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Old 08-18-2019, 11:45 AM   #1
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Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor Shunt Install location

I have a 2016 FC RB Twin and want to install a battery monitor, but not sure where to place the shunt, can someone tell me if either spot is correct, on the attached photo OR are both WRONG
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Old 08-18-2019, 12:38 PM   #2
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Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor Shunt Install location

A. Always right in the negative lead from the batteries. You will need a short heavy jumper wire from the shunt to the bussbar. Should be at least as big wire size as the negative lead from the batteries.

Idea is to monitor ALL the current going into and out of the batteries so the monitor knows what is going on.
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Old 08-18-2019, 02:28 PM   #3
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A, as mentioned. If you have an inverter that has its own wires to the batteries, also interrupt the negative one and put it across the shunt as well (assuming you want to measure inverter loads when in use as well. I certainly wanted that.) You might be able to just cut the inverter wire and add terminals to install on either side of the the shunt.

Also, if you are using a Victron and want to use the Airstream monitor prewire and mount the shunt wherever that would be (for me, it was the galley next to the inverter switch), you will likely have to cut the connectors and a few inches of wire from the Victron wire, and painstakingly attach them to the prewire. Otherwise, mount the monitor elsewhere and use the cable that Victron supplies.
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Old 08-18-2019, 02:34 PM   #4
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Yep, A
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Old 08-18-2019, 02:39 PM   #5
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A and if you have an inverter directly connected to the battery it’s negative lead needs to be connected to the shunt as well.
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Old 08-18-2019, 02:42 PM   #6
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Helpful video

I found this video very informative:

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Old 08-18-2019, 03:03 PM   #7
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A, as mentioned. If you have an inverter that has its own wires to the batteries, also interrupt the negative one and put it across the shunt as well (assuming you want to measure inverter loads when in use as well. I certainly wanted that.) You might be able to just cut the inverter wire and add terminals to install on either side of the the shunt.

Also, if you are using a Victron and want to use the Airstream monitor prewire and mount the shunt wherever that would be (for me, it was the galley next to the inverter switch), you will likely have to cut the connectors and a few inches of wire from the Victron wire, and painstakingly attach them to the prewire. Otherwise, mount the monitor elsewhere and use the cable that Victron supplies.
Attachment 349812
I was going to mount it next to the fuse box, because the BMV-712 is Bluetooth so I can just use my phone or tablet for the monitor,
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Old 08-18-2019, 03:28 PM   #8
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I was going to mount it next to the fuse box, because the BMV-712 is Bluetooth so I can just use my phone or tablet for the monitor,
You will love the bluetooth. I chose to mount the monitor along with my other 'system' stuff so I could easily see it if my phone was put away, which I try to do a lot when 'out there.'
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Old 08-18-2019, 03:34 PM   #9
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Gotcha But do I connect it to the "load side" of the shunt or the "battery side" I assume its "load side"
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Old 08-18-2019, 03:59 PM   #10
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Gotcha But do I connect it to the "load side" of the shunt or the "battery side" I assume its "load side"

If you are asking about the physical monitor connection...it connects via an RJ12 telephone cable connection to a connector on the shunt, not on the load or battery sides. The monitor itself only draws .7 amps per month--essentially negligible.

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Old 08-18-2019, 05:14 PM   #11
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If you are asking about the physical monitor connection...it connects via an RJ12 telephone cable connection to a connector on the shunt, not on the load or battery sides. The monitor itself only draws .7 amps per month--essentially negligible.

Attachment 349825
No sorry I did not include the quote to the post I was replying to, I was wondering about the inverter connection
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Old 08-18-2019, 05:23 PM   #12
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Connect the inverter on the load size. Also recommend you upgrade the cable that connects the BMV to the battery to a 2 or 1 gauge.
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Old 08-18-2019, 05:36 PM   #13
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Connect the inverter on the load size. Also recommend you upgrade the cable that connects the BMV to the battery to a 2 or 1 gauge.
Definitely, if OP is using just one cable from battery to shunt, since it needs to carry house and inverter load. I switched to 2 ga.

But if OP wants to avoid pulling new battery cable, can just cut existing inverter wire (4 ga likely is there), add connectors and install on either side of shunt (end from battery on 'battery' side of shunt, and other end that goes to inverter on 'load' side). As well as the existing battery wire (likely 6 ga) from battery to shunt. So both wires from battery to 'battery' side of shunt. This will leave the total capacity like it was from the factory (6 ga for 12v house and 4 ga for inverter). But again, my preference was to go with one wire to the battery to the shunt (2ga) and then from there 4ga to the inverter and 6 ga to neg bus. This is with my 1,000 watt inverter. (With a blue seas 3-way cutoff switch in the middle of it all though).
(Posting this for Mike, I know you know all this Wulf!)
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Old 08-18-2019, 06:35 PM   #14
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I have a 2016 FC RB Twin and want to install a battery monitor, but not sure where to place the shunt, can someone tell me if either spot is correct, on the attached photo OR are both WRONG
A. The shunt should always go on the negative battery lead between the negative-most terminal, and the chassis (or electrical) ground. That way you can track everything that goes into and out of the battery.
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Old 08-24-2019, 05:54 PM   #15
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I am a da

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Originally Posted by rmkrum View Post
A. Always right in the negative lead from the batteries. You will need a short heavy jumper wire from the shunt to the bussbar. Should be at least as big wire size as the negative lead from the batteries.

Idea is to monitor ALL the current going into and out of the batteries so the monitor knows what is going on.
Ok I am lost, and know I will be called a DA on here for posting the question, but here goes do I need to just disconnect the white and black wire from the bus bar in the photo, put them on the battery side of the shunt and add 2 more wires from my sunt to the bus bar? I believe i have a good mental picture of how it should go on if I was placing it outside in the battery box, but I would like to place it inside (See Photo)
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Old 08-25-2019, 12:02 PM   #16
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Mike, that is not the inverter, that is the connection box where your 7-pin umbilical from the tow vehicle comes in. No need to touch that at all. See the big fuse at the top with the red wires in your pic? One of those wires will lead you to the inverter, and next to it at the inverter you'll see the inverter negative wire.

For the rest of your question, I think that's the right black wire from your batteries that goes to the bus bar, just be sure. You want the black cable from the batteries (probably 6 awg) that goes to the bus bar to be interrupted by the shunt. Then same thing for wire that presently comes in from batteries and goes directly to inverter (probably 4 awg cable.) No need to touch any white wires on the bus bar. Note that in your installation, the bus bar is under the use/store switch, in mine it was mounted to the right of the switch. Same thing though.

See attached pic. You can see my (-) wire from battery, I have only one because I upgraded to 2 ga wire to carry the inverter and house load, eliminating the second wire. You will have two in your case, the 4 awg inverter wire and the 6 awg battery wire, connected to that side of shunt. Then other side of shunt will have 6awg going to bus bar and 4 awg going on to the inverter, you can see both in my pic. The third black wire in my pic is 8ga coming from my solar controller, so you can disregard that.
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Old 08-25-2019, 01:19 PM   #17
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Mike, that is not the inverter, that is the connection box where your 7-pin umbilical from the tow vehicle comes in. No need to touch that at all. See the big fuse at the top with the red wires in your pic? One of those wires will lead you to the inverter, and next to it at the inverter you'll see the inverter negative wire.

For the rest of your question, I think that's the right black wire from your batteries that goes to the bus bar, just be sure. You want the black cable from the batteries (probably 6 awg) that goes to the bus bar to be interrupted by the shunt. Then same thing for wire that presently comes in from batteries and goes directly to inverter (probably 4 awg cable.) No need to touch any white wires on the bus bar. Note that in your installation, the bus bar is under the use/store switch, in mine it was mounted to the right of the switch. Same thing though.

See attached pic. You can see my (-) wire from battery, I have only one because I upgraded to 2 ga wire to carry the inverter and house load, eliminating the second wire. You will have two in your case, the 4 awg inverter wire and the 6 awg battery wire, connected to that side of shunt. Then other side of shunt will have 6awg going to bus bar and 4 awg going on to the inverter, you can see both in my pic. The third black wire in my pic is 8ga coming from my solar controller, so you can disregard that.
Attachment 350422
THANK YOU I went back to my TT this morning and found both wires, my problem was I could not see them coming in from the floor, but now I found them, I am going to splice in the wires but now need to find a crimp tool that will allow me to work in a tight space, I do not think a hammer crimp tool is an option, may try the hydraulic crimp tool THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP Mike
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Old 08-25-2019, 03:23 PM   #18
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Hi

Take a look at the battery box. You may find other things attached there .....

=====

I would always mount the readout where it can (maybe with some effort) be accessed. You never know when you might have a dead phone *and* want to know what's going on with the power system .... ummm .... errrrrr ..... both *can* happen at the same time

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Old 08-25-2019, 05:38 PM   #19
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I would always mount the readout where it can (maybe with some effort) be accessed. You never know when you might have a dead phone *and* want to know what's going on with the power system .... ummm .... errrrrr ..... both *can* happen at the same time
Bob
I mounted mine in the galley near the tank monitors...I like being able to glance at the amps frequently when I pass by (without being obsessed, of course ) to see what's happening and manage my power usage as may be dictated by what kind of sunlight my panels are getting.
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Old 09-04-2019, 09:44 AM   #20
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Just installed one. 25FB

U need to install as close to battery as possible if. It directly to neg pole. My batteries are in parrallel so see pic below.

It is a multi hour job to put it anywhere else than directly to battery (per the am solar guys) so I just weatherproofed it and hooked it up and left in the battery box. Works sweet. But if you hook it up wrong the info won’t be accurate as far as time remaining , amp draw, etc
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