New Victron Bluetooth Firmware

[noelex 77]

Victron have released some new firmware. For those with multiple solar controllers it now permits a single page that displays all the important parameters.

[Karanga]

Is that screenshot from a tablet?
It is a highly desirable feature!
But it seems that I cannot get that same view on my biggish android phone.
My app is updated, and I did notice when I occasionally hit the back button or something, some extra icons etc flash on the screen very briefly and disappear. I have now realised it is the extra info.
I don't know how to make the extra display info stick. Landscape orientation does not help.

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by Karanga

Is that screenshot from a tablet?
It is a highly desirable feature!
But it seems that I cannot get that same view on my biggish android phone.
My app is updated, and I did notice when I occasionally hit the back button or something, some extra icons etc flash on the screen very briefly and disappear. I have now realised it is the extra info.
I don't know how to make the extra display info stick. Landscape orientation does not help.

that feature is quite hidden..

for each device / controller / smartsence / etc, you have to go into settings (toothed wheel), more setting (three vertical dots), product info, scroll down and enable "bluetooth live data advertisement"


on edit: each device will also need and get new firmware

[Karanga]

Thank you so much.
That feature is *very* hidden!
But first I had to update firmware.
On each device.
Manually.
Which is wierd because other victron firmware updates have happened automatically.
And the *manual* update on each device took 8 steps. So for 1 battery monitor plus 4 controllers, that equated to 40 different steps...!

[Juanvaldez]

It's awesome...also logs trends on the device now

[fxykty]

Thanks so much. Great feature, totally hidden.

I only had to do one BT firmware update per device, then one enable feature per device. What are the other 6 steps?

[noelex 77]

This firmware upgrade needs to be done manually. It is not automatic unlike most of the Victron firmware updates.

The Victron Smartsolar controllers have two different types of firmware: the general firmware that controls the basic function of the controller and the Bluetooth interface firmware.

For my 100/20 controllers the latest general firmware is v1.59 and the latest Bluetooth interface firmware is v2.41.

Any general firmware update is automatically loaded on the first connection following updating the app. The Bluetooth interface firmware is not automatically updated and this must be done manually to gain the new features.

To update the Bluetooth interface firmware:
Click the three dots on the top right of the app.
Select “product info”. This will show the version of each of the firmware installed.
Below the Bluetooth interface firmware will be a notification that this is not the latest version, with an option to update this firmware.
Select update and follow the prompts. The update is easy.
When the update is completed a message box will ask if you want to enable the new features this firmware upgrade produces.

The main advantage is that following the update your tablet should be able to connect to all the Victron solar controllers (and other Victron devices) simultaneously. This means the output from each of the solar controllers can be seen on one page.

[fxykty]

The other thing this new BT firmware does is organise the connected devices as “own boat” and all others as “other devices”. This helps when in a marina or crowded anchorage, as does renaming devices with some variation of your boat’s name.

[swampbush]

Devices connected with a smart dongle didn't get the update in victron connect but they do if you install 5.71 beta1 version. Or just wait patiently, it will come soon. It is great to see everything on one screen.
Just after I posted I see 5.72 has rolled out.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

This firmware upgrade needs to be done manually. It is not automatic unlike most of the Victron firmware updates.

Actually that firmware loaded automatically today when I attached the Victron Connect Cable to my laptop.

The download started immediately when connection occurred.

[captainwd40]

Of the 3 types of lead acid batteries (flooded, gel, and AGM), AGMs are most resilient and provide the best power density.

Fully charged 12 volt batteries at rest (no load) should be between 13.4 and 13.8 volts DC.

I recommend checking your shore powered charger to be sure it is working properly. A quick check can be done by disconnecting the batteries from the charger and measuring the charger output open circuit which should be about 14.5 volts DC. Then turn off charger and check the battery voltages separately (disconnected from each other) and verify all voltages are within .5 volts DC of each other. If a battery voltage is greater than 1 volt than the others it needs to be load checked and possibly replaced. If all check out fine .... reconnect bank and to charger then measure battery voltage. Then turn on charger and verify voltage increases even if only one or two tenths. Then let batteries charger for 3 days and verify float voltage.

Not super high tech ..... but good enough to give a warm fuzzy.


Cheers!

[Karanga]

Originally Posted by captainwd40

Of the 3 types of lead acid batteries (flooded, gel, and AGM), AGMs are most resilient and provide the best power density.



Fully charged 12 volt batteries at rest (no load) should be between 13.4 and 13.8 volts DC.



I recommend checking your shore powered charger to be sure it is working properly. A quick check can be done by disconnecting the batteries from the charger and measuring the charger output open circuit which should be about 14.5 volts DC. Then turn off charger and check the battery voltages separately (disconnected from each other) and verify all voltages are within .5 volts DC of each other. If a battery voltage is greater than 1 volt than the others it needs to be load checked and possibly replaced. If all check out fine .... reconnect bank and to charger then measure battery voltage. Then turn on charger and verify voltage increases even if only one or two tenths. Then let batteries charger for 3 days and verify float voltage.



Not super high tech ..... but good enough to give a warm fuzzy.





Cheers!

I looked carefully at this post, but I couldn't see anything about Bluetooth or Victron... But it did mention batteries!

[smac999]

Originally Posted by fxykty

The other thing this new BT firmware does is organise the connected devices as “own boat” and all others as “other devices”. This helps when in a marina or crowded anchorage, as does renaming devices with some variation of your boat’s name.

I also recommend making passwords... I have defiantly almost changed settings on a solar controller in the neighbors boat thinking it was mine.

I laughed at first about making passwords. like who's going to hack into my battery monitor.. but now they are so common and I can pick up a few on most docks. someone will change it by mistake

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by smac999

I also recommend making passwords... I have defiantly almost changed settings on a solar controller in the neighbors boat thinking it was mine.

I laughed at first about making passwords. like who's going to hack into my battery monitor.. but now they are so common and I can pick up a few on most docks. someone will change it by mistake

Yes, change the default PIN! 000000 is a little too easy for others and even if inadvertent a change to your equipment settings would be a pain at very least.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Victron have released some new firmware. For those with multiple solar controllers it now permits a single page that displays all the important parameters.

Noelex, thank you very much for flagging this. Funnily enough I installed a new Victron system on a boat yesterday and was puzzled by the broadcast question. I had it on my list to look into but opted to leave it turned off until I found out more. I’ll go back to that boat today and enable it.

Thanks also for the tips on how to get the firmware to update, I was too accustomed to the process being totally automatic. The instructions saved me a lot of heartache.

On a side note, it seems the update is not yet available for the shore chargers. (But hey, who needs those… right?)