Victron Battery Monitor Question

[rpwillia]

So I finally installed a Victron 602s on my boat (have had it on my to do list for about 2 years ). Seems to be working really great and kudos to Maine Sail for him primer on installation.

I normally have one battery in service on my 1-2-All switch, with the other battery offline being fed by my 15watt solar panel. From my readings and from the voltage readings V was on the solar panel and offline on the 8th and the 23rd. On the 30th it was reversed with the Vs offline and on the solar panel. One note is I hardly ever plug into the dock and shore power.

When I did my RTFM, I noticed the manual states "In case of a 12 V battery, the BMV resets to “fully charged” when the following “charged parameters” are met: the voltage exceeds 13.2 V and simultaneously the (tail-) charge current is less than 4.0 % of the total battery capacity (e.g. 8 A for a 200 Ah battery) during 4 minutes."

On my 3 readings you can see that the Consumed Energy (CE), State of Charge (SOC) and Time-to-Go (TTG) have not set. So here are my quesitons.

1. Am I doing something wrong? or
2. Since the batteries are brand new and fully charge and have not had a chance to discharge they have not hit the "fully charged" condition?
3. Or do I need to change and have the online/in use battery also on the charger? Note this way has worked great for me for years.

ID 6/8 6/23 6/30
V 12.77 12.81 12.62
Vs 14.67 12.68 12.92
I -505 0.20 -5.28
CE - - -
SOC - - -
TTG - - -

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ray,

Those figures for stating a full charge are the defaults. Also, many montiors need a few cycles (charge and discharge of a bank by more than 10%) to assure proper readings, at least my Link 2000 manual says so, and they use pretty much the same software/logic. RTFM again?

Read this:

For everyone installing a battery monitor: The "Gotcha Algorithm" thread, a "MUST READ"

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4922.0.html

DEFAULTS are factory settings that are made to be modified to suit your setup.

 

[mitiempo]

I agree with Stu.

But I am a bit confused. Is the monitor on one or both batteries? Are the batteries separate - not in parallel - and each selected by the switch? Are you trying to monitor 2 separate batteries or a bank of 2 batteries?

 

[Ron20324]

Sounds like you have the Vic programmed for the total battery capacity, not just the one that you use? If your solar does not go through the Vic, don't include that battery capacity.

 

[Maine Sail]

Ray we need more info on your wiring & bank use. If sounds as if you "alternate" banks and the 602 is not designed for this.

With solar and an Ah counter the first thing you want to do is program out the auto sync feature!!

It is far to easy for the solar to replicate the "charged parameters" the battery monitor is looking for. Instead you want to do known full manual resets.

Known full reset:

*Alternator Running at fast idle or more
*No DC system loads turned on
*Battery voltage (at the terminals) at least 14.2V but preferably 14.4V
*Is net accepted current less than 2% (preferably 1.5%) of the 20 hour Ah capacity?
*If "yes" to both voltage and current then manually synch the monitor.

These devices need to know:

*Current physical capacity or as close as you can guess at it. If starting with new batteries program the monitor for 10% less than rated then reduce it by 2-5% each year. If you conduct a controlled 20 hour capacity test then use that figure.

*The Peukerts constant - You will need this from the manufacturer so the monitor can adjust for Peukert and give you the most accurate representation of SOC it can..

*The average temperature of your batteries - This is fairly important as capacity changes with temperature.

*The charge efficiency - If always doing manual resets this is not as critical as it is if trying to rely on auto-sync.

*Must be properly wired and alternating banks will not work...



Without these they will be a very rough guide..

 

[rpwillia]

Some more info

I like the idea of the full reset, have not had a chance to run the engine enough yet. I have attached a drawing of my configuration.

*New batteries and I did do the calculation to subtract the 10%.
*The Peukerts constant - 1.27 from the mfr
*Average temperature - ??? Never thought of this. Is there a recommended way?
*Charge efficiency - Did a manual reset
*Must be properly wired and alternating banks will not work... I am guessing we may have to think on this.

Ron, As from the drawing, I think the Vic should see the solar flow.

Stu, Nice link, I will try and get a read in the next day or two.

 

[mitiempo]

To me that wiring scenario makes no sense. The batteries should be in a static series/parallel arrangement. This will increase the life of the batteries and make for more efficient charging.

I cannot think of one reason to use each pair independently with the possible exception of the lack of a start battery. If this is the case you would be much better off with one and the 6 volts wired as a bank, not 2 banks with switching as you now have.

Where are the negatives going? Is that the shunt with one negative on the battery side and the other on the load side? If so only one bank will ever get measured.

 

[Ron20324]

IIRC, when I put in my 601 that "if it makes or uses electricity, it goes on one side of the shunt. the battery negs go to the other side".

You need to make a full wiring diagram. You don't show where the solar + goes to.

 

[Maine Sail]

I like the idea of the full reset, have not had a chance to run the engine enough yet. I have attached a drawing of my configuration.

*New batteries and I did do the calculation to subtract the 10%.
*The Peukerts constant - 1.27 from the mfr
*Average temperature - ??? Never thought of this. Is there a recommended way?
*Charge efficiency - Did a manual reset
*Must be properly wired and alternating banks will not work... I am guessing we may have to think on this.

Ron, As from the drawing, I think the Vic should see the solar flow.

Stu, Nice link, I will try and get a read in the next day or two.

That wiring will not work for monitoring two banks because the 602 can't monitor two banks..... Shunt should also be labeled LOAD and BATT so we know which side were used for what..

You have two options..

#1 Make the banks one contiguous hard wired house bank and add a small start battery somewhere.. This is the option that will result in the best and most eficient use of a house bank. Two GC2's in that config are way overkill for a start battery and splitting a house bank in two and alternating them is never a recommended practice.

#2 Designate one bank as house and one as start. Solar goes to the one designated as house. If you want to charge the second bank then an ACR or Echo Charger would be needed.

The BMV 602 is not designed to count Ah's & SOC on two banks. It only monitors the VOLTAGE of a second bank...

 

[rpwillia]

I think I understand

Maine, Now I understand. I was thinking that since the 602S had connections for two banks (e.g. house and start) that it would do calculations for both and treat them as independent banks.

Stu, Really liked your thought on charge settings for the gotcha and will make those changes.

That wiring will not work for monitoring two banks because the 602 can't monitor two banks..... Shunt should also be labeled LOAD and BATT so we know which side were used for what..

You have two options..

#1 Make the banks one contiguous hard wired house bank and add a small start battery somewhere.. This is the option that will result in the best and most eficient use of a house bank. Two GC2's in that config are way overkill for a start battery and splitting a house bank in two and alternating them is never a recommended practice.

#2 Designate one bank as house and one as start. Solar goes to the one designated as house. If you want to charge the second bank then an ACR or Echo Charger would be needed.

The BMV 602 is not designed to count Ah's & SOC on two banks. It only monitors the VOLTAGE of a second bank...

 

[Stu Jackson]

Ray, re your diagram 1-2-B switch.

A 1-2-B switch has four positions, but only three POSTS. Correct the diagram by showing the three posts. 1, 2 and C for common. Each battery serves either 1 or 2. C feeds the loads, i.e., starter and distribution panel.