Thanks for This @larry barello 👍
So the opinions of the 2 monitors differ? ,,, sounds like “Forum Members” 😜
So the opinions of the 2 monitors differ? ,,, sounds like “Forum Members” 😜
Product Review: Eco-Worthy 200A battery monitor
@83Grumman inquired about my experience with this product and suggested I write a product review.
ECO-WORTHY 200A Battery Monitor,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y8Q1X15
I purchased it to have something to compare the internal monitor in the Renogy Smart Lithium batteries that I use. I chose this product because having the toroid current sense is a huge deal for me in that it didn't require modifications to the high current wiring of my electrical panel. I try to minimize the high current connections as they are expensive ($ and power wise) and unreliable. That is why I chose Renogy, at the time, because the current sense was built into the BMS - one less thing for me to deal with.
I drained the batteries, then filled them up after installing the Eco-worthy monitor. Eco-worthy recorded 196 Ah whereas the Renogy reports 199.27 Ah and my excel spreadsheet, using Renogy reported current every 15 seconds, reports ~203 Ah.
The Renogy reported SOC does some funny stuff. I think they are using some sort of life-aging model to adjust reported Ah capacity rather than actually measuring it. When charging the reported SOC rises to 90% and then sticks there until fully charged (e.g., voltage > 14.5) and then jumps to the estimated value. They also reported 0% SOC well before the terminal condition of < 10.5v. I believe others on this forum, have reported similar anomalies with Victron (and others?) battery monitors/SOC meters. It must be a simple way of dealing with varying capacity and the inevitable inaccuracy of the current measurements as integration magnifies even small errors over time.
The Eco-Worthy monitor does sort of the opposite: when close to full it shows 100% and 196Ah, yet current is still flowing into the battery. But as it drains the reported capacity generally matches the Renogy reported values. The Eco-Worthy monitor claims .1A resolution vs. 10ma for Renogy. But that is the display, I have no clue what is going on under the covers. The displayed value is significantly different at low current levels, but identical with Renogy at higher levels (4-5a)
The Eco-worthy has the option of manually setting the capacity, full and empty voltage (expert mode for more accurate results). I have not done that yet. I just let it auto calibrate. It is easily within 5% of Renogy and for a $40 product that is plenty good for me (NB: eco-worthy lists .5% measurement accuracy)
![Motor vehicle Hood Electrical wiring Gas Auto part]()
See how simple it was to install?
ECO-WORTHY 200A Battery Monitor,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y8Q1X15
I purchased it to have something to compare the internal monitor in the Renogy Smart Lithium batteries that I use. I chose this product because having the toroid current sense is a huge deal for me in that it didn't require modifications to the high current wiring of my electrical panel. I try to minimize the high current connections as they are expensive ($ and power wise) and unreliable. That is why I chose Renogy, at the time, because the current sense was built into the BMS - one less thing for me to deal with.
I drained the batteries, then filled them up after installing the Eco-worthy monitor. Eco-worthy recorded 196 Ah whereas the Renogy reports 199.27 Ah and my excel spreadsheet, using Renogy reported current every 15 seconds, reports ~203 Ah.
The Renogy reported SOC does some funny stuff. I think they are using some sort of life-aging model to adjust reported Ah capacity rather than actually measuring it. When charging the reported SOC rises to 90% and then sticks there until fully charged (e.g., voltage > 14.5) and then jumps to the estimated value. They also reported 0% SOC well before the terminal condition of < 10.5v. I believe others on this forum, have reported similar anomalies with Victron (and others?) battery monitors/SOC meters. It must be a simple way of dealing with varying capacity and the inevitable inaccuracy of the current measurements as integration magnifies even small errors over time.
The Eco-Worthy monitor does sort of the opposite: when close to full it shows 100% and 196Ah, yet current is still flowing into the battery. But as it drains the reported capacity generally matches the Renogy reported values. The Eco-Worthy monitor claims .1A resolution vs. 10ma for Renogy. But that is the display, I have no clue what is going on under the covers. The displayed value is significantly different at low current levels, but identical with Renogy at higher levels (4-5a)
The Eco-worthy has the option of manually setting the capacity, full and empty voltage (expert mode for more accurate results). I have not done that yet. I just let it auto calibrate. It is easily within 5% of Renogy and for a $40 product that is plenty good for me (NB: eco-worthy lists .5% measurement accuracy)
See how simple it was to install?
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Good info! Thanks!
I have the Renogy battery monitor that uses a shunt. Works well.
I was thinking about putting a display somewhere up front to view while driving. Seems like I could just disconnect the (-) main battery lead from my bank to the shunt, slip it thru the sensor, and reconnect.... both monitors should work.
Hard to tell from the advertising, but the amps reading must go + and - like the Renogy unit. My Renogy blinks to indicate charging (flow TO the batteries) and has a few up arrows in the display... Does the Eco-worthy? Looks like I could power the unit from the dash (key on), and run the sensor wire back to the batteries... length of the sensor wire?
I have the Renogy battery monitor that uses a shunt. Works well.
I was thinking about putting a display somewhere up front to view while driving. Seems like I could just disconnect the (-) main battery lead from my bank to the shunt, slip it thru the sensor, and reconnect.... both monitors should work.
Hard to tell from the advertising, but the amps reading must go + and - like the Renogy unit. My Renogy blinks to indicate charging (flow TO the batteries) and has a few up arrows in the display... Does the Eco-worthy? Looks like I could power the unit from the dash (key on), and run the sensor wire back to the batteries... length of the sensor wire?
I just ordered the ECO-WORTHY 200A Battery Monitor.
Which has 200A in the title, and 500A as the current rating specs...
I dunno how the voltage sensing for "full" and "empty" will react to the service battery voltage vs. the house. Service batteries go pretty high when the alternator is jamming current into them.
It might work fine. I am just ignorant w/regard to practical use of Lead Acid.
I just had a similar conversion with @MsNomer about battery monitor behaviour. We both have Bogarts. @HarryN told her part of the problem is that our charging amps, especially solar, can be such a small fraction of the 500A shunt capacity that it is hard-to-measure noise.
That the Renogy BT-BMS and Eco-Worthy agree that well is pretty amazing. I've already lowered my expectations for SOC accuracy in general. It's probably never more than a fickle estimate at best. But for LiFePO4 in particular, it's still much better than simple voltage.
That the Renogy BT-BMS and Eco-Worthy agree that well is pretty amazing. I've already lowered my expectations for SOC accuracy in general. It's probably never more than a fickle estimate at best. But for LiFePO4 in particular, it's still much better than simple voltage.
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Edited
About 2 years ago, I was pushing a supplier about using an external monitor vs shunt for current measurements. (Bogart )
He claimed that in their own testing, the hall and coil methods were sensitive to the earths magnetic field, so depending on which way you are driving, the reading will be different.
I am still not sure that I care unless it is a LOT different for van use - for the exact same reason as @larry barello . It is a pain to deal with shunts and I could make more compact systems if the shunt could be eliminated. Thanks for the data.
About 2 years ago, I was pushing a supplier about using an external monitor vs shunt for current measurements. (Bogart )
He claimed that in their own testing, the hall and coil methods were sensitive to the earths magnetic field, so depending on which way you are driving, the reading will be different.
I am still not sure that I care unless it is a LOT different for van use - for the exact same reason as @larry barello . It is a pain to deal with shunts and I could make more compact systems if the shunt could be eliminated. Thanks for the data.
The torroid should eliminates the external magnetic field effect. Only flux circling the wire should effect the sensor.
I have never noticed that, but I also am not measuring with a separate instrument.
I wonder by how much it would throw off the current?
I might buy one to read the PM alternator output.
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