The side labeled -BATTERY must be connected to the battery neg post and the side marked -LOAD must see the system negative loads. DO NOT wire this backwards or it will not work properly. Shunts are not really directional devices but because Victron added the printed circuit board / UTP cable connector it does make it directional. The Victron shunt is quite unique because they have added a printed circuit board to it so that wiring is much easier. The Victron BMV-602S is pictured on the right and bears little resemblance to the TBS built monitors. They have proven to be solid though very expensive units.Ībout the time Xantrex signed on to re-label the TBS monitors Victron found a new manufacturer to build their units, though I don't know who it is. It also offered a computer interface option something new to battery monitors at the time.Įventually Xantrex made the switch to all TBS built battery monitors such as the current Link-Lite and Link-Pro. The XBM was the identical monitor to the Victron 501 and was a very, very reliable device. Xantrex then found TBS Electronics in the Netherlands and began importing and re-branding the TBS made monitor as the Xantrex XBM (pictured in the middle). Somewhere along the way Cruising Equipment became Heart Interface and then Xantrex bought Heart Interface. Despite many of the "LINK" products tending to be a little buggy they were generally well regarded and loved by boaters. The original Link 10 was manufactured by Cruising Equipment Company and they really started a good thing. I personally use a Xantrex Link Pro on my own boat but they all do basically the same thing and all work well.įrom left to right I have three generations of battery monitor represented. I chose to do this article with the Victron BMV-602S. A Victron BMV-600 single bank monitor can be purchased on my site Here (LINK) for $184.25. Currently the Victron units are the easiest to install and also the least expensive making them a good value. Blue Seas, Xantrex, Ample Power, BEP, Victron, NASA and a few others make them. There are a fair number of monitors on the market. They are actually easy to install but there are a couple of "gotcha" traps that you may find your self falling victim to. People often ask me questions about how to install a battery monitor so I took some time and tried to make it simple. With new battery technologies costing three to ten times what wet cell technology does and many boaters moving to newer technologies such as Gel, AGM, TPPL and LiIon accurate monitoring of an expensive bank is almost a prerequisite. When properly installed, calibrated and monitored they can extend the life of a battery bank especially when used smartly. The battery monitor is a very useful tool for a boat-owner who has to survive on battery power.
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