For some of our remote solar camera stations we occasionally get a string of bad weather days. So the client will start up a manual generator with a BlueSmart batter charger attached, this will charge the battery.
However it's hard to tell from the VRM dashboard if the charger is running or not as the DC load box can be quite random at times (as indicated by Victron, it's not a 100% accurate number).
God how I wish the BlueSmart chargers had VE.Direct on them (in a 120v model, I know there apparently is a 230v model).
The setup at site:
1 x Venus GX
1 x 100/30 SmartSolar MPPT
1 x SmartShunt 500A
1 x Phoenix 12/250 Inverter
(All connected via VE.Direct cables and DVVC is enabled on Venus).
1 x AGM 12v Battery (moving to Lithium one day)
1 x BlueSmart IP67 12v Battery Charger (connected to the manual generator and put on the load side of the SmartShunt so we can sometimes see the negative DC load which means the charger is running).
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I was hoping there was a VE.Direct AC sensor or something similar I could use so I know when the BlueSmart charger is plugged in.
Hoping to avoid purchasing a $3000 Multiplus for such a small setup since there are no smaller 120v models available yet that I can find (just the monster 2000 and 3000 models).
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Alternatively a method to see the BlueSmart Bluetooth interface from one of the other SmartSolar devices (using the VRM portal and adding the BlueSmart to a VE.Smart Bluetooth network would work!).
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One of the reasons I ask is the MPPT has no idea the BlueSmart charger is there and does very weird things when the charger is running (thinks the battery is already in Absorption mode etc) an the SmartShunt occasionally shows voltages over 14.40 volts (don't want to damage the battery).