GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #44 | Page 47

RV FEATURE
We fitted this M8 eyelet cable to the auxiliary battery in our Land Cruiser and found it to be convenient .
The multistage Victron Blue Smart charger ’ s seven-stage charging algorithm includes a storage mode allowing the charger to be permanently connected to the battery and keep it fully charged .
Previous chargers we ’ ve owned have been reluctant to recharge a deeply discharged battery . The Victron Blue Smart charger will sense a deeply discharged battery and attempt to recharge it by force-feeding it with a low current . Once there is sufficient voltage across the battery terminals , it will resume normal charging .
BLUETOOTH FUNCTIONALITY
The Victron is rated to IP65 – it is dust and splash-proof , meaning it can be permanently mounted in the engine bay of a vehicle or the electronics compartment of a caravan or motorhome .
Perhaps the most useful feature is the in-built Bluetooth and associated smart device application . This provides complete control over the charger ’ s functions as well as displaying the real time charging status .
It means you don ’ t have to keep going up to the vehicle and checking the state of the charger . You can simply use the app to see where in the cycle the charger is up to , as long as it is in range of the Bluetooth transceiver . Very convenient .
The app will also store complete usage data over the charger ’ s lifetime and detailed statistics for the 40 previous charge cycles ( even if the charge cycle is only partially completed ).
We ’ ve been using the charger for six months now and have found it to be reliable . We ’ ve run it from mains power and from a portable inverter generator without any noticeable changes in performance .
Using the app is child ’ s play . If you can connect a Bluetooth speaker to your phone , you can easily connect to the charger .
If I had one complaint about it , it would be that the output cables are a little light weight compared to my old CTEK charger and the alligator clips seem a bit cheap . That said , they ’ ve not presented any problems in use so I ’ m perhaps being a bit picky here .
The Victron Blue Smart IP65 range of battery chargers are available in 4A right up to 25A models . The 15A unit serves our needs perfectly .
At $ 250 including free shipping from Batteries Direct , it ’ s not the cheapest charger around but , given its features , in my opinion it ’ s excellent value for money .
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