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lampshuk asked

Adding an MPPT to a BMV712 Smart

Hi. I am just about to fit a BMV712 Smart to my marine 2-battery (2x110Ah) installation.

I think it also makes sense to replace my eBay PWM solar charger with a Victron MPPT solar charger (I believe 75/15 is the appropriate size) some time later in the year.

I gather that I should connect the monitor to the MPPT, although I haven't found an explanation of what additional functionality that provides.

If I get a SMART MPPT I will have 2 separate bluetooth-enabled devices but I don't know if I will have to connect to each of them separately to manage them. Do they share data on the same bluetooth? If I get an un-smart MPPT, will connecting the Smart BMV make the MPPT info available on the BMV Bluetooth connection (and save me a few quid)?

I've chosen to do things in this order because it's less disruptive to fit the BMV, and I can add the MPPT later.

Thanks for any advice and suggestions.

BMV Battery MonitorMPPT SmartSolar
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2 Answers
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seb71 answered ·
I gather that I should connect the monitor to the MPPT, although I haven't found an explanation of what additional functionality that provides.

Read about VE.Smart Networking.

Make sure you get a SmartSolar charger (with built-in Bluetooth).

If you want to save some money, you could get a SmartShunt instead of the BMV. No display, no relay, but considerably cheaper.

In order for the VE.Smart Networking to work, the devices must be in Bluetooth range of each other. On the BMV-712 Smart the Bluetooth is inside the display, so account for that.

If I get a SMART MPPT I will have 2 separate bluetooth-enabled devices but I don't know if I will have to connect to each of them separately to manage them.

Yes, you still have to connect to each of them. But once set, you can leave them alone.


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randy-putnam answered ·

This year I added a BMV712 to my boat’s system. Last year I added 2 solar panels and the Victron Smart MPPT 100/30. I used the VE.Smart Network via Bluetooth and linked the 2 devices on my iPhone and iPad. Very easy to do, just be sure your MPPT is Bluetooth compatible and you’ll have no issues. I also agree with the advice on just adding the Smart shunt if you want to save some money, since you can read all the data on your smart device(s).

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