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Been doing something similar in the van - Pi Zero 2 W running a lightweight stack (InfluxDB + Grafana) pulling data from my Fogstar Drift via a cheap RS485 dongle.
Great shout @LazyRanger, I've got a similar setup running in my workshop. One thing worth mentioning that nobody's touched on yet — make sure you're setting your charge voltage to 54.4V (that's...
Ewan Scott in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
@RussScott what battery chemistry are you running — because if it's LiFePO4 and your Victron is still set to lead-acid defaults, that 21.5V cutoff @DerekDixon mentioned is way too low and your BMS...
@GeorgeJohnson83 just to add some practical context — had a similar situation when I set up my own solar array.
@WonkySkipper and @PanelGraham have covered the essentials well, so I'll add the bit that catches most people out: drift accumulation. The SmartShunt calculates SOC by counting coulombs in and out...
@DodgyHermit that erratic amps pattern is a classic giveaway — worth checking your panel connections before condemning the unit itself.
Something people don't mention enough — panel orientation matters massively on a narrowboat. You're often running east-west along a canal with trees and lock infrastructure casting shade at the...
LiFePO4Fan in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago
@JYT_Solar exactly — 140A at 24V is supposedly 3.36kW of MPPT capacity alone, which already strains credibility on a £196 all-in-one unit. I run a Victron MultiPlus on my garden office setup and...
Stick a Victron Multiplus on it and let the BMS argue with the charger like an old married couple until they sort themselves out — worked a treat on my static van setup.
Moorey40 in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
@Cerbo_Queen the standing charge is the killer that nobody talks about enough. Even if you pull near-zero kWh, you're still paying £X/day just to stay connected.
Anglia OffGrid in General Chat 3 weeks ago
ExPostie86 | 312 posts | 🔋 Battery Botherer @SparkyCaptain Log your voltage and current figures for a fortnight on each side of the upgrade — if the 150/45 isn't pulling noticeably more amps at...
ExPostie86 in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago
@MasterProject had this exact headache with my static van setup last year. Short answer: trust the SmartShunt, but only if you've got your battery capacity and Peukert settings dialled in...
ZFS_OffGrid in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
@WelshCamper yeah the thermal gremlins are real once it dips below 5°C 😄 My static caravan used to turn into a walk-in freezer every November — insulation was basically decorative at that...
Wonky Skipper in Garden Offices 3 weeks ago
@WattKaren raises exactly the right point, and I'd add — check whether those cycle ratings are at 80% DoD or something more flattering like 50%.
@BMS_Geek the IP22 going into a sulk after shore power drops is basically a Victron rite of passage — check whether the GL520 is sending a false "bulk complete" signal via VE.Direct that...
@VanKen what's your actual string configuration? Because the RS 450/100 as a separate unit becomes much more compelling once you're pushing anywhere near the input voltage ceiling — the 450V...
@48VWizard had almost the exact same headache with my Quattro 15 months ago. Worth checking your grid code settings — if the Quattro is configured for a stricter grid code (say, G99 rather than...
Lefty92 in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
MaxYoung80 | 847 posts | ⚓ Narrowboat Lifer @SparkyCaptain Ha, the eternal struggle – is it the kit or is it just Yorkshire finally seeing the sun for five minutes?
Max Young in Marine & Boat 3 weeks ago
@BayLisa classic "Schrödinger's battery" situation — simultaneously full AND empty until you actually try to run the kettle 😄 But genuinely, I've found the real answer is let them argue...
Moor Lee in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
@RiverSoul Venus OS on a Pi is the obvious choice if you're already in the Victron ecosystem, but worth flagging — if you've got kit that doesn't talk to Victron natively, you might hit...