How much battery information is enough?

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Hi, so after taking the black Friday plunge my Lithium 280A/H battery arrived. Prompt dispatch from Fogstar. I've notionally set up the app on my phone and was very pleasantly surprised at the amount of data viewable. This is compared to the current AGM battery read by on board low tech Volts reading only. The phone App shows volts, A/H levels. The history. The amount of power used, and remaining. I've been opening and closing the app frequently, and it's always loaded seamlessly. As a further B.F. deal I ordered a 500A Smart Shunt. I'm now wondering if this is surplus to my requirements. I'm already seeing far more informative data than I thought I would get, and It's quite comprehensive.
Prompting the question, do I still need to fit the smart shunt? What extra resource is that bringing to the lithium party?
I'll also be splicing a Lithium charger into hab system as well.
T.I.A.
Mike.

 

[andyman]

I have a simple way of checking battery capacity p, if the telly goes off (pub) if the light goes off (pub) worked fine for years.

I've been the same for years. But after some issues I fancy a way of seeing what's going on.
I didn't know my B 2 B had stopped working, and that leaving the hab electrics on also left the head unit on standby. The head unit was drawing over an amp on standby.
Plus a monitor will give me something else to worry about.

 

[the1andonly]

Agree I fitted a BMV712 for the programmable relay the display is in my double floor.

Mine is in the battery box with the solar controllers. What do you use it to switch, on which function, temp, voltage, SOC?

 

[Lenny HB]

Mine is in the battery box with the solar controllers. What do you use it to switch, on which function, temp, voltage, SOC?

Not ready to set it up yet for my needs but I will be using percentage SOC as voltage is meaningless with Lithium.

 

[the1andonly]

Not ready to set it up yet for my needs but I will be using percentage SOC as voltage is meaningless with Lithium.

I use SOC to control charging of battery and then different programs for different purposes. ie longterm storage, ready, full use

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[Bessy765]

Must admit when our system was first installed checked it frequently, now just when I get up. We are on a site in Portugal that allows generators to be used

 

[Lenny HB]

I use SOC to control charging of battery and then different programs for different purposes. ie longterm storage, ready, full use

My plan is to use it for switching the S+ (via a timer) on the fridge if I can ever sort out Carthago's wiring.

 

[the1andonly]

My plan is to use it for switching the S+ (via a timer) on the fridge if I can ever sort out Carthago's wiring.

Gone are the votronics charge controllers (no S+ on Victron). I understand.

 

[PaulW2]

I have a lithium which is called 'Topband', installed for me by Van Bitz.

Looking at its app on my phone it shows current state of charge but also the current discharge rate - for instance -0.1 amps. When I'm using the van it also has what looks like very accurate tracking of how many fractions of amps are being drawn. This then translates accurately into the monitoring of current state of charge.

Presumably then the need for an additional shunt depends on the BMS of the battery that has been installed?

 

[oldiesontour]

I have a lithium which is called 'Topband', installed for me by Van Bitz.

Looking at its app on my phone it shows current state of charge but also the current discharge rate - for instance -0.1 amps. When I'm using the van it also has what looks like very accurate tracking of how many fractions of amps are being drawn. This then translates accurately into the monitoring of current state of charge.

Presumably then the need for an additional shunt depends on the BMS of the battery that has been installed?

Mine show all that but particularly if parked up for a few days the soc becomes less and less accurate..Google your battery and try and find what BMS it has or online discussion about it

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[oldiesontour]

Mine show all that but particularly if parked up for a few days the soc becomes less and less accurate..Google your battery and try and find what BMS it has or online discussion about it

Just had a very quick look they are"a tolerable low end battery" No cold temp disconnect.
If this applies to yours I would very much doubt the BMS SOC is accurate

 

[PaulW2]

Just had a very quick look they are"a tolerable low end battery" No cold temp disconnect.
If this applies to yours I would very much doubt the BMS SOC is accurate

It has both a heater and a disconnect for below zero. Belt and braces.

Accurate enough for me I think - looking at what it tells me - say averaging -0.1 for a few weeks - and then equating it to current state of charge it seems correct. Then when I plug it in, from (say) a 60% state of charge it tells me that the 40% will take x amount of time at the charge rate of 17 amps. And so it proves.

 

[oldiesontour]

It has both a heater and a disconnect for below zero. Belt and braces.

Accurate enough for me I think - looking at what it tells me - say averaging -0.1 for a few weeks - and then equating it to current state of charge it seems correct. Then when I plug it in, from (say) a 60% state of charge it tells me that the 40% will take x amount of time at the charge rate of 17 amps. And so it proves.

Clearly they make a range of batteries of which yours is top end and if what you say is correct then other big BMS manufacturers need to look and learn..

 

[rosalan]

My vocabulary has been much extended now I have a new lithium battery. Shunt, BMS, SOC and almost everything now showing on my phone Ap. I do not understand.
All I wanted was a battery that did not leave me cold and in the dark. Advised to get a Victron charger, although I already had a charger. 14.2 amps expected, 13.5 I am getting. Must be the alternator at fault, had it tested, perfect. Should fit a B to B but I already had one.
It seems that unless I am an electrician, I should not have considered a new battery.

 

[PaulW2]

My vocabulary has been much extended now I have a new lithium battery. Shunt, BMS, SOC and almost everything now showing on my phone Ap. I do not understand.
All I wanted was a battery that did not leave me cold and in the dark. Advised to get a Victron charger, although I already had a charger. 14.2 amps expected, 13.5 I am getting. Must be the alternator at fault, had it tested, perfect. Should fit a B to B but I already had one.
It seems that unless I am an electrician, I should not have considered a new battery.

The impression I get is that we all agonise over minutiae but the new battery technology is a lot more robust and forgiving than we've been used to. As has been said on this thread already. Maybe we can afford to be a bit less attentive and just let it hum on in the background.

The batteries should last for thousands of cycles (or thousands minus hundreds if we really abuse it). So maybe 5 times as long as lead acid?

And we can draw it down to 20%, or I've read even more as long as we don't do it too often.

I wonder what the inheritance tax implications are?