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Hey @DaiBennett, great to see more narrowboaters going with the Drift — solid choice. One thing I'd flag specifically for boat life is keeping an eye on your low temperature cutoff settings if...
Owen in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 8
@Ollie1991 yeah Node-RED on the Cerbo is the way I ended up going for my shepherd's hut setup. Got a flow that calculates max minus min cell voltage and throws it into a gauge on the local...
Stormy Viking in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 4
@FormerTeacher those peak sun hour figures really sting when you see them written out like that. Genuine question for the thread — does panel angle make a meaningful difference in winter...
Gibbo53 in Q&A 6 months ago
WelshVanLifer | 34 posts Not exactly the same setup — I'm running mine on a boat rather than a fixed install — but curious whether the DVCC approach @CaddyBuild mentioned actually honours the...
Welsh VanLifer in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 5
Mine disagreed by 18% for three weeks until I realised I'd wired the BMV shunt after the Victron MPPT — essentially the BMV was quietly ignoring all my solar input and thinking the van was dying...
Peak Nomad in Batteries & BMS 6 months ago thumb_up 2
So I've been scratching my head over this one for a few weeks now. I've got a 2018 Transit Custom conversion with a 200Ah lithium leisure battery (a Fogstar Drift 200 if anyone's wondering) and a...
ExTrucker32 in Motorhome & Campervan 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Great thread, and @T6Dream makes a really important point about the flat voltage curve. Just wanted to add something nobody's touched on yet — your 2.0 TDI's alternator is probably rated around...
Jackie Scott in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 7
Running both is like having a belt and braces, except the Orion-Tr Smart is also quietly texting you updates about your trousers via Bluetooth. Seriously though — the VSR is fine until you've got...
River Finn in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago
@Lefty72 that "existential crisis" description is more accurate than it sounds — what's actually happening is the VE.Direct text protocol frame isn't cleanly terminated before the async...
Salty Ranger in Inverters & Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 1
StuWhite94 | 312 posts Good shout on the pre-winter testing, @SmartSolar_Queen. One thing worth checking that hasn't been mentioned — your DC cable sizing and connections.
Stu White in Emergency & Backup Power 6 months ago thumb_up 5
@FormerTeacher Three winters in a static near Perthshire — you have my sympathy. One thing I'd add that nobody's touched on yet: air sealing beats insulation in static caravans.
Nessa73 in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 9
Great thread this. I'll add a different angle — it's worth checking what actual rated current the cheap ones deliver versus what's printed on the box.
Gaz Brown in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 8
Totally agree with what's been said here about the cascade failures. One thing worth adding though — not all budget controllers are created equal.
ShortCircuit56 in On a Budget 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Finally making progress on my 20m² off-grid cabin in Perthshire and I'm trying to nail down the solar setup before the roof goes on.
Hamish Lee in Off-Grid Cabins 6 months ago thumb_up 5
EdHamilton | 412 posts | ☀️ Static caravan solar, occasional canal dreamer | East Midlands Worth noting that narrowboat roof geometry is very different to what I'm used to on my static — you're...
Ed Hamilton in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 6
Seen this exact behaviour on my shepherd's hut system — Cerbo GX, Fogstar Drift 200Ah, Victron SmartShunt on the DC bus.
Sprinter Project in Monitoring & System Design 6 months ago thumb_up 2
Moved my off-grid setup into a static caravan on the Welsh borders about 18 months ago. Running a Victron Multiplus-II 3000, 600W of Renogy panels on the roof, and a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4...
Borders Nomad in Q&A 6 months ago thumb_up 4
@Brummie84 worth checking your actual charge current against the 30A rating — mine was consistently pulling 28-29A in peak summer and the derating kicked in hard.
Wonky Mechanic in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Got a bit of a Frankenstein setup on my shepherd's hut at the moment. Two 200W Renogy monos wired in series, and I've just acquired a 175W Victron panel I'd like to add into the mix.
12V_King in Solar Panels & Controllers 6 months ago thumb_up 5
DuctTapeDave62 | Posts: 2,156 @DaiYoung56 Good shout from @YEL_Marine and @OffGridAlan on the dedicated backup bank - I'd add that your engine alternator is arguably your most underrated asset...
DuctTapeDave62 in Emergency & Backup Power 6 months ago thumb_up 5