Smartgauge vs Mastervolt Easyview-5 vs Simarine Pico

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The inverter is a Mastervolt 2500w inverter to 110w ac (US boat). For cooking off only the inverter, we can use two NuWave induction cooktops at a time provided that neither is turned up to the 'high" setting, or one cooktop and the NuWave infrared oven at a time. When we use the microwave or the Nespresso machine, they need to be used separately and alone off the inverter, the other cooktops/oven need to be turned off. If we need more juice, we turn on the generator and then can use everything at the same time since they're on separate breakers, and we also make water at that time.

The micowave is the smallest size.

Hi Ken, is your nuwave setup
gimbaled?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Rene

I have checked the specifications for the larger Pico shunts. ie the 300 A and 500 A active shunts. These have identical consumption of 0.8 mA.

I prefer to measure this myself (which I have not done), but assuming these numbers are accurate, if the second battery monitor shunt is installed after the Pico shunt the error over a week would be:
0.0008 x24 x7= 0.13 Ahrs

This consumption is so small it can be safely ignored. There will be some additional errors caused by the resistance in the connections but these will also not be significant. So you can install the second battery monitor shunt after the Pico shunt (in series) and the accuracy of both battery monitors will be essentially unaffected.

Installing two battery monitors should be an interesting comparison. So make sure you post your impressions of their relative performance on Cruisers Forum.

I have two battery monitors using a single shunt. One is a Link 10 and the other a BlueSky solar controller.
Both calculate SOC, although there ending charge termination is slightly different and they use slightly different Peukert formulas.The BlueSky is probably more accurate, but they are both useful.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Hi Ken, is your nuwave setup
gimbaled?

It can be since it sits on top of the gas stove on top of a custom cutting board, but 95% of the time, the pins are in to prevent movement.

We're cruising the Adriatic presently... so no swell or roll in anchorages 95% of the time especially when using stabilizers.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

It can be since it sits on top of the gas stove on top of a custom cutting board, but 95% of the time, the pins are in to prevent movement.

We're cruising the Adriatic presently... so no swell or roll in anchorages 95% of the time especially when using stabilizers.

I didn't actually realise what it was, just googled it, self explanatory.

[Kenomac]

Nothin' fancy or expensive.

[OceanPlanet]

Great thread! We've ordered a Simarine system to test in our shop, alongside the new Masterview and of course the Philippi PSM. Have also been the Victron BMV/CCGX system on the test bench as well, for automatic battery capacity testing, etc. We'll chime in with overall impressions in a couple weeks...

[Kenomac]

Thanks for joining the discussion, and I'm looking forward to your test results.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by ayates

I've always wondered why the manufacturers haven't switched to hall effect devices for current measurement, to eliminate all that wire cutting.
Allan.

Cost? (IDK)

Accuracy of Hall-Effect Current Measurement Transducers in Automotive Battery Management Applications using Current Integration
➥ https://www.iconopower.com/v/lem/coulometry.pdf

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by OceanPlanet

Great thread! We've ordered a Simarine system to test in our shop

Yay! Was hoping you or Rod would step up!

[ReneJK]

Originally Posted by OceanPlanet

a Simarine system to test in our shop, alongside the new Masterview and of course the Philippi PSM. Have also been the Victron BMV/CCGX system on the test bench as well

that will be an interesting test and outcome !

[sailor_ed]

One can get cheap simple DC hall effect sensors with Led displays on Amazon. Good for some applications.

[ranger58sb]

Maybe someone could check whether I've got the concept right, using MasterVolt stuff?

A single battery bank connects to a MasterShunt which in turn connects to EasyView-5 if desired? (IOW, an EasyView-5 directly connected to a battery bank without a shunt won't do squat, yes?)

Multiple battery banks, each connected to its own MasterShunt, and they in turn connect to a MasterBus... and that can connect to a single EasyView-5 if desired?

Something like that?

Monitoring individual batteries within a given bank maybe not part of the deal?

And here I've gotten by all these (recent 12) years with a simple analog voltmeter on each bank... and 15 years before that, with nothing...

But I know we're generally pretty light on batteries... with some manageable exceptions...

-Chris

[OceanPlanet]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Maybe someone could check whether I've got the concept right, using MasterVolt stuff?

A single battery bank connects to a MasterShunt which in turn connects to EasyView-5 if desired? (IOW, an EasyView-5 directly connected to a battery bank without a shunt won't do squat, yes?)

Multiple battery banks, each connected to its own MasterShunt, and they in turn connect to a MasterBus... and that can connect to a single EasyView-5 if desired?

Something like that?

Monitoring individual batteries within a given bank maybe not part of the deal?

And here I've gotten by all these (recent 12) years with a simple analog voltmeter on each bank... and 15 years before that, with nothing...

But I know we're generally pretty light on batteries... with some manageable exceptions...

-Chris

If you're running the banks/packs in parallel, then typically you would monitor them as one bank, with one shunt. However if they are separate banks (separate voltages) then you would use one shunt per bank.

And yes, the new Easyview lets you see them all as separate banks (if using separate shunts). For other main loads/sources you add another shunt for each one you want to monitor, and you can name them to be displayed as such on the Easyview. The GUI isn't as pretty as SiMarine or Philippi, but much better than the old Masterview.

The Victron CCGX (or Venus GX) would be formidable contenders in this game if only you could name separate sources/loads, but you can't. They can only display compatible Victron gadgets like the Multiplus, Quattros, BlueSolar MPPT's, and the BMV battery monitor. You can use additional BMV's to monitor current from alternators, etc. but they all are "batteries" to the displays.

We've really liked the Philippi PSM system for years, and the SiMarine looks like a nice step forward (can monitor smaller loads, more display options, etc.)

[witzgall]

In my opinion, no currently available shunt-based battery monitor can keep an accurate state of charge value when the batteries are not topped off (FULLY charged) on a very regular basis. They drift between these full charges, and the more partial charges the batteries receive, the further from being accurate they become, sometimes wildly so.

The new generation of color displays for multiple sensors/products are very nice, and they can do lots of things, but they do not (as I know it) improve upon the information provided by they shunt/monitor.


Chris

[OceanPlanet]

Originally Posted by witzgall

In my opinion, no currently available shunt-based battery monitor can keep an accurate state of charge value when the batteries are not topped off (FULLY charged) on a very regular basis. They drift between these full charges, and the more partial charges the batteries receive, the further from being accurate they become, sometimes wildly so.

The new generation of color displays for multiple sensors/products are very nice, and they can do lots of things, but they do not (as I know it) improve upon the information provided by they shunt/monitor.


Chris

True! Banks must charged up and the monitors sync'd regularly. Which is necessary anyhow for most batteries. If Lithium then most systems require at least a periodic balancing charge, so can sync then.

Even with a DIY Li battery bank without a balancing system will get recharged now & then, and the "charged parameters" programmed accordingly so that the monitor can sync at whatever level one wants to consider charged.

I suppose if someone is running Li or Firefly MCF in extended PSOC use, then the monitor can get pretty far off. In the case of Firefly, having a Smartgauge may be a good backup to have to give a idea of SOC until a synchronizing charge can be done.