I have been using Victron solar and battery meter equipment in the RV since we installed solar. The Victron Cerbo allows access to the equipment through WiFi.
The WiFi access is available through phone apps. But it’s not easy to set up from the iPhone and some equipment can’t be configured. So for Christmas I asked for and received the GX-50 monitor. This I installed in the entry under the inverter remote. This is a wired remote so there was an extra hole to drill inside the refrigerator compartment and wire to snake through where others run.
Our black water tank sensor no longer reads its contents so I was intrigued that I could set up a Bluetooth tank sensor that the Cerbo can read. It’s a Mopeka Pro. This is the newer version that can be read by the Cerbo
It was just a matter of cleaning the black tank surface well and applying the ring that holds the device. No wiring required. The device does use a coin battery. This device can be set to be read from the Cerbo or from its own app. But it’s Bluetooth so have to be close to it to read it on the app. I tested it on a trip to the sand dunes last week and the cerbo read it as 100% full while the Bluetooth app read it as 20% full. So I have to remeasure it for size and set it up again in the Cerbo.
Much more difficult was the install of the AC energy meter also from Victron. I found a good photo of an RV installation and tried to copy it. But I had a difficult time finding the components. The meter requires a circuit breaker and .5 amp fuse. But the photo recommended a full size fuse holder. This larger fuse in .5 amp format was almost impossible to find. Plenty of 1 and 10 amp options. I finally found a package of five on Amazon and I believe they shipped directly from China because acquiring them took a month. (Fast Blow Ceramic Fuse 10x38mm Fuse 500V 0.5A)
I mounted the new meter on a short rail as on the photo but then I had no wall in the water compartment to mount it to. I tried screwing it into the compartment frame but it broke off the power connection to the cerbo when the screen house bumped it. I then had to figure out what connection was being used to plug it in. Luckily I was able to pull out the broken part and reinsert the new one.
I decided the best place to connect the energy meter for all AC power was in the transfer switch. I had used romex to wire the Electrical Management system to the transfer switch but apparently in an RV I should have used flexible marine wire. So to start this project wiring I had to go all the way back to the EMS wiring and switch the romex to transfer switch wiring to flexible wire.
The next error in the transfer switch was the use of twist nuts to secure the wires. Also not recommended for RV’s although I have them elsewhere I decided to fix these. The switch came with Wago connectors and I took out all the twist connectors and installed Wagos. The first order was wrong and for much tinier wire. They come in more than one size. So I returned them and bought larger wire sizes. I also bought both 2 and 3 wire versions so I could eliminate the jumper wires.
I was finally ready to install the new meter. I used the Canbus on the Cerbo (the other possibility is through a Ethernet switch) which is connected to the Cerbo with RJ 45 wire and end connectors. This is very similar to the old Apple network devices. I have several old RJ 45 cables but when I was having issues connecting to the Cerbo I bought a special Victron cable. That wasn’t the problem but that’s what I’m using.
The small green plug on the far right of the second photo is the one I had to replace. This is a Phoenix Type Connector 3.5mm 2Pin that I ordered from Digi Key and also found on Amazon.
I notice that here the end connector for the Canbus is not yet installed. The directions say insert the end connector but does not mention both sides. I had to realize that was necessary on my own. But I quickly understood it. The small black wire goes to the wire clamp on the AC feed to the breaker box. The meter came with three clamps in case it’s used on 3 phase wiring. I broke two of them before I successfully used the remaining one. The latches are very delicate.
Finally the energy meter showed up on the GX device. This is why the GX is superior to the WiFi. It has more information in easier to read screens and more configuration capability.
I had one final problem though. I had set the meter to read AC load as that is what I wanted to display. I could not figure out why it wasn’t showing the AC loads on the display page. So I turned to my wonderful vendor where I bought the meter. It turns out the meter will only read grid usage. That is actually the same measurement because I have it installed to read all AC going through the transfer switch whether inverter or generator or shore power. The technician from NAZ Solar and Wind logged in for me and found the issue and reset the configuration to read grid power instead of AC load. This is the kind of vendor support that makes using a specialty company worthwhile.
I don’t get all the possible data because I did not invest in one critical piece of equipment that provides it. The Victron multiplus inverter/ charger is a much larger piece of equipment and much more expensive than I wanted to invest. I’m happy I can read all AC power use whether from shore, inverter or generator although not each one separately.
As is often the case this project turned out to be much more involved than I expected. But I’m glad it’s done and done better than I had connected the switch originally. I still don’t have a place to mount this equipment but the bar keeps it all together in the water tank compartment. For now it’s working.