Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to log their victron data locally?

Been running a Pi 4 with VenusOS for about 18 months now on my cabin setup and honestly it's transformed how I manage the system. Pulls data straight from the Multiplus II via VE.Direct and logs everything locally to InfluxDB, then Grafana for the pretty graphs.

Main reason I went this route rather than Victron's own GX device — cost. A Pi 4 + VE.Direct USB cable is a fraction of a Cerbo GX. Does 90% of the same job for my use case.

Few things worth mentioning if you're setting it up:

• VenusOS large image is the one you want, gives you the full Node-RED integration
• SD card reliability is a real concern — run yours from a USB SSD if you can, saves headaches
• Local logging means your data survives if Victron ever changes their cloud situation

Only gripe is occasional crashes after power cuts, which is ironic given it's monitoring a backup system 😅. Added a small UPS on the Pi itself which sorted it.

Anyone else running Node-RED automations on top? I've got basic low-battery alerts going to my phone via Telegram but wondering how complex people are getting with their setups. Also curious if anyone's integrated solar weather forecasting data to predict charge cycles — seen it mentioned elsewhere but not tried it.

Steve1993 | 247 posts | ⚡ Solar Addict

@WonkyWelder great thread mate! I've been doing something slightly different - running a separate Pi 4 alongside my Cerbo GX, pulling data via the MQTT broker that VenusOS exposes on the Cerbo. Feeds straight into InfluxDB and I've got Grafana dashboards set up which are genuinely brilliant for spotting patterns.

One thing I'd flag for anyone considering this route - make sure you're writing to an SSD rather than the SD card. Lost three months of logging data when an SD card died last winter, proper gutting. USB SSD off the Pi's USB 3 port has been rock solid since.

Also worth looking at the Node-RED integration if you haven't already - I've got automated alerts pinging my phone when battery SOC drops below 20% overnight. Dead handy when you're not on site.

Running VenusOS on a Pi3B+ in my shepherd's hut for about a year. Pulls data from my Victron SmartSolar and Multiplus no bother. Shoved a 64gb card in, set up InfluxDB + Grafana and now I've got gorgeous dashboards showing exactly when my solar dips in winter.

One thing nobody mentions — use a quality SD card or you'll be reflashing every few months. Lost two cheap ones to corruption. Samsung Endurance series sorted it.

Also worth pointing out you can ditch the VRM portal entirely if you want full local control with no cloud dependency. Some people care about that, some don't.

@WonkyWelder did you bother with the Node-RED flows or just stick with the built-in logging? I'm tempted but haven't got round to it yet.

Been running a Pi Zero 2W on the narrowboat for eight months because I'm constitutionally opposed to spending more than a fiver — logs VE.Direct data to InfluxDB, Grafana dashboard looks dead professional until you realise it's just telling me I've been watching too much telly and draining the Fogstar batteries again.

HarbourHermit | 312 posts | ⚡ Solar Addict

Running a Pi 4 locally here too but went a different route — Grafana + InfluxDB pulling from the Victron MQTT broker. Gives you proper dashboards and historical graphs without relying on VRM at all.

@DodgySocket the Zero 2W is genuinely capable enough for this, just watch the SD card writes — InfluxDB will kill a cheap card fast. Worth getting an industrial-grade one or pointing the database at a USB drive.

Main thing I'd add: set up log2ram regardless of which Pi you're running. Buffers writes to RAM first. Saved me a few cards over the years.

The local-only approach means your data's yours, stays accessible when the mobile signal's rubbish (which round here is always).