Victron Remote Monitoring

Peter Tourin

2020 Unity RL, ex 2012 Unity MB
I finally got to taking a peek at this. Do you know yet what it costs and what the data will cost, if I manage to live another 5 years at this pace <g>... It would be nice to be able to watch the electrical system at a distance, since we store for months at a time.
 

DiverBob

2018 Unity TB
This appears to be another option for remote monitoring. If you have the Cerbo, Venus, or Color Controller you use the local WiFi networks to access remote monitoring. This gives the option to use cellular networks instead of WiFi (don’t know if it also includes WiFi as an option). Could be a good option especially if you store in a location that WiFi isn’t available.
 

hoosierrun

Active member
I wonder if the short range Bluetooth connectivity will still work? There are so many places I go or store my rig where there is no cell service. In those remote boondock/parking areas, it is critical to be able to monitor your systems.
 

msmolow

2019 Unity CB / 2018 Chas
$343 USD includes 5 years of connectivity. It uploads on a fixed time schedule.
From my cursory reading it cables to and uploads direct from the bmk and mppt, not from the Cerbo.
I'm not sure if the bmk and mppt have enough ports to plug in both a Cerbo and a Globallink-520.
 

TampaSteve

2018/2019 Unity CB
I have permanent "house Internet" through a router in my van, and remote connectivity to my Victron BM and solar charge controller through the Venus, so the new Globallink is designed for someone who doesn't have or want a router or hotspot. It certainly should be a lot less expensive - an AT&T LTE-M/IoT subscription is only $30 a year currently for one device, so even after your 5 years are up you should be able to keep connected relatively cheaply. They may have dumbed it down with less uploads to keep on an even cheaper plan - which is $1 a month for a single megabyte.

The main disadvantage I see is that with my router I have more diversity - both Verizon and AT&T sims - and can also set the router to sip off a WiFi for those rare occasions its present. With the Globalink there are going to be a lot more situations where there is no connectivity.

The other important distinction is that with my Venus I get full remote control - not just monitoring. I can even run the full color display on my phone. I suspect Globallink won't do that as it would be way too much bandwidth for the cheap IoT plans.

Of course I have to pay steep monthly fees for carrier sims with a router, and even with 2 sims there are still plenty of dead zones in remote areas.

Edit: Here is a screenshot of the remote color display from my phone:
 
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TampaSteve

2018/2019 Unity CB
@Git I'm using a high end peplink router mainly for video streaming so you almost certainly don't want that just to monitor cerbo. Unfortunately I don't think anybody sells a general iot router yet. You would have to get a sim with a monthly plan, and a low end hotspot at a minimum. It would probably be worth looking at the Victron globalink I would think.
 
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msmolow

2019 Unity CB / 2018 Chas
My storage lot is in a neighborhood. Some of the homes have Comcast. By default Comcast has their boxes act as a hotspot to other Comcast subscribers.
I connect the Cerbo to the Winegard which is connected to one of the hotspots.
The Winegard amperage draw is minimal, easily maintained with solar.
 
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TampaSteve

2018/2019 Unity CB
so after 5 yrs do you have a brick if you do not renew your connectivity contract?
Presumably, but at $343 for 5 years it will have been a very economical brick indeed. About $5 a month there aren't going to be any sim hotspot plans at that rate. My guess is the renewal will come in much cheaper so I think its a great deal for someone who wants full time monitoring (well full time when you have a cell signal anyway) and doesn't have a router or hotspot in the RV (or nearby wiFi, like Mitch).
 

Built.Vans

2024 170 AWD
so after 5 yrs do you have a brick if you do not renew your connectivity contract?
You can get a new plan and SIM card after the 5 year contract runs out. I have one coming and will report back about it effectiveness. My plan is to monitor the interior tempeture of my van using a RuuviTag Pro through my Cerbo.
 

msmolow

2019 Unity CB / 2018 Chas
As I read the Victron product page, the Ruuvi connects directly to the Globallink via Bluetooth, not thru the Cerbo, directly sending Ruuvi data to VRM.
I don't believe Cerbo compiled data can be sent to VRM via Globallink.
Meanwhile, a couple of years ago I got skunked on using storage lot neighbors' Xfinity to upload data.
Comcast disabled the 2.4 GHz Xfinity public Hotspot. Only the 5 GHz band is broadcast. Winegard Connect 2.0 only receives the 2.4 band and the Cerbo internal antenna is not powerful enough.
 
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Built.Vans

2024 170 AWD
As I read the Victron product page, the Ruuvi connects directly to the Globallink via Bluetooth, not thru the Cerbo, directly sending Ruuvi data to VRM.
I don't believe Cerbo compiled data can be sent to VRM via Globallink.
Meanwhile, a couple of years ago I got skunked on using storage lot neighbors' Xfinity to upload data.
Comcast disabled the 2.4 GHz Xfinity public Hotspot. Only the 5 GHz band is broadcast. Winegard Connect 2.0 only receives the 2.4 band and the Cerbo internal antenna is not powerful enough.

My inderstanding is that the GlobalLink just provides the cellular network to the Cerbo. The RuuviTag connects to the Cerbo which sends info to VRM.
 

msmolow

2019 Unity CB / 2018 Chas
It's true Ruuvi connects to Cerbo via Bluetooth. I have that to monitor my utility bay. But Cerbo does not connect to Globallink.
Ruuvi data thru Cerbo to VRM would need to go through either a WiFi internet connection or a cellular network transmitter than can connect to Cerbo such as the GX-LTE.
Ruuvi uses Bluetooth to connect independently to both Cerbo and Globallink. The Globallink transmission of Ruuvi data to VRM is independent of Cerbo. Cerbo Ruuvi or any other Cerbo data cannot be sent to VRM via Globallink.
Victron says Globallink is for direct connection to BMV, Solar charger or Inverters, and now to Ruuvi. It is an alternative to the GX product range.
 
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Built.Vans

2024 170 AWD
You can also connect to the Global Link via Bluetooth now. Either way hoping to achieve remote temperature monitoring. I am a van builder and redoing doing my electrical system and looking to try some different products. Temperature monitoring would be great since we travel with 3 small dogs.

 

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