This Victron BMV-712 Smart review covers Victron’s classic battery monitor with a round display. It measures current through a 500A quick-connect shunt, shows state of charge on the wall and in the VictronConnect app over Bluetooth, and adds a programmable relay and visual and audible alarm that the cheaper SmartShunt lacks.
Victron BMV-712 Smart Review: Specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Supply voltage | 6.5–70VDC |
| Current draw | <1mA, backlight off |
| Shunt | 500A/50mV included; selectable up to 10,000A |
| Relay | Programmable, bi-stable |
| Alarm | Programmable visual and audible |
| Aux input | Second battery, midpoint or temperature |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, VE.Direct |
| Battery capacity range | 1–9999Ah |
| Resolution | ±0.01A, ±0.01V, ±0.1Ah, ±0.1% SOC |
| Included | 10m RJ12 cable, 2m fused battery cable |
Source: Victron BMV-712 Smart datasheet.
What We Like
- At-a-glance display for anyone in the RV or boat.
- Relay can shed loads or start a generator.
- Midpoint monitoring warns of imbalance in series lead-acid banks.
What to Watch
- Display cable must be routed to the panel location.
- Costs more than a SmartShunt (check current prices).
Lithium Settings From the Manual
| Setting | Victron recommendation for LiFePO4 |
|---|---|
| Peukert exponent | 1.05 (unless the battery maker says otherwise) |
| Charge efficiency | 99% |
| Discharge floor | 10–20% |
| Tail current | Set higher if your charger stops below the default threshold |
Source: Victron BMV-712 Smart manual, “Make Lithium settings”.
Setup and Troubleshooting Tips
- State of charge drifts or reads too high. All load and charger negatives must go to the system side of the shunt. Anything on the battery negative isn’t counted. Also check the capacity, Peukert and charge efficiency settings.
- Never syncs to 100%. All three “charged” conditions must hold: voltage above the charged voltage (example 13.8V), current below tail current (4% of capacity, so 8A on a 200Ah bank), both for 3 minutes. If the chargers never reach those, adjust the settings.
- Current shows with nothing on. Do a zero-current calibration with all loads off, or set the current threshold.
- Charge and discharge are reversed. Swap the negative cables on the shunt.
- Dead display. Check the fuse in the +B1 cable.
- Bluetooth won’t connect. Only one phone can connect at a time, and the Windows app has no Bluetooth. A metal chassis can cut the range from about 20m in open space, and Victron suggests a VE.Direct Bluetooth dongle in that case.
BMV-712 vs SmartShunt at a Glance
| Feature | BMV-712 Smart | SmartShunt |
|---|---|---|
| Display | Yes, round panel display | No, app only |
| Programmable relay | Yes | No |
| Visual and audible alarm | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth and VE.Direct | Yes | Yes |
| Aux input (starter, midpoint or temperature) | Yes | Yes |
| Included shunt | 500A | 300A to 2000A options |
Step-by-Step Setup
- Install the shunt in the battery negative, with every load and charger negative on the system side.
- Connect the fused +B1 cable to the battery positive and run the 10m RJ12 cable to the display.
- In VictronConnect or on the display, enter the battery capacity in Ah.
- Set the charged voltage and tail current to suit your charger, then the Peukert exponent and charge efficiency (see the lithium table above).
- Run a zero-current calibration with all loads and chargers off.
- Fully charge the battery once so the monitor synchronizes to 100%.
Worked Example: A 200Ah LiFePO4 Van Bank
Enter 200Ah as the capacity, a Peukert exponent of 1.05 and 99% charge efficiency. With the 4% tail current from the troubleshooting section, the BMV treats the bank as full when charge current falls below 8A at the charged voltage for three minutes. A 2,000W inverter draws about 185A from a 12V bank at 90% efficiency, well inside the 500A shunt rating.
The relay can then start a generator at a low state of charge and stop it once the bank recovers, using a separate contactor for anything above the relay’s 1A rating.
Using Midpoint Monitoring
On a 24V bank built from two 12V lead-acid batteries in series, connect the aux input to the midpoint. The BMV compares the two halves and alarms if one battery drifts away from the other, an early sign that a battery needs attention.
Worked examples are arithmetic estimates from the published ratings above, not test results. Real numbers depend on temperature, cable runs, battery state and load.
Want the source figures? The BMV-712 Smart page on Victron’s site has the datasheet.
FAQ
BMV-712 or SmartShunt?
BMV-712 if you want a display or relay; SmartShunt otherwise.
Can it use a bigger shunt?
Yes, Victron lists 1000A, 2000A and 6000A shunts as options.
Does it work with lithium?
Yes; set the Peukert exponent and charge efficiency per Victron’s guidance.
Does the relay need power to hold?
No. It’s a bistable relay, rated 60V and 1A. It can be set to trigger on things like low state of charge or voltage, for example to start a generator through a separate contactor.
Can it monitor a starter battery?
Yes, via the aux input, with the starter battery negative on the shunt’s load side.
How long is the display cable?
A 10m RJ12 cable comes in the box, enough for most RV and boat layouts. Longer RJ12 cables are available if the panel is farther from the battery.
Can the BMV-712 connect to a Cerbo GX?
Yes. Its VE.Direct port connects to a GX device, which adds the readings to the system overview and to VRM for remote monitoring.
What do the main readings mean?
Voltage and current are live values. Power is their product. Consumed Ah counts what has left the battery since it was last full, state of charge expresses that as a percentage of capacity, and time-to-go estimates how long the battery lasts at the present load.
Does the BMV-712 work on 24V and 48V banks?
Yes. Its 6.5–70VDC supply range covers 12V, 24V and 48V systems without a separate power supply.
Does it count the starter battery in state of charge?
No. The aux input shows the starter battery’s voltage only; state of charge applies to the main bank measured through the shunt.
Sources: Victron BMV-712 Smart datasheet (victronenergy.com); Ross Lukeman, “The Best Battery Monitor for a Van Conversion”.
Sources: Victron BMV-712 Smart datasheet and BMV-712 Smart manual (“Configuration”, “Troubleshooting”), victronenergy.com, accessed Oct 2026.
Related: LiTime 12V 50Ah LiFePO4 Battery Review, Klein CL390 Clamp Meter Solar Panel Test, EcoFlow Delta 3 Max RV Boondocking, plus the Victron Energy Guide