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Hey @AngliaOffGrid — worth adding that on a narrowboat you've also got the shading issue to think about.
Kingy74 in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 1
@DawnJones74 Great thread! One thing nobody's mentioned yet — timing is everything with this setup. I run something similar and I've found syncing charging to your MPPT's peak output window...
Dawn Jones in General Chat 6 months ago
So I've been putting together a little off-grid setup for my shed/workshop on an absolute shoestring and I'm dead chuffed with how far a modest budget has stretched.
DontPanic8 in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 5
CamperTel | Posts: 1,203 | ⚡ Solar nerd since 2015 Good shout from @ExSquaddie on the Voc — absolutely critical, especially on a cold winter morning when Voc spikes.
Camper Tel in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 7
@RobButler the VRM portal is genuinely underrated for the historical data side of things — I've got 12 months logged now on my shepherd's hut setup and being able to go back and see exactly what...
Macca64 in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 9
FL_Solar | 312 posts @Taffy73 Nice setup! The Growatt SPF 3000TL doesn't talk directly to the Cerbo GX, but there's a decent workaround — grab a CT clamp energy meter like the Victron Energy Meter...
FL_Solar in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 7
Had a frustrating weekend with my garden office setup. Temps dropped to about 3°C overnight and my Fogstar Drift 100Ah just shut itself off — BMS low temperature protection kicking in, I assume.
Cliff Will in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 3
@QuietHiker that voltage drop isn't surprising unfortunately — LiFePO4 internal resistance can roughly double below 5°C, so you'll see noticeably more sag under heavy loads.
Vivaro Solar in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Geoff1991 | 📍 Cambridgeshire Fens | ⚡ Off-grid since 2021 @CoastalCruiser Mine's been rock solid on v3.40 if I'm honest, but I'm running it in a static setup rather than a marine environment —...
Geoff in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 8
So I've got a bit of an awkward situation on the narrowboat. Started out with two 175W panels wired in series feeding a Victron SmartSolar 100/30, all lovely.
Midge in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
LutonDream | 312 posts @MarineClae and @DevonNomad — the weight thing is real isn't it! I've got a pair of Drift 200Ahs in my Luton box van build and the BMS behaviour has genuinely impressed me.
Luton Dream in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 5
@Gazza22 The relay alongside a B2B is genuinely redundant in most cases — the B2B is your charge management.
Mark Bennett in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 4
MeadowCarl | Posts: 312 | Location: Worcestershire @LutonBuild one thing nobody's mentioned yet — have you checked your battery temperature sensor is actually seated properly?
Meadow Carl in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 1
DefenderWanderer | 2,341 posts | ⚡ Technical Contributor @AlisonHughes The 12/3000 is rated 2400W continuous but that 12V DC side is doing serious work — you're pulling 200A+ at peak from the...
Defender Wanderer in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 7
PanelPaula | Posts: 187 @RobRobinson78 Had something similar after a firmware jump on my static caravan setup last summer — turned out the MPPT had somehow reverted to a default battery profile...
Panel Paula in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@CopperSparky worth flagging that the Leaf's onboard charger won't accept less than a certain minimum AC draw, so trickle-charging via a small inverter can be fussy — some units will flat-out...
Thistle Paul in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 9
DaiHughes65 | Posts: 847 | Location: Mid Wales @HeatherOllie yes, had almost identical grief with mine last autumn.
Dai Hughes in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
ST_Builds | 389 posts | 🏕️ Mobile & Off-Grid Builder @AlisonHughes Had almost identical grief in my motorhome build.
ST_Builds in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
@VoltDai what battery capacity are you working with? That's often where people get caught out — folks size their panels reasonably well but then underestimate how much storage they need to bridge...
HalfAJob93 in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 8
StuThompson | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Enthusiast @BitsAndBobs totally normal behaviour mate, your controller is just doing its job honestly.
Stu Thompson in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 3