I posted this over at rv.net too. Anyhow, I'm looking for some advice on which of these three battery monitoring systems is preferred. I've read the documentation but would like some comments from anyone that uses one now or might have done similar research. They are:
Magnum Energy's ME-BMK
Trimetric 2020
Victron BMV 600
Our rig has a Magnum 2028 along with the standard Magnum display.
Thanks.
jor
I have the Trimetic 2025-A for the whole battery bank and just for the solar input the Tristar by Morningstar TS-RM-2
I like the Trimetic and watch it all the time while driving and parked using battery bank for boondocking.
John H
I believe it is all going to depend on what type of information you are desiring to get out of the system and how you plan on using that information.
Are you trying to establish a start point on your batteries and then follow the process of degradation to determine replacement time?
Are you worried about running the batteries down below an optimum point and thereby desire an alarm to inform you of the abuse taking place?
Are you trying to determine your personal electrical usage times v/s available solar power?
Are you interested in determining the best time to run your induction cooktop on solar to allow adequate charging prior to sundown?
Do you want visual records of your electrical situation?
Are you wanting to monitor more than one battery bank?
These are just a few questions off the top of my head to provide an example of questions to ask yourself.
I suggest that you make a list of the things that you would like to know about your battery power system and then apply that list, as best you can, to the product details of the various products until you find the product that will do most or all of your requirements.
I have been working on new instrumentation on my system for over two years and still haven't made a final purchase.
Everytime I am about ready to do it a new product hits the market or my requirements change.
I think that I am getting close.
Regards,
I think that some of us are so new to this family of products that it's difficult to know exactly what we want out of them.
My own interests include state of charge, power consumption, solar input... things like that. We managed for years on a sailboat just using an ammeter to determine solar input and a digital voltmeter to determine state of charge. The new products can do a lot more but I don't quite understand how much of that is useful data and how much of it is "fluff".
It would especially interesting to hear from RVers who have experience with more than one brand of device.
Thanks,
Craig
Jon, we do a lot of dry camping and I want a better handle on consumption. I'd like to get the same info I get now by using a voltmeter and ammeter at the batteries. Just the basic stuff. e.g. We have 1,650 AH available at the 20 hour rate. How much of my 50% have I used and at what rate and so on. If you've been researching this for two years, maybe I'll just wait and buy what you buy! :)
jor
Jor, that is why I like the Trimetic we have as it gives you a readout (clearly visible) of your use and state of batteries, and a few more things.
What batteries do you have that give 1650 AH?
John
John, re amp hours, I was referring to the 20 hour rate at a 25 amp draw. That is 1,650 for the total of all three Lifelines. They're the GPL-8DA type that a lot of us are using. The published capacity is actually 255 amp hours.
I was thinking the Magnum makes sense in that I already have their inverter and display but I heard over at RV.net that it doesn't track combined straight DC draw along with the draw from the inverter, at least not in a user friendly fashion, whereas the Trimetric does. I need to do more research on that.
Where did you mount your Trimetric display?
jor
I have 3 8d Lifelines too for the coach and 600 watts solar on the roof. I put the trimetic on the wall of the kitchen drawers right side, facing the front, so we can see what is happening while we drive or sit in the living area in the evening. The Morningstar one is on opposite side (left) of the top drawer.
Before changing all the inside lights to LED we used to watch the current draw as we put different lights on, but now do not bother as they hardly use any power now.
John
Why not use Magnum as it will managed by the same Magnum control. We know it will work great with the ME-ARC50 panel, but don't know which panel you have. The BMK comes with a 500-amp / 50-mv shunt that is installed on the house battery bank ground connection, which will measure every amp flowing in and out of your bank.
Your list did not consider one of the most popular, Xantrex LinkPro meters, which we have two of.
We have had the Trimetric 2020 for 5 years, (and we just installed a Magnum 2012 to replace a failed Xantrex Prosine 2.0.) We like the Trimetric display and customizability (and we already own one) but even with a clean slate to choose from, I wouldn't install the Magnum ME-BMK, since I think it's important to have an independent battery monitor. That way, if you're getting funny readings or performance from one component in the system, you can check it against independent readings from another.
That said, the Magnum products do have a great reputation and good tech support, so if you want an integrated solution, they would be a good choice.
Great to get more feedback. I'll take a look at the Xantrex product too. Re panel, we have the basic control panel, the ME-RC with current 2.6xx or something like that software. Looks identical to the one you mentioned. Maybe the software is different? I'm going back and forth on this. The inaccuracy of the Magnum meter is what got me started on the quest. This is the straight monitor, not the BMK dedicated unit. Anyhow, when I put out 2 Gs for the setup I assumed it would be accurate but it actually gives consistently high voltage and amp readings for both in and out. The readings, from what I can gather thus far, are within Magnum's acceptable level of accuracy. In order to get precise data, I need Magnum's battery monitor accessory or one of the other similar products. Anyhow, the search continues. Thanks.
jor