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valden avatar image
valden asked

Cerbo GX or Color Control GX and Monitoring Bow-Thruster Batteries

Hello everyone.

My yacht's Victron install will have two Cerbo GX communication-centres and screens, for monitoring all batteries, tanks, pumps, inverter/charger, AC, alternator temperature, etc. The bow-thruster, anchor-winch and capstan winch will be powered by a pair of 12V lead-calcium batteries, in series for 24V. I am looking at the Skylla-TG 24/50, or perhaps the Phoenix 24/25 for charging these batteries from shore power.

It appears these chargers do not have data connectors. The Skylla-i models have VE.Can connectors, which would make integration with the Cerbo easy.

So if I stick with the small, simple and lower price Skylla-TG (or even lower Phoenix), how will I get bow-thruster battery SOC data to the Cerbo? Perhaps with a BMV-702? I won't need the 712's Bluetooth given the Cerbo. I could use the second monitor of the 702 for the engine-start battery.

If I use a BMV-702, what will be displayed on the Cerbo GX screen? I imagine I'll be able to set it up so I can see the bow-thruster battery-bank SOC, but will I see the current flow in and out, from the charger to the batteries, from the batteries to the consumers?

Thanks for your thoughts.

cerbo gxbattery chargingCCGX Color ControlSkyllayacht
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valden avatar image
valden answered ·

I'll have to stop answering my own questions ...

This useful document was helpful. See para 2.2.2 for detail about using a Phoenix or Skylla-TG charger with a GX device.

Color Control GX Manual

It explains that I will indeed need a BMV to pass SOC info about my lead-calcium bow-thruster batteries to the Cerbo.

But what will the displayed info look like? Can users put labels on devices shown on the screen, such as 'Bow-thruster'?

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jwfrary answered ·

Hi


Yes you can label the bmvs to whatever you like, they will be displayed in the list along with your other devices


If your looking at a 25 amp charger how boat the new phoniex smart which could be plugged straight into to the cerbo

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valden avatar image valden commented ·

It comes in 'Smart'!? I'll have one of those. Thanks for the tip.

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jwfrary answered ·

@Valden I am a little confused as to why you need to cerbo's in the system, as I understand it your only allowed one gx device in one system. if you need to monitor extra tanks you can use additional N2K devices or victron's ve.bus tank monitor.

link for the charger,

https://www.victronenergy.com/chargers/phoenix-smart-ip43-charger


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valden avatar image valden commented ·

Edit: Jwfrary - did you mean VE.Net Tank Monitor? Cerbo doesn't have VE.Net connectivity.

I'm proposing to use two Cerbos and two displays so I have enough tank (7), pump (6) and temperature (5+) sensor connections. However, I'll be pleased if I can manage with only one Cerbo and display. But two displays at the nav station looks OK. Here's a photoshop pic I've prepared, showing two, for discussion with my builder. Note that only one of the Cerbo/Displays will show the current flows.

The Cerbo manual says on page 9:

  1. Connecting multiple VE.Bus systems to a single Cerbo GX

    Only one VE.Bus system can be connected to the VE.Bus ports on the back of the Cerbo GX. The professional way to to monitor more systems is to add a second Cerbo GX

I will have a MultiPlus 12/3000/120 connected via VE.Bus. The manual says that if a second VE.Bus device needs to be connected, 'use a MK3-USB' and 'Functionality will be limited'. For a VE.Bus tank monitor, limited functionality might be workable. I have some digging to do.


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Sean avatar image
Sean answered ·

Hi Valden,

Can you reshare the para 2.2.2. for detail about using a Phoenix or Skylla-TG charger with a GX device. I'm unable to see information in the CCGX manual about this?

Thanks.

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valden avatar image valden commented ·

Hi Sean. The reference to para 2.2.2 must be in the linked Color Control GX Manual. Easy to download and a good read.

Please note that my final system includes only one Cerbo and that the charger for my bowthruster batteries is made by Sterling in the UK. My boatbuilder selected it, against my preferences, but its working OK.

All of the other Victron elements in my system are going well, though I wish the MultiPlus was as easily managed and configured as the other Bluetooth controllable devices.

I'm finding the Cerbo's remote controllability to really useful.

Please ask if you have any other questions.

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