Bluetooth and Wifi + Email

[barryd]

Yup, just that, but I have no faith in electronics, and if the BT would extend to where I spend my time I'd not have started this thread, but as it is I have to remember to check the monitor, and I won't after the newness has worn off and it's just sat there, so to have the email come direct to my laptop is much easier for me, I don't need to remember anything, a cheap smartphone for £20 ish will do all the work, plus a data or ordinary sim would do the rest, I honestly do not see the charging current cost being an issue at all.

I'm just not 100% sure if this is the best way for me to do it.

To give you an idea, I have had for the last year had a reminder at 10am every day "check van battery" guess how often I've gone down to do it, and how often I will check the app as I get even less mobile.

Do you have any way of monitoring how much power is being used in the van Kev by a single item plugged in? Plug your phone in and leave it charging if you do. I think you will be surprised how much it draws.

I would just go with a weekly reminder alert and then lean out of the window and check the app.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

12v Bluetooth range extenders do exist Kev https://www.architecturelab.net/best-bluetooth-range-extender/ but I’ve no idea if thier any good

It's worth a coat of looking at but not sure which one would be best or the power it would use as well.

I have had a look and they seem to need to be plugged in to something, the BM has no sockets at all, so I would need one to just pick up the BT signal and amplify it.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Good explanation of Kev's situation. Hopefully if there is enough solar now he should be ok and if not as you say, just plug in for a bit. This is why I liked my old controller. It did both batteries regardless but your Gizmott should do the same.

How did you make it do that Barry? mine didn't.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Do you have any way of monitoring how much power is being used in the van Kev by a single item plugged in? Plug your phone in and leave it charging if you do. I think you will be surprised how much it draws.

I would just go with a weekly reminder alert and then lean out of the window and check the app.

Yes, not straight forward but I have a clamp meter so if I can get it around a single cable it'll tell me how many amps going in or out of anything, never had one before and would not be without one again, Volts only tells you so much, but if you know the amps, volts and the watts it's just basic maffs.

 

[Robmac]

Yes, not straight forward but I have a clamp meter so if I can get it around a single cable it'll tell me how many amps going in ot out of anything, never had one before and would not be without one again, Volts only tells you so much, but if you know the amps, volts and the watts it's just basic maffs.

Or Maff as the yanks would say Kev.

 

[Boris7]

It's worth a coat of looking at but not sure which one would be best or the power it would use as well.

I have had a look and they seem to need to be plugged in to something, the BM has no sockets at all, so I would need one to just pick up the BT signal and amplify it.

Know nothing about them Kev, just looked on line earlier

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Would this work?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Best use of the bloody tin for sure, just bin the contents though.

 

[Boris7]

Yes Kev that will do the job just fine, keep me in the loop please

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I'd rather eat my week old underwear Kev, **** I'd rather eat yours.

 

[Boris7]

Just to be sure your saying you wear your pants for a week

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Depends, they get a bit itchy in summer.

 

[barryd]

How did you make it do that Barry? mine didn't.

Two sets of outputs from that controller in my van. One goes to the cab battery the other to the leisure. Two sets of flashing lights showing the battery status of both. They have both remained on green flashing all winter which means fully charged. I did like that feature. Unlike yours I don't think it prioritised either battery which meant in your case (I think) that the cab battery never got charged when laid up over winter as the leisure battery was grabbing what little solar there was.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Do you mean in Hank 1 or 2?

 

[merl]

Best use of the bloody tin for sure, just bin the contents though.

The tin is already mostly blue coloured so...............

 

[barryd]

Do you mean in Hank 1 or 2?

Hank 2. The one that Merl is replacing next week. The one in Hank 1 was great. I loved that controller with its LCD display but it will be old hat now.

I have to say though if I had a choice I would rather have a controller with a display than farting about with apps. I might change my mind when I see the Victron app. For someone who has worked in tech his entire life its a bit odd that I prefer to keep things simple. Maybe thats why.

 

[merl]

Two sets of outputs from that controller in my van. One goes to the cab battery the other to the leisure. Two sets of flashing lights showing the battery status of both. They have both remained on green flashing all winter which means fully charged. I did like that feature. Unlike yours I don't think it prioritised either battery which meant in your case (I think) that the cab battery never got charged when laid up over winter as the leisure battery was grabbing what little solar there was.

Both your controller and Kevs are the same brand actually, both Photonic universe. Kevs is mppt and as I mentioned previously only diverts power to the starter battery once the leisure battery is fully charged. Yours is PWM but it deals with the batteries completely differently to Kevs, from the manual ;-
The controller allows setting charging priority for batteries (0%/100%,10%/90%, 20%/80% …), splitting the energy from solar panel(s) between batteries according to this priority. When one of the batteries is fully charged the controller will divert all power to the other battery automatically.
So I guess it'll depend on how it's been set up Barry.

 

[barryd]

Both your controller and Kevs are the same brand actually, both Photonic universe. Kevs is mppt and as I mentioned previously only diverts power to the starter battery once the leisure battery is fully charged. Yours is PWM but it deals with the batteries completely differently to Kevs, from the manual ;-
The controller allows setting charging priority for batteries (0%/100%,10%/90%, 20%/80% …), splitting the energy from solar panel(s) between batteries according to this priority. When one of the batteries is fully charged the controller will divert all power to the other battery automatically.
So I guess it'll depend on how it's been set up Barry.

This is the one in mine. It don't say Photonic Universe but it might be rebadged. I don't know if its that clever Merl. Not even sure I have a manual for it. Dont matter now anyway.

Solar Technology 20Ah, 12V / 24V Twin battery Charge Controller - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Hank 2. The one that Merl is replacing next week. The one in Hank 1 was great. I loved that controller with its LCD display but it will be old hat now.

I have to say though if I had a choice I would rather have a controller with a display than farting about with apps. I might change my mind when I see the Victron app. For someone who has worked in tech his entire life its a bit odd that I prefer to keep things simple. Maybe thats why.

Ah I see, I thought you meant the MP Solar one in Hank 1.

 

[merl]

This is the one in mine. It don't say Photonic Universe but it might be rebadged. I don't know if its that clever Merl. Not even sure I have a manual for it. Dont matter now anyway.

Solar Technology 20Ah, 12V / 24V Twin battery Charge Controller - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

Ah, sorry I thought it was this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/33529098...3BE9lElS6i&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
which looks to be a rebadge of the photonic.
Yours still could be though, it's very similar in functionality and display for sure.