1400 Ah Lithium from cells

[CatNewBee]

the GX is a nice toy, but way too expensive (600€) for some nice graphics and needs a lot of additiona wiring plus Internet access if you want to use the app. For me a no-go.

But I have a remote switch on my chart table panel, so I can control it the good old way. Also have the usb mark3 interface for programming if necessary. The BMV, the MPPT (BT) and the REC BMS monitor outputs enough data if you need the figures, for the 220V side I can use the USB interface, also for power assist tweaking.

[nebster]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

the GX is a nice toy, but way too expensive (600€) for some nice graphics and needs a lot of additiona wiring plus Internet access if you want to use the app. For me a no-go.

The GX is about $300. It's more than a toy; it's crucial if you want to be able to push updates via the internet and change many settings natively using the UI.

If you're investing this much in a big LFP stack with top notch gear, at least spend the extra few hundred and put one of the best reasons for having it online.

[Catapault]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

the GX is a nice toy, but way too expensive (600€) for some nice graphics and needs a lot of additiona wiring plus Internet access if you want to use the app. For me a no-go.

But I have a remote switch on my chart table panel, so I can control it the good old way. Also have the usb mark3 interface for programming if necessary. The BMV, the MPPT (BT) and the REC BMS monitor outputs enough data if you need the figures, for the 220V side I can use the USB interface, also for power assist tweaking.

I like it because I can see, and control, my system from anywhere on the boat, on any device.

No, it does not need INTERNET access to do this, it is plugged into my onboard network, which makes it accessible over the Wifi. Point any browser at it.

There is a bit of wiring, as the Shunt, both MPPT controllers and the Quattro are directly connected to it . via either v-net of the V-bus stuff. It does allow those devices to also talk to each other, which apparently they do, though I'm unclear exactly what they do with the information.

We find the graphical display really nice for at-a-glance whats going on, and my wife especially likes it as she's not a techy, but can see what the power system is doing and if she can turn something hi-draw on or not.

Each to their own. !

Regards

Mark.

[CatNewBee]

Well thank you for the information, the Victron representative at the Dusseldorf boat show seems to not have been trained on their products.

He told me, that if you want to monitor and remotely access / control the GX, it must be connected and registered at the Victron portal, because the UI is on their web server, than told me how great it is to remotely control your yacht in Australia when you are in Florida.

I told him, I like to control the system from my tablet in the cockpit in the middle of an ocean without Internet access, just over WiFi on my on-board router, I dont want my systems talking all the time to the manufacturer. He told me, it wont work, because remote control works only through their portal, and than we agreed, this product is not for me.

https://www.amazon.de/Victron-Energy...D2D/ref=sr_1_1, OK the unit costs 530€, but you need a lot of proprietary stuff to connect the busses of the devices to it, its far away from 300$.

[CatNewBee]

Victron seems not to be ready with their software. My smart solar listens over BT to the BMV712 and receives the battery voltage to make decisions when to go from bulk to absorption to float. However, looking at the BT MPPT app, it measures itself the voltage and switches between the two different values, also uses the own measured voltage in the history log instead of the voltage from the BMV, so I doubt it does any educted decision based on the received values yet, but the idea is good.

Maybe the wired version is smarter, who knows...

[john61ct]

I thought the centralized brains (GX?) was required for the SC to base ending Absorb off the BMV's shunt reading of trailing amps?

Personally as long as you can keep adjusting the eggtimer until you see endAmps is usually reached before the Float transition, that's good enough.

[john61ct]

Whoops forgot where I was, old lead thinking.

I end charging for LFP based on hitting 13.8V (3.45Vpc) only, no Absorb at all.

I would think the BMV relay signal could handle that right?

[CatNewBee]

You can programm the relay to anything, the GX is not the brain and not required for anything except for uploading date to the vr portal of victron.

Each unit has its own brain inside, the gx just collects the information, displays it and store & forward it to the vr portal, where you can remotely get access to it or eventually change the settings. It is far from integrated, the victron guys use different protocolls, busses and media on the products, so you cannot connect any to any without adapters interfaces or units like the GX. But the brain in the products is ok, and they are very customizeable.

Sometimes too much integration is not preferable, because there are different use-cases for solar, battery usage, shore power etc. Sometimes it is better to have different settings on the units and not the same setup.