loonwheeler
Adventurer
In the planning stages of adding solar to my 24V house battery system. Plan is for ~400W of solar and need some advice on options for charge controller & battery monitor options. In addition, I would also like to add the ability to monitor on board tank levels such as diesel fuel, fresh water, and grey water tanks.
I have the opportunity to get a good deal on the Blue Sea VSM 422 (PN 1800) which can monitor several batteries and tank levels which seems like it would be a nice all in one package / display. In addition I could add a MPPT charge controller (Blue Sky, Morningstar, Victron, Midnite, etc) to suit my needs. On the other hand, I am also interested in the offerings from Bogart Engineering (SC-1 & TM-2030) which is PWM technology but has some interesting advanced options when used in combination. With this second option I would supplement with purpose built tank monitors which unfortunately adds more displays to my existing panels. I would prefer to have a cleaner look when it comes to displaying the state of the various on board systems.
Seeking the advice from those who have more experience. What would you do? Is the Blue Sea VSM a capable enough battery monitor for most? In contrast the TM-2030 has many customizable options which makes it an attractive option but using the PWM SC-1 PWN charge controller at 400W may not be able to squeeze as much watt hours out of the panels.
I have the opportunity to get a good deal on the Blue Sea VSM 422 (PN 1800) which can monitor several batteries and tank levels which seems like it would be a nice all in one package / display. In addition I could add a MPPT charge controller (Blue Sky, Morningstar, Victron, Midnite, etc) to suit my needs. On the other hand, I am also interested in the offerings from Bogart Engineering (SC-1 & TM-2030) which is PWM technology but has some interesting advanced options when used in combination. With this second option I would supplement with purpose built tank monitors which unfortunately adds more displays to my existing panels. I would prefer to have a cleaner look when it comes to displaying the state of the various on board systems.
Seeking the advice from those who have more experience. What would you do? Is the Blue Sea VSM a capable enough battery monitor for most? In contrast the TM-2030 has many customizable options which makes it an attractive option but using the PWM SC-1 PWN charge controller at 400W may not be able to squeeze as much watt hours out of the panels.
Last edited: