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Old 09-10-2017, 12:03   #46
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

Or if you're just concerned about SoC, not monitoring AH flows, the SmartGauge can be the one and only standing meter, even when you're never getting the Firefly bank to full for long periods of time, no calibrations or resets required.

Use your clamp meter for readings as needed for diagnostics.
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Old 09-10-2017, 12:19   #47
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

Just remember that the Smartgauge doesn't work at all for Li....
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Old 09-10-2017, 16:19   #48
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

I don't understand the interest in fancy monitors. If you understand lead-acid batteries as you should (since you are so dependent on them)
and you are aware of the charging current and the loads you've been running, why is not a plain voltmeter adequate for monitoring batteries?
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Old 09-10-2017, 16:33   #49
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

Might be fine for some who don't care about accuracy.

Maybe even most.

People spending thousands on their bank, trying to get them to last for say 12 years rather than 5-7, wanting to be **very** sure they will last another season before sailing away from supply sources, may find it worthwhile to be more accurate.
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Old 09-10-2017, 16:33   #50
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Originally Posted by OceanPlanet View Post
Just remember that the Smartgauge doesn't work at all for Li....
Yes, SG is just for my FF bank.
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Old 09-10-2017, 16:59   #51
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Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Originally Posted by FabioC View Post
I am interested in this thread as well.

I just installed a Smartgauge, it is too early to say whether it is useful or not.

I guess I simply did not do better and did not do enough research before purchasing (I bit at the Active Captain's promotion without thinking...)


You have all you need to keep your lead acid bank healthy.
In fact I’d go so far as to say that even if you had spent thousands of dollars and a hundred hours of installation on one of the exotic monitors, you need a smart gauge to validate it.
You did fine, you bought the right thing
Reason is as far as I know the smartgauge is the only monitor that you can just leave alone and never needs any attention, and in fact if you adopt that approach, it gets as accurate as it can, which is as accurate as almost any monitor can be.
All other monitors require periodic resetting or recalibration if you will, they are accurate the day they are calibrated if they were calibrated correctly, and from that day on they drift further and further from accuracy.
However the smartgauge really only tells you one thing, that is the state of charge for one bank, whereas the exotic ones can overwhelm you with data. Depending on how much money you want to spend you can tell exactly to the watt hour how much power your fridge or any other device you have wired has consumed.
That is interesting data, depends on if you want that, most have no real need for it, but it’s interesting.

Now this all in my opinion, but it’s very easy to get bit by the I have to have this or that on these forums, but almost always the answer is that it’s nice to have, but for goodness sake don’t let not having this or that keep you at the dock.
People have cruised and circumnavigated with just a voltmeter
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Old 09-10-2017, 23:14   #52
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

Indeed... But it's certainly possible that the competition has caught up and is now much smarter and offers more fir the money. Which is what we're trying to find out.

The Smartgauge isn't cheap at $250 or so, especially if it's only providing voltage data. My 16 year old Magnetronic is strickly a voltage meter when I push the button for a reading off the dedicated shunt, the Smartgauge always shows the same voltage reading as the Magnetronic.... where's the magic? The SOC info from the Smartgauge seems all over the place most of the time when compared to battery specific gravity testing. Maybe there's a smarter monitor system in town?

I wanna see the flow of electrons to know what's happening, not just a static reading off a voltmeter.
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Old 09-10-2017, 23:28   #53
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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The Smartgauge isn't cheap at $250 or so, especially if it's only providing voltage data.
It seems very likely that the Smartgauge is measuring more than voltage. I believe that it is measuring battery impedance using an internal transient current source. This impedance has been shown to to be related to battery State Of Charge.

I can't say if the Smartgauge works well enough to be useful to you, but it's not "only providing voltage data".
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Old 09-10-2017, 23:40   #54
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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It seems very likely that the Smartgauge is measuring more than voltage. I believe that it is measuring battery impedance using an internal transient current source. This impedance has been shown to to be related to battery State Of Charge.

I can't say if the Smartgauge works well enough to be useful to you, but it's not "only providing voltage data".
Then why do the voltage measurements on the Smartgauge vary wildly all over the place when loads are placed on the system when compared to the readings off the Magnetronic dedicated shunt or my Fluke Voltmeter? I'm thinking it's due to the Smartgauge taking readings off just a couple of batteries as opposed to the other two taking readings off the shunt.

I wanna know what's going on with the entire system... not just with a couple of batteries. I guess I'm more skeptical of the Smartgauge "snake oil" claims after using it for three months.
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Old 09-10-2017, 23:50   #55
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Originally Posted by TreblePlink View Post
I don't understand the interest in fancy monitors. If you understand lead-acid batteries as you should (since you are so dependent on them)
and you are aware of the charging current and the loads you've been running, why is not a plain voltmeter adequate for monitoring batteries?
I dont know why others are interested , but here are my reasons:

-: monitoring and logging PV panel output over longer periods (days / weeks) to ensure they are large enough to keep my batteries charged

-: informed decision making process as to whether or not I can increase my house bank (double) and whether or not my PV panels are then still able to cope charging my bank

-: monitoring and logging users , how much of a difference does it make when I set the freezer to minus 20 celcius vs minus 10 degrees

-: is it really worthwhile to keep a noisy windgenerator or should I just take it down , sell it, and add more PV power

-: what is the average and current SOC of my battery bank let say overthe course of a week , is it OK to nt run the generator today but wait till tomorrow

I know this can all be achieved by connecting voltmeters / current meters but its hard and very time consuming to do the logging part , specially the fridge /freezer as there are so many variables (temp set , temp outside , water temp , usage )

And its easy to say 'just add PV power and batteries' but that is a big investment and may not be needed .

so why .. because I want to make an informed decision about possible future expenses
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Old 10-10-2017, 00:10   #56
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

Yes! Thank you ReneJK, my thoughts exactly. Our needs are quite different than the average boating person who heads back into the marina to plug into shorepower every day or after a few days; we're in anchorages for five to six months continuously without a West Marine Store in every port.

I NEED an integrated system that works, alerts me to potential problems early on, and one that I can count on..... Not some "magic box."
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Old 10-10-2017, 03:06   #57
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Originally Posted by Kenomac View Post
Yes! Thank you ReneJK, my thoughts exactly. Our needs are quite different than the average boating person who heads back into the marina to plug into shorepower every day or after a few days; we're in anchorages for five to six months continuously without a West Marine Store in every port.

I NEED an integrated system that works, alerts me to potential problems early on, and one that I can count on..... Not some "magic box."
Did you have a look at the latest victron BMV-712 ? I have the BMV-602, simple, efficient. The new model forwards data to your smartphone. You can setup alarms. Price is about 160 EUR. I think xantrex makes pretty much the same equipement.
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Old 10-10-2017, 03:14   #58
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Did you have a look at the latest victron BMV-712 ? I have the BMV-602, simple, efficient. The new model forwards data to your smartphone. You can setup alarms. Price is about 160 EUR. I think xantrex makes pretty much the same equipement.

I did , but it 'just' measures the battery bank and not the suppliers like PV and wind , for me it only gave me half the info I think I need to make informed decisions about adding PV / wind / batteries
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Old 10-10-2017, 03:30   #59
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

The Mastervolt thing is just a configurable Display to show different readings.
The Logic behind is the "Smart Shunt".

Mastervolt has an integrated aproach, each device kann be Lego-like added to the system and monitored / configured by the Mastervolt-bus.

The Smart shunts can be added at any place / branch of the electric installation
and be read out by the dispay. Furthermore - if you have higher currents than the shunt supports, you can connect 2 (or more ?) shunts in parallel and the display will handle them a a single bigger shunt.

Also there are many interfaces available for system integration in other busses
(NMEA2000, CAN, WiFi, GPRS, USB...), there are digital and analog interfaces (e.g. tank sensors etc.) and actors (digital switch 10*10A) It is not a simple battery computer at all. There are also alarms and elektronic "switches" to model a complete automated system (e.g. to start the generator if the SoC drops below a programmed level and turn off the generator when a desired SoC is reached.
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Old 10-10-2017, 03:40   #60
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Re: Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

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Have had the Mastervolt system for a few months and am impressed. Switching from shorepower to inverter is so fast, our computer and coffepot don’t even turn off. We are still learning the monitor display, but a useful feature is the system calculating and displaying the number of days or hours of power left with DC amps out at that time and 280 watts of solar into our 650 aH house bank.
Please fill me in with more details when you get a chance. How accurate does the monitor seem to be with power going into the bank? Does it allow you to view Amps input/output, state of charge, voltage, a couple of systems such as refrigeration and DC usage all at the same time without navigating a menu or pushing buttons? I require easy.

One of the problems with the Smartgauge, is that it's impossible to guess how long to run the generator when it's needed. I'd like something that shows the battery bank acceptance rate (Amps going in) so I know when to stop running the genset and turn things over to the solar array.
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