Greetings.
Sorry for the questions. I've tried looking up answers, but they never seem to quite answer my questions.
I have one working Victron system in a sprinter motorhome, and am building a slightly larger system, for a larger vehicle.
Sprinter: BMS 12/200A (non-smart)
2 x 60AH Victron LiFePO4 (non-smart)
Victron 12-800 inverter.
All wired exactly as per the BMS 12-200 diagram, with the vehicles alternator, but with a diffferent inverter, and no DC isolator, .
I want to add battery monitoring, and solar charging.
Questions:
1. Will BMV 712 smart monitor work with this system? or does it require the battery and/or BMS to be smart also?
If the BMV needs the BMS & batteries to be smart, am I better off buying a BMV700 instead?
2. Obvs this is a 12v system, but some people have said solar should run at a higher voltage, to minimise losses. I get that, BUT is it better to run (say) 2 panels at 24v, then transform it close to the BMS, or are the losses from panels on the roof rack neglidgable enough to run 12v (parallel panels) and keep it simple?
Cable length would be about 2.5m.
3. I have seen that the BMS 12-200 can have solar attached to connectors AB or LB.
What's the difference? and which should I use?
Ok, vehicle two, work in progress.
I have two Victron 160AH LiFePO4's (non-smart)
This 2nd system will be built into a dedicated box trailer, so it can be parked in the sun, transported or stored.
I don't have anything else yet, so all options are open.
I guess the main question (similar to the above) is:
1. whether I should get the smart version of the BMS 12 200, or if that's pointless without smart batteries, or would the smart BMS & smart BMV work well with the non-smart batteries?
2. Is it best option is to build an identical system, so the two are compatible?
(Compatible in the sense that I could link the panels up, or maybe even combine the two into one bigger system)
Or what other options are there?
24v system with the VE bus maybe?
or is the short cable run going to have negligable losses, so 12v would be fine?
Thanks very much.
Jody
