The Victron BMV-712 Black Smart is a battery monitor built for solar, off-grid and marine systems. It tracks state of charge, voltage, current, power and consumed amp-hours, then sends that data over built-in Bluetooth to the VictronConnect app. This is the black retail-packaged version, functionally identical to the standard silver BMV-712 Smart.

Key features

• Bluetooth connectivity, built-in module links directly to VictronConnect on iOS and Android, no dongle needed.
• Monitored parameters, state of charge (%), voltage, current (amps), power (watts) and consumed amp-hours.
• Second voltage input, tracks a starter battery or solar panel voltage alongside the main bank.
• Programmable relay, triggers on state of charge, voltage or temperature thresholds.
• Backlit display, high-contrast LCD shows all key readings on the unit itself.
• Chemistry support, works with lead-acid (AGM, gel, flooded) and lithium (LiFePO4) batteries.

How the victron bmv-712 smart battery monitor works

A precision shunt measures all current flowing in and out of the battery bank. From this the BMV-712 calculates state of charge using a Peukert-corrected algorithm that accounts for charge efficiency and self-discharge, giving a more reliable capacity picture than voltage alone, particularly useful on lithium banks where voltage stays flat across most of the charge range.

VictronConnect shows live data plus history such as deepest discharge, average discharge and charge cycle count. The unit can also connect to a GX device, such as a Cerbo GX, for system-level monitoring and remote access through VRM.

Applications

• Off-grid solar systems needing accurate state of charge readings.
• Marine and narrowboat setups monitoring both house bank and starter battery.
• Motorhome and campervan leisure battery systems.
• Backup power and UPS systems on lead-acid or lithium banks.
• Off-grid installations integrated with Victron GX monitoring equipment.

What's in the box

• BMV-712 Black Smart display unit
• 500A/50mV precision shunt
• 10-metre RJ12 cable (shunt to display)
• Temperature sensor
• Fused battery cable
• Mounting hardware

Installation notes

The shunt fits on the negative side of the battery bank, with all negative loads and charge sources wired to the load side of the shunt. Wiring it the wrong way round gives inaccurate readings. The unit itself is low voltage and does not need specialist certification, though for grid-connected or high-voltage battery installations use a qualified electrician. Set the correct battery chemistry and capacity in VictronConnect before commissioning.