Long(er) range monitoring of BMV-712 and MPPT

rhyno

I figure this is a long shot but is there any way besides wiring in a Victron GX device to allow me to check the BMV-712 and MPPT status without needing to be within 25 feet of our camper? It would be great if there was a bluetooth extender/booster but those all seem to be geared to extending connectivity for audio equipment only.

m_lewis

Because the Bluetooth protocol is designed to be a short-range communications link, extending a device’s range is a complex proposition. Adding another device complicates it even further. That’s why you will only see extenders/repeaters that function with only a very small subset of Bluetooth devices. 

So, in short, the answer is no. 

However, a talented hacker might be able to construct a device that has two protocols, ie a bridge from Bluetooth to WiFi, thus being quite extensible. I’ve been wanting to do that myself for a while, just too busy with other endeavors. 

rhyno

I found out after starting this thread that you can load the Victron Venus OS onto a Raspberry Pi. This might be a fun project. I need to read up on how a home built GX equivalent compares to the real thing.

DougH

@rhyno Not precisely what you asked, but I started using the Thornwave smart shunt. LONG range Bluetooth, and gobs of history stored on the device. It doesn't have pretty graphics in the app though, or historical trend plots or histograms with all that stored data... just current numbers.

     

m_lewis

That sounds pretty useful. 

Problem with the Pi is it’s power consumption, about 5 watts, I believe. With a 90% efficient buck regulator, that works out to about 1/2A continuous draw on the battery you are monitoring, or around 12 Amp hours per day. 

A Pi has way more capability than needed, but it is a fairly easy to implement platform. 

DougH

Update on the Thornwave.  Now that it's been connected a while, it suddenly offered a download of the data from the device and plots of power voltage, etc.

Sunrise voltage as panel wakes up, solar controller goes into absorption for a while, then float:


SoC over several days with only a 60Ah battery bank:


A brief use of power followed by a recharge in cloudy skies:

Current over several days:

 

NMSunshine

The RPI is something I didn't expect!

@rhyno I know this is an old thread but curious what distance you were looking to get to?