5 replies to this topic

[Stokeme]

Hello … I’ve got 2 StarkPower BT (2018) batteries, 100 Ah & 50 Ah, same generation in parallel, w/Victron Smart 130 controller. It has been a great system so far. I am currently far north CA Redwoods & just getting a bit of internet tonight.
Yesterday the 50 Ah BT stopped transmission & one hour later my 100 Ah also stopped.
Both have been perfect since 2018 & were great 2 days ago. I love using a phone app as virtual battery monitor. I have 3 different brand apps & all have worked.
I have never compared V to SOC, (because I never had to) so it is unnerving not knowing what is accurately happening. I can get a controller V reading to get a vague idea. I think both batteries are still functional & charged up today according to the controller parameters. Beautiful windy sunny day.
Can anyone offer any thoughts as to how I might enable BT again? How concerning is this? I would greatly prefer to have specific battery BT, but is that doable? Will I have to get a Victron digital battery monitor?
Lastly, can the Victron monitor offer data for 2 combined batteries run in parallel & offer data individually for each battery too? Any help appreciated, thanks.

Edited by Stokeme, 09 April 2022 - 03:41 AM.

[Vic Harder]

This might help.  Short answer, because the batteries are of different AH capacities, you would need two chargers, two monitors to do this using a victron setup.  Unless I am missing something?

[camelracer]

Stokeme I just went out and checked my StarkPower battery with the Power Sonic and Ionic apps you turned me on to and they both worked fine. Any problems I've experienced in the past were Bluetooth connection problems and not problems with the battery. I would suggest you turn off and restart your Bluetooth and or reinstall your monitoring apps. There could also be some something near you that is interfering with Bluetooth.

 

I also have a question for the battery the gurus out there - Is internal BMS battery monitor on Bluetooth supported batteries accurate for SOC measurement compared to the Victron battery monitor?

[Jack]

A basic BT fix is to tell your phone to "forget" the BT device(s) and then pair them again.

[Stokeme]

Back home & my BT apps work with a couple other BT 50Ah commodity batteries I have from different companies. I use them for a powered fishing kayak. So, the apps work elsewhere, just now, not with my StarkPower Camper batteries. I had my wife also download the apps & they do not work either. So, it’s not the apps, it’s the batteries. First the 50 BT went out (it was fine the day before) & then the 100 BT went out an hour later. I will disconnect them in parallel & isolate each one. I’ll test the V on each individually. My guess is that both batteries are still functional, I’ll find out.
If the BT remains MIA, & I only want to buy one monitor, my question is … should I connect the monitor to the 100 or the 50? My guess would be the 100 because it has most Ah storage. Any other thoughts on BT regeneration? I do not want to take apart sealed batteries. I am far from being an expert. Thanks ahead for any suggestions.

Edited by Stokeme, 14 April 2022 - 09:56 PM.

[Dadocut]

Regarding having two battery packs of different capacity in parallel, it can work, sort of.  See the discussion at https://diysolarforu...-parallel.32608/  They recommend against it.    DIYSolarForum.com is a good resource for solar and battery packs.