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Old 07-02-2019, 19:54   #1
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Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

Hi all. I have a 100/50 Smart solar and a bmv712. Both are Bluetooth enabled and should talk to each other and both are from Victron. I've installed the BMV712 battery monitor successfully and it works fantastic. I'm about to install the 100/50 Smart solar controller but I have a question about wiring it to the BMV712 shunt or not.

I would think it makes sense to just do it, but I want to install the Smart solar controller about 2 meters from the shunt, but only about 500mm from the positive of the battery connection. I'm going to use 6AWG wiring as it's my understanding that this is the max you can fit into the Victron controllers.

Do I, or do I not need to connect the solar controller to the shunt? They are both Bluetooth enabled and I assume they talk to each other as this is advertised, therefore would the battery monitor know what the Smart solar is doing without the Smart solar being connected to the shunt? Ideally I would like to connected my solar controller directly to my battery negative and positive as then my wire runs would be no more than 500mm each to the battery.

If the above is not ok and communication won't work or won't be accurate between the 2 devices, do i need to get an even bigger cable (although im not sure how it would connect to the solar controller as ASH is the biggest it can take...) from the solar controller stretching 2 meters to the shunt?
If I do need to do this, then I may be forced to relocate the smart solar controller into the guest cabin instead of the storage cabin. Not ideal and would only decrease my cable run to the batteries from the solar controller to about 1 meter.

The problem arises as there is one house battery either side of the engine in my monohull. 2x260ah house batteries.

Am I over thinking this? Thanks in advance!
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Old 07-02-2019, 22:16   #2
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

of course it needs to go after the shunt. other wise the 712 will not work.

why is the shunt 2m from the battery? move the shunt beside battery. then solar will be close to shunt and pos battery.
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Old 08-02-2019, 00:16   #3
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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of course it needs to go after the shunt. other wise the 712 will not work.

why is the shunt 2m from the battery? move the shunt beside battery. then solar will be close to shunt and pos battery.
Hi, thanks for the info. I have one battery on either side of my engine. One in each aft cabin. The cabin that's being used as storage is the one i want to put all that kind of thing into. The shunt is right next to the OTHER battery on the other side of the engine approx 600mm away (but approx 1700mm cable run away).
That's why I would love to have my MPPT on the STBD side, but have the negative run 1700mm-2000mm away to the shunt next to the batter on the other side. Will it be an issue do you think? Or should i just wire everything to the PORT sleeping cabine where the shunt is and deal with a flashing light and an ugly blue box in the bedroom? I'm not terrible opposed to that...it's the admiral that has other ideas!
Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks!
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Old 08-02-2019, 02:00   #4
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

We have the battery charger in the stern cabin but that has constant red and yellow lights. I think the yellow and green flashing lights would annoy me at night. Since you are using blue tooth to connect to the victron, can it live in a locker and still connect? worth a try.

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Old 08-02-2019, 02:41   #5
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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We have the battery charger in the stern cabin but that has constant red and yellow lights. I think the yellow and green flashing lights would annoy me at night. Since you are using blue tooth to connect to the victron, can it live in a locker and still connect? worth a try.

Pete
That's what I'm hoping, but I'm reluctant to try it and it not work as it's quite the mission to set it up one way or the other. I'm hoping someone can tell me first. Haha. Also, I have a theory. If I situate the mppt next to the inverter and therefore connect to the inverter battery and shunt wires at the back of the inverter...would that cause any issues? The inverter wires are much bigger (2AWG) and can handle many many amps. I just don't know if it will effect the battery monitors readings if it passes through the inverter terminals on it's way to the battery and shunt, or if it will be less efficient even?! Thoughts?
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Old 08-02-2019, 03:49   #6
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

Every negative wire on the vessel, including your MPPT, and even a start or windalss bank, if they can be paralleld in to house, MUST be on the "load side" of the shunt.

The only negative lead, on the battery side of the shunt, should be the house battery. Any negative wire that sneaks past the shunt can not be measured. Ideally you shunt should be as close to the bank being measured as is possible so that anyone who comes along later knows not to connect anything directly to hosue bank negative..

Bluetooth can't correct or account for wiring mistakes....
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Old 08-02-2019, 04:36   #7
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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Every negative wire on the vessel, including your MPPT, and even a start or windalss bank, if they can be paralleld in to house, MUST be on the "load side" of the shunt.

The only negative lead, on the battery side of the shunt, should be the house battery. Any negative wire that sneaks past the shunt can not be measured. Ideally you shunt should be as close to the bank being measured as is possible so that anyone who comes along later knows not to connect anything directly to hosue bank negative..

Bluetooth can't correct or account for wiring mistakes....
Hi! Thanks for the info. I feel like I understand the whole shunt idea and how everything needs to be on the load side and have conceded the fact that I need to connect the mppt to the shunt. My question now is if it's ok to connect to the inverter battery terminals and piggy back on those as my battery and shunt connection as the inverter cables are well oversized and it would save another cable run. I'm pretty sure it's fine. Just wondering if anyone had done It on here or can give me a definitive answer on that particular query. Any thoughts on that? I've heard of it done before, just never heard results back from anyone.
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Old 08-02-2019, 04:54   #8
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

I wired my MPPTs directly to the bank, bypassing the shunt. I knew that the BMV would not accurately show amps in from the controller but I get that from the MPPT interface. I really only use my BMV to monitor voltage and amps out anyway.
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Old 08-02-2019, 05:08   #9
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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I wired my MPPTs directly to the bank, bypassing the shunt. I knew that the BMV would not accurately show amps in from the controller but I get that from the MPPT interface. I really only use my BMV to monitor voltage and amps out anyway.
Yeah, that's what I was trying with doing too. I just want to bake my cake and eat it too. Haha. It may come to this though and like you said, monitoring the mppt through Bluetooth can tell the story. The only question I have about that though, is doesn't the bmv have the ability to tell the mppt (through the Bluetooth communication to each other (both are Victron Bluetooth enabled)) SOC and all that jazz to effectively control the controller to maximize efficiency of the whole battery charging orocess?
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Old 08-02-2019, 05:49   #10
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

I have an older BMV with no Bluetooth. And I’m not sure the value of them communicating other than having everything in one interface, if that’s even possible.

I did what I did because it reduced the wire run by about 4’.

I suppose one benefit of having the controller before the shunt would be the BMV showing net power in but I generally don’t care about that given my user behavior.
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Old 08-02-2019, 20:39   #11
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
I wired my MPPTs directly to the bank, bypassing the shunt. I knew that the BMV would not accurately show amps in from the controller but I get that from the MPPT interface. I really only use my BMV to monitor voltage and amps out anyway.
And the BMV will certainly not tell you the SOC of your battery bank wired that way either.
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Old 09-02-2019, 03:07   #12
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

I have both the 712 and smart solar and didnt know they communicated with each other? Not sure why you'd want that. The blue tooth is for remote monitoring via the app afaik.
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Old 09-02-2019, 03:42   #13
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

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And the BMV will certainly not tell you the SOC of your battery bank wired that way either.


I go by voltage. The BMV does a poor job of measuring SOC unless you stay on top of recalibrating it. Voltage never lies.
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Old 09-02-2019, 03:56   #14
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

The BMV712 and the MPPT dont ‘talk’ to each other by Bluetooth. What would they say anyway? They talk individually to your VictronConnect monitoring app.
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Old 09-02-2019, 04:00   #15
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Re: Victron SmartSolar and BMV712 connections to shunt?

I read it somewhere that the battery monitor can control the solar charging or something to that effect. Don't quote me on that, but I read it in a couple places a few weeks ago. I'm with you though. Doesn't seem necessary.
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