Hello everyone,
I’m Lukas, a mechatronics technician from Styria. I design and build Victron systems. I’ve already shown the ViewDot 700 here – there’s also a significantly smaller device in the same range, and I’d like to introduce that one too: the PowerDot 146.
The idea is the same, just a size smaller: keep an eye on the system without having to open your phone or VRM every time. The difference is that this one doesn’t go on the wall – it sits on your desk, in the kitchen or in the workshop.
Here’s how it works:
- The Dot connects to Wi-Fi and reads the values from the GX device on the local network via MQTT. No cloud, no account.
- Eight system values: state of charge, battery voltage, battery current, battery power, solar, grid, load and wallbox.
- Screens on the device: Overview ARC, Overview, Battery, Solar, Grid, Loads, EVCS, History, Temperature and Tank. Temperature 2, Tank 2 and Relays are added if the system has them. You choose which ones appear and in what order – on the device or in a browser.
- It can also write values back, if you want: minimum state of charge, ESS grid setpoint and wallbox. This is disabled by default (write-protected, with an optional code).
- Firmware updates are delivered over Wi-Fi.
The firmware is free. No account, no subscription, no licence – anyone can download and install it themselves, and install future updates too. It’s installed directly in the browser via USB-C, with no Arduino or drivers:
Chrome or Edge, plug in the device, select the device variant and flash it. In my experience, no one knows how to do this straight away, hence the link.
The case shown in the picture fits the PowerDot too – it lets you stand it on your desk instead of having it lie flat. At the front of the picture is the PowerDot Air, the air quality monitor from the same range; the two behind it are PowerDots showing the system values.
The same values are available in a browser, with history covering hours, days and weeks, and CSV export:
There’s one chart per group, with a shared scale, and the values underneath:
Home Assistant and Loxone can be connected. There’s also an Android app that finds the Dot on Wi-Fi and displays the values – also free.
Hardware: Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-1.46 (SKU 29565). You can buy one yourself wherever you like.
On the GX: enable MQTT under Settings → Integrations. From Venus OS 3.50 onwards, set the security profile for the local network to “Unsecured” or “Weak” – with “Weak”, enter the GX password under System in the PowerDot. With “Secured”, the GX won’t expose MQTT, so the values will remain blank.
For full disclosure: I wrote the firmware; it costs nothing, and that won’t change. I sell fully assembled devices, but I’m deliberately not going into that here – anyone who wants to can build one themselves.
I’m happy to answer technical questions here in the thread.
Thanks and best wishes,
Lukas