eBook Item #5
Victron Battery Monitor (BMV-712)
Brand: Victron Energy
Purpose:
- Monitors power as it exits and enters the battery.
- Displays battery’s state-of-charge (SOC) percentage.
- Also displays battery voltage and time/energy remaining.
- Connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone.
Why Use A Monitor?
- Keeps you on top of your battery's charge
- Helps you take action to prolong battery lifespan
What Is A Battery Monitor?
A battery monitor is a device that attaches to a battery and displays information about the battery’s status. The most important feature of a battery monitor is to display the battery’s state-of-charge (SOC), which helps users determine when the battery needs to be recharged.
Battery monitors are particularly useful to van conversion and RV owners because users can ensure that they have enough power to run their devices and appliances without running out of charge. Additionally, battery monitors display other important information such as the battery’s voltage, current, and temperature.
Why Victron Monitors:
Victron battery monitors aren’t cheap. But we recommend their BMV-712 because they are one of the few devices that come with Bluetooth connectivity so that you can view your battery’s charge information straight from your smartphone.
Alternative Battery Monitors
Victron battery monitors aren’t the cheapest, but we love their Bluetooth and App functionality, which we think makes the Victron brand worth it. But if keeping within a budget is critical for your van conversion, consider the below alternatives.
Frequently Bought Together
The Victron battery monitor is frequently paired with the below three components and tools.
- 2/0 AWG Wires – Connects the battery monitor to the batteries and the bus bars. Learn more about these wires.
- Copper Lugs – Crimps onto the 2/0 AWG wires and connects to the battery monitor.
- Bus Bars – Power collection & distribution center. Learn more about the usefulness of bus bars.
- Hydraulic Lug Crimper – Use this tool to crimp the copper lugs onto the 2/0 wire.
Where To Install A Battery Monitor
The Victron battery monitor comes with two parts; the shunt and the display module. The shunt is typically installed between the negative battery terminal and the black bus bar. And the display module is connected to the shunt with a provided RJ12 cable. See the wiring diagram below to verify the installation location. You will need 2/0 AWG wire and 3/8″ copper lugs to complete the installation.
From the bus bars, you can install the solar charge controller, inverter, 12V panel, and DC-DC charger. And the battery monitor will incorporate all the power used and added from these devices in its battery statistic readings.
Need More Wiring Information? Download our Electrical Wiring eBook.
Technical Details
Display Dimensions | 2.7" diameter (69mm) |
Shunt Dimensions | 2.0" x 1.2" (52 x 31mm) |
Operating Voltage | 6.5-70 VDC |
Shunt Connection Bolt Size | 3/8" (M10) |
Bluetooth Enabled? | Yes (Victron Connect App) |
