Renogy RBM500 battery monitor. I have regrets.
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Let me start out on a positive note. I love the screen layout of this monitor. It’s bold and bright and displays all the stats at once on a single screen which is visible from a distance. That was actually a big factor for me when I bought it.
I’d like to say I did my homework before I hit the buy button. I read a handful of reviews which for the most part all seemed decent. I even watched a few unboxing and install videos…As you do in the age of UA-cam.
However, coming from a standpoint of ownership, I can now say that reliability and quality control seem to be an issue with this monitor. For a data cord to go bad in such a short period of time under normal use is just not acceptable. Still, I liked the screen design so much that I initially considered ordering a second monitor and just calling this one a dud.
But after further investigation, I made a couple red flag discoveries which changed my mind. I’ve also noticed a decline in the ratings on Amazon for this monitor. Currently 15% of buyers are rating this monitor only 1 of 5 star. There are quite a few comments describing operational issues similar to mine as well as comments regarding poor customer service.
My guess is that Renogy is just too focused on the higher end solar market these days to be bothered with quality control and customer service on these less expensive monitors. But who knows.
If you have a RBM500, drop a line in the comments section about how yours performs or perform(ed). Does your unit have screen brightness adjustability? Does yours say 350A or 500A on the startup screen? Any issues with finicky data cord attachments?
All I can say is…..THANK YOU SO-O-O VERY MUCH !!
For the “hold the up arrow in for a few seconds”. I was having the very same symptoms on my stand alone LiPo4 bank. Called their cust. service and she said it was beyond her expertise.
Whew, thanks again. ✌🏻
I’m glad you were able to get it straightened out. I had to toss my monitor. I’m putting together a new video of the instal of a Victron replacement. I hope your Renogy holds on longer for you than mine did for me.
Wow. Thank you for sharing. Ive had some issues with the Renogy AGM batteries as well. Great video, hope everything is doing well for you now!
So far the new Victron is working well. Thanks for watching! :-)
100% installed wrong and is now damaged.
Oh look everyone this guy somehow solved the case! Turns out I don’t know what I’m talking about. 🙄
I understand the skepticism about trusting the company regarding the amp rating issue. It's possible that its due to software, and the hardware might actually be capable of handling it. 350 amps at what I assume is 12 volts (dont know if its in series) equates to 4 kW, and I suspect your wiring might not be suitable for this load anyway.
Regarding the connector, it doesn't appear to have an outdoor rating, which is problematic given its use on the back of a vehicle, due to vibration and possibly exposure to elements. You could consider using potting adhesive to secure it in place if others intend to use the monitor. It didn't simply "go bad"; it seems that it experienced a lot of movement, which is not what this device is designed for, as it's intended for fixed installations.
The elements were irrelevant in my case being that the monitor and the battery bank were both mounted on the inside of my vehicle. And the amount of vibration created by the type of trail riding I personally do should not be an issue. By comparison, It's not an issue for my Alpine head unit and amplifier, my 2 pre-amped subwoofers, my Switch-pros module, and so on. If vibration were an issue for the RBM500, The user manual would/should indicate that. It doesn't. With all do respect, yes. It did in fact "go bad"
Holding the up arrow calibrates the system. When you know the battery is fully charged, hold the up arrow to tell the system it's fully charged, that way it has a starting point. Alternatively, if you know the battery is fully discharged you could hold the down arrow and set that as the 0% charged state.
Did that. I stated with trouble shooting the hardware and then moved on to software. Fast forward to 4:57.
I'm pretty sure mine is connected to the negative side of the battery not the positive, I haven't had the issues that you've had. I hope you got it resolved.
Yes the shunt gets it’s reading from the Neg terminal. But the small wire that powers the monitor screen goes to the Positive terminal. I wasn’t able to resolve the issue unfortunately. I decided to swap it for a Victron unit. All is well since then. Thanks for watching.
shunts can be on either side, negative is just safer according to them
I believe if you draw too many amps it will go into this mode. If you disconnect and reconnect it will restart. You can change the amps in the settings
Maybe so, but that wasn’t my issue. With my system, I’m no where near the max Amps for this monitor.
Curious what Renogy said when you contacted their support? I’ve always had good response from them.
every electronics needs reset from time to time. fact! sometimes you just have to unlug it from electricity. pull your cable directly from monitor and shunt. could be that electronics on shunt and monitor both need reset at same time. or maybe just monitor bad.
The monitor was definitely bad. I tried everything possible. I swapped to a Victron Smart unit and haven't had any issues since.
i had the same problem but i went and looked at the setup for the monitor on renogy and it said once you plug everything in set up the limits you want on it. then press the up arrow for three seconds for it to recognize and reset for what your battery is now. I think this needs to be done every time you unhook it from the battery's I run 5 100 amp batteries or 6500 watt hours and it connected and shows it. there is no current when you disconnect the battery and it has no way to remember your settings.
Yup I mention the 3 second hold trick a couple times in the video. Didn't work. I've been pretty happy with my Victron since I made this video. I will say, I do miss the big green screen that shows everything all at once. Thanks for watching. ;-)
put your finger on the up arrow and hold it for three seconds it should correct to what it is now
Did you see the part at 4:11? Or 5:03? 🤷♂️
You need to put it on the negative lead not the position.
Shunt get both neg. and pos. feed. They measure capacity through neg. and the positive powers the monitor.
a bit late to the party but have you tried switching it off then on again😊 thank me later
Thank you for what? Not watching the full video? 🤫👉5:48 😂 In all seriousness thanks for your post but the unit was 100% shot.
throw it out get victron
@@Supanova70 I did. About a year ago. Happy with Vic.