When I first came across the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor, I had no idea how it was supposed to work and importantly, how it was that it could monitor up to four battery sets at the same time.
As it’s usual with me, I couldn’t contain my excitement and immediately the shipment landed, I knew one thing: I would be penning the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor review earlier than planned.
The reason?
I’m certain that many car owners, DIYers, and other would-be users have questions that have not been satisfactorily answered yet by existing literature.
So, here we are. But first things first: if you’re still wondering what I’m talking about, this is how the BM300 Pro Monitor looks on Amazon.
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Article Outline
Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor Review: First Impression and What’s in the Box
At a mere o.20 pounds, I picked up the parcel when it was delivered and wondered if the carrier had removed the order and had decided to ship me an empty box!
My fears were unfounded though – since I never had any issue with the company in the years I’ve used them for my shipping needs.
The initial fear was replaced with palpable excitement – and I couldn’t wait to see what was in the small box when I finally opened the parcel.
I opened the biodegradable box and found two items in it: the BM300 Pro from Ancel and a user manual.
The first thought that came to my head was: ‘How on earth am I going to get this to work?’
I calmed down – and began to slowly read the instructions, both on the pack and user manual and like a grade kid fascinated by an awesome gadget (and how it works), I began to smile…
How Does the BM300 Pro Work?
The Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor is a simple and single-unit affair: there’s only one light main small rectangle-looking ‘box’ that is the monitor and minus the user manual, that’s all the box offers.
To use the battery monitor, you simply have to plug its terminals to the battery terminals of the vehicle you wish to monitor, positive to positive; negative to negative; download the app corresponding to your phone’s OS and pair things up with BlueTooth.
With the necessary permissions given on your phone, you’ll be able to check the state of health, charge, and an array of other metrics relating to the battery you’ve hooked the monitor on.
It’s that straightforward.
So, how does the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor perform in the functions and ability realm?
Functions & Abilities
The grand essence of the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor is to keep tabs on your battery (or batteries) and be on top of their maintenance if need be. This is made possible by the numerous functions the unit sports and the abilities it’s capable of.
These abilities and functions make the unit what it is:
1. State of Charge Relay
The state of charge function on the Ancel BM300 Pro is a summary of the battery’s overall charge state, expressed as a percentage of 100.
A state of charge closer to 100% indicates that the unit is fully charged (or almost fully charged) while a SoC around the 50% mark (depending on the battery type) indicates that the battery needs to be recharged, sooner than later.
This display takes prominent, center position on the app and remains the first thing you’re drawn to, upon firing it up.
2. Voltage Details
The SoC is a smart summary of the battery’s charge state. However, like all summaries, it doesn’t give you the exact voltage that the battery being monitored holds. Instead, you’re left guessing, if you’re interested in hard, fast figures.
This is where the real-time voltage reading comes in. Instead of tracing the battery and probing the terminals of a voltmeter (or multimeter) at its ends, this display gives you an exact reading of what your battery is saying, voltage-wise.
This takes off the guesswork – and leaves you with an exact number, voltage-wise, to work with (should you please).
3. Battery Temperature
The temperature of a battery is critical to its longevity: a battery stored (or used) in extremes of either hot or cold will never perform optimally and importantly, will pack up, sooner than later.
On the BM300 Pro app from Ancel, this feature is prominent on the app and lets you know, firsthand, if your monitored battery is ‘running a temperature’ or its temperature is within limits.
This feature, without an iota of doubt, helps you decide if you’re going to leave the battery in the current place where you’re charging (or using) it or relocate it to another place to maximize its service life.
However, these aren’t all the functions and features of the battery monitor: there are other noticeable features that are worth a special look.
Other Noticeable Functions & Features
Here, outlined below, are four (extra) noticeable functions and features of the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor worth pointing out.
1. GPS Tracker
The Ancel Battery Monitor also doubles as a GPS tracker – just in case you forget where the battery you’re monitoring is located. Strange as this may seem, this happens all the time, especially if you have an ultra-busy lifestyle.
With the GPS tracking feature, just like a traditional tracker, you only need to power the app and you’ll be pointed exactly where the battery set is.
It’s a very cool function that I’ve been playing with recently and have come to truly love.
This function, to add to its coolness, can be powered on and off, at will, and as one desires.
2. Notification Function
The essence of a battery monitor will be defeated if there’s no notification – especially if you’re a busy person or have a lot on your phone; you could easily forget that you have such an app on your phone to even start with!
To avoid this challenge and get around it, there’s a notification option that can be tweaked, according to what you need.
For instance, there’s the option of daily power notification, abnormal cranking notification, and a power alarm notification, which can be set at lower and upper thresholds, for effective monitoring.
For instance, the battery banks that my unit currently monitors is set to have the system send a notification when the battery depletes to 50% and another when it charges up to 100%
Gold – if you ask me.
3. (Long) Historical Data Storage
Another feature worthy of note is the long historical data storage available: for 72 days straight, you’ll have data about your battery open to you.
This long interval allows you to easily spot trends and if anything abnormal goes on (or wrong), you can also easily see when such an issue started in the first place.
If you love getting to the root of issues and importantly, trying to understand what made a system behave the way it did, this is one feature of the battery monitor you’ll be glad the monitor has.
4. Ability to Monitor Four Different Batteries…
Finally, an app, installed on your phone can handle up to four (4) different batteries (or battery installations). This ability means you actively get to keep an eye on all the batteries (or series of batteries) that mean to you.
Since I don’t have (or intend to keep watch over) more batteries, this cap is more than enough for me and the everyday user (who simply wants to keep an eye on their cells).
Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor: Compatibility & Use Cases
The Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor is compatible with batteries running 6, 12, and 24 Volts. As such, the monitor effectively works across cars, vans, motorcycles, boats, and generally, energy storage installations.
Regarding the battery types, the monitor is compatible with regular lead-acid batteries, AGM batteries, EFB batteries, GEL batteries, Lithium batteries, and importantly, custom batteries. As regards ‘range’, you’re pretty much covered with its versatility.
As for use cases, it’s clear that users who have many cars, bikes, or other batteries that they don’t use daily are the intended target for this battery monitor.
Another set of users that will find this monitor practical are folks with storage backups – especially units that reside where it’s not practical to frequently check their state with a multimeter. A battery stack at the end of a dusty corridor is a perfect example of this.
Limitations
The Ancel BM300 Pro covered in the review is an excellent battery monitor that does the job of monitoring batteries it is attached to, excellently. That said, there’re a few limitations (not deal breakers) you should be aware of.
- First, the battery monitor doesn’t fit well in a vehicle you intend to use daily/frequently and must be taped to the battery to make any sense. This, for clear reasons, doesn’t sit well in the hood.
- The terminals are designed with the traditional starter battery in mind and aren’t exactly long. If you desire to monitor more than one storage battery, you’ll need more cable and a bit of common sense to make things work.
- Finally, the monitor needs its dedicated app, installed on a smartphone, to work. While this isn’t a big deal or deal breaker, if you’re ‘old school’ and love your tools divorced from your smartphone, this may present an issue.
Alternatives to Consider
The BM300 Pro is an awesome unit – but that said, it may not exactly be what you need. For instance:
If you’re looking for a conventional battery tester that is simple to use, does the job of battery testing, is accurate, and importantly, fair to the pocket, the Ancel BA101 Battery Tester is a better bet in this regard and remains a unit you’ll be glad you bought. I’ve used mine for about a year now and it remains one battery tester I always smile about whenever I take it out.
If you’re bothered that the Ancel BA 101 isn’t exactly what you need because of its simplicity, there’s a more complex option, the Ancel BA301 – a unit that starts its business around 6Volts and to emphasize its uniqueness has its own battery, taking care of its power.
Should You Buy the Ancel BM300 Pro?
Yes – if you have batteries you don’t regularly use and are interested in what happens to them while they sit, either charging or simply waiting for action.
However, if you’re simply looking for a traditional 12 V battery tester, the Ancel BA101 is a much better option that does the job of battery testing pretty fine, for a fair price.
However, if you’re interested in battery monitoring – especially for units that aren’t exactly mobile – then, nothing beats the Ancel BM300 Pro Battery Monitor and for this task, I highly recommend it.