What is system monitoring?
When installing off-grid electrical systems, there are many things you can do to optimize the equipment to work to its fullest potential. These systems tend to have multiple charging sources, mixed voltages, and large current draws, and it is vital for the system to be properly monitored. In this Article we will talk about the best way to monitor your system and the products we prefer to use. [Thank you for using our affliate links]
What is a Victron GX device.
This is the Victron “Cerbo” GX and is where all the physical connections will be made. Anything from batteries, solar controllers, DC-DC chargers, bluetooth sensors, etc., will communicate its relevant system information to the GX hub.
The actual GX functionality can be found in multiple pieces of equipment, even within the inverters themselves, but from our experience, it is easiest to have a dedicated device like the Cerbo GX. This powerful blue box can keep track of all your system data and is paired perfectly with a beautiful color touchscreen that will make it simple to learn and understand your off-grid system. I think that a GX device is an essential part of an RVs electrical system and I’ll share why it’s so important to our design.
You can think of a GX as the brain of your system. It has the job of talking to your inverter/charger, solar charge controller, batteries, shunt, and making sure that everything is working and communicating in harmony. The display shows how energy is flowing throughout the system in a obvious and intuitive way. We find it to be one of the best tools our customers have to learn how their new electrical system works.
This device is also responsible for data collection, meaning it will record and compile information from every connected device in the system. It’s an all-in-one communication and monitoring device. We generally recommend installing a Cerbo GX in all of our electrical installations because of its versatility. It monitors all of your electrical system and offers multiple ways to view the information it is collecting.
How to view your information.
While there are many ways to view your system information, and the 7'“ GX Touch screen is our recommended option. We believe having a physical display will allow you to learn the system faster, and also use it to its fullest potential.
There is also an option to combine both the Cerbo GX and the GX touchscreen into a single unit. It is called the Victron “Ekrano” GX and can be a great solution to many circumstances.
Other ways to view information.
Another advantage to the Cerbo GX is its abilty to access the system information remotely from anywhere provided there is some kind of internet connection. This exclusive feature is called Victron Remote Monitoring or VRM for short.
VRM - Remote Monitoing
VRM is an incredibly useful and free tool that you have access to when you connect any compatible Victron equipment to a GX device. All you need to do is create an account so that you can access the VRM portal, we will go over how to do this later.
Because the system can be monitored anywhere it is very helpful to the owner of the system to ensure that everything is working properly whether you are occupying the camper or not.
As an installer we also find a great benefit from the GX device. When we install a GX device in a campervan electrical system it allows us to receive alerts if conditions are inadequate or alarms if something has stopped functioning properly. We are able to look at the historical data and help understand and troubleshoot any issue that could arise, even if you are camping in the middle of the desert.
A web screenshot from a newly connected system.
When ever we install a GX connected Victron system, we take care of all the designing, programming, and VRM setup before the system is installed in the RV. We take the time to educate all of our clients on how to connect and interact with their system.
Monitoring Other Systems
A GX device also has the ability to monitor other systems in your camper. Your water systems, temperatures, and propane levels can all be monitored through the Cerbo. It has the ability to use the level sensors you may already have in your RV, or it has the unique ability to use wireless sensors.
With the addition of the Mopeka Pro Tank Sensor to the system you can monitor fresh water, gray water, and temperature.
The same device doubles as Bluetooth temperature sensor that many of our customers have found to be useful. Some examples may be monitoring the interior and exterior tempetures, or keeping an eye on the interior temperature of the refrigerator.
Additionally, a propane sensor is also available.
A Recap of our product recommendations.
As you can tell, a GX device has many advantages in a camper. It can be used as a centralized monitoring system, system data collection and remote accessibility. We believe a GX is required to optimize your electrical system and provide overall system awareness. We hope you learned something new about off-grid electrical systems., thanks for your time and be sure to check out our other articles!
