Installing BMV-712 in a Travel trailer and was wondering if the red wire of the B1 at shunt needed to go only to the actual pos battery post or if running to a pos bus bar nearby gave same results ?
asked
Does red pos off B1 have to go to POS battery post or is POS bus bar further down the same ?
My understanding is that putting this connection directly on the battery isolates the reading to the battery, without the effects of other power sources (solar, shore, generator). The difference would depend on your system, and could be minimal, but the most accurate readings will be at the battery, hence the “requirement” it be directly connected.
I would connect it as close to the battery as possible since smaller gauge wire and any high current loads in the 'downstream' busbar could adversely affect your voltage readings. Voltage will read lower caused by whatever line loss is created. If you aren't using the BMV-712 to trigger anything else and you have no choice but to connect it downstream then I wouldn't get too excited about a small inaccuracy of the 12Vdc line. SOC should still be well within a reasonable margin of error for RV use.
