Saving Victron data

[Mike Lewis]

I have the Victron SmartShunt battery monitor and their 100/50 solar controller. I use the Victron apps for iPhone and Android (tablet) and their program for the Mac laptop. I don't see a way to save any of the data for later analysis in a spreadsheet. Am I missing something? Is there some other way to do this? Thanks.

[Effie]

I was looking for this when I set up my system, can only be done with Victron GX products. Not worth the investment for my modest solar system.

[John in Santa Cruz]

yeah, i was kind of disappointed you could only get live data off the Smart Shunt, and if you want to graph your power usage, the app has to be run constantly on the graphing screen , switch away, and lose it. oh well.

its really just meant to give you the instantaneous status of the battery and systems..

[fudge_brownie]

On a Smart Solar Charger MPPT there is a symbol for exporting data. I am using an iPad Air 4 with Excel installed and I have the option to export the data.

[Effie]

Good catch, at list you can download the last 30 days

[Centex]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

On a Smart Solar Charger MPPT there is a symbol for exporting data. I am using an iPad Air 4 with Excel installed and I have the option to export the data.

That's great to see, Paul, thank you! I don't have it yet but I'm planning on the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/60 for my system (along with the Victron BMV-712 Smart battery Monitor/Shunt).

Can you expand a bit on the raw data as exported from the MPPT controller iOS app? E.g. is it a simple csv file, what data fields are included, what's the time increment of the data over the 30-day period? [EDIT - Answered in following post by Jon Vermilye]

Thanks in Advance!

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Effie

Good catch, at list you can download the last 30 days

Wish it went for more than 30 days, but if you are organized enough to download the .csv file every 30 days you could put the 30 day files into a continuous Excel file. I've done it for a month or two but had too many holes to make it practical.

The export is a .csv file that I email to myself & open in either Excel or (since I'm on a Mac) Numbers.

I attached a PDF made from the .csv file of the last 4 days.

It does give you some additional information such as actual times rather than the graph you see under "history" for bulk, absorption & float times.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

....I attached a PDF made from the .csv file of the last 4 days. ....

Thank You, Jon, my questions answered!

[Mike Lewis]

Thanks all.


Since it's hot down here and I haven't left on a trip yet, I've been experimenting with my trailer fridge. It works surprisingly well sitting still, but as I recall it gets too warm when towing. I guess the flame is blowing out. So I have been switching the fridge to 12V power for six-hour periods to simulate a towing day. This draws down the batteries quite a bit, but the SmartShunt shows them fully charged again by 8:00 a.m. the following day. It's hard to figure out what's going on when the numbers from the Victron devices are ephemeral, so being able to save them helps. Thanks again.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Thanks all.


Since it's hot down here and I haven't left on a trip yet, I've been experimenting with my trailer fridge. It works surprisingly well sitting still, but as I recall it gets too warm when towing. I guess the flame is blowing out. So I have been switching the fridge to 12V power for six-hour periods to simulate a towing day. This draws down the batteries quite a bit, but the SmartShunt shows them fully charged again by 8:00 a.m. the following day. It's hard to figure out what's going on when the numbers from the Victron devices are ephemeral, so being able to save them helps. Thanks again.

The saved data is only for the solar controller. I don't believe there is a way to save data from the shunt (battery monitor) without, as Effie noted, adding a Victron GX at $300.00.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

The saved data is only for the solar controller. I don't believe there is a way to save data from the shunt (battery monitor) without, as Effie noted, adding a Victron GX at $300.00.

That's better than nothing. When I installed the Victron devices I set up networking between them, so I had hoped connecting to one would read out data from the other one. I guess not.

[Centex]

Mike, google search of 12 volt watt meter yields hits on a range of devices including this for ~$50 and this for ~ $17.

No doubt not up to the ~$300 Victron GX's capabilities but perhaps something of this sort would useful for your fridge-specific power consumption analysis at a more palatable cost?

Thinking of such inline with the fridge 12 volt feed only, not at the battery itself.

Just for your consideration, Good Luck and Have Fun!

[cpaharley2008]

Mike,
If I recall. when I had my 2014 E21. there were a lot of solutions to flameout issues back then.

[Mike Lewis]

The fridge on 12V draws an almost steady 14 amps. For six hours of travel that's 84 amp-hours. I get a temperature rise of 11 degrees F in that period in hot weather, which is tolerable if I start out with the fridge at near freezing.


I was puzzled by how soon the batteries appear to be fully charged again after this exercise. Granted, the panels are charging the batteries whenever the sun is out-- during and after travel, and again after sunrise to 8:00 a.m. when I read them again. Also, I'm running my tests near the summer solstice. The data from the solar controller alone should be sufficient to see what is going on.