Solar System from Scratch - feedback?

porthole

Retired
That is how the Victron BMV-712 battery monitor works. Only one negative connection to/from the battery, that way the shunt can monitor all 12v activity.

I'm pretty sure that is how they all work. So the SOLAR should be on the side where the shunt can see the energy going out and going into the batteries.

You can think of the second post on the shunt as the negative post on the battery.
 

Oregon_Camper

Well-known member
I'm pretty sure that is how they all work. So the SOLAR should be on the side where the shunt can see to energy going out and going into the batteries.

What do you mean by "SOLAR"? The positive coming off his MPPT? He has that going through the cutoff switch, then to the battery. Looks fine to me.

Here it is the install diagram. What do you think is wrong?

Capture.jpg
 

porthole

Retired
Someone needs to get their glasses checked, and it is not me.

Here, I turned your pic sideways to make it easier to compare

Shunt_c.jpg


So perhaps Gavin will weigh in since it is his thread about his install and I posted my original query to him.
 

gslabbert5119

Well-known member
What do you mean by "SOLAR"? The positive coming off his MPPT? He has that going through the cutoff switch, then to the battery. Looks fine to me.

Here it is the install diagram. What do you think is wrong?

View attachment 59430

This is the same diagram that Victron (shunt manufacturer) sent me, so I would be surprised if it is not correct and I have wired the system to their specifications.

Gavin
 

porthole

Retired
This is the same diagram that Victron (shunt manufacturer) sent me, so I would be surprised if it is not correct and I have wired the system to their specifications.

Gavin

Gavin, my question was why do you have the controller negative lead before the shunt ?
actually I see 3 leads ‘before’ the shunt.
the shunt, no matter what brand all work about the same. One side is from the battery negative and nothing else.

The output or second terminal can be thought of as the negative battery post and all negative leads should be there (or on a bus bar to diditribute the wires better).

I see 3 negative leads before the shunt.
1) Battery begative
2) controller negative
3) ??? Negative (don’t see where it goes)
 

gslabbert5119

Well-known member
Gavin, my question was why do you have the controller negative lead before the shunt ?
actually I see 3 leads ‘before’ the shunt.
the shunt, no matter what brand all work about the same. One side is from the battery negative and nothing else.

The output or second terminal can be thought of as the negative battery post and all negative leads should be there (or on a bus bar to disitribute the wires better).

I see 3 negative leads before the shunt.
1) Battery begative
2) controller negative
3) ??? Negative (don’t see where it goes)

Thanks for your reply...
These are where the negatives go from the negative busbar...

1) Battery negative
2) controller negative
3) The 3rd negative goes to the Coach's common busbar where the original controller connected

Gavin
 

Oregon_Camper

Well-known member
Someone needs to get their glasses checked, and it is not me.

Here, I turned your pic sideways to make it easier to compare

View attachment 59435


Here, I turned the picture in the correct orientation to match Gavin's installation.....to make it easier to compare. Battery cable (1 negative) comes in on the right side, when B1, B2 & display output port are on top.

Capture.JPG
 

gslabbert5119

Well-known member
I am going to send the image of my install to Victron with all cables labelled for their input on where the shunt is located and if it is correct, for I am now curious.
Right now it is my understanding that the install and location as it is is correct.
I have a friend (Stuart Jacobson) who is a mechanical Engineer from Stanford and he too feels that this install is correct. Trust me Stu will have no issues telling me that I screwed up.

Duane, can you please explain why you feel that the shunt is in the incorrect location ?
 

gslabbert5119

Well-known member
This is what I have sent Victron, let us see what they have to say

From the email ...
"I have installed a Victron BMV-712 smart Shunt – Battery monitor and wanted to know if the shunt is is in the best location possible to record all draw on the batteries.

I have taken a photo and labelled all wires.
If you could please forward this on to a tech guy for his review I would truly appreciate it."

Gavin
 

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gslabbert5119

Well-known member
This is what I have sent Victron, let us see what they have to say

From the email ...
"I have installed a Victron BMV-712 smart Shunt – Battery monitor and wanted to know if the shunt is is in the best location possible to record all draw on the batteries.

I have taken a photo and labelled all wires.
If you could please forward this on to a tech guy for his review I would truly appreciate it."

Gavin
Below is the official response from Victron (Shunt Manufacturer) ...
"Hi,
As long as all negative wires are connected on the DC negative bus bar as shown, and no other negative wires go directly to the battery negative post except the short cable to the shunt, then this will read everything in/out of the batteries correctly.

Rich Shea
Victron Energy"

I guess this pretty much settles the shunt location discussion, and as Bubba Gump so famously said "And that is all I am going to say about that" :)

Gavin
 

porthole

Retired
I am going to send the image of my install to Victron with all cables labelled for their input on where the shunt is located and if it is correct, for I am now curious.
Right now it is my understanding that the install and location as it is is correct.
I have a friend (Stuart Jacobson) who is a mechanical Engineer from Stanford and he too feels that this install is correct. Trust me Stu will have no issues telling me that I screwed up.

Duane, can you please explain why you feel that the shunt is in the incorrect location ?


This is what I have sent Victron, let us see what they have to say

From the email ...
"I have installed a Victron BMV-712 smart Shunt – Battery monitor and wanted to know if the shunt is is in the best location possible to record all draw on the batteries.

I have taken a photo and labelled all wires.
If you could please forward this on to a tech guy for his review I would truly appreciate it."

Gavin

Gavin,

The pictures that I saw before were all cut off on the right side showing the batteries all the way to the right (in the picture).
This pic shows it and I see the negative coming rom the battery to the bus.

Does the Aims equipment have bluetooth capability?

IMG_2040-labelled.jpg
 
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