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poppycock avatar image
poppycock asked

REC BMS / Venus GX / BMV 712 Shunt?

I am planning an install with LiFePO4, Victron and the REC BMS. The REC BMS will already hooked up with a shunt on the neg side and will be monitoring the battery. I then plan on having the REC hooked up to the Venus GX. I want to be able to monitor things remotely using the BMV-712. Will the BMV-712 be able to get all of it's info from the REC BMS, via the Venus GX or will I need a secondary shunt on it's neg side of the BMV-712 as well? Additionally, I want to be sure that I will be able to read all the data that the REC BMS is collecting about the bank (including temp) and each individual cell that the BMS is monitoring. Will all of this data be available on the BMV-712 or would I need to forget about the Venus GX and the BMV-712 and use the CCGX instead? Based on certain installation requirements, I'd much prefer the Venus GX/BMV-712 combo, unless my monitoring requirements could not be met.

Thank you.

BMV Battery MonitorBMSCCGX Color ControlVenus GX - VGX
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nebulight avatar image
nebulight answered ·

I don't have a REC-BMS so someone who does may want to chime in, but I think the REC-BMS will be the battery monitor over the CAN bus so you actually won't even need a 712 if you have a Venus device as the REC BMS should be reporting the same information that the 712 does. However it's still nice to have a dedicated battery monitor if you want. But I guess its nice if the Venus is every off line you still have a battery monitor.

As for added a second shunt if you want a 712, the REC BMS doesn't have a PCB on the shunt like the 712 does; it's just reading the voltage difference on the shunt. You may be able to unscrew the PCB on the 712 shunt and just add the sense wires from the REC BMS. Not sure about warranty at that point on the 712 shunt, so check with your dealer ;)

Also, when you are monitoring remotely, you are connecting to the Venus, not the 712.

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poppycock avatar image poppycock commented ·

Sorry, I think I may not have been clear. I have a dedicated power room in a dry part of the boat. The REC BMS and the Venus would be "living" in there. I was trying to hook up the BMV-712 just to have a spot at the nav station (central in the boat and not reliably dry) just so that I can do all of the daily monitoring from there. So I'm trying to figure out if the 712 would be able to give me all of the data (which would be getting collected and sent from the REC BMS & Venus) that I am wanting to "personally monitor."

I know that if I just use the CCGX to do my "personal monitoring", that I would not need to use the Venus or BMV-712, but then I'd either have to do the personal monitoring in the dry/safe power room or have the CCGX routed to the wet/unsafe nav station. Seeing as the CCGX would be acting as both a "brain" and a display, I'd rather not have it at the nav station, thus the idea of the Venus as the "brain" and the BMV-712 as the display.

But again...I don't know if that will even work.

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ceriw avatar image ceriw poppycock commented ·

I have REC BMS with a venus in my setup. have you thought about putting a splash-proof tablet type display at the nav station and connect it to the venus wifi hotspot to monitor it?

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nate-costello avatar image nate-costello ceriw commented ·

Does the REC BMS provide the Venus with State of Charge?

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nebulight avatar image nebulight poppycock commented ·

Ah, okay, I understand. The 712 will not display any information from the Venus or the REC since it's technically a stand alone device that can send it's data to a Venus. You'll just get the standard information from the 712. REC makes a remote screen but I'm not sure about distance.

I'm a van guy, so I'm not sure about Marine items, but I know Victron did a TON of work on version 2.30 that integrates with MFDs. If you have an MFD, did you see this:

https://www.victronenergy.com/blog/2019/05/28/venus-os-v2-30/

Another option would be to use the CANVu GX which is weather sealed (a bit pricey too), but you'd need to run all your data lines to it and I'm not sure about distance. A third option would be to have a dedicated tablet/phone that remotes into the venus interface if you have wifi or a data connection where you are attempting to monitor.

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poppycock avatar image
poppycock answered ·

I did have the "splash proof" smart phone idea that would just be permanently mounted (a tablet would be too big). If I were to do this, I could just use a cheap Galaxy S5 as it would only do one thing.

Nebulight, very cool about the MFD...unfortunately we are Raymarine and the link you posted says that Raymarine is still pending. Still, I could start off using just the Venus GX and a cheap smart phone for viewing.

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nebulight avatar image nebulight commented ·

Check out this post: https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/15302/venus-os-v23043-available-for-testing.html

People are reporting that even though they aren't supported models, they are working. I'd plug it and and see if it's working. ;)

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sean avatar image
sean answered ·
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Håkon Ingvaldsen avatar image
Håkon Ingvaldsen answered ·

You can use the Victron shunt both to the REC BMS ANS BMV712. You’ll need to program the BMS to the shunts values. Both the BMS and the 712 will calculate values based on their settings. If you setup the bms to control charging etc the Venus will display bms calculated data.

Normally you will connect the Venus for remote control, so in this case the 712 will be a Bluetooth device and backup battery monitor.

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eirik avatar image eirik commented ·

Just to add my 2 C. I have exactly that setup with the REC BMS and the BMV 712 sharing the same shunt (the one that came with the 712) and this setup works like a charm. You just need to have the BMS programmed for this shunt (500A/50 mV), like Håkon wrote.

That being said, in retrospect I would have skipped the BMV 712, and only used the display for the REC (which you probably will want anyhow: individual cell voltages and a (presumably) more correct SOC estimate than the 712). However, I am not sure as to how weather proof it is, although it appears fairly rugged. The cable is 6 m. long.

REC wrote over a year ago that they would offer a bluetooth module and an app for their BMS to display all pertinent data from the BMS but that seems to take a while.

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poppycock avatar image poppycock eirik commented ·

I will have to talk to the people who make the Zena engine driven welder that we have. It doubles as our 200A alternator when we are not welding. The Zena is super beefy but when paired with it's regulator it doesn't like shunts. I gave him the specs on the one made for the REC and he said it'd be fine but I didn't mention the one for the BVM-712.

Thanks for including the cable length. I was wondering.

Honestly though, now that I know that I can get all this on my Raymarine MFD...I might just get the VenusGX.

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andyalford avatar image andyalford eirik commented ·

I am about to order my configuration:

- REC Active BMS with Bluetooth and PC/USB interfaces (for initial config only)

- CCGX, MultiPlus 12/300/120, 2x SmartSolar 100/50

If I don't buy the BMV712, and REC uses it's own 500A shunt, then will CCGX get enough data through DVCC and VE.Can to show 'DC Loads' in the menu, i.e. if I enable 'Has DC System' option.

I could buy the REC LCD or BMS-712 in addition to this for an additional display of SOC% or I could dedicate an old (spare) Sony Waterproof Tablet to be a dedicated display of Bluetooth data from REC and VRM display from CCGX.

Does that sound like it will work? Or too complicated? :-)

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andyalford avatar image andyalford andyalford commented ·

Sorry, I should have confirmed that Tine@rec-bms.com has confirmed release and availability of Bluetooth hardware and App - which displays the same as LCD, but adds 2 parameters - Charge End (Cell) Voltage and Charge Coefficient (e.g 1.0=1C, which controls max charge current). Also the bluetooth device can take a log on defined time period and save to a separate file on the BT device every 24 hours.

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Serge avatar image
Serge answered ·

@poppycock I wonder how is your setup has worked out?

I am working on a 24V battery and planning to use REC Q 16S with their LCD display, the new Victron Smart 500A Shunt, and Victron CERBO GX with GX Touch 50 display. My questions are similar:

1. Will REC Q 16S will be able to use data from Victron Smart Shunt 500A? If yes, then how do I connect it?

2. Victron Smart Shunt 500A vs. BMV712 Smart Shunt: I like BMV712's programmable bi-stable relay but I don't necessarily need BMV712's screen are there any other options to add a bi-stable relay to Smart Shunt 500A or program one of the CERBO GX's relay to be programmed and switch based on SOC or on HVC/UVC?


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Håkon Ingvaldsen avatar image Håkon Ingvaldsen commented ·

If you get an REC Q-BMS that support Victron via canBUS, you can use the Q-BMS itself as an battery monitor. In such case you just purchase the SHU500050100 Shunt 500A/50mV and connect the REC Current sensor for cable directly to this. 1604147354480.pngIf you like to have an Victron BMV in addition, you can connect the current sensor cable in parallel with the print at the shunt supplied with the BMV.

With an canBUS connection GX get information from REC when you need to stop charging/cut load. The safety relay can be controlled directly from the Q-BMS.

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Serge avatar image Serge Håkon Ingvaldsen commented ·

@Håkon Ingvaldsen thank you. Makes sense.

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federico993 avatar image federico993 Håkon Ingvaldsen commented ·

Håkon Ingvaldsen · Thanks for these info, I am going to do the same with my REC ABMS (Victron compatible) and a Raspberry Pi 4 using the CAN bus communication.

What CAN hat are you using (if you have a Raspberry) ?

Can you please share more info about the installation among them?

Can all the info from the REC BMS be displayed on the Venus software, making the REC screen or the Bluethtoot device not necessary?

Thanks!

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Håkon Ingvaldsen avatar image Håkon Ingvaldsen federico993 commented ·

We only use Victron Cerbo (Venus sequel) which is a good affordable and effective solution. We get over key information such as Voltage, SOC, SOH, lowest and highest cell voltage as well as current alarms. In addition, BMS provides ongoing information on maximum charging voltage and strength, as well as maximum load. So in praksis all the information you need for daily operation. REC has a relatively detailed and good manual that can be downloaded from their website.

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federico993 avatar image federico993 Håkon Ingvaldsen commented ·

Thanks for the answer! I wonder, is it possible to plug the REC BMS CAN bus directly to the Multiplus? (without passing by the Cerbo/CCGX)?

The Multiplus wouldn't receive any info from the BMS if the Cerbo shut down or break, this is what makes me thoughtfully.


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