Battery Monitoring -- How I Done It --

[Pete C]

Quick question - what sort of physical range over Bluetooth do people get with their BM2 monitors ?
I am thinking about a non van project, and a BM2 could be the solution, if the Bluetooth range is good enough.

I realise this will be governed by where the BM2 is mounted and what phone it connects to, but I am trying to get a feel for the best I can expect.

Thanks,

Pete

 

[Dellmassive]

10 - 30M in free air.

 

[Pete C]

Thanks - probably not enough for what I want, but may get one to experiment with anyway.

Pete

 

[boxelder]

Max 10m for me when they are in the van and I'm not

 

[Dellmassive]

BM2 FW & APP UPADTE - 2022

FW version V8.0

now allows battery type selection.


screen . .




APP . . .





FW update . . .






.

3minsa to update . .





...


new options . .






..


Custom settings. . . .






edit:


interesting to note that the two LITHIUM FW BM2 units that i had imported . . . had always shown FW V6.

they wont update with this app. . . they seem to be locked to FW V6 and wont take the V8 FW . .








.

 

[Salty Spuds]

I’ve had a play with the custom settings
Before:-
After:-

 

[Skyliner33]

I just had a play with those settings. Not getting the same results though.

 

[Salty Spuds]

You have to be connected to the BM2 via Bluetooth when you make the changes to the table. You then have to select the “voltage corresponding to power” option.

 

[Skyliner33]

You have to be connected to the BM2 via Bluetooth when you make the changes to the table. You then have to select the “voltage corresponding to power” option.View attachment 154363

I was connected, I was sat in the van. I had selected that as well. Hmm off out to try again.

Edit: now i get this


It doesn’t seem to matter which of those 2 options i pick.

12.59V is above my setting for 100%

 

[mmi]

interesting to note that the two LITHIUM FW BM2 units that i had imported . . . had always shown FW V6.

they wont update with this app. . . they seem to be locked to FW V6 and wont take the V8 FW . .

Sure they will - this far I managed to update two V6 to V8, and a V5. By using the same Android 3.5.1 app.
However, the update procedure seems to be a bit random to get started - still have a few more to work on.
Also the app seemed to get confused after a update - claimed the next connected battery to be at V8 right away

 

[Dellmassive]

nope. . . . they wont do it.

The Two BM2 units i had shipped in from LEGAND CHINA that had LIFPOE4 FW on them, showed v6 fw from last year,

when all other BM2s were v5.

now the new update is V8 . . .

but these two will not move to v8. there locked - just says on current version.

but these two are uniquie and had special FW on them for me and lithium testing.




..

oh well. . .


i suppose they are locked to the Lithium profile. . . .

no issues they still work fine. . . just unable to set the custom profile. . .



.

 

[Qnapper]

Tried to update mine yesterday and the same will not update pass V6. Still works none the less.

 

[mmi]

Hmmm...

However, the update procedure seems to be a bit random to get started - still have a few more to work on.

but these two will not move to v8. there locked - just says on current version.

Still very random - or actually managed to update only by uninstalling the BM2 app and then reinstalling it again. Thus to update my four modules (2xV5, 2xV6) I had to uninstall and reinstall the BM2 for each or them - weird

Before moving to uninstall/reinstall procedure I tried quite a few times on several days on different modules without success.

 

[Dellmassive]

All my other units updated ok.

Using android S21 phone and latest BM2 APP.

A few of them took a couple of attempts.

I did have issues at first where there were loads visable..... So no I just disconnected them and done one at a time on the bench PSU.

One thing to not was the FW install wipes all the history in the unit ..... So connect and sync first.

 

[Loz]

I received 2 off BM2 in the post today, to replace my CTEK monitors.

 

[Dellmassive]

Great news @Loz let us know what you think.

The BM2 unit stores around a week's data, but the APP stores indefinitely.. so as long as you let it sync regularly by connecting too it you will get all the history you need. (,Down powering the device will clear it's data)

Personally I much prefer them to the CTEK battery monitor....

BM2 is the main free app.... Try that first.

Then if you want try the BM3 app... Allows up to 4x units simultaneously.

I normally advise people to only install one app or the other to try,..... When a unit connects to an App version it's blocked from connecting to anything else, untill that link is broken.

In the early days I had the same bm2 app loaded on about 5x tablets and phones..... Which caused me massive greif as bm2 units would randomly connect to the closest tablet or phone.

I worked around that problem by changing the apps settings on the phone to disable the background power usage for the app and Force close the app and switch off BT...... That would break the link and allow me to connect to the bm2 on a different device. ,( That's advanced app tweakage, so I just say use one or other. And if multiple tablets or phones..... Just switch one on at a time and allow to sync, then switch off and sync the next tablet etc etc)

 

[Huba]

Just ordered a BM2. Does anyone know whether its necessary to add an inline fuse for its connection, or am I overly worrying?

Thanks

 

[Dellmassive]

Just ordered a BM2. Does anyone know whether its necessary to add an inline fuse for its connection, or am I overly worrying?

Thanks

no need for a fuse as the cables are to short to go anywhere if you connecting direct across the battery.

just loosen the clamp and slide the terminal in.

if you are mounting the unit away from the battery ( ie slave fusebox then i would add a small inline 1A fuse)

 

[Dellmassive]

Victron 2.41 FW update brings in live data feed on the status screen....




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..

Happy day's.

 

[mmi]

live data feed on the status screen....

Thank you for keeping us informed - otherwise I would have missed this one.

That's actually much better than it sounds at first glance. Now the data is pretty much immeadiate - no need to wait for "log in"

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The BT interface update (2.41) combined with update of Victron Connect itself (5.70) brought also a long-awaited capability to retrieve longer term history data from SmartShunt.

VictronConnect changelog - v5.70 - 2022-07-13​

New stored trends feature:

• Trends data is kept stored in the product for up to 46 days for most products, except the Smart Battery Sense, there its 181 days.
• SmartSolar, BMV-712 and SmartShunt:
  • SmartSolar support trends for Batt. Voltage, Current and Temperature, as well as Load output current, PV voltage and PV current.
  • BMV-712 and SmartShunt support trends for Battery voltage, Current, State of Charger % as well as the Aux input (battery temp, or midpoint deviation, or starter battery voltage).
• Interval configuration in detail is:
  • 2m at 1s interval (RAM only)
  • 2h at 30s interval
  • 1d at 5m interval
  • 45d at 30m interval

Captured from::

VictronConnect changelog and beta releases [Victron Energy]

www.victronenergy.com

Pretty good coverage timewise - 45 days with reasonably good 30 minute resolution
Also the Aux input of Smart Shunt (Starter battery for me) is logged.

Actually quite a leap in Smart Shunt's capabilities. Well done Victron!

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Next on the wish list is obviously a capability to export the history data from the Victron Connect.
Also would be nice to view the data offline - currently need to be connected with the unit to view the data - not bad, but...