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tim-h avatar image
tim-h asked

Battery Protect Programming and is it needed with Inverter

My first post and I put it in the place. Sorry for mistake.


My problem today is with a Battery Protect: BP 12/24 / 220. Installed on a barge.


I returned this year to the boat and there was no 12/24 service. The 220v was fine. A man that works mostly with MasterVolt mentioned he had seen this before and a temporary solution was to connect the 2 cables coming to the BP together. He used the “In” post on the BP but I assume that just bolting the 2 cables together would also give desired results. Obviously the BP is not protecting.


A little back and forth with the man that installed this (400 km away) I was sent a new BP. I can not get the unit to program. So with a fresh re-read of the instructions let me tell you what I have done that does not work.


Connected the 2 cables to the Out and In posts

Removed the remote plug

With a wire I connect the Program slot to the Ground slot.

I want to use the “4” setting and allow unit to cycle and remove the jumper wire.

I get an “E4” error each time I try.

I was told the above must be done when the battery readings are below 27.6v (less than the “4” setting).

The above is also what I was told to do but reading the instructions makes for some questions.


Questions:


Should both the Out and In cables be connected to BP when I re-program?

Must I set the voltage “d” before I set the under voltage Shutdown and Restart? I don’t recall seeing “d” flash by. How do I get it to display to select?

I have a Venus GX, an Apple 7 and Victron Connect app on the phone. Can I program the BP using the phone?

From other post here I offer this information: I have an inverter and run 220v on the boat. Do I need a BP?


Reviewing info from Victron Connect app, I see that there was a time, I don’t know when, that the 2 sets of batteries (engine and boat) show a minimum voltage of 6.5 and 4.15.


I have a nice Victron set-up on the barge. I am electric independent, never needing to plug in. If I can get this solved and another issue I will sleep better. Appreciate any guidance. Will be a lurker here.

Battery Protectinstallation
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3 Answers
Martijn Coster (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Martijn Coster (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hi @Tim H.

It sounds like your Battery protect is set to the wrong battery voltage. I think it is set to the for a 12V battery bank. Try the reset procedure below to have it do a voltage detect again.

To do a factory reset:

  • The prog pin should be connected to the gnd. Insert a wire loop.
  • Connect the gnd and the V+ on the input
  • The 7 segment display will start making circles
  • After about 6 seconds the 7 segment display will show 3 bars
  • Disconnect all the cables
  • Wait until al lights are off
  • Wire the BP as described in the manual
  • Program the BP as described in the manual. The battery voltage doesnt matter for doing the setting. It should be with in the 12V or 24V range to do a correct detect

best regards
Martijn Coster - Victron Energy

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tim-h avatar image tim-h commented ·

This information and another by Victron staff gave me the information to get the BP back on line.


Thanks.

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jimzi avatar image jimzi commented ·

Hi Martijn - please confirm for me because the instructions for factory reset above appear to great a dead short circuit?

1. Bridge PROG and GND
2. Bridge GND and V+ INPUT

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ jimzi commented ·

Hi @jimzi

It says -Connect- the ground and V+ input, not bridge...it needs power to wake up and be able to get programmed.

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wkirby avatar image
wkirby answered ·

It seems to me that the Battery Protect is set to 12V.
You need to set your Voltage setting (4) and then when you remove the wire it will confirm your Voltage setting. Reconnect the wire to choose the mode, mode d in your case.

The battery protect is really designed to prevent DC loads from draining the battery, the type of loads like lamps that will just keep going until the battery is completely dead.
If all you have is an inverter then you don't really need the battery protect since the inverter has its own low Voltage cutoff limit settings.

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Manual-Battery-Protect-12V-24V-65-A-100-A--220-A-EN-NL-FR-SE-DE-PT-ES-IT.pdf

PS. I'll delete your other duplicate question.

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tim-h avatar image
tim-h answered ·

Thanks. Since this is (or was new when I began this process) a new unit I assumed I would need to set the voltage however I don't seem able to get this done. Can you give me the steps on doing this? I have never had a problem doing the follow-on step but of course if it is thinking the wrong voltage then that is the reason for the error indicator I always get. Do I have both cables connected the the BP when I go to set voltage? I have never seen the display go thru a, b, c, d. If it is already thinking it is 12v must I somehow clear the voltage setting first? If I can get the voltage set I may be home.


Thanks

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Victron BatteryProtect product page

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