What app goes with which bluetooth BMS ?

marka-ee

100 W
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Mar 24, 2020
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Hello,
I have an 'Ant' bluetooth bms that I got maybe a year ago from ebay but only tried to use it this week. It's the 2 PC board 'sandwich' version with the balance connectors along the long side, up to 24s and 100 amp. I tried about 4 different android apps that I found here on the forum but have no luck connecting to it except for the 'VBMS' app which kinda worked on an older phone running kit-kat os version. It connected but seemed to give rather mixed up results on the parameter fields. Not usable. Android version 7 didn't connect at all.
So in my quest, a couple of questions : The 'blue elephant' iconed app: is it for the Ant bms ? There seems to be 2 or 3 different brands of these types of BMS but it is so unclear what APP goes with what BMS. Are they all rebranded and actually the same firmware in all of them ?
Are there different revisions of firmware on these that have to match with associated App versions ?
The 'blue elephant' app shows several bluetooth devices of local TV's etc. What a joke. Shouldn't it filter only BMS to connect to ?
The VBMS APP which did connect has absolute garbage English wordings for items on the screen. I am usually pretty good at 2nd guessing the chinglish meanings but these were on another level. Is VBMS app even supposed to work with Ant BMS's ?
The MAC address detected by VBMS was a bogus type AA:BB:CC;D..... type, but it did connect. The 'blue elephant' app did not even list that MAC! Man, it bugs me so much that in the ebike industry from Red China the products are in such disarray.
All attempts were with already paired to Android . ( not sure why 'elephant' app listed other non-paired devices...)
All attempts were with freshly powered on Ant BMS with it's LCD attatched.
Sorry for ranting a bit, I am so frustrated. Any hints or guidance much appreciated.
 
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1536749#p1540047

Unfortunately the info you need is probably buried in that thread mixed in with all the other BT BMSs ever sold.

Does yours have a screen available, or access just via the app?

Have you tried contacting the seller?

Maybe just buy a new BMS, make sure you get all relevant info before ordering and test everything out soon after it arrives.

PM sent with my chaotic notes gathered over time
 
Thank you for your notes. It has the LCD.
I should have tested it as soon as I got it, but alas, here I am. I have no idea who the seller was now. Purchased over 1 year ago.
I will try a 3rd phone to see what happens.
Funny how these BMS don't even have a model number marked on it. So it seems that the sellers / copiers are just stealing each others Apps as well, and that is why they are so bashful about posting the link to the App. They always say ' email me for the App ' . What's wrong seller, you got a stolen unauthorized App ? I'm OK installing side loaded apps. But it should be posted on the web site for the device like a normal company.
 
Yes I really think it would be worth having a "map key" identifying the various BMS so noob-friendly threads could be dedicated to each one.

Bluetooth control, at least as an option really is not that "special" anymore, and all lumped in like that together really is no longer very helpful.
 
you can always go thru that thread (or any other), and make yourself a post in it that has an index linking specific posts with good info on each different type.

then just go back and edit it whenever new info pops up.

once you have significant info in that post, let a moderator (green or red name) know and they can edit a link to that index post into the first post of that thread, at the top, so anyone coming to that thread can see there is a place to find specific info in it.


just beware it's a lot of work to make indexes, and maintain them. ;)
 
VBMS is the correct app for the Ant BMS designed chips. I just go my 4th one working a few days ago. Few things worth noting:

1. All Ant BMSes I've bought so far (4) has had the bogus AA:BB:CC:B1:23:45 Mac address. Makes it a problem having more than one battery pack turned on at a time.

2. The BMS will not turn the bluetooth module on while it is in a "safety shutdown" state - so if you have under or over voltage cells, it will not turn on.

3. The app cannot maintain a bluetooth connection if it is not in focus, and even then, sometimes loses connection. So you can make all the changes and think you're hitting "set" and nothing is happening. Some of mine (The BMS side, not the app side) beep when I hit set, others don't.

What do you mean "Mixed up results" on the parameter fields?

You can also buy the latest VBMS from the app store for AUD $9.99 or USD6.99 - It looks prettier, but I couldn't get it to connect, where as the older version handed out over email by the seller connects 100% of the time if the Bluetooth light on the BMS is on. I think you get 24 hours to refund it, so give it a go, and if it doesn't work, hit refund. It's automatic by Google, no approval necessary.
 
john61ct said:
Yes I really think it would be worth having a "map key" identifying the various BMS so noob-friendly threads could be dedicated to each one.

Bluetooth control, at least as an option really is not that "special" anymore, and all lumped in like that together really is no longer very helpful.

The one control I need is to set the balance voltage, as I want to go to 4.1volts most of the time. The non-bluetooth BMS's seem to always want to go to 4.2 , only good if you like to burn through batteries faster and get a bit more range. Are there any BMS's that have switch settable parameters maybe ?
 
Lots of non-BT BMS are adjustable.

But they don't tend to be the cheap ones.

Another strategy is use a dedicated "non protective" kit for balancing, plug in only when needed.

Or a balancing charger, both do a better job at balancing than protective BMSs where that function is skimped on.

That frees you up to buy a BMS with excellent protective functionality, either no balancing or in effect bypass it by staying below the start - balance voltage
 
Waar vind ik een link voor mayibms.com
Ik kan deze downloaden maar das in 't Chinees
Ivo
 
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