Solar device not showing on iPhone

BillCB

Last Fall I disconnected the battery in my 2024 T@B 400 and left a small light bulb (on an extension cord from my house) under the bed to prevent the battery from freezing. The camper is not on shore power.

Today I reconnected the battery and turned the battery switch on again. The battery has charged up so the solar must be working. However, my phone only shows the Smart Shunt app (which works) but not the app that showed solar charging. The phone only shows one device where it used to show two. 

Can anyone help this dummy understand what has happened and what I should do?

Thanks,
Bill

BillCB

I should have added it's Victron Connect.
B.

donmontalvo

nm

Gomers2

Bill, in the Victron app there is a line at the bottom of the main screen that says "don't see the product you're looking for?". If you click that you get the troubleshooting page below. Might be as simple as restarting your phone. Is the blue light on the Solar controller blinking? I think that is the Bluetooth transmitter indicator.

pthomas745

The proper way to connect the Victron solar controller is by: connecting the solar controller to the battery first...then letting the controller read the battery status...and then connecting the solar panels. If your trailer was outside, the solar panels were still providing power to the solar controller.  The controller, in order to get things straight, needs to sort out the battery state of charge before the solar panels start providing power/

Find the solar controller in the trailer.  Pull the fuse from the solar panel wiring there at the solar controller.

Find the fuse/fuses for the battery at the battery disconnect switch area (they may be near the Gloso circuit breaker, or disconnect the battery cables again.

Then: open the Victron app and connect the battery cables, and see if the Victron now senses the battery status and sends the info via bluetooth.  

Then reconnect the solar panel fuse at the solar controller.

What exact battery do you have?  It is really hard to "freeze" a battery, especially inside the trailer.  

This is the paragraph from the Victron MPPT manual that describes the proper order. (Ignore #3, about "connecting the DC loads".) 

Bill&Suze

@BillCB, I encountered the same issue that you described, although I had taken the battery into the house for the winter. I remembered the proper steps that @pthomas745 listed above. I pulled the fuses in the solar line at the controller and the one next to the Gloso switch in the outside storage area, then plugged in the latter and waited for 10-15 seconds with the Victron Connect app open to see the Smart Shunt show battery voltage, and finally plugged in the fuse in the solar line to the controller. The Smart Solar panel immediately appeared in the app.

BillCB

Thank you pthomas and Bill & Suze. I will follow your suggestions and hope! First I have to find the solar line and fuse. I gather it's in the same outside locker that houses the Nautilus system. I'll report back!

pthomas745

Your solar controller may be under the fridge.  (Behind a drawer?) I get confused about the locations.  You will find the important fuse on the line going into the "PV" section of the controller.  

This thread might help. https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/17325/tab-400-2023-photo-of-smart-solar-mppt-75-15

Binghi

The solar controller in our 2021 400 is located behind the drawer on the driver side of the trailer. The drawer is underneath the closet.

Bill&Suze

@BillCB says he has a 2024 400. I'm going to assume it is very similar to ours - we have the same. The solar controller is mounted in the large Alde compartment opposite the plywood Nautilus box and just above the water pump. Its fuse is on the green wire going to the positive solar connection. The fuse to pull for the battery is adjacent to the Gloso breaker on the right wall of the passenger side gear storage compartment and accessed from the outside.
Photo of the solar controller, the Nautilus enclosure is behind the camera, pump is below:

 

pthomas745

@Bill&Suze Thank you very much.

BillCB

Well, I did locate the controller - just before seeing Bill&Suze's post.  Exactly like you show.
Now I'll go find the fuse and pull it. Then I'll follow pthomas's instructions.

I can confirm that the SmartShunt is displaying the Battleborn battery charge, which is slowly losing power, down to 89% - until I turned the battery switch off.

You all have been so helpful - thank you. I'll keep you posted.
Bill

BillCB

Well, we've had freezing rain here which made accessing the rear compartment rather difficult! But here is what I see. Can I assume the fuse is in the black connector on the right - connecting the two green wires? Or is it part of the black box on the left? (My guess).
I didn't try anything as I was soaked kneeling in ice and really didn't want any current coming my way!

pthomas745

@BillCB, Yes, those cables going to the circuit breaker come from the battery, so there should be a 30 amp fuse there inside that black plastic holder.

Bill&Suze

I'll second what @pthomas745 said, it looks just like my setup. That's the fuse to plug back in first, wait for 15-20 seconds, then plug back in the 30 amp on the green wire at the solar controller. Please let us know if/when this works for you. (Kneel on a rubber mat.)  

Horigan

Just to be clear, the thick red wire is from the battery.  The thinner red wire is from the solar controller, which has the inline fuse before connecting to the battery at the breaker shown.

BillCB

Thanks Horigan. I'm going to have another go at this today.

Bill&Suze

To expand a bit on what @Horigan said, the thick red wire on the same lug as the green wire with fuse leads to the distribution block on the passenger side of the battery compartment and from there to battery positive. The thinner red wire indeed goes to the battery positive screw on the bottom of the solar controller and as he notes, the inline fuse near the battery breaker protects from over-current in the thinner red wire.

BillCB

Success! By following @pthomas745's instructions the Solar app now shows up on my phone, the blue "bulk" light is flashing and the only problem is pairing with my phone.
The app wanted the PIN number and 000000 didn't do it. So I try to put in the PIN on the controller, but the phone only brings up a keypad, not a Qwerty keyboard. Anyone know how to get around that? The PUK requires both letters and numbers.

pthomas745

The good news is: you found your PUK number...the "Personal Unlock Key".  We love our Victrons, but their lack of "user friendliness" is a constant grating problem.  (Which you have run practically the entire gamut in the last few days).  Try this:

https://communityarchive.victronenergy.com/questions/78274/trying-to-enter-puk-code-keypad-does-not-allow-let.html

BillCB

Wow - you're a saviour! I'll try that.
Bill

BillCB

@pthomas745, thank you so much for your patience in seeing me through this - and thanks to the other members who chipped in. What would I do without this forum. Everything is now functioning just as it should.
Best to all,
Bill