Best Battery Monitors for RVs & 12V - 48V Solar Batteries

[@footprinthero]

Battery monitors in this video, in no particular order (affiliate links) AiLi - amzn.to/3D4KNa0 Renogy - amzn.to/3XKRo2W Victron SmartShunt - amzn.to/3CZSka5 Victron BMV-712 - amzn.to/3O39hqb ~ Other things I mentioned (affiliate links) Knockoff SmartShunt - amzn.to/3pAZoa1 All About RV's video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoDFeZWpiKmKm7M Victron wall-mounted enclosure - amzn.to/46GUdGk ~ I tried to cover pretty much everything I thought was important (and wasn’t already covered in lots of other KZbin videos), but inevitably there will be some things that I left out. In some ways, I feel like I barely scratched the surface! Feel free to ask any questions and I’ll answer them as best I can!

[@MaritimeUnprepared]

Are you a member of the Foot Clan?🐢

[@ronbridegroom8428]

It is very apparent you put a lot of effort into making this video and testing these units and providing excellent information. thanks

[@footprinthero]

I really appreciate hearing that, I'm glad the effort came across :)

[@Awas79]

Absolutely the video I was looking for, love it

[@nickgood8166]

Learnt alot. Thanks! Greetings from Pretoria. A curmudgeonly 63 year old Englishman fitting out his Hilux. Going Victron 712. Together with Victron B to B, AC and Solar MPPT chargers. It's tough in Africa, but somebody has to do it...

[@tomskimcdouglegaming806]

Dunno why any sane person would choose to live there, especially a white person.

[@kimmer6]

The Renogy monitor is my favorite. You can see that the battery is charging from 30 feet away as the screen brightens and dims about once a second during charge mode. All parameters can be read without scrolling through the screen. This became very helpful in remote monitoring. For $55 outlay, I can read my monitor from any place in the world where I get a cell signal. I don't need no steenkeen Bluetooth. Dude!!!! That remaining time function recalculates the time even if you slam the inverter with full load, back it off, turn on the AC unit, etc. This does not require constant loads as you mentioned. It takes about 20 seconds to give a pretty accurate time remaining reading. PLUS.... when the solar panels on a day when clouds and clear spots vary the solar input, the time remaining function recalculates the time remaining to the full 100% full battery. It's fun to watch the changes in real time. Throw on the microwave over then watch it recalculate the new charge finish time. The thing is mesmerizing! I have several systems here and the 500 amp shunt Renogy meter is my go-to unit. I just put a 460ah Vatrer battery, renogy inverter, Renogy Rover MPPT controller in my friend's Class C motorhome. It got the Renogy panel monitor as well and he likes it.

[@kimmer6]

Here's an Amazon $55 Pet Cam monitoring a Renogy screen. The scan lines are from the really cheap LED desk lamp that stays on 24/7. The cell picture is sharper than shown. It pans, tilts and zooms from the cell phone and has 2 way speaker....and laser pointer! I can hear the inverter fan if its running from miles away at any time I choose. It also has a Victron Smart Shunt which is practically useless to me as the Bluetooth signal won't make it through the wall out of the shop. The Renogy volt meter reads 0.3 volts too low as noted and should be 27.2 volts. No big deal. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3XZZKmiaLyfd68

[@SayWhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat]

RENOGY IS CHEAPEST CHINESE CRAP SOLD AT SUPER HIGH PRICE

[@kimmer6]

@@SayWhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat Whatever you say. I have not had a single Renogy inverter fail. The 3kw inverter on my 7200 watt hour battery pack has run 2 garage chest freezers continuously since 2019. I have never had a Renogy battery meter fail. I probably installed 14 Renogy inverters and maybe 10 MPPT charge controllers for family and friends over the last 5 years in motorhomes, vans, a boat, 2 cabins. Their BT-1 and BT-2 Bluetooth aps read through my walls where the Victron smart shunt will not. I build these systems as a retirement hobby and not as a business. I don't have any connection to Renogy, don't get discounts, never got their stuff or anybody else's for free. I had a WZRLB 24 volt 3kw inverter fail under gentle use after 14 months. My Growatt 100 amp MPPT failed after a year. In place are a pair of 60 amp Renogy units that perform flawlessly since August 2022. I put the date when installed on green painter's tape to track these things. My guess is that I have built many more solar/battery/inverter units than you have. I stick by the brand as reliable. And, almost ALL inverters and related solar components are made in China.

[@colewelden]

​​@@kimmer6I won't agree with as much conviction as he did, but the Renogy version of the TF03K is one of the more expensive ones. There are dozens of them that are identical shunts and screen, just with different plastic fromt bezels. They sell for between $50 and $100. LiTime and Power Queen are two of the more popular brands that slso sell the exact same monitor. It is a massively reproduced chinese product. Renogy definitely didn't design it, or produce it. Same goes for their inverters and charge controllers, at the very least. It doesn't mean they are crap. It just means they looked for an existing product that met their standards, rebranded it as their own, and then sold them as a Renogy brand monitor. I'd reccomend looking for a cheaper TF03K, as they will all perform the same.

[@MrToede]

@@kimmer6 This is the third time I've seen a KZbin video showing that a Growatt brand inverter has failed in just one year of use. I'm now looking at Voltronic models, and so far the only one that convinces me is the "King II" model. Regarding the Renogy battery monitor, I think there's a "Baiway" brand that has exactly the same model. I don't know who copied who.

[@gr7485]

Excellent comparisons. Thank you for the work you put into making it. A few months ago, before I watched this video, I chose the VictronSmartShunt 500 for its bluetooth capability thus no need run wires or cut holes for a monitor. Works beautifully and communicates nicely with the other Victron BT aware hardware I use. No extra cost dongles required. 👍🏼

[@beaudeanbest]

The review was so in depth and we'll edited and u learnt alot of stuff 10/10

[@JeepTJay6]

I had the Renogy monitor and LOVED how visible the stats were on that big green screen. Unfortunately it started giving faults readings and died on me after about a year. I also noticed something really peculiar about the startup screen. While bench testing it right before I declared its time of death so to speak. I noticed that when it first booted up it would flash 350A on the screen as apposed to 500A. Also, for some reason mine didn't have the screen brightness adjustment I saw in reviews before I bought it. I almost have to wonder if mine might have been a counterfeit or something. I did a video on it a while back. If you're interested it's up on my channel. I ended up with the Victron Smart on my starter battery and the BMV-712 on my battery bank. I'm the "overkill" type LOL. I do miss that Renogy screen though😢 Anyway, Great monitor comparison you've put together here. You've earned a sub and a like from me. ;-)

[@Kittycat822]

Thanks for the info. I just picked up the Renogy for $53 cyber Monday so a good budget buy. I plan to get a lithium battery this spring so doing research and your video made me feel like I made a good decision. Thx again.

[@jasonbroom7147]

I watch way too many of these types of videos. I've installed two of the monitors you tested. You did an excellent job of explaining how each of these work and their relative merits. SUB'D!

[@DL_Tech_]

Great video, I work support for a LiFePO4 company so have been sending this to customers to show how to install and the differences in monitors.

[@KTMsteve]

47 page manual for a battery monitor is kind of ridiculous. Also, fail on the low SoC alarm! i went with the renogy. great tip on mounting the shunt to the negative pole side

[@loveaviation]

I have 2 Renogy monitors, one in my car and the other home. I got to this video searching the attenuation feature that Renogy customer service told you to not bother setting. So I am also not going to mess with it. Thanks for the video!

[@footprinthero]

Lol yeah I couldn't find anything on it when I searched... glad you found that part helpful

[@noodlefoo]

I have the $44 model similar to AiLi (most likely same manufacturer) to monitor my portable Lithium battery box. It works well and does all I need.

[@jneto8794]

That's a great video, tons of information straight to the point. Thank you!

[@StevenLucasMarketing]

Juntek do a shunt with a screen or Bluetooth. A liitle pricier than the AlLi but a lot less than the Victron. It has a separate box that attaches to the shunt and an app to connect it.

[@sumyunguy777]

Thank you for the comparisons. This will help me out lot.

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome. Glad to hear that :)

[@kpbarbee]

As always the video was thorough, clear and fair. Ideas for Future Videos: Sun trackers, small wind turbines (for campers or trailers), solar water pumps, a/c for off-grid...

[@jampskan5690]

This video provided great insight regarding differences in features available for commonly used battery monitors that are available in the market today, as well as providing details on the different price points for them. Every setup has different needs, and thanks to this video I can be more confident in my purchase. (I'm buying the Victron screen boi, since you can control a relay, it will be perfect to monitor a mobile auxiliary battery I will be using to power my ham radio in my car. Relay will be used to turn on the DC-DC charging circuit, as this auxiliary battery will be charged from my alternator.)

[@coreymartin9630]

I've actually seen the situation at 7:24 happen. When I was deployed, I was involved in swapping batteries in the Giant Voice towers. One of our guys accidentally touched the wrench handle to the grounded cabinet door while undoing one of the positive terminals and welded it together. We knocked it off with a hammer and quenched it with some water with a nice satisfying sizzle sound. Definitely no joke

[@shelley131]

Great video that was perfect timing, as I am in the process of a portable diy project just using a 12V lithium battery connected to a 12V fridge. Thanks.

[@TyScott85]

Great video. You covered everything I would need. I went with the Renogy

[@maxkandt]

great video! good length, not fuzz around, just straightfacs and impressions! great quality

[@footprinthero]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@RichardSwift]

Very informative, thanks! I'll go with the Victron Smart Shunt.

[@LennyKaosium]

Outstanding presentation. I understand this type of product much better now. Thank you

[@youcanthide004]

This was a great video thanks man. I appreciate your effort. Very well done

[@DC-wg7us]

Informative video, thanks for your work

[@strikemaster1]

Good job mate. Thanks. Reckon I will go with the Renogy because I like the bigger screen also for oldies hehe.

[@chimpmunkboy8850]

Great video, thanks! I bought the smart shunt with your link.

[@jamesfalvey77]

Bought 2 victron 500 amp smart shunts. Love them!

[@matthewwakeham2206]

The two victron shunts are a similar price in the UK but I ordered the waterproof smartshunt as i thought it would be more durable and less wiring. Not having the display isnt much of a negative if you can check on your phone. Also the victron smartshunts can join a Bluetooth network with other victron smart devices and act as a voltage reference for them so for example the smart solar charge controller will adjust it's charging voltage based on the shunt and this allows it to account for voltage drops in the cables. I believe it can even derate is output if it detects too much voltage drop indicating too small cable or a bad connection.

[@northerncaptain855]

Good video, appreciate your obvious effort.

[@CristiPopescu-k8g]

Another cool video, thank you! I was feeling a bit guilty about purchasing the victron smartshunt, it's not very expensive but i was trying to keep the budget as small as possible. I even considering not buying the battery monitor at all, just using the voltage, but i really wanted the victron's history feature, to be able to see my usage trends. Anyway, after seeing the other battery monitors and their price, i think the victron smartshunt is totally worth it

[@MRLOVERLOVER696]

Very good unbiased review. Thank you

[@trevorcampbell2771]

Nice one. Great video. Obviously a lot of work and thought went into this Thanks!

[@TheComputerman2004]

Thanks. I have a clone of your budget pick. I couldn't set the amp hour successfully following all the instructions. I tried again while watching your video and suddenly it worked. I do a lot of research into rebranding. Find fangpusun you might recognize the blue paint. Take care

[@AwakeningProcedure]

You did a great job brother thanks

[@mortalopus]

dude I love your videos!

[@footprinthero]

Thank you!!

[@chilibeanhere]

Enjoyed your presentation and info. thanks.

[@daninbenson]

Thanks for a great video! I appreciate your efforts and the info!

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome :)

[@ScottDLR]

Very helpful vid. I'm leaning towards the Renogy because as you stated, it shows so much at a glance. It would be nice to have BT but in my case, I don't think I'll be watching it charge as much as I will be watching it discharge and I'll be close enough to the monitor to see it.

[@WD40W1]

Hi , may I ask you a question? If I build a battery bank and want to accurate measure the level of discharging the individual battery, battery monitor should be add to every single battery or one monitor for whole battery bank? thanks. konrad

[@carolstraquadine3608]

I would like to know this also. Thanks for asking. Hopefully someone will answer.

[@lincolnbarlow4778]

Just one monitor for the whole battery bank will be sufficient. It's not necessary to monitor each battery, instead make sure to use a battery monitor with mid point monitoring if you're battery bank is a 24 or 48volt bank.

[@danbaxley]

Thank, a very informative presentation. Much appreciated

[@tonydtom536]

Thanks for the video it is definitley helpful.

[@namzy410]

Would have been great if you compared accuracy

[@Mobile.recording]

I got the cheapest one on amazon for like $10 and works well since 2018

[@thomasstieglitz5917]

Great video review! a lot of work thank you!

[@greavous93]

Good video! You covered a lot of subject matter which sounded well thought out. Your gen needs to look at a phone to function in life so I LOLed when you were disappointed in the units without BT. Im building a "portable" dual 100 Ah batteries with solar and grid charging and some bells and whistles. It all fits into a DeWalt Tough System 2.0 rolling tool box and im wanting some sort of monitor. Thanks for you opinions.

[@ChristiannTyler]

I’m new to trying to build my dual battery system but I’m trying to make it chargeable via solar panels when at camp is there a way to monitor input/output of what the alternator is supplying but also monitor what’s happening when on solar. I plan to put it all in a large pelican case so it’s portable.

[@stevenchase2066]

How would you do this with 3 batteries to make a 36 volt system. Do you connect the power to the same battery as negative or the positive of the battery that makes it 36v

[@stedyone1090]

Let me know the answer Thanks 😊

[@no_thanks_mate]

great informative video. cheers

[@JetseBroos]

Good comparison, thank you.

[@electronics.unmessed]

Good review! Many thanks for the video.

[@footprinthero]

My pleasure!

[@mick2d2]

Great video, thanks for the indepth comparison.

[@ondmon818]

good video, i noticed there are different amp ranges of the aili monitor on ebay, my setup is a 130ah agm with a 500w pure sine wave inverter to run a laptop and yamaha thr guitar amp as soundbar- there's no way that is going to draw anyway near 50A? am i right in that because the 350A monitor you reviewed would be total overkill for my needs

[@metroman-guy]

Thank you for the video I have been looking for a good battery monitor.

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome, hopefully this helped with your search!

[@stevejohnson3557]

Thanks for a well done video! I am having some trouble with the batteries on my 5th wheel….. batteries loosing a cell on marine batteries! I am going to install a battery monitor! Possibly the Victron shunt! Your video was very informative! 👍🏼

[@MrSummitville]

A "marine" battery? Why aren't you using a true Deep-Cycle battery?

[@stevejohnson3557]

@@MrSummitville

[@DexterGoneWild]

Should check out the Renogy ONE Core! Mine came as a bundle deal with the DC-DC charger and saved me about $250.

[@ras8678]

one thing that you could have added and tested for is idle power consumption. I can't speak for the ones tested but some of the budget/knockoff brand ones do have a higher idle power consumption.

[@its_me_JZ]

I'm looking at picking up the Renogy, but I'm wondering if you need to reset the capacity everytime you disconnect the battery? With zub zero temps I plan to disconnect the battery to store/charge in the house when not in use.

[@ronbridegroom8428]

Very good review. Thanks

[@footprinthero]

You're welcome!

[@DeFiDuke]

TBD - can you do a review?

[@fredyow5395]

Can you use the victron monitor with the other shunts?

[@boondockduane]

The Victron smart shunt is best with Cerbo GX Get the Victron BMV-712 if not using a Victron Cerbo GX System

[@Lion2232]

Hey Alex! It's a great informative video. Helped me a lot to understand the best bang for buck option. Is there any way that you could look into 'Renogy One' interface and how that can be used in a basic 12V aux battery system? Thanks!

[@ShaneS071]

the Victron Alarm will send you notifications, when you set the alarm levels under Alarm Rules in the VRM portion of the app, once you set the alarm parameters you select which users connected the said device which will be notified

[@anthonyglaser929]

how well would these work if you have more than on battery, like a battery array? Would this still work or would you need one monitor for each battery? btw thanks for posting,

[@bdmenne]

Good stuff

[@danilovicioso3852]

Hola Alex. Thanks for posting the video. Is there a monitor on the market that uses Wifi so I can see remotely?

[@ringonotts]

It would be really nice to understand how accurate each monitor is when drawing say 2A, 100A, 300A and 500A. Most systems use around 1-10A most of the time, yet when you do use that inverter and draw excesses of 200A you also need it to be accurate. You would hope the more expensive shunts are calibrated - but who knows!

[@Robertmillsjr]

Get the Victron Smart Shunt, use Bluetooth on your smartphone. No need for the display unless you want a relay trigger for something. I bought a bunch of cheap Solar components now I’m upgrading to Victron. Should have done it right the first time. The Victron system is all integrated together. LiTime batteries are very good tho. You can at least buy those cheap.

[@tracymeskel2839]

I have the victron smart shunt. I use an old iPhone, for a monitor. My husband can see the percentage of the battery, so he knows how much power we have.

[@tomdenapoli5313]

Are there monitors you've reviewed for multiple battery installations? ie 2 starting batteries, house and spare, both lead-acid and lithium in the mix?

[@eddiebagonickels]

Great reviews! Question... If you disconnect the battery from the monitor, do you need to reprogram it the next time you reconnect the battery or are the settings maintained? I'm most curious about the AiLi, but interested in the behavior for all of them. Thanks

[@gr7485]

I can partially answer your question. I use the Victron SmartShunt and the memory is nonvolatile as the settings and data are stored in the Victron Connect app whether it be a phone or computer. Via Bluetooth it can also share data between other compatible Victron BT devices.

[@eddiebagonickels]

I ended up buying this and I can answer my own questions now. I am happy to report that the settings ARE in fact saved when the battery is disconnected and reconnected.

[@bushysadventures1845]

Top, video wish i had of found it a week ago, as i couldnt work out the atten on the renogy shunt, after an hour of google and videos finally found it dont need to be set. 😅

[@footprinthero]

😅 yeah I really wish they'd put more instruction on when/how to use it or just get rid of the setting if they advice is NOT to use it lol

[@bushysadventures1845]

@@footprinthero indeed it really is pointless and has everyone who is trying to set it up scratching there heads.

[@whispers391]

I bought a 712 to replace the old cheapo a month ago and the only bonus is bluetooth but I hardly ever check it

[@elgs1980]

2:08 this seems to be a chicken/egg question. How did you know your battery was fully charged?

[@davej7434]

Why get a shunt if I can get a battery with Bluetooth monitoring? Aren't they the same thing, monitor each battery?

[@stephendill1128]

Your review seemed pretty good. But, there was an issue that you didn't answer that I found in another product. The smart monitors that connect to a phone/tablet with bluetooth. Will the app still function if your phone/tablet has no connection to the internet? I have a product where the app becomes useless if the phone can not connect to the internet and this has become important to me for future purchase considerations.

[@Merlin-Power]

Really insightful video, great stuff! I wonder how our DataCell, the World's most accurate battery monitor, would compare to the 3 in this video? 👀

[@alohahoward1]

I just bought the Victron Smart Shunt and I was disappointing that there is no way to down load the history. However, I don't believe any of the other shunt interfaces have that feature either.

[@dyslectische]

Victron you have to connect a zoemer on the hardware . Read the manual.

[@nlanwebb]

Will the shunt getting wet hurt? thinking about this for a jet ski

[@colewelden]

The victron one has an "IP" version rhat is waterproof. All the cables are built into the shunt so no way to replace the cables. It is waterproof though.

[@ignaughtglautz2608]

What about the TRIMETRIC TM2030 from BOGART INDUSTRIES, I have heard it is excellent.

[@RucioLoco-p2x]

Hi, I still dont understand something about shunts... My system is 24v and my battery bank is a total 1000ah, will any shunt work!?.

[@Yg-xm8rj]

Would these work on an electric motorcycle battery? (72v 50Ah)

[@adamsisernik4556]

I have Battery discharging limit problem with my two batteries: - Basen Green 11.7kWh 51.2V (BG) - Ecoflow Delta pro - inverter 3,6 kWh 48V (DP) BG charges DP via XT60 (solar) input with power 8A - 420W when necessary. With DP inverter I can't set BG as not to empty itself completely! Please for help, what or how could I do to prevent BG from draining to 0%? Can you suggest some Battery monitor that can stop charging on voltage limit?

[@oday3514]

Two that you should have included are the SmartGauge (Balmar) Battery Monitor (~$230) and the BM2 Bluetooth Battery Monitor (~$30). I have both on my boat, and prefer the BM2.

[@janeguo-yt9vy]

can u advise link of BM2？very interested in it.

[@tariqusman2250]

I have 2V battery cells stack of 24 nos. of batteries. Can I check the stack with one battery monitor ? Total Volts 48V and each battery is 400AH.

[@stevehendsbee7094]

Is the Renogy screen waterproof?

[@jamesgibbons6292]

I'm running 2 100AH Lifepro4 batteries on my boat for my trolling motor. I need to be able to see how much capacity I have left while on the water. I currently have 2 12 volt gauges that run from the batteries. I'm confused about this whole state of charge or capacity thing. I have read about capacity being different from the voltage. I just want to see the power left without spending a bunch of money. Help would be appreciated.

[@stedyone1090]

I need same info for my boat. Let me know if you get any answers. Thanks 😊

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

AiLi is very accurate for my 220+ kWh of LFP.

[@M4ketech]

Interesting. Victron battery protect would be better over the Victron shunt. Victron battery protect has also Bluetooth, but it has also alarm + led when battery voltage drops to given value + its way cheaper.

[@Sinerwray]

My batteries are 600ah will the 99$ one work with it?

[@lawndog6218]

Go to Harbor freight and pick up a non-conducting ratchet,to prevent shorting when installing.

[@murkinday]

Does anyone run the Renogy with 2 batteries? and any issues with genuine stats?

[@dragon90815]

Any battery monitors that aren't online

[@daviddinsmore20]

Both of the Victron products have a guaranteed accuracy of 0.4% while the Renogy and Ali Express are rated for 1%. That's a 2.5X difference and I bet the cheaper products don't even match the 1% number that is advertised. It would be very useful to actually measure the accuracy (especially the current measurement). I do understand that to do this you need a way to compare to a 0.1% (or better measurement) system. I feel the better accuracy of the Victron products justifies the additional price.

[@ryanalder9691]

That Victron accuracy is out the window on the bluetooth model. When you lose or disconnect/reconnect bluetooth, the SOC can report incorrectly. As in, if you are at 90% SOC then lose connection, it will read 100% when you connect again.

[@daviddinsmore20]

I was not talking about SOC accuracy I was just referring to the the basic voltage and current accuracy. The AHr number in particular is very closely tied to the current measurement. In fact the AHr is simply based on current and time. I am sure the time measurement in the BMV-712 is very accurate as very good microprocessor crystals have gotten very cheap, therefore the majority of error in the AHr reading is the current measurement. When I evaluate charging runs I record the starting and ending AHr number on the Victron, When I do a discharge run I do the same thing (recording the starting and ending AHr number from the Vitron) and also compare that to my electronic load (Mayuno M9713, 600W, 45A). The Maynuo is freshly calibrated (Jan 2023 by Tektronix) and has a current readout accuracy spec of (0.05% + 0.05%FS @ 12A, 0.1% + 0.08%FS @ 45A). The Victron current reads within about 0.2% of the Maynuo.

[@ryanalder9691]

@@daviddinsmore20 most people that buy these are not doing discharge runs or accuracy checks. They are installing them in their build and using them to try to figure out how much is left in their battery. Like I said, the problem with the Bluetooth only victron unit is that when Bluetooth disconnects and reconnects, either by the user doing it or Bluetooth just falling off, the number goes back to 100% if the voltage is the same. As we all know, lithium batteries have a very stable voltage until they are almost fully discharged. I am not talking about the unit with a display.

[@lincolnbarlow4778]

​@@ryanalder9691something is wrong with your smart shunt then because mine certainly doesn't behave like that.

[@jimhanty8149]

The 712 is by far the Best Buy…it’s 70 bucks more but worth every cent in the real world…

[@markf1441]

Victron BMV-712 it has a relay output and you didn't say anything ! Maybe that's why it's more expensive, not just for the wider bluetooth coverage.