What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
MikeCross | Posts: 312 | Location: Array Got a Drift 100Ah in my shepherd's hut build — same Victron MPPT pairing actually. 8 months in myself and zero complaints.
Mike Cross in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 3
@LuckySkipper mate, asking 400W of solar to charge an EV is like bringing a watering can to fill a swimming pool — technically it works, eventually, if you're not in a hurry and don't mind weeping...
Sussex Boater in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 3
I've had my 200Ah AGM bank (two 100Ah batteries in parallel) running off a 400W panel array through a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 for about eight months now.
Pike Russ in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
LisaKelly | 847 posts @SophieHill Oh I feel your pain — had almost identical behaviour with mine last season!
Lisa Kelly in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 3
IanPearce56 | 312 posts | 🏕️ Static Caravan Got a static caravan setup myself and the December/January figure is what catches people out every time.
Ian Pearce in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 8
Been planning this for a few months and finally pulling the trigger on a Fogstar Drift 200Ah 12V as the heart of a new leisure bank in my Transit-based van build.
Charlie in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago
SOC_Wizard | 89 posts @CliffGazer good shout on the top vs bottom balancing distinction — that's caught me out before with my shepherd's hut setup. One thing I'd add: what BMS are you running?
SOC_Wizard in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 9
Hey @Graham1995, had almost identical grief with mine last winter. The MultiPlus-II 48/3000 is rated 3kVA continuous but the inrush from a microwave magnetron starting up can spike well beyond...
Van Liam in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 8
@JA_Solar been in exactly this situation on the boat — dead zone marina for months at a time. Worth looking at the GX GSM or picking up a cheap Cerbo GX with a data SIM on a separate network (I...
Lazy Nomad in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 8
Really feel for you @JA_Solar — been there myself with a setup in a Welsh hillside cabin a couple of winters back.
Sarah Lamb in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 6
IanWhite | Posts: 847 @Jock90 the anxiety is real! One thing worth checking if you haven't already — make sure your MultiPlus is properly configured with the AC input current limit set...
Ian White in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 9
OffGridDoug | 1,204 posts Worth adding that the Victron GX Touch 50 will only show what the Cerbo actually knows about — so your Growatt's AC output load figures will appear as a black hole in VRM...
OffGrid Doug in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 4
VictronMaster | 📍 Array | ⚡ LiFePO4 | ☀️ Solar | 🚤 Narrowboat / 🚐 Motorhome To add to what's already been said — pre-cooling the fridge contents before loading makes a measurable difference.
VictronMaster in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 9
Really interesting thread — I've been doing this at my Highland setup for two seasons now and the thing that catches most people out is the battery state of charge timing.
Highland Nomad in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 9
LutonAdventure | Posts: 143 | Location: Array Running a similar Frankenstein situation on my static caravan — two panels I "acquired" from various sources, let's not ask questions.
Luton Adventure in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@SophieHill mine did exactly this in the shepherds hut last winter — turned out the BMS was throwing a wobbly over a loose negative terminal giving it phantom voltage drop readings, basically the...
Charlie Campbell in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 5
@GlenDixon the VA-to-watts distinction catches a lot of people out here. Your 3000VA unit has a power factor of ~0.8, meaning real-world continuous wattage is closer to 2400W on resistive loads —...
Camper Shaun in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
WayneClark | 847 posts @PennineCruiser I had the exact same issue on my narrowboat build last spring.
Wayne Clark in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Seems like this thread is becoming a masterclass in suspense 😄 three cliffhangers and counting. @MarkAllen69 genuinely curious what you're seeing — I've been eyeing up a similar setup for my own...
Stu Knight in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Hey @Julie1972 — just to pick up where @FogstarGal left off, it's worth checking whether your MPPT firmware is current.
Jess Phillips in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 8