blue sea systems new product. DC voltage/current meter

Not at all familiar with that one, but the Victron BVM700 was suggested to me last year, and that's what I installed on my Nordic. It's widely used and well regarded.

It's almost half the price, easy to use/install, and I can't imagine what else anyone would want out of a battery monitor.

On edit: Carpy beat me to it. Same unit.
 
Thank you. The 702 model should fit my needs and save me $100. Nice to know its reliable.

I couldn't find the dimensions on it. Does anybody have them? I assume it mounts as it looks in the picture so I"m just looking for a diameter.
 
While the 702 will do two banks, I chose to save the $$ and go with the 700.

Many folks - myself included - don't need to closely monitor the starting bank. The house bank is the one that changes routinely, and knowing how long you have or how replenished it is are routine functions.

The theory being, that the starting bank rarely has an issue, and if it suffers an unexpected failure - you can still use the house bank to get going.
 
I use a combination of the Victron monitor (700 in my case, but in retrospect I would have bought the 702 for the temp. monitor function to increase accuracy), and a Smart Gauge.

I like the Victron for seeing amps/watts in and out, and secondarily for SOC percentage (although it has some limitations), and the Smart Gauge is used purely for SOC percentage (accurate, even as batteries age). The SG has no shunt, but is wired directly to the battery terminals. It uses "jillions" of voltage readings plus algorithm to determine SOC.

The Victron face is around 2-1/2" in diameter. IIRC the hole is juuuust over 2" (is metric). I filed a bit after using the hole saw. There is also a square bezel you can use which goes outside the round one.
 
You might want to see if you can find the Victron 600 or 602 around. These were going for about $100 when the 700 series came out. Maybe there are a few stillmout there. eBay might be a good place to start. It'll do what you want just as well as the 700 series. Our boats aren' that complicated.
 
I happen to have the Link 10 which does about the same thing--again if you can find one for the bargain price, go for it, but in not one of the Victrons.
 
That is a good price, if you are confident buying stuff off eBay!

I have the Victron 700. I would not be without it, since I run a freezer and recharge with solar panels. It is very reassuring to know exactly where your house batteries are after sitting a week at Oak Canyon at Lake Powell!

It was very easy to install. I bought mine directly from Microtech Electronics, the U.S. distributor, which happens to be located in Ferndale, WA. They don't usually sell retail, but they said they would sell me one. I think I paid $180. They also made me up the short heavy cable required to install the shunt, and extra short heavy cables to connect the two house batteries properly.

ssobol":10gewtae said:
There's a Victron 700 for sale on eBay right now for $149.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Victron-Energy- ... a1&vxp=mtr
Click to expand...
 
I have Blue Sea Systems vessel system monitor VSM 422.
For about $100. more than the M2, it monitors AC, DC,
3 tanks (water, fuel, waste) and bilge.

If you wanna know whats goin'on, why not look at everything?
OK, you're gonna have to keep your eye on your booze locker.

Aye.
 
Foggy":2gdddxax said:
I have Blue Sea Systems vessel system monitor VSM 422.
For about $100. more than the M2, it monitors AC, DC,
3 tanks (water, fuel, waste) and bilge..
Click to expand...

Great system, but the price of $399 is slightly misleading, since you have to buy sensors for fuel, waste, holding, bilge, and battery temp. Most of these cost about $90, so a complete system would come in closer to $ 700 plus.

For the 22, there is no holding, the bilge is visible, and the water tank has a clear plastic tube to show the water level. (Battery temp is only $15, but is easy to monitor), So it depends on the boat. I would see the level monitors to be much more important in larger boats. A good idea however.
 
I haven't decided on one yet, but the Balmar unit is apparently the only one that gets more accurate with aging batteries, and doesn't require a shunt + extra heavy cables. Intriguing but not the cheapest.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/balmar--s ... --16030900

Westmarine has had a 15% off sitewide online sale the past 2 black Fridays, maybe then...

I changed out the 3 bank weak Guest charger for the Blue Seas P12 40 amp with the unique ability to drop individual charged batteries out prior to float stage . This is great since my House battery gets FAR more discharged than either engine AGM on any of our outings. They make solid, (5 yr warranty) well engineered stuff with responsive US tech support. I hope that continues although they + Marinco + Guest + MasterVolt have all been bought out by the same company.
I'll give away the 2010 Guest 2632A 5,5,20A for free (you pay shipping, send me a PM, it's a heavy potted waterproof mutha), but 5A is just not appropriate for a big AGM IMHO. Not to hijack a monitor thread. What do you Brats think of the Balmar?
Cheers!
John
 
I have the Balmar SmartGauge and love it. I also have a coulomb counter style gauge (Victron 600/700) and like that too, but mostly I use the Victron to see what's going in and out. I do calibrate as well as I can for the SOC on the Victron, but that's only secondary. What I got the SmartGauge for was the very accurate SOC.

I'm not sure which I'd pick if I could only have one. Probably the Smart Gauge now that I know what all of my stuff draws (thanks to the Victron). Luckily with the cost of batteries I was able to justify both (and just cause I like having them). Actually, I don't have the SG on the boat yet, just the Victron, but then I only have one house battery on the boat, and I know it's going to need replacing reasonably soon anyway. When I do that, I'll likely go to two house batteries, and then add a Smart Gauge, since I'll have more to watch/protect.

I also have an RV, and in that I have a three AGM house bank -- and I don't want to have to replace that anytime soon ($$), so there I have the Smart Gauge, and the Victron 700. Both together were barely more than the cost of one of the batteries. Also, I rely mostly on solar power for the RV, so I like to know just where I'm at, SOC wise.

Probably not everyone's cup of tea the way I have things set up, but I like it. I would (and will) buy the Smart Gauge again (for the C-Dory when I upgrade the house bank).

It's also very easy to set up, since there is not shunt or etc. Not that a shunt is "hard," but it does have to be wired in properly. I will say the Victron is about a hundred times better looking. The SG is rather ugly and has membrane switches that you practically have to lean on.
 
gulfcoast john":3kz18dnu said:
... and doesn't require a shunt + extra heavy cables...
Click to expand...

The Victron shunt goes next to the batteries across the ground. In my case I just needed one additional 12" ground wire to install the shunt (from Advance auto parts). There is a phone style cable that goes from the circuit board to the display and it is plenty long enough for a C-Dory (any).
 
I personally wouldn't use auto parts of any kind (should be individually tinned copper wire UL marine approved and very expensive) on my boat... but you should use whatever you want on yours. You and the Next Buyer will Decide. Cheers!
John
 
gulfcoast john":1ad8gdyu said:
I personally wouldn't use auto parts of any kind (should be individually tinned copper wire UL marine approved and very expensive) on my boat... but you should use whatever you want on yours. You and the Next Buyer will Decide. Cheers!
John
Click to expand...
John, I must be missing something, but wonder who is suggesting using auto parts? I certainly agree that AWG wire should be used vs SAE, and should be tinned. (AWG is finer strands, and a 10 to 20% larger conductive cross section area, plus tinned to prevent corrosion).

It is nice to have the ability to see how many amps, state of charge etc. But we managed relatively large battery banks (1200 amp hours,--L 16 or Golf Carts), with heavy daily use in larger boats, crossing oceans, with just a simple digital volt meter.) (or before that with a quality analogue voltmeter. As long as you don't discharge a battery less than 12.2 volts, it should have a good life span…(any battery use is a series of compromises).

Several C Brats, have made tables of amp draw vs each appliance or system on the boat, and can figure out very easily what their draw, use, and amount of recharging necessary.

Guys and gals, our C Dorys are simple boats. It is fun to put all of the bells and whistles on, but not essential, or in most cases not necessary. In my case I may put a Victron 700 on my AGM freezer bank, because I want to monitor it, more of a "research" project. Not really essential.

Why adding any appliance (meaning electronics, systems etc), you need to determine, if it is an essential, or just a toy you want to play with. It brings to mind that one of our members has done the "Great Loop" in a 22, with an I pad for navigation and a simple depth sounder, no monitor of battery (may have had two batteries)! You can have just as much fun, and be just as safe on a simple boat…but some want more creature comforts---our choices either way.
 
thataway":3p06exxh said:
....John, I must be missing something, but wonder who is suggesting using auto parts? I certainly agree that AWG wire should be used vs SAE, and should be tinned. (AWG is finer strands, and a 10 to 20% larger conductive cross section area, plus tinned to prevent corrosion)....
Click to expand...

I am not suggesting that others use auto parts, I just said that's what I did. I don't use my boat in salt water and I have never had any issues with battery cables on any car I have ever had. My cars get a lot more abuse and weather exposure than my boat. Therefore in my situation I feel that it is perfectly reasonable to use auto battery cables (of sufficient gauge) in my boat. I seriously doubt that a foot long ground cable from an auto parts store will have any measurable difference in performance or useful life compared to a "marine" cable in my installation. I guess I'll just have to wait 10 or 15 years and see what happens.
 
thataway":2aare5i9 said:
It is nice to have the ability to see how many amps, state of charge etc. But...[ ...]

Guys and gals, our C Dorys are simple boats. It is fun to put all of the bells and whistles on, but not essential, or in most cases not necessary.
Click to expand...

That's a good point to keep in mind. Our C-Dorys so easily range between super simple and fairly complex, and the complexity is optional.

Too, there's no need to have everything at the same "level." I like my "techy" battery monitors, and find them fun to have; but I'm perfectly happy with the little Baby Whale foot pump, a fan or two, a Porta-potti, and a washcloth and pot of hot water for bathing. Maybe the "odd mixture" wouldn't make sense to someone else, but it suits me (and if/when it doesn't, I'll change it).

It's great to have a boat that can go from overalls to black tie as we see fit :D
 
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