Victron Multiplus Configuration

[gscriba]

Hello All,
I just replaced my Xantrex Freedom SW3012 with a Victron Multiplus 12/3000. The Victron ties nicely into my overall boat electrical configuration, which includes solar controllers, the Cerbo GX, etc. I have found a couple drawbacks regarding the Multiplus compared to the Freedom SW though they do have many of the same features.
One thing I am trying to explore is more in depth charger controls, which the Xantrex had through its control panel. I have made basic control changes such as absorption voltage and length of absorption using VictronConnect. Is there a way to look at and change other charge parameters?
Also, the Xantrex had buttons on the control panel to manually turn off either the charger and/or inverter. The Multi has either on, off or charger only. Is there no way to simply turn off the charger only? I realize that I can turn down the "AC Current Limit" on the Cerbo/Touch. Just wondering if there is another way to turn off just the charger while plugged into shore and still have the benefit of the continuous 30 amps.
Is there any value to having both the Digital Multicontrol panel when I have the Cerbo/Touch? I would like to hear if others have both or not and why.
Overall, happy with the Multi, just time consuming to bone up on the latest install piece.
Thanks.

[rslifkin]

On the touchscreen (Cerbo), go into the menu and select the inverter. From there, at least on my setup with a Multiplus 12/2000/80, I can select off, on, charger only, or inverter only.



What charge parameters are you looking for that aren't present? If you update to the latest firmware on the Multiplus, you should gain the ability to adjust temperature compensation.

[jefndeb]

Here is my system, works good, I use the victron connect app on my PC and connect via ethernet & USB adapter to the Cerbo to make adjustments or change settings.

[gscriba]

[QUOTE=rslifkin;3334006]On the touchscreen (Cerbo), go into the menu and select the inverter. From there, at least on my setup with a Multiplus 12/2000/80, I can select off, on, charger only, or inverter only.

Interesting. I do not see those selections on my Cerbo Touch. Odd. Can you provide more specifically under which settings you see that?
Thanks!

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by gscriba

Interesting. I do not see those selections on my Cerbo Touch. Odd. Can you provide more specifically under which settings you see that?
Thanks!

On mine, if I go into the menu and the select the Multiplus, one of the options that comes up is "State". Tap on that and you should see the options to turn it on, off, etc. Further down below state is where you can adjust the input power limit, etc. Keep in mind, I'm doing this from memory (boat is stored for winter, so it'll be a few days before I'm there next), so my description may be slightly imperfect.

[gscriba]

Just back to the boat and my Cerbo does not appear to have those options.

[evm1024]

I have much the same configuration and also switched from the SW3012 to a multiplus. It was a bit of a shock when I converted over. I wanted the unit to basically be off but with passthrough for shore power.

Victron does have the ability to enable/disable the inverter and charger independently like in SW3012 but you will need to install the Two-Signal BMS support Assistant. This assistant will then cause the Aux I/O and Temp Sense to become Allow to charge and allow to discharge respectively.

See: https://www.victronenergy.com/upload...uattros-EN.pdf

I should add that I have not tested this in terms of shore passthrough with the inverter and charger disabled.

OH, I have been running it for years now on a LiFePO4 house bank (non victron) without issued. The charge profile is more or less fully programable.

[gscriba]

evm1024, I can relate to the "a bit of a shock" sentiment. Thanks for the Two-Signal BMS support Assistant info and link. Not my area of expertise so I will need to have a better understanding of how to make that work with my REC BMS.
The outcome I am trying to achieve is to avoid having my LFP always topped up by the charger while on shore power, but still have shore power supply general use AC while at the dock. I would like to have the charger engage only when our voltage drops to a low preset limit at which time the charger would engage, fill the LFP, disengage and then stand by for the next time we drop to the preset low. The configuration settings with the Xantrex was awesome in that respect. It seems strange to me that I cannot do this with the Multiplus, or am I overlooking something?

If I may ask, to what do you have your Multiplus charge settings? And are you on shore power?
Love the Gulfstar 50, by the way.
Thanks again.

[smac999]

why would you ever turn the charger off and the inverter on?... just turn off the ac breaker feeding it. same thing.

if it's because you want to pull 30a of loads, if you pull 30ac of loads the charger will just turn it self down anyways. that is the point of setting the shore power size. this only works 100% if all loads go through it, so use both AC outputs for inverter and non inverter loads.

I have programmed them using a laptop and the older VE bus configure software. it likly has more options then the victron connect. what exact options are you looking for? bulk v, float, max charger output etc is there.

[evm1024]

I'll have to get to get it from the boat next time I'm on it. I do have a venus GX onboard and it is reporting that the multiplus is in "float" at 13.3 volts which is 3.32 VPC. As I recall I have the bulk voltage set for something between 13.8 (3.45 VPC) and 14.0 (3.5 VPC).

I'm on shore power most of the time when at the dock. I tried to take a bunch of recommendations from Mainsail, Victron and others to come up with a set of settings that kept the batteries at about 95%. I do turn off shore power and cycle the batteries down every now and then.

I've been running them on the Xantrex and now the Victron since 2014.

Anyway, I'll get the parameters next time I'm on the boat.

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by smac999

why would you ever turn the charger off and the inverter on?... just turn off the ac breaker feeding it. same thing.

if it's because you want to pull 30a of loads, if you pull 30ac of loads the charger will just turn it self down anyways. that is the point of setting the shore power size. this only works 100% if all loads go through it, so use both AC outputs for inverter and non inverter loads.

I have programmed them using a laptop and the older VE bus configure software. what exact options are you looking for? bulk v, float, max charger output etc is there.

The Xantrex SW3012 allowed you to disable the charger and disable the inverter but still have the internal transfer switch active. This allowed shore power to run through the inverter charger and AC panel and thus out to devices (heaters) in the boat.


I found that this was difficult to do with the Multiplus. No easy way to disable the inverter and have AC pass through. With the inverter enabled a loss of shore power risked draining your batteries as the inverter cycled on and off at low SOC.

I could set things up with the inverter enabled then disconnect the battery and get pass through. But, this is not recommended.

One option which I used was to wire in a shore power subpanel that fed a few outlets prior to the inverter/charge. The heater gets its power before the inverter/charge.

[smac999]

Originally Posted by evm1024

The Xantrex SW3012 allowed you to disable the charger and disable the inverter but still have the internal transfer switch active. This allowed shore power to run through the inverter charger and AC panel and thus out to devices (heaters) in the boat.


I found that this was difficult to do with the Multiplus. No easy way to disable the inverter and have AC pass through. With the inverter enabled a loss of shore power risked draining your batteries as the inverter cycled on and off at low SOC.

I could set things up with the inverter enabled then disconnect the battery and get pass through. But, this is not recommended.

One option which I used was to wire in a shore power subpanel that fed a few outlets prior to the inverter/charge. The heater gets its power before the inverter/charge.

but why are you turning off the charger? just put it in charger only mode

[evm1024]

Originally Posted by smac999

but why are you turning off the charger?

Because I want the LiFePO4 house bank to sit at 50% with no loads on it.

[smac999]

why not just put in a manual AC bypass swtich then and feed the AC loads direct. everyone should have one anyways for when the inverter / charger fails. then you can shut the AC feed breaker to the victron and still have ac power to loads.

personally I just float Lifepo4 batteries at 100%. victron and mastervolt bost list bulk and float voltages for their batteries. nobody is going to sit on a boat and connect and disconnect the charger to maintain a certain %

[gscriba]

Just didn't need it on. Had a nice ebb and flow with the day to night charge and discharge using solar, but could touch a button and fully recharge the batteries any time I wanted. If the pack was a bit low before a weekend cruise, I could charge the pack up then turn off the charger. Meanwhile the AC pass through took care of any major loads. Solar took care of 12 volt loads and charged the batteries as needed.
I can turn off the AC breaker, but that removes the benefit of the AC pass through for the major AC loads while at the dock. And if I turn off the Multi, I lose all AC as there appears to be no AC pass through and of course, the inverter is then off.