Support and Faq

Support

For support related questions please check the Knowledge base or write to [email protected]. Alternatively, you can also reach us by phone on +386 51 334 800 between 8.00 and 16.00 Central European Time.

For manuals and other related documents please visit the Manuals page.

Frequently asked questions

Battery types

Do PICO and PICO one support lithium batteries?

The Pico system is already compatible with LiFePO4 lithium batteries.

What battery types do PICO and PICO one systems support?

Generally, all Lead-acid batteries like WET STD., WET FREE, AGM, Deep Cycle, GEL and LiFePO4.

External protocols support

Does PICO and PICO one support NMEA Protocol?

Simarine SN01 SiCOM NMEA 2000 gateway module allows your PICO to transmit and receive information from certain devices connected to an existing NMEA 2000 network.

To check the list of supported PGN and to order the NMEA 200 module click here

General

Can I use two or more PICO displays at once on a single battery monitoring system?

At the moment PICO does not support this functionality

Should I use a shunt to monitor the battery current, voltage and temperature of my batteries, or is it sufficient to monitor only the battery voltage?

For precise monitoring of the service (house or main) battery bank, a shunt is necessary. Being informed about your battery status is not only for electrical enthusiasts – it is about your safety! In case of emergency, a power loss can end up badly. We highly recommend using shunts for heavy consumer batteries like a bow and stern thruster or anchor winch. Such consumers can discharge your batteries significantly in a matter of moments, which means they can also damage the batteries quickly if they are not sufficiently charged. If you have separate batteries that you only use to start your engines, monitoring only battery voltage will be enough in most cases.

What is a battery bank?

A battery bank is a group of two or more batteries, connected in parallel or series. By connecting the batteries in parallel, the amperage rating (Amp Hours) increases while the voltage remains the same. For example, three 100Ah batteries on 12V, connected in parallel will result in a 300Ah battery bank on 12V. By connecting the batteries in series, the voltage increases, while the amperage rating stays the same. For example, three 100Ah batteries on 12V, connected in series will result in 100Ah battery bank on 36V.

Wiring

How do I wire the shunts – to the negative (low) or the positive (high) side?

You can wire all our shunts to the negative (up to 72V) or positive side (only on 12V and 24V). However, for battery monitoring, we recommend wiring the shunts on the negative (low) side. If you are monitoring consumers (e.g. inverter, bow thruster) or generators (shore power charger) with the shunts, you can choose either negative or positive side.

My boat has two separate electrical systems (battery banks) with different voltage (12V in 24V). Can I monitor both batteries with the one PICO at the same time?

Yes. PICO battery monitors can monitor up to 6 electrical systems (battery banks) at the same time. Each system can be on a different voltage level. For each electrical system (battery bank), an active shunt is needed. At this time, we support 12V, 24V, 48V, 60V and 72V (using SC302T shunts) and 12V and 24V (using SC300 and SC500 shunts).

The total current draw on my battery bank exceeds 500A. Your shunts only support up to 500A. What can I do?

No problem. You can get two SC501 shunts and combine them to reach 1000A and so on.

Consumer and generator monitoring

Can I upgrade my PICO or PICO one battery monitor software (firmware upgrade)?

Yes. For best PICO experience, it is recommended to upgrade PICO’s firmware to the latest version. You can perform the upgrade via PICO Battery Monitor smartphone application available on your smartphone App market (App Store, Google Play). The WiFi SSID and Password are generated from your PICO serial number. You can find the serial number on the back of the PICO, on the side of the retail box and in PICO SETTINGS > SYSTEM > System Info. EXAMPLE: (If your Pico serial number would be 12345678) SSID: Pico5678 Default password: pico1234 PLEASE NOTE! It is important to download the latest PICO Battery Monitor application before proceeding with the firmware upgrade. Please follow the below firmware upgrade procedure: Install or upgrade to the latest PICO Battery Monitor application on your smartphone. Turn on the Wi-Fi connection on your PICO. Connect your smartphone to PICO Wi-Fi___33 network PICOxxxx. Launch the PICO Battery Monitor App on your smartphone. Go to menu settings and click Upgrade PICO’s firmware to put the PICO in Upgrade mode. The upgrade procedure will take less than a minute. After the upgrade, PICO will reboot and will be ready for use. For more detailed instructions, you can click on the following link: https://simarine.net/software-updates/

How long does the firmware upgrade take?

Less than a minute.

Is there a mobile app available for my PICO one and PICO?

Yes. Free SIMARINE Android and iOS Apps are available to connect your PICO to your smartphone via Wi-Fi. The Apps allow you to monitor all battery and tank data, upload history, edit and restore settings and even upgrade the firmware for adding new features. You can download the PICO Battery Monitor app for your smartphone from the links below. Google Play App Store

Tanks

What tank sensors are recommended/supported by the PICO Monitor?

Our system and tank modules are compatible with any tank sensor that outputs an analog signal (one sensor per tank) of either the voltage or resistance type signal.

RESISTANCE:
0 Ohm – 65000 Ohm (65kOhm) or anything in between
VOLTAGE:
0.0V – 75.0V or anything in between

Troubleshooting

Pico is installed and working but showing wrong battery state of charge?

In case that even after a couple of charging/discharging cycles you are still experiencing issues with precision, please contact SIMARINE technical support and we will help you troubleshoot the problem.

Firmware upgrade

I would like to know if my solar panel gives enough energy to power the fridge. How can I do that?

You just need to add our unique SCQ25 (4 inputs for up to 25A each) module to your PICO system. The SCQ25 will precisely monitor the current gained from your solars and current drawn by your fridge.

I would like to monitor how much power do I get from my solar panels. Do you offer this option?

Yes! With PICO battery monitor, you can precisely measure how much power you get from your solar panel, wind and hydro generators, and shore power chargers. PICO is also an excellent tool to detect any possible malfunction – for example – if your solar panels are dirty, they will produce less power, and you will see that on your PICO. You can monitor your power sources using our SCQ25 and SCQ25T Quadro shunt modules (4 inputs for up to 25A each) or our standard shunts (SC300, SC500, and SC302T).

I would like to monitor the consumption of my inverter. Do you offer this option?

Yes! With PICO battery monitor you can precisely measure the draw of the individual consumers like inverters, bow and stern thrusters, anchor winches etc. using our SC303 and SC503 shunts. You can extract the information on their exact consumption and even history from your PICO.

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