Battery Monitor Comparison - Victron BMV712 vs Balmar SG200

[goboatingnow]

I have the BMV712 the biggest advantage is if you integrate it into a Victron smart network ! This allows you to eliminate the tail current, which is the bugbear of columb counters. I had a link 10 before which was junk ! I find the bmv712 to be good

Soh measurements are largely smoke and mirrors at the best time , a gauge , assuming accurate tail current measurements can only make very approximate stabs at soh

[lateral]

What I could never get my head around was why Balmar said to set tail current at 2-4%C which gives you a false 100% SOC for fla’s anyway.
Just hoping the sg200 will have more relevance on my LifePo4 Project.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I have the BMV712 the biggest advantage is if you integrate it into a Victron smart network ! This allows you to eliminate the tail current, which is the bugbear of columb counters. I had a link 10 before which was junk ! I find the bmv712 to be good

Soh measurements are largely smoke and mirrors at the best time , a gauge , assuming accurate tail current measurements can only make very approximate stabs at soh

I agree about the smoke & mirrors about soh. I have had a Link 2000 since 2003. I keep good records of daily use, have an energy budget that is spot on, and know all the goodies about charging, coulomb counters, etc. I know how to get tailing current at absorption voltage.


I wrote The Gotcha Algorithm article, since confirmed by Maine Sail and other knowledgeable skippers.

Originally Posted by lateral

What I could never get my head around was why Balmar said to set tail current at 2-4%C which gives you a false 100% SOC for fla’s anyway.
Just hoping the sg200 will have more relevance on my LifePo4 Project.

I agree, but I got my head around around it by reading Maine Sail's material. Balmar has been wrong before...


AFIK, the SG200 is great on discharge, just don't rely on it during charging. Isn't that what this very forum has been recording for the past five or so years?