Victron, for example, offers an optional temperature sender to provide that data input to their monitors. Several of the vendors in our group have given these matters considerable attention and make recommendations to periodically synchronize or calibrate the monitor with the batteries being monitored. (See accompanying How We Tested on right for details on the testing.)īattery chemistry and internal construction, age, temperature, and rate of discharge and recharge efficiency all play into the degree of accuracy we can expect from a battery monitor. This is something our testers had to take into account as well when they established a protocol. But when it comes to determining state of charge or hours of use remaining, there are many factors that can introduce some margin of error. These devices are quite good at monitoring amperage and voltage and keeping track of these values down to 0.1 volts in either case. Its important for readers to understand the limitations of any battery monitoring system. From what we could determine, the other vendors have not really tested their products with lithium ion battery chemistry in mind. Of all our test units, the Victron monitors were the only ones to even mention lithium iron technology and make a recommendation for adjusting the units profiling to fit lithium technology and discharge/recharge regimens. At the high end was very sophisticated monitor from Victron that can work well with lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery technologies. At the low end was a simple, red warning-light voltage monitor from Scad that automatically shuts down heavy electrical loads or turns on a generator before the battery goes dead. Thanks to our readers input we got our hands on one of these recently and ran it through the same test regimen we applied to the other eight monitors.Ī brief recap of where we stand: For this report, Practical Sailor studied and compared monitoring systems from five different suppliers: Blue Sea Systems, CruzPro, Scad Technologies, Victron Energy, and Xantrex. Unfortunately, we overlooked the Smartgauge made by Balmar. I recommend this product to everyone.Back in our October 2016 issue we looked at eight battery monitors and compared features, installation needs and overall usability. Give clear and concise info on your charging and power use.Ībsolutely awesome unit, fitted into my caravan and works so accurate with my lithium battery. You can buy cheaper but you will not get the nice long cable you get with this product. I have 2 of these monitors set up in different applications. The one I bought had the same screen, but only a 1m long cable, no positive wire or instruction manual and no mounting bracket for the shunt. I wish I had bought this one for an extra $30. I bought the cheap version of this from Battery Mate. I bought this 18 months ago and once I got it setup correctly it's been working great! If you're caravanning living on the road travelling Australia, like i currently are, then this is a 'must have'. Takes the guess work out of knowing 'how much battery power left'. Easy to install and does the job perfectly. Posted by Christopher Wilson on Nov 22nd 2022Īrrived in quick time. Very happy with monitor and easy to fit when you watch on YouTube to see how to fit it and how to set it
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