No questions here. Just sharing test results.
Like many before me, I was very annoyed/frustrated with the incredibly short range of the SmartShunt bluetooth signal, compared to the other Victron products I own. I read several posts where people talked about potentially using the Victron Energy VE.Direct Smart Dongle, so I decided to buy it & test.
IMHO, it really improves the range!
Below you'll see some of my devices. The SmartShunt is next to my house battery in the back of my VW Van, buried under a large dog bed, pillows, and all kinds of other stuff. I was about 15 - 20 feet away and the VE.Direct Smart signal is quite strong.
Here I'm inside my house, in a room where the window happens to face my van. So even further away than before. It did take a couple of tries before I could connect, but I was able to "grab" the signal & connect.
$50 for an accessory to improve the bluetooth signal strength seems high, but I understand that's not the purpose of this device, and compared to other solutions (which there seems to be very little of), I figure it's worth it to me.
