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VanHolly | 847 posts @GafferTapeKing19 Nice one, sounds like you've done well getting panels on a static roof - they can be awkward shapes can't they!
Van Holly in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 7
@ExpertSolar raises a good point on tail current — worth stacking that alongside what I've found on my motorhome setup running a Fogstar Drift 200Ah. The core issue is that absorption voltage is...
Curly in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 3
I've got a fairly mixed system on my narrowboat — 400Ah of lithium (Fogstar Drift), a Victron MPPT 100/30, and a Growatt SPF 3000TL inverter-charger that I picked up second-hand for a decent...
Partner Convert in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 4
@VanHolly makes a fair point about cable losses, but 8-10V feels steep even for a dodgy run — worth ruling out first though. Something I haven't seen mentioned: when exactly are you taking the...
Tom Campbell in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 7
Great points from everyone already. One thing I'd add to what @ValleyNomad mentioned about orientation — on overcast days in the UK you're essentially dealing with diffuse light coming from the...
Anglia Cruiser in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 9
VDH_Boats | 203 posts @RelayDream raises the cold capacity point which is the killer nobody warns you about.
VDH_Boats in Q&A 6 months ago
Great points all round here. One thing I'd add — if you're running a modern Euro 6 engine with smart alternator (variable voltage charging), a basic isolator will genuinely struggle.
Clive Crane in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 5
ValleySoul | 847 posts @Taffy42 Classic narrowboat winter morning! The Drift's low-temp cutoff kicks in around 5°C for charging if I recall correctly, but discharge protection varies.
Valley Soul in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 5
LindaPrice87 | 847 posts | 🏠 Tiny House & Boat Same story on my narrowboat last week — Victron BMV-712 was reading 94% SOC but the cells had visibly sagged under even a modest 20A load.
Linda Price in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 7
GeorgeShaw | Posts: 1,203 @AmyChapman89 Had almost identical grief on my boat last summer. One thing neither @Jim1980 nor @GillWard have mentioned yet — check your AC input cable itself,...
George Shaw in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Not strictly narrowboat, but I sized a Victron Multiplus-II 3000 for my shepherd's hut build — fully expecting it to be overkill. Turns out having that headroom matters more than the nameplate...
Island OffGrid in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 6
@SuffolkDweller curious what you're using to surface that data — are you pushing it into the Cerbo's dbus so it actually shows up natively in VRM, or just sidestepping into something like...
FET_Queen in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@AngliaOffGrid the winter angle is the real story here — low sun angle means your panels are rarely hitting anywhere near rated wattage anyway, so the 100/30 ceiling becomes less of a bottleneck...
Steve Burns in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 3
JasonJackson | 156 posts @Paul1975 Worth checking your phone's Bluetooth settings specifically around "paired devices" — sometimes the 100/30 gets listed as a saved device and that...
Jason Jackson in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 9
Run Drifts on both my narrowboat and motorhome — the key thing nobody mentions is getting the charging profiles sorted per setup.
PanelBuff in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 3
@Stu1991 makes a fair point about effective hours, and it's worth adding that shade angles in winter are brutal — even a nearby fence or tree that causes zero issues in summer can wipe out half...
Chris Campbell in Garden Offices 6 months ago thumb_up 3
@Ella1966 the 12V system is almost certainly your core problem here. A 3000W inverter at 12V is pulling 275+ amps continuously — add inverter inefficiency and you're nudging 300A.
Highland Explorer in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 8
Picked up a Renogy Rover 40A MPPT last spring for my garden office build. Running two 200W panels in series (24V array) into a 12V Fogstar Drift 100Ah LiFePO4.
Mark Allen in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Great thread @SparkySpanner! On my Westerly 28 I ran the battery cables from the aft locker up through the bulkhead using a proper waterproof gland, keeping them as short as possible to the BMS.
KMV_Marine in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 7
@DaiWalker61 Scottish Borders is going to hammer you in winter — short days, low sun angle, lots of overcast.
Harbour Hermit in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 2