B2B display - who actually depends on it after the initial installation?

[MisterB]

Just finishing off my Renogy 60A B2B install and Im wondering where to mount the display? ideally i would be able to see it as i drive, but then i thought, would i actually use the display after the initial 'buzz' of having one? would i just be adding a nice to see, but not really useful gadget? i often check battery levels using the bluetooth app (not whilst driving) so i would know what my Ah reading is, that seems far more important than accurately knowing how much charge is going in at any one time whilst driving?

does anyone actually DEPEND on the screen/monitor or do you just keep an eye on battery level before and after driving or when off EHU for a while?

i can still send it back unused .......!!

 

[headlight]

I have a Sterling B2B and just use my Victron smart shunt to tell me what's going on.

 

[Two on Tour]

I have a Sterling B2B and just use my Victron smart shunt to tell me what's going on.

Ditto, our Sterling B2B does what it needs to do, so rarely bother looking to see what it's doing.

 

[MisterB]

Ditto, our Sterling B2B does what it needs to do, so rarely bother looking to see what it's doing.

Thats sort of my thinking really, once its working, then its working. all i really need to know is whether the battery is fully charged when i arrive somewhere after a heavy draw and short drive!!

strongly leaning to returning the display, i have asked renogy if their bluetooth adapter works on DC to DC, though im not sure i really need that either !

 

[Two on Tour]

Thats sort of my thinking really, once its working, then its working. all i really need to know is whether the battery is fully charged when i arrive somewhere after a heavy draw and short drive!!

strongly leaning to returning the display, i have asked renogy if their bluetooth adapter works on DC to DC, though im not sure i really need that either !

I can display the Victron Connect or the Victon VRM on our head unit, so I can if necessary check the hab battery charging rate while on the move.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Having had a bit of a weird error from my B2B output, the ability to monitor what current is flowing whilst the engine is running can be useful simply for reassurance that all is normal.

Noticed that the lithium battery was taking ages (hours) to be recharged when driving. Victron shunt app showed the amperage off the B2B was normal ish at around 45A when the engine idled. Oddly however it dropped to around 25A once I set off and the engine revs increased. No there is no smart alternator. Not yet resolved, despite resetting a few things. But not that legal to monitor an app on your smartphone when driving along and the screen want's to switch off So a permanent display somewhere discreet in the driver cockpit, would have been useful.

 

[MisterB]

Having had a bit of a weird error from my B2B output, the ability to monitor what current is flowing whilst the engine is running can be useful simply for reassurance that all is normal.

Noticed that the lithium battery was taking ages (hours) to be recharged when driving. Victron shunt app showed the amperage off the B2B was normal ish at around 45A when the engine idled. Oddly however it dropped to around 25A once I set off and the engine revs increased. No there is no smart alternator. Not yet resolved, despite resetting a few things. But not that legal to monitor an app on your smartphone when driving along and the screen want's to switch off So a permanent display somewhere discreet in the driver cockpit, would have been useful.

Thats the problem Rob, finding somewhere discrete, thats also easy to look at whilst driving. been sat in the drivers seat for a good half an hour but just cant see anywhere (i want to add air suspension, so need the small recess above the fuse access to fit the controls at some point)

though after removing a couple of trims i can see where the reversing camera is wired to - really want to change that for a rear view mirror set up at some stage

Dave

 

[PaulW2]

Just finishing off my Renogy 60A B2B install and Im wondering where to mount the display? ideally i would be able to see it as i drive, but then i thought, would i actually use the display after the initial 'buzz' of having one? would i just be adding a nice to see, but not really useful gadget? i often check battery levels using the bluetooth app (not whilst driving) so i would know what my Ah reading is, that seems far more important than accurately knowing how much charge is going in at any one time whilst driving?

does anyone actually DEPEND on the screen/monitor or do you just keep an eye on battery level before and after driving or when off EHU for a while?

i can still send it back unused .......!!

In my old van I had a screen which allowed me to read what the B2B charger was doing all the time. It only has novelty value. I’m now able to check the status of the battery on my app when I’m parked up and it’s really all that I need.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

I put a renogy b2b in my van this year and down loaded the app on phone. I checked it's performance often the first few trips but now I'm satisfied the system all works well. Now I only check a couple of times per trip usually. What's handy though is the app tells me how my starter battery is performing as well.

 

[stevewagner]

Best of luck with the Renogy B2B chargers as I had two fail and they were awful to deal with.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[StillGoing]

I think I checked the display on my Votronic B2B when I first installed it and haven't bothered looking at it since.

I can see how well the B2B has been doing by checking the shunt logs.

 

[paddymcc]

There's no screen on the Votronic B2B that I have but I do have a smartshunt that I can check when not driving. I agree that once you know it's working well you wouldn't look at the screen at all if you did have one fitted