you deserve more. you're our unofficial lab. I don't buy things before I check your verdict.. I honestly think you should make a "wishlist" then put all the things you would love to have. most of us are happy to get them for you.
It is all about the beer and sharing my experience...😂 I already have most of the equipment now but yeah, I still have some items on my list but we will get there over time.
Name: Off Grid Garage Cerbo GX. Another great video Andy and a very nice new toy to play with. Waited ages for a com cable for my 3 x Seplos “Suntorque” 5kw batteries, it arrived, and i still cant get communication with the BMS’s. After 6 months of ginning around I have got them working ok, sort of, but they have been a real hassle to get going right. I bumped the voltage a little (56v) from 55.2v and they jumped from around 70% to 98-100% soon after, so I am guessing the SOC reporting is actually triggered by voltage, but that is a big jump from 70-100%, hopefully this has reset the BMS and it will work better now & Ill drop off the voltage again. Love ur vids & look forward them. Cheers
Thanks for sharing, Evan. I hope Seplos can get it sorted as I have the JK-BMSes on my fingertips and ready to go. I won't be mucking around much with the Seplos any more if they don't work.
Great Andy 😊. No new suggestion because already mentioned: OGG Cerbo GX. In a few months i will start to install my own off grid system in my expedition truck with a Cerbo GX. I learned much from you. Thank you. Keep going on. Greetings from South Tyrol in Italy. 😊
As always - thanks Andy, great stuff. 👍 You’ll be able to keep the lights on in your whole street by the time you’ve finished building your Powerwalls.
Andy, please check which production number the Cerbo has. The most recent one have a quality issue and the power input and can only stand 12 and 24 Volts but NOT 48V, except you solder a capacitor over the DC input! Quite a shame for a quality company like Victron. I bought one and burned it, now I know why......
@@tujuprojects Yeah, I didn‘t know and it is hanging off the 48V System right now on my remote property. If I cant find such a capacitor I will feed 12v to it too
Very generous of Ed to donate some items. I'm not familiar with the Cerbo GX but look forward to seeing if it provides anything beyond what you already had.
The Cerbo acts basically as the communication central point, same as the Raspberry Pi does. They both run the exact same software. The Cerbo has the advantage of having all these connection points and advanced functionality with programming and relays outputs.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like anyone "needing" the Cerbo would be a rare case (as the Raspberry Pi seems to have served you well). I hope you are able to find a use for the extra features.
@@gumpster6 The Raspi is totally fine for for these installations. But they are very hard to get and if, prices are super high. So there is not much to save when using a Pi vs the Cerbo.
Caution with the Cerbo GX as l think the HDMI metal socket is battery negative. My system developed a positive earth fault, and I blew up my first Cerbo when I added a mains powered LCD monitor which earthed the HDMI lead screening.
@@davidmills2266 No I had a full earth short to my positive Aux supply which was Breaker'd at 6A. So, the 13A UK socket earth was at +25V potential DC, through the LCD monitor, through the HDMI lead and big spark when the earth pin touched the socket and no Cerbo GX anymore. So, I assumed the Cerbo GX HDMI socket shield is at -VE potential?
With the cerbo GX the touch screen are powered by the USB port next to the HDMI. I added a noname 7"touch screen and it woks perfectly at mine. But now I'm trying to make a raspberryPI VenusOS for my brother and it seems to work fine with Touchscreen after a little coding on the PI.
The Cerbo GX is so so so easy to use and set up compared to the RasPi, you'll love it. I'm about to put one in my van (yes I finally bit the bullet and went full Victron). And the Ruuvitags are something a customer of mine installs all the time with my batteries. he often puts one in the fridge, one in the freezer, one in the battery/inverter compartment of a caravan, and sometimes even more. I've just convinced Solar4RV's (a shop down here in Melbourne) to stock them, so now you know where you can order more when you want to monitor each BMS as well as the SPAT fridge. ;)
May I suggest using the touch50 or touch70 screens? 2 reasons, 1: it can be powered directly from the cerbo by the usb port next to the hdmi port, 2: it is touch sensitive. This will stop any funny earthing issues by using externaly powered moniters. Congrats on the cerbo,I had to ditch my pi because of no canhat availability in my area, I got hold of a venus gx. Just a quick tip for the CAN setup, my batteries did not get detected, the reason was the incorrect can settings, my gx was on "VE.Can & Lynx Ion BMS (250kbit/s). It should be CAN-bus BMS (500 kbit/s). Access this from: Settings - Services - VE.Can port - CAN-bus profile. Also the RJ45 is not a straight or cross (A-B) configuration, so just make sure you get the correct config for VE.Can and your battery(s)... Good luck Andy, lots of decisions.
Fun fact: There's 7" Touch screens available for a fraction of the price, they're made for Raspis. About 80€ instead of 350... Although I haven't gotten the touch functionality working on mine yet, but it might just be because I don't have a micro usb cable with data pins...
Thank you. I like the wireless display far more than having a HDMI connection. I'm using my old tablet for that reason. I also use the remote console on my mobile phone and computer inside the house. Yeah, the CAN needs to be on 500kB/s for the Seplos battery for example.
Where do you get your cable run covers the. Cable ways I need a way to cover my conked without costing an arm and a leg and I like the plastic run ways
I have a Victron SmartSolar charge controller 250 | 85 an I intend to buy a LiFePO4 battery. Is there any danger for this charger if the BMS of the battery disconnects the battery and the charger is still connected to the solar panels array?
I have tested this many times with my controllers and disconnected the battery under full charge. The Victron controllers can handle that and go into absorption mode/voltage, still supplying power to your loads if they can keep up.
Now you have the Cerbo GX are you going to have to get a new set of VE-direct cable , or can you still use the VE-direct to usb cables ? Because to me the Cerbo GX used a different set of cable which are cheaper and doesn't look like there is any electronics between the 2 VE-direct plugs ?.
Hi Peter, We can still use the USB adapters as well as VE.Direct cables. It can be a mix of all sort of connections now. That is one advantage of the Cerbo, it takes everything. You're correct, the VE.Direct cables don't use any converters, it's a pure RS232 signal I believe. Victron still recommends using the VE.Direct to RS232 adapter because of the galvanic isolation circuits they have.
Oh wow, I can't believe they still haven't fixed that yet. I assume that only the new BMS can communicate between different batteries. They should replace yours for free.
Its good to see a reputable solar mentor cracking a beer open every now and then while we are learning from all the content. Its a bit like going to an IPAF course and seeing your instructor doing the same so you can pass the course more relaxed.
Name: Offgrid Garage vici (Vici for victron) Why don’t you try a Batrium BMS, it can manage many cluster together. It would be interesting You are the best 👍🏻 weiter so
Thanks Mario. I'm in contact with Batrium for a while but wanted to test consumer grade BMS. Not many people will buy the (overpriced) Batrium solution.
15:19 - finally the Cerbo GX my lovely grown up guy toy. @Off-Grid Garage: a new Name for the Cerbo GX -> Einstein Off-Grid Garage Dutch price for the Cerbo GX is 350,- Euro and it is worth it. We / I use it in every customer installation.
Question to the pros: do you connect the Cerbo (or Raspberry) directly to the battery or after the BMS? I just had an ugly experience as the BMS triggered the low voltage condition (battery empty) and therefore the Cerbo also switched off. To avoid that I consider to connect the Cerbo directly to the battery. Any experiences in the community? thx for any reply!
Hi Andy. I'd be very interested if you do some testing with Venus OS Large on the Cerbo GX. The Node Red functionality looks useful. "Off-grid Spat Cooler"
Hello andy !!!!please please please ,help me. I bought the jk bms JK RESS Active Balance BMS PB2A16S20P - (7S - 16S) - 200A - LiFePO4 / Li-Ion / LTO , and i dont know what cable to buy for the cerbo
Sehr schönes Video. Schön zu sehen, das dir das Oettinger Beer auch down under schmeckt.😊 Du machst es sehr locker und ich wünsche dir viel Erfolg. Liebe Grüße aus Germany. Ich baue auch eine PV-3 Phasen Anlage mit Victron Komponenten auf
I've a stack of boxes of containing the exact same system ready to build, right down to the Seplos Mason 280AH (Although with the 200A BMS fortunately). This series of videos could not have come at a better time. Thank you. I also have a JK BMS en route too. Would you use both BMS' in the Mason or only one? I like the idea of the JK's active balancing, yet the Seplos is actually designed to fit in the case and has the LCD. If only one can be used it's a dlllema!
Yes. I agree with everything @Ben C Naylor has said. If I may add to that... Definitely DO NOT try and use two BMS's on one battery, that is looking for a heap of trouble and a world of hurt when it DOES go wrong, and believe me..... It will inevitably go wrong.... Ask me how I know this? 😁 Secondly, JK does have screens, you would need to "customize" the enclosure for it to fit. If I am not mistaken, Andy has one with the display? I stand to be corrected though. Next, If you are doing this to get CAN communication you need to make sure that your receiving devices can interpret the CAN language used by the JK stuff. If I were you, I would just make sure to get the same model of BMS make sure it supports native CAN and RS485 and use that.... It will be the least amount of trouble. Hope this helps. Good luck!
@@GapRecordingsNamibia @Ben C Naylor Thanks for the info. In hindsight I should have just bought the NEEEEY Active Balancer instead. On the plus side I've a back up BMS I suppose. I will certainly check out the screens.
I would suggest "Off Grid GarageX". BTW, with actual Raspberry Pi prices and unobtanium availability, the Cerbo GX is starting to be more appealing, also considering that you don't have to buy usb to victron adapters.
Great suggestion, I like it. I've got a Raspi on back order for 7 months now, still no ETA. so this is not an option any more, I guess. Victron still recommends the VE.Direct to RS232 adapters due to the isolation of the circuits when connecting to other gear.
Hallo, eine Frage wie sind deine Erfahrungen mit dem externen Bluetooth Adapter am Cerbo? Bringt dieser eine bessere Verbindung oder auch mehr Optionen für andere Geräte? VG aus München
Hey Andy, what is your experience with those Amazon 100 Amp breakers? Like those with the red switch. Do they have high resistance? High heat? Great video thanks!
You mean these ones? amzn.to/3bsxOSD I have used them once and they didn't work. I would not trust them at all. Use these ones, they are the real deal and SAFE: amzn.to/3fpEqW3
I know people have already asked Andy about that BMS in past but is not as streamlined like some of the other BMSs that have phone apps. It would be nice however if Andy could test it out since it is from a company right in his backyard and directly works with a Victron system.
Yes, I'm in contact with Batrium for a while but never pulled the trigger on it. I like the consumer grade BMSs. I'm sure Batrium will just work once you muddle through all the setup and programming but not many will buy one due to the overpriced components.
Hey Andy, I have the Venus GX, it has a Beagle Bone Black as it’s brain, interesting to see what the Cerbo uses as it’s brain. Are you going to crack it open to see?
You don't need the bluetooth adapter for the CerboGX if you connect it to the internet. I have my CerboGX connected via Ethernet to a 4G router/modem. I use VRM Portal (free from Victron) to connect and monitor EVERYTHING connected to my system. In the VRM Portal it gives you the "Remote Console" where you can access the CerboGX as if you had the touch screen connected to it. I highly suggest looking into the VRM Portal. I have a Quattro 24/5000/120, Lynx Shunt, Lynx PowerIn, Lynx Distributer, Victron MPPT 150/60, Victron MPPT 150/100, CerboGX...connected to 2 solar arrays - 2200w & 2000W charging six 12v300a LFP connected 2S3P for 23kWh battery backup. PLEASE LOOK INTO Victron's VRM PORTAL!
Do NOT connect 48V straight into that Cerbo. Based on the 3 that I have killed they are not very robust when connected to a large 48V LiFePO4 battery. There's a Victron update which specifies connection of an electrolytic capacitor close to the device. I just convert down to 12V instead
@@davidb.5544 Affected model/serial numbers Model: Cerbo GX, part number BPP900450100 Serial numbers: HQ2201xxxxx up and including HQ2220xxxx. I've had them running at 48V, but it's about a 30% chance of it blowing up on the next power cycle.
Andy, name the new system: Off Grid Power System, as a thank for the donation. I love all your videos, very helpful. Myself I set up a 45kW lithium system with a bunch of Victron equipment. Available under Victron World as Sinchu Orphanage.
But that may collide with Ed's own system if he sets one up. I'll have a look at your system in VRM. Thanks for sharing, always interested in looking at other systems... Edit: Found it! Wow, look at all these MPPTs you're using. I like it very much!
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks Andy for your interest. Indeed, it's a complicated system. 9 MPPT's, 3 x MG Lithium rack of 15kW (45kW total), Cerbo GX, Smartshunt. Before I had lead acid batteries, with all Mastervolt products. Mastervolt isn't going forward with their software, so I changed to Victron. What you don't see is that also are connected 3 x Mastervolt inverters, connected as 1 phase, nominal 12kW max 21kW, 3 x 80A chargers and an automatic control for charging through grid power / generator. Grid power isn't always available or too low in voltage. The (selfmade) system determines if gris power is standby and proper voltage, if not the generator (3 cilinder Deutz diesel) will automatic start until for a certain time the grid power is steady. Further a windmill and still a lot of Mastervolt distributors and shunts. I limited the charge (and discharge) in the DVCC of the Cerbo GX to 450A, if not charging can peak 600A what is too much for the system and cables. This because we are completely off grid and I calculated the system so that we still have enough power in the raining season. Keep on doing the great job! Your video's are exactly what people want, simple, honest and clear.
@@gjbevers Very, very interesting. Thanks a lot for sharing. That's an awesome system you have there and well designed from what I can read. Great work!
@@OffGridGarageAustralia The software is the same. The hardware part, everything is there, no need for extra adapters for the VE bus of VE can... No extra drivers of software to install. It's all plug and play.
@@bramsoff-grid Yes, that was my understanding of the difference too. Most ports are isolated as well in the Cerbo but Victron still recommends some VE.Direct to RS232 adapters for isolation purposes. I thought I can just use my own JST connectors now for my MPPTs but it sounds a bit unsafe when reading their documentation.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I had a test setup for months with the JST USB cables from my MPPT and shunt pluged in the Raspi. I just put the cables over to the Cerbo, no problems at all.
I have now new issues with my order from the masters of the MASON and BMS. they have shipped 1 month later after the item should have arrived and now sits in customs due to wrong declaration but I assume Alibaba will refund me due to the shipping 8 weeks after I had paid. They are simply not willing to ship ddp to the EU and that causes an awfull lot of headache, so much that I even ordered another one but this time nof from their shop, but a dealer which had an even cheaper offer and they had shipped the same day even though the V15 version Andy had gotten. But I do not care about the new version still having issues but I care about the Growatt inverter support. Great support from Idaho.
you deserve more. you're our unofficial lab. I don't buy things before I check your verdict.. I honestly think you should make a "wishlist" then put all the things you would love to have. most of us are happy to get them for you.
True, but what is the lab for? You might think its about batteries, but I have a feeling that is just a cover story, its actually about beer 🙂
It is all about the beer and sharing my experience...😂
I already have most of the equipment now but yeah, I still have some items on my list but we will get there over time.
Name: Off Grid Garage Cerbo GX. Another great video Andy and a very nice new toy to play with.
Waited ages for a com cable for my 3 x Seplos “Suntorque” 5kw batteries, it arrived, and i still cant get communication with the BMS’s. After 6 months of ginning around I have got them working ok, sort of, but they have been a real hassle to get going right. I bumped the voltage a little (56v) from 55.2v and they jumped from around 70% to 98-100% soon after, so I am guessing the SOC reporting is actually triggered by voltage, but that is a big jump from 70-100%, hopefully this has reset the BMS and it will work better now & Ill drop off the voltage again. Love ur vids & look forward them. Cheers
Thanks for sharing, Evan. I hope Seplos can get it sorted as I have the JK-BMSes on my fingertips and ready to go. I won't be mucking around much with the Seplos any more if they don't work.
Thank you Off Grid Power Systems for supporting Andy !
First thing,love the secret beer fridge.
It's hidden behind the shelf 😂
Awesome as always Andy.
Ed Jones truly wowed me.
Off-Grid Garage J.Ed in honour of Ed Jones sounds cool.
Thank you.
Great Andy 😊. No new suggestion because already mentioned: OGG Cerbo GX. In a few months i will start to install my own off grid system in my expedition truck with a Cerbo GX. I learned much from you. Thank you. Keep going on. Greetings from South Tyrol in Italy. 😊
Thanks a lot Hermann.
Watching you from the UK using stored sun power! Thank you Andy for your work and educational videos.
Great, love it when people get inspired and do their own projects! Thanks a lot.
As always - thanks Andy, great stuff. 👍
You’ll be able to keep the lights on in your whole street by the time you’ve finished building your Powerwalls.
Hahaha, yeah, maybe... but we're planning on getting a 2nd EV in a few months so I will need a bit of power myself...
Nice! I have a Cerbo GX too, so I will follow all your testing with glee!
Now Cerbo, next Pylontech. You’re slowly getting there.
Hahaha, nah, I probably won't go down that route...
Welcome to the Cerbo GX world, I really like mine and I think you are going to enjoy your's.
It should not be much difference to the Raspi though...
Tout simplement INCROYABLE et merci aussi ED !🤩
“Vicky,” the off grid power wall
Great video Andy....so funny. looking forward to seing outcome as ive been using a cerbo
Thank you. I'm keen myself to see if it is worth the price...
"Off grid garage Ed" as a thank you for him. Great one as always.
Thanks, great idea...
Andy please straighten your Cerbo GX the crookedness is triggering my OCD. 😁
I came to the comments to see if anyone else had said this, i agree! This is off grid garage not the wonky grid garage! 🤣
I'm really surprised how many people picked up on that. 😂
Andy, please check which production number the Cerbo has. The most recent one have a quality issue and the power input and can only stand 12 and 24 Volts but NOT 48V, except you solder a capacitor over the DC input! Quite a shame for a quality company like Victron. I bought one and burned it, now I know why......
I know... that's now circling for a while out there. Thanks for reminding everyone.
Thanks Andy, (Off-Grid Garage Ed GX)
You have to call the power wall ( Ed Jones) 😁😁
If you put 48v into it, it will break it. See the Victron forum for more info.
Name it Off-grid smoked! 😊
Thanks for that!
@@HolgerNestmann i was lucky to feed only 12V to it even my bank is 48v. Saved a lot of money with that.
@@tujuprojects Yeah, I didn‘t know and it is hanging off the 48V System right now on my remote property. If I cant find such a capacitor I will feed 12v to it too
@@HolgerNestmann we should be entitled for refund. Some moneny back or discounts from coming purchases.
Andy, your intro was great as always.
Thanks. I was thirsty! 😁
Thanks for the video’s, Name it Off-2-Grid! Greetings from Holland❤
Thank you, Mac!
"Big Blue Box" 👍👍 cos its all going to be blue victron stuff 😁
Another fantastic vid Andy, What style. You could name the new setup a thingamebob!!
Finally something to watch
Enjoy the Cerbo ! Andy !
Very generous of Ed to donate some items. I'm not familiar with the Cerbo GX but look forward to seeing if it provides anything beyond what you already had.
The Cerbo acts basically as the communication central point, same as the Raspberry Pi does. They both run the exact same software. The Cerbo has the advantage of having all these connection points and advanced functionality with programming and relays outputs.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like anyone "needing" the Cerbo would be a rare case (as the Raspberry Pi seems to have served you well). I hope you are able to find a use for the extra features.
@@gumpster6 The Raspi is totally fine for for these installations. But they are very hard to get and if, prices are super high. So there is not much to save when using a Pi vs the Cerbo.
Caution with the Cerbo GX as l think the HDMI metal socket is battery negative. My system developed a positive earth fault, and I blew up my first Cerbo when I added a mains powered LCD monitor which earthed the HDMI lead screening.
great heads up!!! Had it connected to a big screen tv with no issue temporarily but will think again after hearing this! Cheers
Then there should be a large warning somewhere.
Although also possible theres a short in the hdmi-usb cable
@@davidmills2266 No I had a full earth short to my positive Aux supply which was Breaker'd at 6A. So, the 13A UK socket earth was at +25V potential DC, through the LCD monitor, through the HDMI lead and big spark when the earth pin touched the socket and no Cerbo GX anymore. So, I assumed the Cerbo GX HDMI socket shield is at -VE potential?
Hey Andy, thanks for keeping us on the inside. Cheers my friend!
With the cerbo GX the touch screen are powered by the USB port next to the HDMI. I added a noname 7"touch screen and it woks perfectly at mine. But now I'm trying to make a raspberryPI VenusOS for my brother and it seems to work fine with Touchscreen after a little coding on the PI.
Do you have the code you use for the raspberry pi?
I have the Victron logo but missing the coding
I think you can use Kevin's project here on Githup for that: github.com/kwindrem/RpiDisplaySetup
@@doucet2006 yes I have the code. I'm using venusOS 2.91 on a RaspberryPI 2 with Touchscreen. And now it works fine.
The Cerbo GX is so so so easy to use and set up compared to the RasPi, you'll love it. I'm about to put one in my van (yes I finally bit the bullet and went full Victron).
And the Ruuvitags are something a customer of mine installs all the time with my batteries. he often puts one in the fridge, one in the freezer, one in the battery/inverter compartment of a caravan, and sometimes even more. I've just convinced Solar4RV's (a shop down here in Melbourne) to stock them, so now you know where you can order more when you want to monitor each BMS as well as the SPAT fridge. ;)
I'm guessing that would be Matt at Extreme?
Thanks a lot Paul. I'll have a look what the prices are with them.
@@holdenman8850
Hey, I know that guy. 😊
@@extremeacc101 You know everybody lol
May I suggest using the touch50 or touch70 screens? 2 reasons, 1: it can be powered directly from the cerbo by the usb port next to the hdmi port, 2: it is touch sensitive. This will stop any funny earthing issues by using externaly powered moniters.
Congrats on the cerbo,I had to ditch my pi because of no canhat availability in my area, I got hold of a venus gx.
Just a quick tip for the CAN setup, my batteries did not get detected, the reason was the incorrect can settings, my gx was on "VE.Can & Lynx Ion BMS (250kbit/s).
It should be CAN-bus BMS (500 kbit/s).
Access this from: Settings - Services - VE.Can port - CAN-bus profile. Also the RJ45 is not a straight or cross (A-B) configuration, so just make sure you get the correct config for VE.Can and your battery(s)...
Good luck Andy, lots of decisions.
Touch 70! Bigger is always better!
Fun fact: There's 7" Touch screens available for a fraction of the price, they're made for Raspis. About 80€ instead of 350... Although I haven't gotten the touch functionality working on mine yet, but it might just be because I don't have a micro usb cable with data pins...
Do you perhaps have a link?
Thank you.
I like the wireless display far more than having a HDMI connection. I'm using my old tablet for that reason. I also use the remote console on my mobile phone and computer inside the house.
Yeah, the CAN needs to be on 500kB/s for the Seplos battery for example.
Wow, $100 for a $5 fuse. Must be pure gold from Victron.
No, Platinum. 😉
There are huge differences in specifications for fuses and the higher the voltage and higher the interrupt capacity the more expensive they get.
@@davidb.5544 The and a "captive market" under warranty terms and conditions...
Off Grid Blue Garage - for the fact that its more Victron heavy than your other ;)
Thank you for your suggestion.
Off-Grid Garage Cerbo GX
Nice to see Miss Piggy again on 5:49.
She hasn't been in the videos for a while, ey?
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes, I've been thinking about watching your videos at all once she's gone. (Spaaaaaaß!!!) :)
My favorite TH-cam channel!
Awwwwh, thank you ❤
Man, you have some funny birds there over in Australia, and at least one funny bloke too!
They are always laughing at me 🤷♂️
@@OffGridGarageAustralia LOL!
Where do you get your cable run covers the. Cable ways I need a way to cover my conked without costing an arm and a leg and I like the plastic run ways
I bought them at a local electrical store but you can also get them online from eBay and Amazon.
Peter ! You should call it Peter !
Oh wow signature solar just came out with a video 2 hours after Andy's about the victron serbo.. what synchronicity
Give me a breaker over a fuse, call it a personal preference. Combined switch i and high interrupt capacity fusing.
Yes, I'm with you on that. However fuses have certain advantages in some cases...
„mobil OffGridGarage“ of course 🤔 i mean you „can“ 😂 next to the OffGrid Tower 🥳
Go for it Andy, replace the Seplos BMS in the case with a JKBMS. As a fellow Seplos 280DIY owner I'd like to see a BMS swap out
I'll wait for their replacement BMSes first and if they still don't perform...
'The Off Grid Garage Blue Wall'
OGGA Blue Wall?
I have a Victron SmartSolar charge controller 250 | 85 an I intend to buy a LiFePO4 battery. Is there any danger for this charger if the BMS of the battery disconnects the battery and the charger is still connected to the solar panels array?
I have tested this many times with my controllers and disconnected the battery under full charge. The Victron controllers can handle that and go into absorption mode/voltage, still supplying power to your loads if they can keep up.
Now you have the Cerbo GX are you going to have to get a new set of VE-direct cable , or can you still use the VE-direct to usb cables ?
Because to me the Cerbo GX used a different set of cable which are cheaper and doesn't look like there is any electronics between the 2 VE-direct plugs ?.
Hi Peter, We can still use the USB adapters as well as VE.Direct cables. It can be a mix of all sort of connections now. That is one advantage of the Cerbo, it takes everything.
You're correct, the VE.Direct cables don't use any converters, it's a pure RS232 signal I believe. Victron still recommends using the VE.Direct to RS232 adapter because of the galvanic isolation circuits they have.
Ruuvi is great - I have them all over the place. Finnish company by the way ;)
You have them connected to your Pi or Cerbo?
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Pi. I don't use a Cerbo.
Thanks for pushing Seplos though! I have rhe exact same issue with 4 x 6.9KW Masons and 3 x 14KW Masons.
Oh wow, I can't believe they still haven't fixed that yet. I assume that only the new BMS can communicate between different batteries. They should replace yours for free.
Off-Grid Garage Cerbo
Its good to see a reputable solar mentor cracking a beer open every now and then while we are learning from all the content.
Its a bit like going to an IPAF course and seeing your instructor doing the same so you can pass the course more relaxed.
Name: Offgrid Garage vici (Vici for victron)
Why don’t you try a Batrium BMS, it can manage many cluster together. It would be interesting
You are the best 👍🏻 weiter so
Thanks Mario.
I'm in contact with Batrium for a while but wanted to test consumer grade BMS. Not many people will buy the (overpriced) Batrium solution.
Peter grid garage.
Off Peter garage.
Off grid Peter.
😂😂
Ok, but how does the raspberry pi communicate with the charge controller, shunt, inverters?
That all works through the Victron system using DVCC for example.
Thank you for your vids!!!!!
Thank you for watching!
Hi Andy, I would name it "Off Grid Garage GX".
Btw your Cerbo GX is mounted "krumm" 🤔.
Cheers, Henry 🍻
15:19 - finally the Cerbo GX my lovely grown up guy toy.
@Off-Grid Garage: a new Name for the Cerbo GX -> Einstein Off-Grid Garage
Dutch price for the Cerbo GX is 350,- Euro and it is worth it. We / I use it in every customer installation.
I would definitely use it in customer installations as well. No way you would setup a Raspi just to save $100
Question to the pros: do you connect the Cerbo (or Raspberry) directly to the battery or after the BMS? I just had an ugly experience as the BMS triggered the low voltage condition (battery empty) and therefore the Cerbo also switched off. To avoid that I consider to connect the Cerbo directly to the battery. Any experiences in the community? thx for any reply!
I would say, if the BMS has disconnected for any reason, that's it. Something went wrong and you need to look at it anyway and change your design.
Good video, is there an Chinese alternative for the Victron USB to RS485 cable to connect ET112 to Cerbo GX?
my suggested name is Off-Grid Garage 2.1 or 3.0 (so it shows what build it is)
OffGridGarageMini - as everything has been miniaturised.
It is a lot smaller, that is true. OK, I'll put this on my list...
Hey Andy, is the Off-Grid Garage Logo half-full or half-empty?
Half full. We stay positive here 😉
Andy, just name the Cerbo GX "Off-Grid Garage GX" for "Garage Xtended" 😉
OGG PowerWall 2.1 😆
Btw. I am waiting for the Cerbo GX for almost 4 weeks 🤨
Hi Andy. I'd be very interested if you do some testing with Venus OS Large on the Cerbo GX. The Node Red functionality looks useful. "Off-grid Spat Cooler"
Thanks James, I have the 'Large' already running on my second Pi for testing purposes. Node Red is another of these many projects here on the channel.
"Off-grid CGX"
👍
Hello andy !!!!please please please ,help me. I bought the jk bms JK RESS Active Balance BMS PB2A16S20P - (7S - 16S) - 200A - LiFePO4 / Li-Ion / LTO , and i dont know what cable to buy for the cerbo
Off-Grid Garage Ed
Sehr schönes Video. Schön zu sehen, das dir das Oettinger Beer auch down under schmeckt.😊 Du machst es sehr locker und ich wünsche dir viel Erfolg. Liebe Grüße aus Germany. Ich baue auch eine PV-3 Phasen Anlage mit Victron Komponenten auf
Call it "Blue Ed"
I've a stack of boxes of containing the exact same system ready to build, right down to the Seplos Mason 280AH (Although with the 200A BMS fortunately). This series of videos could not have come at a better time. Thank you. I also have a JK BMS en route too. Would you use both BMS' in the Mason or only one? I like the idea of the JK's active balancing, yet the Seplos is actually designed to fit in the case and has the LCD. If only one can be used it's a dlllema!
Yes. I agree with everything @Ben C Naylor has said. If I may add to that... Definitely DO NOT try and use two BMS's on one battery, that is looking for a heap of trouble and a world of hurt when it DOES go wrong, and believe me..... It will inevitably go wrong.... Ask me how I know this? 😁 Secondly, JK does have screens, you would need to "customize" the enclosure for it to fit. If I am not mistaken, Andy has one with the display? I stand to be corrected though. Next, If you are doing this to get CAN communication you need to make sure that your receiving devices can interpret the CAN language used by the JK stuff. If I were you, I would just make sure to get the same model of BMS make sure it supports native CAN and RS485 and use that.... It will be the least amount of trouble. Hope this helps. Good luck!
@@GapRecordingsNamibia @Ben C Naylor Thanks for the info. In hindsight I should have just bought the NEEEEY Active Balancer instead. On the plus side I've a back up BMS I suppose. I will certainly check out the screens.
What about Off-Grid Powerwall?
I would suggest "Off Grid GarageX". BTW, with actual Raspberry Pi prices and unobtanium availability, the Cerbo GX is starting to be more appealing, also considering that you don't have to buy usb to victron adapters.
Great suggestion, I like it.
I've got a Raspi on back order for 7 months now, still no ETA. so this is not an option any more, I guess.
Victron still recommends the VE.Direct to RS232 adapters due to the isolation of the circuits when connecting to other gear.
Heya, oh wouw you have a very good community here. off grid garage ed's or something
Yes, the community is the best!
Off Grid Garage Cerbo
Hallo, eine Frage wie sind deine Erfahrungen mit dem externen Bluetooth Adapter am Cerbo? Bringt dieser eine bessere Verbindung oder auch mehr Optionen für andere Geräte? VG aus München
Haven't tried it yet. I think the built-in BT adapter is fine.
Hey Andy, what is your experience with those Amazon 100 Amp breakers? Like those with the red switch. Do they have high resistance? High heat? Great video thanks!
You mean these ones? amzn.to/3bsxOSD
I have used them once and they didn't work. I would not trust them at all.
Use these ones, they are the real deal and SAFE: amzn.to/3fpEqW3
06:44 are you OK? 'cause it's crooked 🤔
Perfectly straight. I checked three times. Must be the camera angle...😂
@@OffGridGarageAustralia aha ;-)
You are so funny, Andy 😀😀😀
What have I done now?
Have you looked at using a batruim BMS?
I know people have already asked Andy about that BMS in past but is not as streamlined like some of the other BMSs that have phone apps. It would be nice however if Andy could test it out since it is from a company right in his backyard and directly works with a Victron system.
Yes, I'm in contact with Batrium for a while but never pulled the trigger on it. I like the consumer grade BMSs. I'm sure Batrium will just work once you muddle through all the setup and programming but not many will buy one due to the overpriced components.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Ah ok. Get it. I will shoot you an email. Thank you Mike
Honestly, I can't understand, that a Fuse, which needs tools, to be exchanged or disconnected is the same, al a breaker
Pls help
Name it "The Peterwall" ✌😆
Nice!
First Power Wall Was Better!!!!! Must Be Nice To Have So Much Money You Can Afford All The Victron Equipment For 2 Power Walls!!!!
Name it "Off-Grid Garage 2.0"
ahaha I am definitely gonna try the "off-grid-garage for 30% off. love your humor Andy 😂
Hey Andy, I have the Venus GX, it has a Beagle Bone Black as it’s brain, interesting to see what the Cerbo uses as it’s brain. Are you going to crack it open to see?
I won't open it, it is still under warranty. I'm sure you can run a script which shows these information?
There’s no tamper seal on it, no one will know , be adventurous live dangerously. 😂
Everything should just be called Peter..... and if there is any confusion, just append the next available number... 😂
Hahaha, imagine that...😂
You don't need the bluetooth adapter for the CerboGX if you connect it to the internet. I have my CerboGX connected via Ethernet to a 4G router/modem. I use VRM Portal (free from Victron) to connect and monitor EVERYTHING connected to my system. In the VRM Portal it gives you the "Remote Console" where you can access the CerboGX as if you had the touch screen connected to it. I highly suggest looking into the VRM Portal.
I have a Quattro 24/5000/120, Lynx Shunt, Lynx PowerIn, Lynx Distributer, Victron MPPT 150/60, Victron MPPT 150/100, CerboGX...connected to 2 solar arrays - 2200w & 2000W charging six 12v300a LFP connected 2S3P for 23kWh battery backup.
PLEASE LOOK INTO Victron's VRM PORTAL!
The Bluetooth dongle is for using the RuuviTag, or any other BLE accessories Andy wants to experiment with.
Charles must be new to the channel. I'm using VRM for over a year now 😊
Bended Off-Grid Garage 😁
Hahaha, #bended!
How about the Off-Grid Garage Peter for the name lol
Hahaha, great...
Do NOT connect 48V straight into that Cerbo. Based on the 3 that I have killed they are not very robust when connected to a large 48V LiFePO4 battery. There's a Victron update which specifies connection of an electrolytic capacitor close to the device. I just convert down to 12V instead
Wonder what the issue is with your setup since I have mine connected directly to the 48V battery bus.
No problems running on 24v here....
Do you have a link to the info from Victron? Haven't seen anything about that on Victron Professional. Have one running on a 48V system for 6 mon now.
@@tx75e94 Cerbo GX power supply issue in 48V systems
Technote August 2022 - v5
@@davidb.5544 Affected model/serial numbers
Model: Cerbo GX, part number BPP900450100
Serial numbers: HQ2201xxxxx up and including HQ2220xxxx.
I've had them running at 48V, but it's about a 30% chance of it blowing up on the next power cycle.
Off-Grid Garage Victron
Thank you.
“The Ed Jones Spat Optimiser PW 2.1”
Hahaha, great!
Gotta order me another Cerbo..... one I have now is doing fine, but system is expanding.........
ΚΑΛΩΣ ΟΡΙΣΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ BLUE POWER ΟΜΑΔΑ!
Hi Andy, why not name it the "ED-System"?
Andy, name the new system: Off Grid Power System, as a thank for the donation.
I love all your videos, very helpful. Myself I set up a 45kW lithium system with a bunch of Victron equipment. Available under Victron World as Sinchu Orphanage.
But that may collide with Ed's own system if he sets one up.
I'll have a look at your system in VRM. Thanks for sharing, always interested in looking at other systems...
Edit: Found it! Wow, look at all these MPPTs you're using. I like it very much!
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks Andy for your interest. Indeed, it's a complicated system. 9 MPPT's, 3 x MG Lithium rack of 15kW (45kW total), Cerbo GX, Smartshunt. Before I had lead acid batteries, with all Mastervolt products. Mastervolt isn't going forward with their software, so I changed to Victron.
What you don't see is that also are connected 3 x Mastervolt inverters, connected as 1 phase, nominal 12kW max 21kW, 3 x 80A chargers and an automatic control for charging through grid power / generator. Grid power isn't always available or too low in voltage. The (selfmade) system determines if gris power is standby and proper voltage, if not the generator (3 cilinder Deutz diesel) will automatic start until for a certain time the grid power is steady. Further a windmill and still a lot of Mastervolt distributors and shunts.
I limited the charge (and discharge) in the DVCC of the Cerbo GX to 450A, if not charging can peak 600A what is too much for the system and cables. This because we are completely off grid and I calculated the system so that we still have enough power in the raining season.
Keep on doing the great job! Your video's are exactly what people want, simple, honest and clear.
@@gjbevers Very, very interesting. Thanks a lot for sharing. That's an awesome system you have there and well designed from what I can read. Great work!
I am very interested in the cerbo gx. Are you planning to use those relays for anything?
Yes, we will. There are many functions we can use it for...
Made the switch to the Cerbo months ago, after the second Raspi died 😔.
How do you find it? Any real differences?
@@OffGridGarageAustralia The software is the same. The hardware part, everything is there, no need for extra adapters for the VE bus of VE can... No extra drivers of software to install. It's all plug and play.
@@bramsoff-grid Yes, that was my understanding of the difference too. Most ports are isolated as well in the Cerbo but Victron still recommends some VE.Direct to RS232 adapters for isolation purposes. I thought I can just use my own JST connectors now for my MPPTs but it sounds a bit unsafe when reading their documentation.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I had a test setup for months with the JST USB cables from my MPPT and shunt pluged in the Raspi. I just put the cables over to the Cerbo, no problems at all.
@@bramsoff-grid Yeah, same here as well... but they are not isolated afaik. Mauby there is a solution for that.... 🤔
Öttingerbier aus Deutschland, cool
Na klar!
I have now new issues with my order from the masters of the MASON and BMS. they have shipped 1 month later after the item should have arrived and now sits in customs due to wrong declaration but I assume Alibaba will refund me due to the shipping 8 weeks after I had paid. They are simply not willing to ship ddp to the EU and that causes an awfull lot of headache, so much that I even ordered another one but this time nof from their shop, but a dealer which had an even cheaper offer and they had shipped the same day even though the V15 version Andy had gotten.
But I do not care about the new version still having issues but I care about the Growatt inverter support.
Great support from Idaho.
Thanks for sharing. Mine was sitting at customs for over 2 weeks for the same reason. I had to send the right paperwork so they could release it.