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20-12-2018, 15:45
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Sausalito California
Boat: Gozzard 37
Posts: 3
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Monitoring Battery Discharge
I have a pretty basic question: what is the best way to monitor how much juice is left in your house batteries when you are out and about for a few nights? I am confident I have plenty of new battery capacity to run all the goodies in the boat, but the question is, for how long? I have seen the load tables that show how much current each gizmo is drawing, etc., but those seem to be focused on system design, not operation. Am I just watching the battery status - volt meter to see the voltage start to drop...? Thanks!
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20-12-2018, 17:26
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA
Boat: 55' Romsdal
Posts: 2,103
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nostromo
I have a pretty basic question: what is the best way to monitor how much juice is left in your house batteries when you are out and about for a few nights? I am confident I have plenty of new battery capacity to run all the goodies in the boat, but the question is, for how long? I have seen the load tables that show how much current each gizmo is drawing, etc., but those seem to be focused on system design, not operation. Am I just watching the battery status - volt meter to see the voltage start to drop...? Thanks!
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But this: http://www.balmar.net/sg200-battery-monitor/
You might have to wait a month, as they are ramping up production.
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20-12-2018, 19:51
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Noank, Ct. USA
Boat: Cape Dory 31
Posts: 3,281
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
I have a Victron BMV 702 battery monitor. Works a treat.
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20-12-2018, 22:40
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: canada
Posts: 4,790
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
what you want is a battery monitor.
victron 702 (or new bluetooth one, 712?)
xantrax linklite / link pro.
the new smart gauge I haven't seen so can't comment.
yes the old fashioned way was to watch the volt meter drop...
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21-12-2018, 02:30
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#5
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by smac999
the new smart gauge
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Would help cut down on confusion to call the Balmar SG200 just that.
SmartGauge only refers to the original older Merlin product, the two have nothing to do with each other, other than some functionality.
Just as Link Pro and BMV-712 both use a shunt.
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21-12-2018, 02:32
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#6
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
SmartGauge is very accirate and simple.
Balmar SG200 more complex, too new to say if more accurate.
Neither show AH, so if you want that BMV-712, but fiddly.
http://marinehowto.com, look for - CTRL-F, "battery monitor"
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21-12-2018, 07:52
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#7
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Eastern Shore, MD
Boat: Camper Nicholson 44 Ketch
Posts: 2,060
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
The SG200 is shipping to distributors in quantity.
Right now the orders I see being placed and fullfilled are all in the US, but I expect that to change soon.
A note to John61ct's comment above: The SG200 is no more complex to install then any other shunt based product out there. The original SmartGuage, which is still available is simpler, as it only needs power and ground to work. The SG200 improves on that product in so many ways, including a lower price, that it is well worth the extra installation efforts to install the SmartShunt, IMHO.
Chris
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21-12-2018, 11:13
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Boat: R&C Leopard 40
Posts: 1,034
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
How anyone designs a new product like this and doesn't include Bluetooth is beyond me.
I have the Victron BMV-712 (included BT) and I am very happy with it. Install was very simple. Parameter setup takes some time if you want it to be as accurate as possible.
__________________
-Chris
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21-12-2018, 19:12
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Boat: 1981 Bristol 32 Sloop
Posts: 18,225
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyingScot
How anyone designs a new product like this and doesn't include Bluetooth is beyond me. ....
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I'd suggest checking your facts first before attacking. There is a Bluetooth App being prepared.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2786208
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21-12-2018, 19:39
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: canada
Posts: 4,790
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by john61ct
Would help cut down on confusion to call the Balmar SG200 just that.
SmartGauge only refers to the original older Merlin product, the two have nothing to do with each other, other than some functionality.
Just as Link Pro and BMV-712 both use a shunt.
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balmar now makes the smart guage. they either bought out merlin, or rebranded this product. not sure. now they are making version 2. sg clealy stands for smart gauge.
Smartgauge Battery Monitor | Balmar
SG200 Battery Monitor | Balmar
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21-12-2018, 19:46
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#12
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
No they just got the "franchise" to put their label on, distribute and support it in the Americas.
And they do a great job of that.
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21-12-2018, 21:59
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Boat: Bayliner, 4588, 45'
Posts: 207
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by witzgall
The SG200 is shipping to distributors in quantity.
Right now the orders I see being placed and fullfilled are all in the US, but I expect that to change soon.
A note to John61ct's comment above: The SG200 is no more complex to install then any other shunt based product out there. The original SmartGuage, which is still available is simpler, as it only needs power and ground to work. The SG200 improves on that product in so many ways, including a lower price, that it is well worth the extra installation efforts to install the SmartShunt, IMHO.
Chris
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I installed mine last weekend. 1 1/2 hours start to finish including drilling the mounting hole and snaking the wire.
__________________
Irony
4588 Bayliner
Portsmouth, NH
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22-12-2018, 10:07
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Anacortes, WA
Boat: 55' Romsdal
Posts: 2,103
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Quote:
Originally Posted by witzgall
The SG200 is shipping to distributors in quantity.
Right now the orders I see being placed and fullfilled are all in the US, but I expect that to change soon.
A note to John61ct's comment above: The SG200 is no more complex to install then any other shunt based product out there. The original SmartGuage, which is still available is simpler, as it only needs power and ground to work. The SG200 improves on that product in so many ways, including a lower price, that it is well worth the extra installation efforts to install the SmartShunt, IMHO.
Chris
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Feature request, Chris....
It would be nice if you added a totalizer for Ah consumed in a cycle. I know you can do the mental math from SoC and SoH, but it doesn't seem difficult just to calculate and display that value.
That is the critical value I use from my Link 20 to determine how many minutes I need to run the genset to recharge my LFP bank.
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22-12-2018, 10:12
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#15
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: Monitoring Battery Discharge
Problem is programmatically defining "a cycle" for cases when energy flows both ways without necessarily hitting a benchmark high or low point.
I think that need may be better served with a cheap little AH counter, ideally rigged with big "zero reset" button.
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