Mopeka Propane Sensors on Venus/Cerbo

[ncitro]

As many members here know I run the Venus OS on a Raspberry Pi rather than the Cerbo/Touch 50/70. That said the OS is the same and this upgrade should function on a Cerbo or CCGX as well.

I was reading the Victron forums and discovered that the 2.9 Venus firmware now supports the Mopeka propane sensors. I have run these for several years with a modification that lets my run them off of my rigs 12V system rather than their internal battery, which made them much more responsive and reliable. I was however disheartened to discover that the Victron gear is only compatible with the new Pro sensors that use Bluetooth LE. I decided I wanted to have the information displayed bad enough to order the new sensors and set about doing the firmware update. Fortunately for those of you running a Cerbo or CCGX that should be fairly straightforward. Unfortunately for me on the Pi this required a new Kernel which meant I needed to do a fresh install from scratch, including the GUI Mods update I had done last year. I ordered a new Micro SD Card so I could roll back easily if it did not go well. I downloaded the new firmware, loaded it onto the SD Card, and booted it up. Then I reinstalled the GUI Mods, wiped my VRM configuration and basically set everything up from scratch. At this point I was able to add the Mopeka sensors, and once I configured my tank sizes (I cheated and found a chart online to do the metric conversions lol) got the display configured how I wanted it. Seems to work really well, and the data populates into VRM, which mean I do not even use the Mopeka app, just the VRM one with one place for everything. This update also supports bluetooth temperature sensors, and I am thinking of adding a few Ruuvi sensors in my fridge and around the rig as well.

Here is a photo of the GUI with the propane levels at the bottom:



Here is a screenshot of the data on VRM:



Here is a link to Victrons article on the Mopeka sensor support:

https://www.victronenergy.com/media/...r-support.html

Fair warning to those with a Cerbo (I assume also a CCGX but am not sure). Victron has finally acknowledged the bug with bluetooth performance in these devices. The units share the radio for wi-fi and bluetooth, and it shuts that radio off above a certain internal temperature. This means the bluetooth performance is pretty bad. I did not have this issue with the Pi, but WondersAwait has mentioned to me he has had bluetooth issues in the past and we think this explains it. Victron has released a list of supported bluetooth USB dongles that resolve this issue. They are pretty inexpensive, and if you are considering starting to add bluetooth sensors I would recommend adding one. You can also use a USB extension to locate the dongle more centrally in your rig if your Cerbo is buried in the front bay (less of an issue with a CCGX). Here is a link to the Victron forum with a list of USB dongles they have tested:

https://community.victronenergy.com/...i-to-ccgx.html

Let me know if anyone has any questions, I am really happy with the upgrade so far!

[howson]

Ah ha! Now I understand why I don't have an "I/O" option on my CCGX--I don't have a USB Bluetooth Dongle. Any preference on the options, Neil?

[ncitro]

The TP Link is 9.99 on Amazon, it's a brand I recognize, but they're probably all using the same chip set so I doubt it matters since the ones on the list are vetted by Victron. Keep in mind I didn't need to use one since the Raspberry Pi does not have this issue. I've mentioned it to WondersAwait but he hasn't tried one yet either.

[Calbar]

ncitro how did you modify your sensors to use the 12v from the trailer? I was looking into this briefly but just never got too involved in it but be interested to see how you did it.

Rob

[ncitro]

Calbar I soldered wires onto the battery contacts, and then powered both sensors off of a 12v to 3.3v converter. An idea I got from someone who did the same thing on their levelmate pro. Worked great and they worked much better and I had significantly better signal running through the converter.

That said the pro sensors seem to work well off of their battery and are supposed to have a much better battery life. I'm not sure if I'll make the same mod to them or not.

You'd use something like this (the one I used isn't available anymore):

Autek DC to DC Buck Converter 12V to 3.3V 3A 10W Step Down Car Power Supply Module(DCCON-C3.3) https://a.co/d/cgUTdYS

[howson]

ncitro - did you get the Plastic Collars for the Pro Sensor as shown in Chad's video (starts at 9:10)? Looks like a good option as the sensor will always install in the exact same location.

[howson]

ncitro -- is there a way within the Victron setup to get an alert when the propane drops below a given %? The Mopeka app (connected to the current "old" sensors I have) sends an alert to my phone.

[Calbar]

Calbar I soldered wires onto the battery contacts, and then powered both sensors off of a 12v to 3.3v converter. An idea I got from someone who did the same thing on their levelmate pro. Worked great and they worked much better and I had significantly better signal running through the converter.

That said the pro sensors seem to work well off of their battery and are supposed to have a much better battery life. I'm not sure if I'll make the same mod to them or not.

You'd use something like this (the one I used isn't available anymore):

Autek DC to DC Buck Converter 12V to 3.3V 3A 10W Step Down Car Power Supply Module(DCCON-C3.3) https://a.co/d/cgUTdYS

Thanks for the info. When I started to look I thought I migh try to find something that fits right into the battery slot. Didn't spend much time on it though. Maybe a project for this summer.

Rob

[Jimmer]

Great info and implementation, Neil!

This may become a new topic: Do you have any other sensors/gauges connected into your Victron system? I've been considering something like your propane measurement system, but it doesn't seem like there are any easy-install and reliable/consistent water/holding tank sensors for Victron systems.

[ncitro]

ncitro - did you get the Plastic Collars for the Pro Sensor as shown in Chad's video (starts at 9:10)? Looks like a good option as the sensor will always install in the exact same location.

No that seems nice though. Mine sit pretty flat (probably the "old style tanks") but it would be nice to keep them from taking down to the road as there's nothing below my tanks in the middle.

[ncitro]

ncitro -- is there a way within the Victron setup to get an alert when the propane drops below a given %? The Mopeka app (connected to the current "old" sensors I have) sends an alert to my phone.

Yes, you can still run the Mopeka app for those if you want or you can configure alerts for the tank sensors in VRM as well if you prefer them that way.

[ncitro]

Thanks for the info. When I started to look I thought I migh try to find something that fits right into the battery slot. Didn't spend much time on it though. Maybe a project for this summer.

Rob

Yes I was always looking for something similar but never found anything. This is a bit more destructive but works really well.

[ncitro]

Great info and implementation, Neil!

This may become a new topic: Do you have any other sensors/gauges connected into your Victron system? I've been considering something like your propane measurement system, but it doesn't seem like there are any easy-install and reliable/consistent water/holding tank sensors for Victron systems.

I don't. I have the Seelevel system for my tanks. There's a new version you can get that's compatible with the Cerbo via a CAN port, but I've held off on switching as it only supports three tanks total. Another easy option is the Mopeka water tank sensors which would work on the grey and fresh but technically are not for the black. I've seen a review of someone who tried one on his black and it worked decently (way better than the factory lights) but not as well as the Seelevel, so I'm holding out for a version of those that will work with all my tanks (particularly since I've already bought the sensors). If I was starting from scratch I might try the Mopekas.

I'm also thinking of adding some Ruuvi temperature sensors around the rig but have not done so yet.

[Jimmer]

I don't. I have the Seelevel system for my tanks. There's a new version you can get that's compatible with the Cerbo via a CAN port, but I've held off on switching as it only supports three tanks total. .

Thanks so much, ncitro ! Great info. The article at the below url indicates 2x each type of tank are supported, for a total of 6 tanks. (“The system supports 2x of each of the standard 3x types of liquid tanks found on an RV/camper van (fresh, grey and black.”). Am I reading the article right? Can 6 Seelevel sensors be used with the Victron system?

https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/us...ergy-cerbo-gx/

[ncitro]

Thanks so much, ncitro ! Great info. The article at the below url indicates 2x each type of tank are supported, for a total of 6 tanks. (“The system supports 2x of each of the standard 3x types of liquid tanks found on an RV/camper van (fresh, grey and black.”). Am I reading the article right? Can 6 Seelevel sensors be used with the Victron system?

https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/us...ergy-cerbo-gx/

My reading of that (and what I've seen elsewhere) is the RVC supports more but takes over the interface and does not allow anything else connected, so the preferred is the N2K which only supports a max of three tanks.