question

mike-miller avatar image
mike-miller asked

networking options for MPPTs and shunt

I am rebuilding the charging system on my boat (700 Ah Firefly battery bank). I have two 150/70 VE.Can MPPTs and a smart shunt on the ground return. The MPPTs are VE.Can cabled to a cerbo GX and the smart shunt is connected to the cerbo via a VE.direct line. The 1200 W solar can deliver up to 100 amps at peak into the batteries. A few questions:


1) is the network between the MPPTs and shunt done over Bluetooth or does the cerbo broker the conversation using the VE.can and VE.direct feeds? I much prefer hard wired connections


2) depending on (1), I may need to downgrade from a smart shunt to a shunt that has analog sense outputs that can be used by my new wakespeed 500 alternator regulators, as they don’t yet have support from Victron to get the VE.can data from the cerbo (per wakespeed rep). I love my smart shunt but without analog sense wires I’d either have to put another shunt in series or just swap out the smart shunt for an older one with both VE.direct and analog out.

cerbo gxMPPT SmartSolarSmartShuntVE.Smart Network
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yutzy avatar image
yutzy answered ·


Did you determine if the MPPTs connected to the GX with VE Can eliminates the need for VE Smart Networking? I’m doing my install now and can’t get a clear answer from any of the documentation.

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ commented ·
@Yutzy

With the wired network in place the Smart one isn't necessary. And may even interfere with the proper functioning of the wired one. You could still use the bt for access to settings and monitoring if you prefer, but don't network with it.

You're right though, this isn't expressed heavily in the literature. Maybe in the Victron Connect manual (from memory)?

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