Balmar SG-200 Battery Monitor

[Emmalina]

So to update firmware I have to buy a Bluetooth dongle ?

[steve77]

Originally Posted by mikee512

I installed an XT170 and MC618 in August last year. Install was a bit of a problem with the XT170 not really fitting well on a Yanmar 3ym20 but after getting shorter studs for the alternator it fit and has been running well.


I have just installed an SG200, display, BT gateway and connected to the MC618 via the comm cable and SC618 extension cable. I can see the DISPLAY, SG200 and BT gateway from the display and the gateway but the MC618 does not show up.


I have tested the cables to the MC618 both with a meter and with an oscope to very connectivity. I have power cycled all repeatedly, upgraded firmware repeatedly and yet still no MC618. I can only run XECHO to the shunt and it works with no errors. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to try to get the MC618 to show up ?


Thanks,
Mike

Mike, well, I fixed my issue. Since I was trying to use the app for programming, I was standing up looking at my phone and not lying on my belly looking at the regulator. Therefore, I didn't see that the LED display on the MC-618 was not illuminated. I turned the ignition switch on to provide power to the regulator and then used the app to check devices. The MC-618 magically appeared in the app. After all of the checking for a wiring issue, I just didn't have the regulator turned on.

When you are trying to get the MC-618 to show up in the app, have you tried putting power on Terminal 3 while doing so? In my case this means I get to listen to the low oil alarm on the engine while using the app. We are on the hard while I'm doing this install, so I can't run the engine without providing a temporary source of cooling water.

Good luck!

Steve

[djs]

Originally Posted by djs

Is anyone else having issues with the alerts on the SG200?
The default for the high current seems to be 80amps.
I’ve reset it to 150amps but it just ignores this and alerts any charge current 80 amps anyway
Informed Balmar but no fix yet.
Dave

To update, literally.

Connected with Bluetooth for the first time in a while and there were updates available. Installing the updates did sort this high current alert problem.

Thanks folks
Dave

[Brucekav]

Since updating the the latest firmware (App v2.1.1, shunt 3.11, display 3.12 and gateway 4.14) I've been having a bunch of issues.

First the app would refuse to connect and got stuck on waiting for gateway to initialise. Advice from Balmar was that this can happen if you adjust settings on the display while the app is connected. This seems to be a new issue with the latest firmware that allows the display to be used while the app is connected where previously it was locked. Not clear why that's been allowed when it stops the app from subsequently working! However avoiding using the display when the app is connected has reduced but not eliminated the frequency of this issue.

The app has been frequently disconnecting for no apparent reason. When I reconnect sometimes only one or two of the 3 devices on the network are listed.

The display has been frequently rebooting and displaying the "press to continue" screen.

When trying to connect the app it sometimes gets to starting network discovery then goes back to scanning for gateway.

If the balmar app is in the foreground when the phone display times out and turns off then quite often when I turn the phone on again I find that the display is frozen, and the current display doesn't change at all despite the fact that the current is actually continuously varying. If I click back on the app and select the shunt again then all the parameters are blank except for the current which shows 0. At this point the balmar display is also frozen and is unresponsive to long or short button presses and only responds to an extra long button press to reset it.

The system is also still always displaying 100%SOH despite the batteries being 7 years old which seems highly unlikely for AGM batteries used regularly on a boat.

Have others had similar issues and has anyone found any solutions.

I still like to concept of the device but after 2 years of issues I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the system.

[lateral]

I've had similar experience to your, but no FW update for 18mnths.
SOH has been locked on 100% for years. SOC is not as accurate as rested voltage. I find
it only becomes somewhat accurate approaching 50% down. Approaching 90% its way out until it jumps to 100% on your preset tail current. ~sad
I just use as it as a back up multi meter.
I may still leave it in and replace the MC614 with a 618 that can be configured from
the SG200. Then it wont be total loss. Then again, it may be definition-of-stupid.

I have a Victron BM712 which I will add when I drop my LiFePo4's in.
Currently trying to prize a window in time open to assemble.

[JensLB]

I’m having the same issues as Brucekay describes since last firmware update. Have tried to remove fuse a number of times with no luck

//Jens

[rgleason]

Since the smartshunt measures current and this data is available to the display, I cannot understand why the programming for the new 618 regulator does not use current!

Certainly Fla and lifepo and all batteries would be well served with a smarter regulator than the 618, which does not even use trailing current setting to stop charging. Balmar needs a new regulator engineered for lifepo that uses current from the smartshunt. I thought this was where they were going two years ago. It should probably also have canbus communication.

Until this is done, wakespeed ws500 will be the answer IMHO.

[lateral]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Since the smartshunt measures current and this data is available to the display, I cannot understand why the programming for the new 618 regulator does not use current!

Certainly Fla and lifepo and all batteries would be well served with a smarter regulator than the 618, which does not even use trailing current setting to stop charging. Balmar needs a new regulator engineered for lifepo that uses current from the smartshunt. I thought this was where they were going two years ago. It should probably also have canbus communication.

Until this is done, wakespeed ws500 will be the answer IMHO.

The smart shunt is on the wrong part of circuit. It would need to be on alternator leg to N bus for it to be useful. But I agree, Balmar don’t seem to have overall integration. And the sg200 as it stands is next to useless and now obsolete.

[rgleason]

Ok, put a neg smartshunt in and read the current and use it.

[JensLB]

After the last update it seems to work again

//Jens

[steve77]

Originally Posted by JensLB

After the last update it seems to work again

//Jens

Thanks for posting this, Jens.

i didn't even know there were device updates available. I'm now updated.

Appreciate it!

Steve

[newhaul]

Looking for help a customer has a 40 year old alternator I think is a balmar
The numbers I can find are BN 10842 MA12N. and I think 600
Does anyone recognize this number it does have a balmar external regulator

[wsmurdoch]

Motorola MA12N-600

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...nt-146846.html

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

Motorola MA12N-600

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...nt-146846.html

Thanks the pictures he sent confused me for a moment and balmar is 15 miles from him

[CrispyCringle]

Ive got an SG200 being delivered tomorrow. After reading through this 4 year old running thread I have one question-

Does the SG200 work or not?

I didnt see this thread until after I ordered it. Looks like a lot of kinks worked out over the years. But is it up to snuff now? SoH working?

Thanks