Help With Victron Solar Not Charging Fogstar Please? (1 Viewer)

[EuroTrotters]

Hi

The Hab Battery was charged the other day. Fogstar 105ah.

Charges on EHU Via Victron MultiPlus
Charges from Engine

But getting nothing from Solar?

Please see screenshots

 

[monzer]

How long ago was the battery fully charged? It's showing around 50% now does that tally to your usage?

 

[EuroTrotters]

How long ago was the battery fully charged? It's showing around 50% now does that tally to your usage?

It was fully charged on Weds via EHU.

I took it to the Garage for a Cambelt/Timing Belt Thursday. I just collected it and checked it.

The solar was pushing 2a before but Fogstar saying nothing going in

 

[Steve N Tracy]

The output from the victron unit needs to be higher then the battery voltage to put any noticible charge in your pictures show they are very close to the same voltage.

 

[Vansflyer]

Parasite drain in your van is possibly consuming the nominal charge going in from the solar. Is it sunny and where in the world are you? UK solar can be woeful this time of year.

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[RogerIvy]

Because Victron MPPT can buck but not boost, the panel must have a higher voltage than the output. In fact, it must be at least 5v more for the MPPT to kick in, and in your case it’s lower. As a rule of thumb you need more than 19v from the panel for the MPPT to kick in To charge at 14.2v

 

[Just smiffy]

Did the garage disconnect it for some reason..?

Disconnect the controller and connect the battery to the controller first then connect the solar….

 

[Guigsy]

I've found that if the current levels are below a few watts, my Victron gear can still see the flow, but the FogStar BMS rounds it to zero.

So could be it that the solar is pushing in an amp, but with other parasitic loads, not much reaches the battery and the FogStar is calling it nil?

 

[RogerIvy]

I've found that if the current levels are below a few watts, my Victron gear can still see the flow, but the FogStar BMS rounds it to zero.

So could be it that the solar is pushing in an amp, but with other parasitic loads, not much reaches the battery and the FogStar is calling it nil?

What you say is valid, but in his screenshot the state is “Off”, so it’s not activated charging at all yet.

 

[Guigsy]

What you say is valid, but in his screenshot the state is “Off”, so it’s not activated charging at all yet.

Isn't that for the switchable load terminals that nobody uses?

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[RogerIvy]

Isn't that for the switchable load terminals that nobody uses?

No, it’s for the actual charging. You find loads of threads on the Victron community site.

 

[Guigsy]

No, it’s for the actual charging. You find loads of threads on the Victron community site.

I thought it referred to these.

 

[RogerIvy]

Reason for +5v wake-up? - Victron Community

community.victronenergy.com

Is this real? No charging until PV > BAT +5V? - Victron Community

community.victronenergy.com

 

[Raul]

What you say is valid, but in his screenshot the state is “Off”, so it’s not activated charging at all yet.

Are we looking at the same pictures? I see the solar charger producing few wats, all good, and bms charging enabled, wether that charge makes it to battery or local loads needs measuring. The bms can not see small currents, it does not have a shunt, it measures by a Hall effect sensor that’s inaccurate below 2 amps and no detection under 0.2A.
All looks good to me, besides of lack of solar panel output.

 

[RogerIvy]

Are we looking at the same pictures? I see the solar charger producing few wats, all good, and bms charging enabled, wether that charge makes it to battery or local loads needs measuring. The bms can not see small currents, it does not have a shunt, it measures by a Hall effect sensor that’s inaccurate below 2 amps and no detection under 0.2A.
All looks good to me, besides of lack of solar panel output.

All correct but look at the State on the VC status screen ... it's Off.

Edit - my bad, I caught a glimpse of the "load output"
So yes, it is the BMS not registering anything.
...serves my right for posting while distracted by Six Nations!

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[Raul]

Hi

The Hab Battery was charged the other day. Fogstar 105ah.

Charges on EHU Via Victron MultiPlus
Charges from Engine

But getting nothing from Solar?

Please see screenshotsView attachment 861381View attachment 861381View attachment 861383View attachment 861384

I see 14w from solar and charging, maybe more panels? What’s the issue?

 

[RogerIvy]

On another note I actually prefer the JBD app over Fogstar's own app.
If we're debugging an issue I find it more responsive for one thing. And easier to check settings.

 

[Raul]

I've found that if the current levels are below a few watts, my Victron gear can still see the flow, but the FogStar BMS rounds it to zero.

So could be it that the solar is pushing in an amp, but with other parasitic loads, not much reaches the battery and the FogStar is calling it nil?

Yes because the victron shunt has a very small resolution and can pick up even 0.6w but it will round it up to 1w. The bms does not have a shunt, it uses a different method ( Hall effect sensor) that has alarger resolution, hence smaller currents will pass undetected.

The only bms that uses a shunt that I know of, is a Batrium or REC bms, and they are few hundred quid, 7-800 for the basic.

 

[Raul]

On another note I actually prefer the JBD app over Fogstar's own app.
If we're debugging an issue I find it more responsive for one thing. And easier to check settings.

Have you tried the JK app? The one with the blue/ white cloud.

 

[Guigsy]

Yes because the victron shunt has a very small resolution and can pick up even 0.6w but it will round it up to 1w. The bms does not have a shunt, it uses a different method ( Hall effect sensor) that has alarger resolution, hence smaller currents will pass undetected.

The only bms that uses a shunt that I know of, is a Batrium or REC bms, and they are few hundred quid, 7-800 for the basic.

That's good. It means the shunt I bought only a few months before I decided to go to lithium wasn't a total waste. And it explains why the Victron shunt appears to be more accurate when the van has been sitting for a long time with only parasitic loads on the battery.

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[RogerIvy]

Have you tried the JK app? The one with the blue/ white cloud.

Yes, use it a lot for JK BMS (that's what we use in our batteries). I like the app on the whole, just wish they made the SOC the most prominent figure.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I see 14w from solar and charging, maybe more panels? What’s the issue?

Im not sure !

160w solar . I have another to add at Some point

 

[EuroTrotters]

On another note I actually prefer the JBD app over Fogstar's own app.
If we're debugging an issue I find it more responsive for one thing. And easier to check settings.

JBD ?

 

[RogerIvy]

That's good. It means the shunt I bought only a few months before I decided to go to lithium wasn't a total waste. And it explains why the Victron shunt appears to be more accurate when the van has been sitting for a long time with only parasitic loads on the battery.

The shunt is great when you have very low current draw (like a parasitic draw).
For example, less than half an amp. The shunt is remarkably accurate whereas the BMS is usually out by about 50% at those levels. Over a few days/weeks the BMS SOC gets further from the truth - and it all resets if/when the battery is fully charged (and solar at this time of the year is hopeless). We have observed this with JK and I know Fogstar say the same thing of their JBD BMS's.
... one of the reasons I like the Victron Smartshunt!

 

[RogerIvy]

JBD ?

Fogstar build their batteries using a JBD BMS.

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[Guigsy]

I've not used the van for a few weeks. My FogStar 280Ah said it was full. The Victron shunt said I was down at 20%. I plugged it in and the charger put over 200Ah in, so the shunt was much closer.

 

[RogerIvy]

I've not used the van for a few weeks. My FogStar 280Ah said it was full. The Victron shunt said I was down at 20%. I plugged it in and the charger put over 200Ah in, so the shunt was much closer.

Wow, much closer but still out a bit. At least you can configure some aspects of the shunt!

 

[Raul]

Yes, use it a lot for JK BMS (that's what we use in our batteries). I like the app on the whole, just wish they made the SOC the most prominent figure.

Depending on firmware, the later firmware allows a cel voltage trigger the 100% SOC and measures current a little better. This improves SOC accuracy. I got a newish JK_B2A8S20P hardware V11.XW running V11.288 and it has this setting.
The older firmware same bms, (got both) does not have the SOC-100% trigger voltage.
You have to check hardware, many older ones can be flashed with newer firmware.

 

[Andy MacD]

Fogstar told me when I questioned the accuracy of their BMS app that it’s purpose is to protect the battery and the app would not be accurate. They recommended I fit a SmartShunt, I’m amazed how different they are.

 

[Raul]

But you also need to set the shunt properly for lifepo4.

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