LiTime 500A Smart Shunt, Bluetooth Battery Monitor 8V-120V, SOC, Alarm Alerts, App Monitoring for Lithium, LFP, AGM, Gel Review (2026)

What a shunt-based monitor measures

The shunt wires into the negative battery cable and measures every amp flowing in or out of the battery bank, which lets it calculate a real state of charge percentage rather than estimating it from voltage alone, a method that is far less accurate since voltage sags under load and recovers at rest even when the actual charge level has not changed much. LiTime rates this unit for 500A of current measurement across an 8V to 120V range, which covers a single 12V house battery as well as larger 24V, 36V or 48V banks used in bigger solar or off-grid setups, not just a basic single-battery RV system.

Battery chemistry compatibility

The monitor is built to work with lithium-ion, LiFePO4, flooded lead-acid, AGM and gel batteries, and LiTime states it can automatically identify the battery type in use, which matters for RVers who may be running a mixed system or who upgrade from lead-acid to lithium down the road without needing a different monitor. Supporting that range of chemistries in one device means the same shunt can carry over to a battery upgrade later, rather than being tied to whatever battery type was in the rig when it was first installed, which saves buying a new monitor the next time the house battery bank gets replaced or expanded.

Bluetooth app and alerts

All of the monitor's live data, including voltage, current, power draw, remaining capacity and estimated runtime, is read through LiTime's companion app over Bluetooth 5.0, which the company rates for an effective range of about 15 meters. The app also logs history, including 24-hour and 30-day power consumption patterns and a set of stored data points like the lowest voltage or highest discharge current recorded, and it supports multiple alarm conditions such as low state of charge, high or low voltage, and abnormal temperature, each flagged through the app rather than a physical warning light on the shunt itself.

No built-in display

Because this model relies entirely on the phone app for readings, there is no wall-mounted screen showing charge level at a glance the way some competing battery monitors include as standard, which means checking the battery bank means pulling out a phone and opening the app rather than glancing at a panel near the light switches. For RVers who want a permanent, always-visible display in the rig, LiTime and other brands sell separate shunt monitors that include a wired LCD screen; this model trades that visible hardware for a lower price and a phone-first interface, which suits anyone who already keeps a phone within reach most of the day.

Range limits and placement

Bluetooth range on this unit is rated at roughly 15 meters, which is generally plenty inside a single RV, but battery banks mounted in a rear cargo bay or underbelly compartment on a longer rig can sit far enough from where the phone typically is, such as the living area or a bedside table, that the connection becomes unreliable or drops out. Anyone installing this shunt should plan the battery location and expected phone position together, since a strong signal at the battery itself does not guarantee a solid connection from every seat in the rig, and a metal-walled compartment between the shunt and the living space can weaken the signal further.

Frequently asked questions