The Victron BMV-712 Black Smart is a battery monitor for 12V, 24V and 48V systems. It tracks state of charge, voltage, current, power, consumed amp-hours and time remaining, and sends all of that data to a phone over Bluetooth. No separate dongle is needed, the module is built in.

Key features

• Displays state of charge, voltage, current, power, consumed amp-hours and time-to-go on a backlit LCD
• Built-in Bluetooth Smart (BLE) connects to the VictronConnect app on iOS and Android
• Second voltage input for monitoring a starter battery or solar input alongside the main bank
• Programmable relay output with a dry contact for alarms or external device control
• Works with lead-acid batteries (AGM, gel, flooded) and lithium LiFePO4
• Black housing, matching black panels and switchgear

How it works

A precision shunt, supplied in the box, measures current flowing in and out of the battery bank. From that reading the BMV-712 calculates state of charge as a percentage, consumed amp-hours and an estimated time remaining at the current discharge rate. Getting accurate readings depends on setting the battery capacity, Peukert exponent and charge efficiency factor correctly, which is done through the display or VictronConnect.

The second voltage input suits marine and motorhome setups where a starter battery needs watching alongside the house bank. The relay can be wired to trigger a low-battery alarm, a load disconnect or a generator start, and it can also link into a wider Victron system through its VE.Direct port to a GX device such as the Cerbo GX.

Applications

• Off-grid solar systems needing accurate state of charge tracking
• Marine installations monitoring a house bank and a starter battery together
• Motorhome and campervan leisure battery systems with remote Bluetooth monitoring
• Lithium (LiFePO4) installations requiring precise coulomb counting

What's in the box

• BMV-712 Black Smart monitor head unit
• 500A / 50mV shunt
• 10 metre connection cable