Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor Kit

Battery monitor kit with programmable relay. Measures voltage, current, capacity, and temperature. Can work with any battery type. Built-in Bluetooth. Compatible with the Color Control Monitor.

The BMV-712 is Victron’s newest high precision battery monitor. The essential function of a battery monitor is to calculate ampere hours consumed and the state of charge of a battery. Compatible with all battery types. Built-in Bluetooth.

The BMV-712 kit includes a Temperature Sensor along with Lugs and Heat Shrink for interrupting an existing 4/0 cable.  If these items are not needed, purchase just the BMV-712.

The BMV communication cable has a specific orientation between the pins from one end to the other. It also has internal twisted pairs to reduce interference noise from the other wires that deliver information. Victron is adamant that you need to use their cable.

Wiring Diagrams

Bluetooth Programming Flooded
Bluetooth Programming AGM
Bluetooth Programming Lithium Battle Born
Bluetooth Programming Lithium LifeBlue
Bluetooth Programming Lithium Victron

Instructional Video from Victron

Installation Conceptualization:  Electrical current always flows in a loop from the positive side of a battery bank through cables, through loads, through more cables and eventually back to the battery bank through the negative side.  Different loads create alternate routes in the loop but they all end up going back to the negative.  In order to determine total current flow (which is used to determine remaining battery capacity and a number of other things) ALL of the current has to pass through the shunt.  The easiest way to ensure that you capture all of the current, and not just some that went on an alternate route, is to install the shunt right before the negative side of the battery bank and make sure that all alternate route cables connect on one side of the shunt and the battery negative goes to the other side.

How a shunt works:  When current flows through a load the voltage is reduced.  This reduction is proportional to the amount of current passing through that load.  A shunt is like a very low power load.  There is a slight voltage drop between the terminals of the shunt.  This voltage drop is measured and translated by a microprocessor to determine current.

Raw – MONITOR-VTBMV-S
1x    Victron BMV-712 Monitor/Programmable Relay
1x    Mounting Bezel
2x   Power Cables
1x    Communication Cable (10 meters/approx 30 ft)
1x    Shunt 50mV/500A

Kit – 60-VTBMV
1x    Victron BMV-712 Monitor/Programmable Relay
1x    Mounting Bezel
2x   Power Cables
1x    Communication Cable (10 meters/approx 30 ft)
1x    Shunt 50mV/500A
1x    Temperature Sensor
2x   4/0 Ring Lug 3/8″
2x   Black Heat Shrink 1.5″ x 3/4″