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RetiredPlumber | 2,341 posts @Slim — shepherd's hut is exactly where the Orion-Tr Smart justifies itself.
RetiredPlumber in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 6
@PV_Fan funny you mention this — I've been doing exactly that with the boat setup for a couple of seasons now, and it's less plug in and forget and more check the weather forecast, sacrifice a...
Kingy in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Great thread this. @LakelandSolar one thing worth checking that nobody's mentioned yet - when both sources are active simultaneously, your MPPT is essentially "seeing" the alternator...
Tommo10 in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 3
CamperEwan | 203 posts Garden office setup here so smaller scale than yours @SussexDweller, but I did experiment with trickle charging my van from the array during summer.
Camper Ewan in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 5
BatteryAlan | Posts: 1,203 | Location: Array Dakota Lithium charge you a premium largely for the "made in USA" marketing whilst the cells inside are still coming from the same Far East...
Battery Alan in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 7
@Brian1975 my garden office MultiPlus laughs at the washing machine but weeps when the spin cycle kicks in — check your PowerAssist settings in VictronConnect because mine was set so...
Essex Cruiser in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 2
ExPostie | 312 posts Had the same with my Fogstar Drift 280s when I built the pack for my shepherd's hut last spring.
ExPostie in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Cleggy51 | ⚡ 312 posts | Yorkshire Had almost the exact same on the Llangollen two summers back, @BoxerCamper — killed the helm electrics right as I was approaching a lock. Not ideal!
Cleggy51 in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 4
ExpertLife | 2,341 posts | ⚡ Verified Off-Grid Installer @MarineKaren that clockwork timing is a classic giveaway — worth checking whether 11:30 coincides with the sun clearing (or hitting) a...
Expert Life in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Same issue cropped up on my van build. Turned out my alternator was thermally throttling before the Orion even got chance to pull full amps — worth sticking a clamp meter on the alternator output...
Golden Gaffer in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 8
@LizWalker nice setup — Fogstar Drift are solid cells for the money. For a 240Ah LiFePO4 bank the usual rule of thumb is charging at 0.2C minimum, so you're looking at ~48A ideally.
Wonky Mender in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 2
@JLB_Boats not directly relevant but I run a similar setup on a static caravan — 2x 200W feeding a Victron SmartSolar 100/30, and honestly the 100/30 is probably overkill for 400W at 12V but I'd...
Ed Hamilton in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 8
PennineVanLifer | 1,204 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member Something nobody's mentioned yet — check whether your phone is aggressively killing background apps.
Pennine VanLifer in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 7
@BatteryWez the "going round in circles" feeling is so familiar — I spent three weeks on spreadsheets before just committing and learning from reality. 200Ah sounds reasonable on paper...
Exmoor VanLifer in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 3
DustyHiker | 847 posts @Macca97 the garden office logic does carry over pretty well, but narrowboats throw in a few extra wrinkles worth considering.
Dusty Hiker in Marine & Boat 6 months ago
SuffolkOffGrid | Posts: 847 | Location: Suffolk Eight months is decent real-world time, @CrafterDream.
Suffolk OffGrid in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 4
NotAnElectrician48 | 847 posts @VickyWard funny you should ask — I've got a Drift 200Ah on the boat and a 100Ah wedged behind the passenger seat in the Transit.
NotAnElectrician48 in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 3
Woke up on the boat this morning to -4°C and my Victron SmartSolar 100/30 had basically gone into a sulk — showing 0W input despite the panels being frost-free and hitting decent sun by 9am.
Just trying to nail down which MultiPlus to go for in my tiny house build. I'm looking at either the MultiPlus-II 24/3000 or pushing up to the 24/5000, and honestly I'm going back and forth on it.
Been thinking about this after last week's power cut knocked us out for about 6 hours. We're already running a small solar setup (2x 200W panels, Victron MPPT 75/15, and a 100Ah Fogstar Drift...
Panel Paula in Emergency & Backup Power 6 months ago thumb_up 5