Balmar SG-200 Battery Monitor

[Peeew]

My system has been working great since the last update. Seems to be spot on with the information.

[Peeew]

Now that I’m done with updates etc I think I better check out something I have assumed. While drawing from the batteries for usual items and charging via my solar panels, the Amps shown on the monitor is net. That is the current going in to the batteries minus the current being used now. I have no load attached directly to my solar chargers, it all goes through my batteries. So am I correct that if my solar chargers show 20 amps going in while I am using 10 amps for fridge etc I will see 10 amps on the SG200?

[witzgall]

I think you mean that if you see 20 amps OUT of your solar controller, but yes, you have the right idea. It is a net sum, assuming the SmartShunt is installed correctly so ALL loads and sources flow though it.

Chris

Originally Posted by Peeew

Now that I’m done with updates etc I think I better check out something I have assumed. While drawing from the batteries for usual items and charging via my solar panels, the Amps shown on the monitor is net. That is the current going in to the batteries minus the current being used now. I have no load attached directly to my solar chargers, it all goes through my batteries. So am I correct that if my solar chargers show 20 amps going in while I am using 10 amps for fridge etc I will see 10 amps on the SG200?

[Wood]

I just switched over from FLA to 560AH Lifepo4. firmware is up to date. I used the default config for lithium.

I had previously load tested and when installed figured the cells were about 50%. The SG200 reported 75% and then 100% SOC+ with voltage @ 3.4 / cell while bulk charging to 14.1v @ over 100 amps acceptance. I'll be on the hook for a couple of weeks and interested to see what the SG200 settles on.

[lateral]

Originally Posted by Wood

I just switched over from FLA to 560AH Lifepo4. firmware is up to date. I used the default config for lithium.

I had previously load tested and when installed figured the cells were about 50%. The SG200 reported 75% and then 100% SOC+ with voltage @ 3.4 / cell while bulk charging to 14.1v @ over 100 amps acceptance. I'll be on the hook for a couple of weeks and interested to see what the SG200 settles on.

Proper load test on lithiums?
How did you find the SG200 on the FLA's?
Mine is still up the wop with the latest.
Now it gets to 100%soc way before taper current setting.

[Wood]

The load test was good enough to confirm advertised capacity for each cell.

The SG200 was always problematic with FLA. I have one bank dying as per high resistance charging and lowish specific gravity. The SG200 continued to report 90% SOH.

The SG200 default config settings do not make sense to me. I want to configure to match the charging profile - but resisted that temptation for now. I'll see how it functions over the next month.

[toddedger]

I've done the latest updates and I'm really happy with the way my SG200 is working with my LiFePO4 batteries.

Now one thing that would really make the SG200 the ultimate for a lithium setup would be an audible buzzer for the alerts. An optional buzzer that plugs into the SG200 would be invaluable. Just an audible alarm on the andriod app would be a godsend.

When using multiple charging sources such as solar, house charger, or alternator the biggest problem is identifying when to terminate charging when there are also house loads running. Lets say I want to stop charging when I reach 13.8 volts and down to 7amps, but my charge source wants to keep going because its putting out 17 amps due to a 10 amp load from the fridge and freezer. In this situation my charger will keep right on going up to my higher set absorption voltage if I'm not visually watching the SG200 to see it trigger the alert. If I reset the absorption voltage down to 13.8 it will take an extra six hours to reach that 13.8. A buzzer to wake me up and say your there stop the charge source would really help.

Chris please give this a consideration for us LiFePO users.

[Delfin]

I installed the SG200 pretty much as soon as it came out. It did not perform in a way that would allow recommendation. However, kudos to Balmar to continue to work on and improve this device. With the latest firmware, it certainly looks to me like it is accurate. I have a LIPO 600 Ah @ 24 vdc bank that I gather was a little larger than some, and that was likely the reason for my initial difficulties as ours is a bit of an edge case.



The device, for the first time, shows what is probably close to a correct SoH @ 96%, but I would expect that to creep up a bit after a few more cycles. More importantly, the SoC looks spot on, assuming the 96% SoH is correct. I am cross checking it with an instant reading of amps drawn with a Fluke meter, and a totalizer from the Link 2000. All agree. The reason I wanted this device to work was to have an indication of whether the way I am managing the bank is reducing total capacity, so the SoH was critical for it to have any value to me. Looks like it is close enough for horseshoes, so count me as a pleased, if patient purchaser.

[Wood]

Update on the SG200 and new lithium installation. The SG200 has default config for lithium. The Li bank is 560AH.

When the SG200 reports [for example] 75% state of charge battery is accepting 120amp. SG200 reports 2.5 hours remaining to 100% SOC. So, it is expecting to dump 300ah into a 120ah container. There is no significant taper.

Approaching 85% or so battery maxes at 3.65v / cell.

I've drawn the battery down to 30% and under 50% several times and generally charge back up to 3.5v/cell.

The SG200 just started reporting SOH this weekend.... 87%

[CatNewBee]

Yea, you never know how the SG feels.

It learns itself, but you cannot teach it.

[Prospective]

I just found this thread as I feel like I am having some issues with my SG200. I installed it a couple of months ago. But just had an opportunity to test it on a 3 week live aboard mooring stay and many charge/discharge cycles.

I have a 300ah FLA house battery bank. I upgraded to the SG200 from the Smartgauge because I was looking for the added info on Amp flow. My bank is charged by via shore power or my generator powering a Victron 2000W/12V inverter/charger. No solar.

From the start I've felt like the SG200 might be overly optimistic about SOC. It seemed to get up to 100% after relatively short charging. It would read 100% even though the charger was still on the absorption cycle and putting 7-10amps into the bank. And bank voltage always seemed low relative to what I would expect with corresponding SOC displayed.

Toward the last week of my cruise, when awaking in the AM, SOC would show 77% to as much as 86% but, when trying to make a cup of coffee with my Keurig, my inverter would flash low battery. I realize that's a large load but that's something that had never happened in the past when the Smartgauge was showing 70%+ SOC. Also, the battery voltage was reading 12.1 to 12.2 with as little as 1-2amp load. While I believe this is accurate, it seems much lower than the voltage for a bank that is at 80% +/- capacity.

The other odd anomaly is that the SOH began reading 78% after first several cycles. That seems about accurate as my bank is probably 5 years old. But then suddenly one day the SOH began reading 100% for no reason. That is also when the SOC readings began to be seem even more inaccurate.

I've got an email into Balmar but haven't hear back. Attached is a pic from my last reading when I was unable to make coffee due to low battery warning from the Victron. I have confirmed I am running the latest firmware also.

[lateral]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Yea, you never know how the SG feels.

It learns itself, but you cannot teach it.

But does it ever tell the truth?

"About 90% of Ah Counters I come across are NOT properly installed & wired."

If that inferred that the SG200 would rate similarly, there is something seriously wrong with humans.
Did he mean 90% of those Ahr counters with problems were not etc etc?

That we have collectively rolled over and taken it with this "game changing device",
backs up the defective human theory.
If BS makes you feel good, install it in a very prominent place as latest update give very
good looking numbers.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by Prospective

I just found this thread as I feel like I am having some issues with my SG200. I installed it a couple of months ago. But just had an opportunity to test it on a 3 week live aboard mooring stay and many charge/discharge cycles.

I have a 300ah FLA house battery bank. I upgraded to the SG200 from the Smartgauge because I was looking for the added info on Amp flow. My bank is charged by via shore power or my generator powering a Victron 2000W/12V inverter/charger. No solar.

From the start I've felt like the SG200 might be overly optimistic about SOC. It seemed to get up to 100% after relatively short charging. It would read 100% even though the charger was still on the absorption cycle and putting 7-10amps into the bank. And bank voltage always seemed low relative to what I would expect with corresponding SOC displayed.

Toward the last week of my cruise, when awaking in the AM, SOC would show 77% to as much as 86% but, when trying to make a cup of coffee with my Keurig, my inverter would flash low battery. I realize that's a large load but that's something that had never happened in the past when the Smartgauge was showing 70%+ SOC. Also, the battery voltage was reading 12.1 to 12.2 with as little as 1-2amp load. While I believe this is accurate, it seems much lower than the voltage for a bank that is at 80% +/- capacity.

The other odd anomaly is that the SOH began reading 78% after first several cycles. That seems about accurate as my bank is probably 5 years old. But then suddenly one day the SOH began reading 100% for no reason. That is also when the SOC readings began to be seem even more inaccurate.

I've got an email into Balmar but haven't hear back. Attached is a pic from my last reading when I was unable to make coffee due to low battery warning from the Victron. I have confirmed I am running the latest firmware also.

For my understanding a 300Ah FLA bank with a load of 1A and a voltage of 12.15V is around 50..55% SOC,

A FLA / GEL with little / no current is full around resting voltage 12.6V, every 0.1V less corresponds to 10% SOC down to zero at 11.6V.

An AGM is very similar, but starts at 12.8V down to 11.8V

This is a rule of thumb, there are charts on the internet for various battery types.

[JensLB]

Hi,

I installed a sg 200 for a couple of weeks ago. Have a bank of 280 Ah AGM. I choosed taper current to 3A and max charge voltage to 14,4V. I did a discharge down to ~50% and thought it will learn during my vacation on the boat since I didn’t have time for more.

Now that I’m on vacation my question is that 100%+ SoC appears way too early.
We have had really nice weather and I have a 165W solar panel that keeps the bank pretty full, but has never produced the voltage to trigger the 100%+ values I have entered. We have two refrigerators running on full steam most of the time, should be roughly equal to the solar panel output. Charging all kinds of electronics. During daytime we go from a few amps draw to a couple of amps charge depending on what’s on for the moment.

In the morning we have about 94% SoC and about 12.5V, after an hour in the sun it shows 100%+and 13V, but it never went over 13,2V.

SoH shows everything between 89% - 100%, since the bank is farly old I would actually be impressed if even 89% is correct.

I feel like the solar panel tricks it in some way and makes it show higher SoC than what’s true.

If someone has a theoryor knowledge, please explain this to me

//Jens

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Prospective

I just found this thread as I feel like I am having some issues with my SG200. I installed it a couple of months ago. But just had an opportunity to test it on a 3 week live aboard mooring stay and many charge/discharge cycles.

I have a 300ah FLA house battery bank. I upgraded to the SG200 from the Smartgauge because I was looking for the added info on Amp flow. My bank is charged by via shore power or my generator powering a Victron 2000W/12V inverter/charger. No solar.

From the start I've felt like the SG200 might be overly optimistic about SOC. It seemed to get up to 100% after relatively short charging. It would read 100% even though the charger was still on the absorption cycle and putting 7-10amps into the bank. And bank voltage always seemed low relative to what I would expect with corresponding SOC displayed.

Toward the last week of my cruise, when awaking in the AM, SOC would show 77% to as much as 86% but, when trying to make a cup of coffee with my Keurig, my inverter would flash low battery. I realize that's a large load but that's something that had never happened in the past when the Smartgauge was showing 70%+ SOC. Also, the battery voltage was reading 12.1 to 12.2 with as little as 1-2amp load. While I believe this is accurate, it seems much lower than the voltage for a bank that is at 80% +/- capacity.

The other odd anomaly is that the SOH began reading 78% after first several cycles. That seems about accurate as my bank is probably 5 years old. But then suddenly one day the SOH began reading 100% for no reason. That is also when the SOC readings began to be seem even more inaccurate.

I've got an email into Balmar but haven't hear back. Attached is a pic from my last reading when I was unable to make coffee due to low battery warning from the Victron. I have confirmed I am running the latest firmware also.

Try again to contact Balmar tech support. I had a similar issue - SOC was at 100% while (in my case) still bulk charging. The voltage displayed was also higher than actual, as I confirmed with a DVM and the other two devices permanently installed aboard that display battery voltage. Check your voltage reading on the SG200 and use a DVM or some other means to confirm it is accurate.

In may case, this happened after I upgraded to the latest software, version 2.91. Soon, my SG200 started to display battery current as -1300 Amps. Pretty sure that wasn't correct.

I contacted Balmar and they recognized the issue and were working on it. They sent me a version to test, but it is still not properly calculating SOC and now displays -0.0 (using the App) for battery current.

The upshot is that, unlike many of the posters here, my experience with the SG200 has not been successful. I'm not going to beat up on Balmar because I like their products, they have been responsive to me, and are currently working to release software fixes to address issues that arise. I'm confident that at some point I will have a working unit that will accurately display my battery parameters.

Cheers!

Steve