in Smart Network

I am setting up my MultiPlus C12 to be monitored via Victron Connect on my iPhone via the VE.Bus Smart dongle. Will also have BMV712 and BlueSmart MPPT 100/50. The latter two I will have talking in a Smart Network as per std guidelines. Somewhere in Victron chatI noted that the VE-Bus Smart Dongle could also be included in this Smart Network.

Is this true? Does it mean you can have a Smart Network using the VE.bus dongle and a BlueSmart MPPT and the latter will use the voltage & temp info. Would the three Smart products in the network result in conflicts perhaps?


VE.Bus Smart Dongle
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5 Answers
Paul B avatar image
Paul B answered ·

I would think that as you would connecting the VE.bus dongle to a non bluetooth victron device that it would only give network information to that device.

so I cant see there being a conflict.


however trying is sometimes the best way to know for sure.

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dod42 avatar image
dod42 answered ·

Having installed one the answer appears to be no. The current software on my Victron VE.Bus Smart Dongle doesn’t have any option for joining a smart network. I have no idea why not as it would make sense for it to work the same as a Smart Battery Monitor but it looks like I have to have both. The smart battery monitor for the MPPTs and the smart dongle for the Multiplus

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hour avatar image
hour answered ·

Holy moly. I just got everything set up for my project, more Victron items than I cared to purchase. The one thing I didn't buy just in the last week was a charge controller, I have the 75/15 that predated bluetooth so I've used the dongle with it.

Just discovered myself that there's no option when connecting through the dongle to join the network. That renders the temperature probe useless, and the only reason I bought the BMV712 was for that purpose, I could have been content with a $30 chinese gizmo for gauging capacity.

Can someone from Victron please comment on this? If I can't benefit from temperature monitoring from the BMV simply because the dongle allow me to join the network my BMV is broadcasting, I need to box everything up, return it, and go with another manufacturer. This is ridiculous.

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It depends on the age of the equipment.

Please see the VE.Smart networking compatibility list here:

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/victronconnect:ve-smart-networking#vesmart_networking_compatible_products

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wiking avatar image
wiking answered ·

It says on the Victron website that at this time, the VE Bus smart dongle cant join a VE smart network..............does Victron have plans to fix this?

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Gregory Cavanagh avatar image
Gregory Cavanagh answered ·

It would be really handy if the Smart DOngle could also read information on the Smart network,

I already have a BMV712 doing temp and voltage sensing, so it would save running another cable through my van when i end up having to purchase a dongle.

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