First, a bit about our current setup. We own a class C motorhome with a 100Ah 12V AGM house battery. The battery is charged by the motorhome engine alternator when driving and by the motorhome converter when plugged into shore power or when the generator is running. Occasionally, we plug a Renogy portable solar panel to charge the AGM battery from time to time.
The 500A smart shunt seems like a doable option for us to install, so we can ascertain real AGM charge. status and power consumed. A few questions I need to get answered before purchasing and installing the shunt.
Will the smart shunt record both charging and discharge current? If so, how is this indicated on the application, by a “-” or “+”?
I have seen that Victron sells a display that works with the smart shunt, but it is a wired connection from the smart shunt to the display. Does Victron or a third party sell a display that wirelessly communicates with the smart shunt?
The discharge current is shown as negative so no confusion there.
The battery monitor with the display is the BMV-712. There is not a WiFi display. Most people with a SmartShunt use the VictronConnect app on their phone to monitor the battery.
If you get any of the Victron battery monitors you have to set them up to get best use, the linked FAQ gives info on the main change from default settings.
Thank you for the quick response. Yes, I have searched a bunch for wireless displays to use with the smart shunt, but none have been found. Sounds like a marketing need to me. My motorhome has enough wiring and doesn’t need yet another cable.
I downloaded the VictronConnect app for PC and viewed the demo. Looks good. A question about historical data. Does the app store this, or is it stored in the smart shunt? If stored in the app, then I guess that means you have to have the app running all the time? I have several spare cell phones with Bluetooth that I could dedicate to the app if needed.
The history is stored on the SmartShunt, it is called stored trends, you may need to enable this in the settings and is viewed via Bluetooth on the VictronConnect phone app. The history gets averaged the older it gets to save space, newer data is kept at high resolution. Details in the VictronConnect manual linked below.tail
Purchased the IP65 version and installed. Mounted under the floor of our RV; a short distance from the battery. BT tx distance is not bad. Stepping into our aluminum sided house kills the reception but going to a window brings up the signal.
Happy with the product. Two faults, in my opinion. A paper mounting template would have helped. The bolts for the battery and load seem to be larger than a standard battery terminal, at least for a 100 aH lead acid battery. I had to enlarge the lugs to accomodate the large diameter bolts.