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StirCrazy's avatar
StirCrazy
Moderator
Jun 10, 2026

Monitoring setup for Vicron componants

so while looking around on the net for a way to remote monitor the victron with out having to spend 700 bucks for the cerbo and the display, I stumbled across people using a raspberry pi to replace the cerbo.  after more digging I found that Victron has open sourced the venus OS which is what the cerbo runs on.  so I thought about it and I have a raspbery pi 4B still new in the pakage and though, hmm I could do that.  

so off to amazon I go to order the victron VE.direct to USB cables and doing further reading I found out my BMS on my battery is compatable with a usb to rs485 uart converter cable

so while I wait for the cables I decided to get the RPI setup and operating.  so here the raspberry pi is finaly flashed with Venus OS and working.  took me a bit to figure out how to ssh into it to lood the package manager on it as the venus os changes some of the info, mainly your login name and password 🤔

after I figured out how to enable the wifi and such on it  I was able to log on with victron conect. 

with the newest version of venus OS they introduced a new ui you can use.  you can switch back and forth between the two so if you like one over the other you can use your favorite

here is what it looks like when you have nothing hooked up with the classic UI

I should start getting the cables over the next could days, a 7" screen so I can make it local in the rv also with out having to dig out my phone, but I will still be able to conect from anywhere in the world through the victron conect app.  I also have a dc to dc stepdown power supply coming so I can power the raspberry Pi off the battery in my camper and I will be trying to find a way to minimize cables coming up to the display.  I have been reading about using a USB hub so you only have one wire coming from the pi for the preferials and another two wires for the display.  I could bundle thoes together and live with that.  

now I am wondering if the system will conect with off brand inverters as I don't want a multiplus type setup and victron doesn't seem to make a strait 2000 watt inverter.  

3 Replies

  • Camper_Jeff___K's avatar
    Camper_Jeff___K
    Navigator
    Jun 10, 2026

    Obviously your brain is filled with better garbage than mine. If you ever watched Everlanders on YouTube,  Jason has done several impressive similar projects in their home built expedition F550. Great being able to get functionality on a budget. I get enough Victron system information via Bluetooth using my phone. I'll put my money to Starlink and sugarfree doughnuts The Grand Whazoo used to like Entemans I recall.

    • StirCrazy's avatar
      StirCrazy
      Moderator
      Jun 11, 2026

      sugar free donuts, now that just sounds wrong 🤣

      bluetooth does give a lot of info, if you happen to br right there.  for example I have my truck and camper parked 65 feet away on the side of the house and I can't log into any of my bluetooth right now.  so it will let me check on things a little more easier around home, but also I can set up alerts if somthing is going wrong.  then it makes it easier to check on things when I am not at the camper.  the other thing it will do is by alowing me to bring my BMS into venus os I will be able to see everything with one program, yes if i have to make setting adjustments on the bms I wil still have to log in with its bluetooth.  if I would have knowen i could bring the BMS in before I bought my stuff I wouldn't have bought the smart shunt as the BMS will give me more information and that information can be used to control the mppt charger. 

       but, as I am discovering , the more I dig into it, it is not just about reciving information, the cerbo combines everything and lets them work togeather.  and by installing the "large" venus os package I get node red and signal K which one is a plc type programing program, the other is a feature control system they use in boats and such to tire all different kinds of features into one package.  now am I addign navagation and helm controls, nope but I could add relays for cooling fans and wireless bluetooth tempature and humidity detectors and I may want that fan to turn on if that temprature reaches a spicific setpoint, or maybe I want the furnace to start if it reaches a lower setpoint.  not saying I am tieing in the furnace right away, but thats the kind of possibility thoes packages give you.  The is also the victron componant controle its self that the package brings in.  if I go with a compatable inverter I can have the componants control each other, your battery id full and there is no draw on the system, it will shut down the solar controler, or force it to float faster.  the inverter turns on, it wakes up the solar controler and such.  then using the singnal k and code red I can progam my own pages to turn different add ons on or off vie the relays it can control.  so I can set them for auto values or have a button programed on a screen in venus os to toggle it on or off, or if it is a 3 way  there is that also.  so you could start a fan on your drive home from sightseeing to cool down the inside of the rv or what not.  

      It is actualy quite amazing that victron open sourced this as a raspberry pi 4 is probably 4 to 5 times more powerfull than the cerbo gx its self, so while you can dasy chain cerbo units you just need to keep adding to the RPI and thats where the cost difference gets rael huge.  

      I started as I had a spare pi laying around still in the box, then I figured well I could add the patch cords for 35 bucks each and the other for 20 and a screen for 50 bucks.  I will have to 3d print the screen and pi housing/stand.  so if I had to buy the pi also, I think they are about 150ish right now so I would be up at 300 right now for what would have been 7 or 800 from victron (cdn prices).  if it was going to cost near the same as buying the stuff from victron then I wouldn't have bothered.  

      • Camper_Jeff___K's avatar
        Camper_Jeff___K
        Navigator
        Jun 11, 2026

        Well, the doughnuts was meant humorously.

        The Rpi a pretty slick alternative.

        Personally,  I don't feel the need.

        The batteries bms have worked fine and have final say on battery function  over other components. Only thing that needs a fan is the 3000 watt inverter charger. It doesnt really kick out big power unless someone is running something or doing a charge and typically, we are there when that happens. The fridge is almost always on electric daytime. Night time it's propane. The only thing that needs a fan is the 3k inverter and it has a decent self controlled fan. That inverter has a fair amount of self monitoring and safety built into it.  So far, the system has been foolproof managing itself. 

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