How To Tell If Batteries Are Charging

[Nankipoo]

On my other RV it had a Smart Wizard installed that I could glance at and see what the battery charging was doing. This 5er don't have one. How do you know if the batteries are charging without getting a volt meter and reading them. Would it be possible for me to install a Smart Wizard with the converter I have now.

[jasin1]

I just installed a victron Bluetooth battery monitor. I’m pretty happy with it

[Mike&Sandy]

Originally Posted by bjasin1

I just installed a victron Bluetooth battery monitor. I’m pretty happy with it

There are several on Amazon, which one did you get?

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by Mike&Sandy

There are several on Amazon, which one did you get?

Victron bmv-712

[Nankipoo]

Originally Posted by bjasin1

I just installed a victron Bluetooth battery monitor. I’m pretty happy with it

How does that work?

[jasin1]

Here’s screenshots

[dutchmensport]

Simple solution, doesn't cost anything. Turn on all the house lights that run on 12 volt DC power. Then simply unplug your camper from shore power. If the brightness of the lights drops or dims, your batteries are not charging fully. Leave them on a few minutes. If they noticeably continue to dim over the next 10 minutes, your battery is failing. Plug in shore power again, if lights all brighten up immediately, you'll know your batteries are not charging fully. Where the problem is, is another topic for discussion. But this is an easy, easy way to determine if your battery is charging fully without the aid of any devices.

[Nankipoo]

Originally Posted by dutchmensport

Simple solution, doesn't cost anything. Turn on all the house lights that run on 12 volt DC power. Then simply unplug your camper from shore power. If the brightness of the lights drops or dims, your batteries are not charging fully. Leave them on a few minutes. If they noticeably continue to dim over the next 10 minutes, your battery is failing. Plug in shore power again, if lights all brighten up immediately, you'll know your batteries are not charging fully. Where the problem is, is another topic for discussion. But this is an easy, easy way to determine if your battery is charging fully without the aid of any devices.

That's an idea but I have another question. The smart Wizard supposedly charged only when batteries needed charging and would shut off at full charge and display that. Do the charges on these 5ers do that or are they constantly sending 15 volts to the batteries even when fully charged?

[sourdough]

Most modern converters have 3 stage chargers in them that charge based on the depletion of the batteries. The float charge maintains them;

"The FLOAT stage is where the charge voltage is reduced to between 13.0 VDC and 13.8 VDC and held constant, while the current is reduced to less than 1% of battery capacity. This mode can be used to maintain a fully charged battery indefinitely."

[LHaven]

If you have inCommand, there is a voltage monitor that will tell you digitally what your current voltage is. When you're on shore power, naturally, it will show you the trickle charging voltage, somewhere around 13.8. If you take your unit off shore power, it will tell you the actual battery voltage and how fast it is depleting itself.