Anyone else had issues with Victron SmartSolar MPPT dropping connection to the VictronConnect app mid-session?

Picked up a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 about three months ago and paired it with a 200Ah lithium (LiFePO4) bank and a couple of 175W panels on my campervan build. Generally chuffed with it — the bulk/absorption/float behaviour is spot on and the app is genuinely brilliant compared to the cheap PWM controllers I've used before.

The issue I keep running into is the Bluetooth dropping out from VictronConnect mid-session. I'll be sat maybe 1.5 metres from the controller, watching the live data, and it just disconnects. Sometimes it reconnects after 30 seconds, sometimes I have to fully close and reopen the app. Doesn't seem to matter whether I'm on Android 13 (Samsung S21) or my old iPad — happens on both. Firmware on the MPPT is up to date (v1.61), and I've tried forgetting and repairing the device.

Has anyone else seen this? I've read a few threads suggesting it might be interference from the inverter — I've got a Giandel 2000W pure sine unit mounted about 40cm away from the MPPT. Could that be the culprit, or is this just a known quirk of the SmartSolar Bluetooth? Wondering whether a VE.Direct to USB cable and ditching Bluetooth altogether is the more reliable route.

Rodney47 | 📍 Shropshire | ⚡ Solar Enthusiast

@KeithClark71 Had exactly this with my 75/15 last summer. Turned out my phone's battery optimisation was killing the Bluetooth connection in the background — Android is particularly aggressive about this. Go into your phone's app settings and whitelist VictronConnect so it's excluded from battery saving. Made a massive difference for me.

Also worth checking the firmware on the MPPT itself — Victron pushed an update a while back specifically addressing BT stability. You can sometimes catch the update prompt when you do manage to hold a connection long enough.

One other thing — distance and metal bodywork in a van can cause grief with Bluetooth. If you're monitoring from outside the van, try getting closer to the controller before writing it off as a software issue. Good luck with the build!

@KeithClark71 yes, had exactly this with my 75/15 during my van build. Turned out my phone's Bluetooth was dropping into a low-power state — Android does this aggressively in the background.

A couple of things that sorted it for me:

• Disable battery optimisation for VictronConnect specifically in your phone settings
• Keep the screen on while monitoring (annoying but works)
• Make sure you're on the latest firmware — there was a dodgy version a while back that made this worse

Also worth checking if you've got any other Bluetooth devices nearby causing interference. My wireless speaker was seemingly causing havoc before I worked that out.

What phone are you running? iOS tends to be more stable in my experience than Android for this.

@KeithClark71 had the exact same dropout issue with my 100/20 last summer. Turned out my phone's Bluetooth was the culprit — Android has this aggressive battery optimisation that kills background BT connections. Once I whitelisted VictronConnect in the battery settings it became rock solid.

Also worth checking your MPPT firmware is up to date. Mine was on an older version and updating it via VictronConnect (when it did stay connected long enough!) sorted a secondary glitch I was having.

One thing I'd add — if you're doing the session logging for your LiFePO4 bank, the Keep Screen On option within the app helps prevent mid-session drops. Bit obvious maybe but caught me out initially.

Zoe1993 | 📍 Somerset | ⚡ Off-Grid Convert

@KeithClark71 Sounds like @Rodney47, @VanLee and @LindaJones69 have the Bluetooth angle covered! One thing worth checking that nobody's mentioned yet — the firmware on the MPPT itself. I had persistent dropout issues with mine until I updated via VictronConnect, and it sorted it almost immediately. Also worth checking if there's anything nearby causing interference; I had a cheap 12V USB charger fitted close to my controller that was absolutely wreaking havoc with the BT signal. Moved it further away and the difference was night and day. If you're still struggling after trying the obvious stuff, Victron's community forum is genuinely brilliant — the support there is surprisingly responsive for a manufacturer. Hope you get it cracked! 🤞

MistyTrekker | 📍 Peak District | ⚡ Off-Grid Enthusiast

@KeithClark71 Sounds like a frustrating one! Worth checking whether the dropouts correlate with the MPPT getting warm — I found mine would occasionally play up during peak generation hours on hot days. Also, have you tried adjusting the Bluetooth timeout settings within VictronConnect itself? There's an option under the device settings that can help maintain the connection longer during active monitoring sessions.

One other thing — if you're running any other Bluetooth devices nearby in the van (speakers, reversing sensors, etc.), interference can sometimes be a factor. Toggling those off temporarily is a good way to rule that out. @Rodney47 and @LindaJones69 both seem to be pointing toward the phone side of things, so it might be worth testing on a different device too if you've got one handy. What Android/iOS version are you running?

GemmaFisher82 | 📍 Yorkshire | ⚡ Off-Grid Enthusiast

@KeithClark71 One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet — check whether you've got the continuous scanning option enabled in VictronConnect settings. On Android especially, leaving that on can actually cause the connection to drop because it keeps re-scanning whilst already connected, which confuses the Bluetooth stack. Turning it off made a noticeable difference for me with my 75/15. Also worth making sure the MPPT firmware is fully up to date; there were a couple of Bluetooth stability fixes pushed out in recent updates. You can check and update directly through VictronConnect when you do manage to get a stable connection. Finally, keeping your phone screen on whilst monitoring helps — some phones aggressively kill Bluetooth when the screen locks. Bit annoying but worth testing!

LiamFrost70 | 📍 Array | ⚡ Off-Grid Enthusiast

Had this exact issue on my shepherd's hut build with a 100/20. Worth checking whether your phone's Bluetooth is dropping into a low-power scan mode — Android is particularly guilty of this. Disabling battery optimisation for the VictronConnect app specifically sorted it for me. Also, if you're running Venus OS on a Cerbo GX or similar, simultaneous BT connections from multiple devices can cause the MPPT to drop the phone session mid-stream. Firmware on the MPPT itself matters too — v3.14+ seemed considerably more stable in my experience. Check the Victron Community site for the latest release notes before anything else.

BenKing80 | 📍 Derbyshire | ⚡ Off-Grid Enthusiast

@KeithClark71 Had the exact same issue with my 75/15 last summer. Turned out my phone's battery optimisation settings were killing the Bluetooth connection in the background — Android can be particularly aggressive about this. Go into your phone's app settings for VictronConnect and disable any battery saving or background restrictions for it. Made a massive difference for me. Also worth making sure you're running the latest firmware on the MPPT itself — Victron pushed a few Bluetooth stability fixes in recent updates. What phone are you using?