Victron Energy SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65
(18 reviews)
The Victron SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65 tracks battery status continuously and sends it all over Bluetooth to the VictronConnect app, no physical display needed.
Characteristics
- Shunt: 500A/50mV
- Bluetooth: Built-in, VictronConnect app
- Rating: IP65
- Accuracy: 99.6%
- Built-in Bluetooth and IP65 housing, no display or cable to fit
Detailed overview: Victron Energy SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65 - photo 2
The Victron SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65 is an all-in-one battery monitor, designed to precisely track the status of a leisure battery in a van, boat, motorhome or fixed solar setup, without needing a separate physical display: your smartphone plays that role instead, via the free VictronConnect app.
Fitted with a 500A/50mV shunt, it continuously measures voltage, current in and out, state of charge, estimated time remaining, and keeps a 30-day history of use. Claimed accuracy reaches 99.6%, a high figure for this type of device. The connection runs over built-in Bluetooth, integrated directly into the housing: no add-on module to buy, unlike some competing monitors that sell Bluetooth as an option.
The housing is IP65-rated, resistant to dust and water splashes, making it suitable for marine installations, vans or any damp battery compartment. A VE.Direct port lets you connect it to a Victron GX device for wider system monitoring, and an auxiliary (AUX) input allows tracking a second battery, mid-point voltage or a temperature sensor, depending on configuration. VE.Smart Networking also lets it wirelessly share temperature and voltage data with other compatible Victron equipment, helping optimise charging across the whole system.
Compatible with lithium, AGM and flooded lead-acid batteries, the SmartShunt is backed by a 5-year warranty, a sign of Victron's confidence in the product's durability. Against the Renogy RBM500, which relies on a physical wired display, the SmartShunt takes the opposite approach: everything over Bluetooth, no display cable to fit, for a more discreet install that's entirely dependent on having a smartphone nearby.
Comparison
How does the Victron SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65 compare with other battery monitors?
| Criterion | Victron SmartShunt 500A | Renogy RBM500 | Victron BMV-712 | AiLi 500A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in Bluetooth | Yes, built-in | No (BT-2 module optional) | No (SmartConnect module optional) | No |
| Physical display | None (app only) | Wired LCD (6m cable) | Wired colour LCD | Wired LCD |
| Rating | IP65 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Accuracy | 99.6% | ±1% | ±1% | ±1% |
| Warranty | 5 years | 2 years | 5 years | Not stated |
| Observed price | £86 | £54 | ≈ £165 | ≈ £72 |
The Victron SmartShunt stands out for its built-in Bluetooth and IP65 housing, both absent on the far cheaper Renogy RBM500, which lacks any stated water resistance. Against the BMV-712, which offers a physical colour display, the SmartShunt stays significantly more affordable for near-identical accuracy and the same 5-year warranty. For a modern install run entirely from a smartphone, the SmartShunt 500A is the best technical compromise in this line-up.
Related video
Video: How to install the Victron Energy SmartShunt IP65 - Published on 03/04/2023
Our tester's review: Gilles Caron
We fitted this SmartShunt to a lithium leisure battery, drawn to the idea of not needing any physical display at all: everything runs through Bluetooth and the VictronConnect app. Pairing is instant (the PIN code is printed right on the housing), and the app shows state of charge, estimated time remaining, discharge history and plenty more within seconds, with real depth of detail. The IP65 housing is reassuring in a damp battery compartment or on a boat. Over time, readings stayed consistent against a reference multimeter, and the Bluetooth link never once proved flaky, even from a room away. The only real downsides: you absolutely need a phone nearby to check anything, there's no backup screen, and early firmware updates stalled part-way through for some users. For anyone happy to run everything from the app, the SmartShunt remains a benchmark that's hard to beat in this category.
Frequently asked questions: Victron Energy SmartShunt 500A/50mV IP65 - photo 2
No, this model has no physical display at all: all readings (voltage, current, state of charge) appear over Bluetooth in the free VictronConnect app, on a smartphone or tablet.
Victron claims 99.6% accuracy, a high figure for a battery monitor, backed by the calibrated 500A/50mV shunt built into the housing.
Yes, this IP65 version resists dust and water splashes, making it suitable for marine installations, vans and damp battery compartments.
Yes, a VE.Direct port lets you connect it to a Victron GX device, and VE.Smart Networking wirelessly shares data with other compatible Victron equipment.
The SmartShunt relies entirely on built-in Bluetooth and the app, with no physical display, while the RBM500 uses a wired LCD screen with no built-in Bluetooth. The choice comes down to preferring a physical readout or an app.
Other products in the "Battery monitors" category
Renogy RBM500
£53.99 (27)
The Renogy RBM500 continuously tracks voltage, current and state of charge through a 500A shunt and a wired LCD display, accurate to within 1%.
Votronic LCD Battery Computer 100 S
£179.68 (9)
How much charge is really left in the leisure battery? The Votronic LCD Battery Computer 100 S measures voltage, current and charge continuously, up to 100A.
Published on 04/09/2026