Anyone else had issues with a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 dropping connection to the VictronConnect app mid-session?

Been having a really frustrating time with my Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 over the past few weeks. I'll connect to it fine via Bluetooth on the VictronConnect app, watch the stats for a bit, then it just drops out — usually after 5–10 minutes. Sometimes it reconnects straight away, sometimes I have to restart the app or even walk away and come back. Running it on Android 13 on a Samsung Galaxy A54 if that's relevant.

The setup itself seems to be working fine otherwise — 2x 200W panels wired in series feeding into a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery, bulk/absorb/float all cycling correctly as far as I can tell from the brief windows when I am connected. Firmware on the MPPT is 1.61, app is the latest version from the Play Store.

I've seen a few older threads on the Victron Community forum suggesting it might be a Bluetooth range thing or interference, but I'm sitting about a metre away from the unit when it drops. Worth mentioning the controller is mounted inside a steel-framed van, so I'm wondering if that's causing more interference than I'd expect even at close range?

Has anyone actually solved this, or found a workaround that works consistently? I've seen the GlobalLink 520 mentioned as a way to get around Bluetooth altogether — is that overkill for a single-MPPT setup, or genuinely worth it?

Foggy91 | 47 posts

@Paul1975 Yeah, had exactly this with mine last summer. Turned out my phone was the culprit rather than the MPPT itself — Android was killing the Bluetooth in the background to save battery. Worth checking your phone's battery optimisation settings and making sure VictronConnect is excluded from any power-saving restrictions.

Also worth checking the firmware on the 100/30 is up to date — there were a few Bluetooth stability fixes pushed out in updates a while back. You can check and update directly through VictronConnect when you do manage to hold a connection.

If neither of those sorts it, try forgetting the device entirely and re-pairing from scratch. Solved it for a mate of mine when nothing else would. What phone are you using? Makes a difference knowing whether it's iOS or Android.

Dizzy60 | 134 posts

@Paul1975 Worth checking a couple of things that haven't been mentioned yet. First, have a look at whether your phone's battery optimisation settings are killing the Bluetooth connection in the background — Android is notorious for this. Go into your battery settings and whitelist the VictronConnect app so it's excluded from any power saving restrictions.

Also, what firmware version is your 100/30 running? There were some known Bluetooth stability issues in older firmware that Victron patched a while back. Connect via USB if you can and force a firmware update through the app. Made a noticeable difference on mine.

Finally, if you're seeing it drop specifically when solar production is changing rapidly (cloud cover etc.), that's occasionally caused the controller to briefly reset its comms in my experience. Not a fault as such, just something to be aware of.

DazBarker93 | 89 posts

@Paul1975 One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - check the firmware on the 100/30 itself. I had almost identical drop-out issues and updated via VictronConnect (Device > Product Info > Update) and it sorted it completely. Victron push fixes fairly regularly and older firmware can be a bit flaky with BT stability.

Also worth trying "Forget Device" on your phone's Bluetooth settings and re-pairing fresh rather than just reconnecting through the app. Sometimes the pairing just gets itself in a muddle, especially if you've connected from multiple devices.

If neither of those help, pop your details into Victron's online support - they're actually pretty decent at responding and can pull diagnostics remotely if you've got a GX device or Cerbo in the setup. Good luck with it!

BenJohnson95 | 67 posts

Had this exact issue on the boat last winter. Mine turned out to be interference from the inverter running nearby — Bluetooth and certain inverters don't play nicely together, especially in a confined metal hull.

Try stepping a bit further away from any other 12V kit when you connect, or temporarily switch off the inverter and see if the drops stop. Made a noticeable difference for me.

Also worth checking if you've got anything else paired to the 100/30 via Bluetooth — it can only maintain one active connection at a time, so if another device is lurking in the background trying to grab it, you'll get kicked off mid-session. Unpair everything except your main phone and start fresh.

DuctTapeDave | 312 posts

Mine did this constantly in the garden office until I realised my phone's battery optimisation was killing the Bluetooth stack in the background — Android is absolutely ruthless about it, go into your battery settings and whitelist the VictronConnect app specifically, not just exempt it from doze mode, there's a difference.

JasonJackson | 156 posts

@Paul1975 Worth checking your phone's Bluetooth settings specifically around "paired devices" — sometimes the 100/30 gets listed as a saved device and that cached connection causes all sorts of grief. Try forgetting the device entirely and re-pairing fresh. Also, if you're running Android, there's a known quirk where having too many Bluetooth devices paired simultaneously can cause mid-session drops even when those other devices aren't actively connected. Clear out anything you don't regularly use.

One more thing — how far away are you typically sitting from the unit when it drops? Bluetooth range on these is decent but physical obstructions, particularly metal enclosures, can cause the signal to wobble enough to disconnect without fully dropping. Moving closer to rule that out first will at least help narrow down whether it's software or signal.