Victron BMV 712 Battery Monitor Display Install On C28

[SoundHound]

I have a 2017 C28 and would like to install a Victron BMV 712 Battery Monitor. I want to install the monitor display on the lower left corner of the battery switch panel (the crossover, thruster, and house battery switch panel). It's not obvious to me how to gain access to this panel. How do I get access to that panel?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

I’m not familiar with the C28 layout but I did install the Victron BMV 700 on our Ranger Tug R29S. The house and start batteries are on our port side so I mounted the shunt in the port side locker to make the connections to the batteries as short as possible. I then mounted the battery monitor on the port side of the boat, just inside the cabin, on the saloon wood counter facing. In our case this is just below the on/off control for the propane stove. Your layout may not let you do the install this way and if not installing as close to the house batteries would be the key factor.

Jim

 

[baz]

Why would one want to install this device ?
What are the benefits beyond monitoring things on the stock meters RT provides ?
What drives you to want to install this ?
Did you have a problem that drove you to want this devices, and if so, what was the problem ?
If having this device installed for some time has it performed as you expected ?
Has the device failed in any way since you've had it installed ?
About how long did it take you to install this device and the monitor display ?
If there are data this unit doesn't display/monitor what else would you want ?

Thanks... 🙂

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Barry, I’ll give my answers. The device provides more comprehensive information as it relates to the status of your house batteries. Where the standard boat gauge tells you your current volts, what stage of charge the batteries are in and the high n low volt range of batteries since last reset the Victron gives the percentage charge remaining left in your batteries, which I find very helpful for as much anchoring as we do. I installed last spring and have had no problems. After understanding how to connect everything and where and how to access these areas the install took 6 hours or so. I’m sure others could do an install faster but I like to take my time double checking everything. Hope this helps.

Jim

 

[baz]

Thanks Jim. So it seems you opted for this device primarily or maybe specifically for your anchoring stints as it provides you with an indication just how much remaining battery charge you have. Does this 'remaining battery charge' give you an understandable number of hours left before batteries need recharging ? Also, I would assume if the house batteries are run down too much this is bad so does the unit alert you to this fact that batteries are at a critical charge level ? This aspect of the non lithium batteries has always bothered me as batteries can be literally destroyed if discharged below some critical threshold. The Lithium batteries can be discharged down to around 10% during which they can provide close to fiull voltage while depleting to the 10%. Of course the downside is the cost of the Lithium batteries, but on the +ive side they are a faction of the weight of the typical batteries we have in the RT models, and that in itself can save some fuel costs over time.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

The u it I have, the 700 series, has a % readout as well as the number of hours remaining. I’m not aware of any alarm notices however I mounted mine in a very visible location so it’s easy enough to check on for a reading. Maybe the other models available have an alarm.

Jim

 

[ixlr8]

The Lithium batteries can be discharged down to around 10% during which they can provide close to fiull voltage while depleting to the 10%. Of course the downside is the cost of the Lithium batteries, but on the +ive side they are a faction of the weight of the typical batteries we have in the RT models, and that in itself can save some fuel costs over time.

I read an article where a guy changed out his 4 LA batteries with Lithium batteries. He also changed out the battery chargers. He said it saved him almost 450 lbs but he wouldn't say what it cost him. I looked up the batteries he said he used, the 4 batteries cost $6000.00 and the 2 chargers cost about $150. He figured he was good for 10 years before he had to worry about batteries again. I can buy new batteries at W-mart every 3 years and still be way ahead $$$$ wise after 10 years. That is a lot of money to save 450 lbs. Although if you spend a lot of time 'on the hook' it might be something to consider as LI batteries can tolerate much more 'abuse' and bounce right back.

 

[baz]

Jim (ixlr8): I agree - Yes the cost for the Lithium batteries is extremely high and one needs deep pockets to pursue that battery option for sure.

 

[Red Raven]

Baz,

Our Xantrex battery monitor flashes “Low Battery” if that parameter is exceeded. You can set the low battery level as desired. While there is no audible alarm the flashing backlit display is hard to miss where we have ours mounted. I would think the Victron has something similar.

The other advantage to a monitor like this is you can see the actual current draw at any given time. Helps to determine quickly if something is left on and how much each system draws. I always check the current draw as well as battery voltage and %charge before heading to bed when on anchor.

I think it is very useful if you anchor much or stay otherwise where there is no power.

Curt

 

[Wee Venture]

Another vote for the Xantrex (though either make will do the job). I installed it myself, in about the same time as Jim Favors, and am very happy with it. It is very reassuring to see in real time the net amps going out or coming in, the amphours used and remaining and the true percentage of charge at any given time. I also decided to install the optional temperature probe which adjusts the capacity reading according to battery temperature though I’m not completely sure how much difference that makes. One handy feature is the ability to see the actual current draw of any device (e.g., refrigerator, chartplotter, cabin lights) by turning it on and then back off.

John

 

[Cutwater28GG]

in addition to the Xantrex check out the victron gauges and also Balmar's

 

[JimmyH]

Simarine's battery monitoring system looks very interesting... In addition to monitoring batteries it can monitor individual individual loads, temperatures, and tank levels... I've ordered the Pico Blue system and will be installing it once "Tugether" is waxed and all spring maintenance is complete. Check it out at Simarine.net and pls let me know if you have experience with the system.

JimH

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[SoundHound]

Thanks for all the comments! For those of you who installed either the Xantrex or Victron, how difficult was it to get all the house ground cables to go through the shunt?

Also, the Victron BMV 712 has a visual and audible low voltage alarm. It is also bluetooth enabled, so you can configure it and monitor your battery bank from your smart phone.

If there are any C28 owners who have installed a battery monitor, I would very much appreciate hearing how you installed it and where you mounted the display.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Just want to add into the scrum. On our R-27 we installed the Balmar Smatgauge. It does not require a shunt, so it is very easy to install. Just three wires and you are done. For ease of installation, you can’t beat it.

Jeff

 

[knotflying]

I installed nothing. I have a small chart taped to my wiper motor with voltage and correlating percent of charge. Historically when I wake up after being on the hook I have 12.43 Volts. That would be about 80%. If I start to go below that then I know I have an issue. 😀

 

[Wee Venture]

I would say that if anyone can keep their bank at 12.43V or above, they’re probably in good shape. On the other hand, voltage measurement is apparently not a highly accurate measure of state-of-charge unless the battery has rested in an “open state” (no charge or discharge) for at least 4 hours. Lead-acid battery manufacturers recommend 24 hours according to the article referenced below. This is of course impractical for those of us who have our batteries in service and want to know how they’re doing.

This seems to me to be a good technical article on measuring state-of-charge:
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/art ... _of_charge

John

 

[SummerSteve]

So this is timely - I"m considering the Blue Seas M2 SOC meter in the same location - So back to the original question - does anyone know how to remove the panel with the cutoff switches?

 

[Cutwater28GG]

I gave up when installing the Balmar smartgauge. from what I can tell its a full disassemble job. Ended up installing the gauge below the switch panel right in the corner at the bottom. it sits nicely on the cable ducting run by the wall. Then super easy to run the cable through the bulkhead into the engine bay and round to the battery compartment.

I had a friend CNC me a box to mount the gauge that was then mounted to the monkey fur.

Ive seen someone else on here mount a teak panel just under the switch panel for a Xantrex gauge.

 

[Red Raven]

Thanks for all the comments! For those of you who installed either the Xantrex or Victron, how difficult was it to get all the house ground cables to go through the shunt?

Also, the Victron BMV 712 has a visual and audible low voltage alarm. It is also bluetooth enabled, so you can configure it and monitor your battery bank from your smart phone.

If there are any C28 owners who have installed a battery monitor, I would very much appreciate hearing how you installed it and where you mounted the display.

Connecting the shunt is fairly easy if you mount the shunt near the batteries within reach of the cable (yellow) going to the negative side of the house batteries. Make sure NOTHING else is connected to the negative side of the house bank (other than jumpers across the two house batteries). If there is, move it to the negative buss bar (which should be close by). Take the cable end that was connected to the negative side of the house bank and connect it to one side of the shunt. You will need to build a short new yellow cable of the same gauge (I think it was 00) to then connect the other side of the shunt to the house battery negative (West Marine or your local chandlery will do this for you). Then you are done with that part. From there you need to connect the sensor wires to your meter. The bottom line is the shunt should be connected between ALL negative house battery connections and the negative post of the house bank.

Curt

 

[knotflying]

I would say that if anyone can keep their bank at 12.43V or above, they’re probably in good shape. On the other hand, voltage measurement is apparently not a highly accurate measure of state-of-charge unless the battery has rested in an “open state” (no charge or discharge) for at least 4 hours. Lead-acid battery manufacturers recommend 24 hours according to the article referenced below. This is of course impractical for those of us who have our batteries in service and want to know how they’re doing.

This seems to me to be a good technical article on measuring state-of-charge:
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/art ... _of_charge

John

You are absolutely correct, a proper reading is when the battery has fully rested and voltage measurement is not as accurate as the devices spoken about here. But historical data is priceless. Roam applies the same principle as I and he noticed his house batteries were not at the voltage they should be after a night on the hook. He replaced the batteries with new ones. The house batteries were later tested with a load test, they failed.
I like to use the "keep it simple" method whenever I can. It's nice to just look out the window and see whats around you outside. 😀