What should I add to monitor solar input / battery output? (1 Viewer)

Sep 1, 2017
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I'm after some newbie advice please.

My Burstner has been fitted with a 150w panel and a Schaudt LRM 1218 connected to the Schaudt electroblock.(EBL99K)

My Burstner (2017 Nexxo 690G) has a simple LT96 panel.
The LRM unit has a amber light when solar is charging the hab batteries (2x95Ah) and the Ducato battery - but this is under the passenger seat, so not easily visible.

Ideally I would like a simple gauge or perhaps a bluetooth connection to my mobile that would show me output from the panel, leisure battery voltage and perhaps an indication of power flow.

I saw a post on here that mentioned a 'shunt' with an ebay link - is this what I need?

PS - Mrs Beano would prefer that I don't start cutting holes in the control panel area for a display module.

Solutions gratefully sought!
 
R

Robert Clark

Deleted User
Victron BMV 700 will monitor battery usage / charge state and show any current from solar or charger, entering the battery
It has an optional Bluetooth dongle which links to an app
 
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DBK

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There's also the NASA BM1 in various forms. But none of these are cheap at £100+. You can get things off eBay for a fraction of that but I've not read any reports on them so can't comment.
 

Lenny HB

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On my last van I had a £22 eBay job it worked fine on new van splashed out £135 on a BMV 700 its not a lot better and I got fed up trying to read the tiny display so this week I splashed out another 50 quid on the bluetooth dongle for it.

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RedFrame

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On my last van I had a £22 eBay job it worked fine on new van splashed out £135 on a BMV 700 its not a lot better and I got fed up trying to read the tiny display so this week I splashed out another 50 quid on the bluetooth dongle for it.

Do you have a link to the E-Bay job, or similar...?

Cheers
Red.
 

Cal54

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Got a NASA BM1 fitted by a fellow Funster earlier this year and it is great. Does everything I want it to and has nice large digital readout. Well pleased - thanks @andy63 !!

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sallylillian

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Get the latest BMV it has Bluetooth built in, more expensive but once set up it is a great bit of kit. Compared to the N+B control panel display which frankly is bordering useless the BMV is star wars!
 

andy63

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Got a NASA BM1 fitted by a fellow Funster earlier this year and it is great. Does everything I want it to and has nice large digital readout. Well pleased - thanks @andy63 !!
Hi carol. .. you were welcome. .. I can't believe it was this year :LOL: it seems ages ago...
I fitted one in mine as well shortly after.., but not really checked the instructions and set it up, must get round to that .:D
Take care...
Andy. X

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Jan 19, 2014
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I fitted a NASA BM2 (same as BM1 but reads up to 200a) in our van, definitely good for control freaks like myself. With starter and leisure Voltages, Current, Amp Hours, Percentages, bar graphs, time until charged, time until discharged, I'm in heaven :love:
 
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I fitted a NASA BM2 (same as BM1 but reads up to 200a) in our van, definitely good for control freaks like myself. With starter and leisure Voltages, Current, Amp Hours, Percentages, bar graphs, time until charged, time until discharged, I'm in heaven :love:
Are these difficult to fit. At the moment I have just a green light to tell me whether it’s charging or not. Does it also work like a B2B device to spill over into the leisure battery?
 
Jan 19, 2014
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Are these difficult to fit. At the moment I have just a green light to tell me whether it’s charging or not. Does it also work like a B2B device to spill over into the leisure battery?
Yes they're OK to fit as long as you've got a basic toolkit and a crimping set is handy. The display needs.. Err, I think an 8cm by 6cm hole cutting in the wall for the back of it to go into.
Don't know what you mean about the B2B question. It monitors the voltage on the starter battery but not current, and it doesn't charge it.

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funflair

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Yes they're OK to fit as long as you've got a basic toolkit and a crimping set is handy. The display needs.. Err, I think an 8cm by 6cm hole cutting in the wall for the back of it to go into.
Don't know what you mean about the B2B question. It monitors the voltage on the starter battery but not current, and it doesn't charge it.

The answer is NO to the B2B function which is really what you said "and it doesn't charge it" but thought I would put it a tad clearer.

Martin
 
Jul 5, 2013
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Another vote for the Victron BMV700. There is no point in having something that just monitors what power the solar is putting in if you don't know what power you are using. The Victron monitors the net result. We haven't bothered with the BT dongle but may get it in the future.
 

Lenny HB

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Another vote for the Victron BMV700. There is no point in having something that just monitors what power the solar is putting in if you don't know what power you are using. The Victron monitors the net result. We haven't bothered with the BT dongle but may get it in the future.
Yes the dongle is an expensive option but does make it a lot easier to see what's going on and it retrieves the history which was interesting, in the few months I had the van my max discharge was 57a/h and I'd used a total of 1875 amps.

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Cal54

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My NASA gives my a discharge reading also and the thing I find most useful is the % figure which shows me how much 'juice' is in my batteries. As I have a compressor fridge I wanted to make sure the fridge wasn't compromised by other non essential items drawing the power.
 

Lenny HB

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Do you have a link to the E-Bay job, or similar...?

Cheers
Red.
Ebay item 181289964449 or 142041020471

This was it fitted in my last van, got some anodiosed aluminium cut to size from ebay and made a bezel so it didn't look so out of place.
upload_2017-10-21_16-22-31.jpeg
 
OP
OP
D
Sep 1, 2017
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Update folks. I have ordered the NASA Bm1 BT. It's a headless shunt that transmits to a Bluetooth app (android or iPhone).

Like this



A tad cheaper than the Victron and I don't need to worry about mounting a display, since I can just view it on my phone or tablet.

It hasn't arrived yet, but will update you once fitted.

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OP
OP
D
Sep 1, 2017
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Unit now fitted!

We are currently away for 3 nights, enjoying Dovedale and the Tissington trail.
Have been off mains electricity for 3 nights now and the batteries (2x90Ah) are at 60% charged as I speak.

The software seems to be working fine. Solar charging peaked at 3.5 Amps on Sunday (it was sunny, but low sun at this time of year). Very little added today, mind you.

Heating as been on pretty much non stop, as its been chilly here and the CL site we are on is on the top of a hill.

The monitor gives me the confidence that the current load (heating fan / lighting / TV / aerial amp and phone charging) is not going to pull my batteries below 50% before leaving for home tomorrow.
 
May 6, 2010
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I wonder if they are planning a BM2 BT as the 100amp shunt is too low for us (n)
We already have the NASA BM 2 fitted this has a 200amp shunt and has a higher capacity displays

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Jan 29, 2017
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Have had a Nasa BM1 installed for several years now, apart from a slight problem with a poor joint which misled us, its been fine. Cant imagine how people get on without something like that
I do have a spare 100amp shunt if someone needs it

Mike & Ann
 

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