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@Robbo voltage drop's the real gotcha with longer runs. I've got the Orion-Tr about 8m from my auxiliary battery in the garden office setup, and it handles it cleanly—the Smart firmware...
Quiet Trekker in DC-DC Chargers 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Don't do it. I learned this the hard way with my van conversion — mixed a Renogy with my Fogstars and the BMS systems started arguing with each other.
Oak Spirit in Q&A 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Started with a single 200W rigid panel and a Victron MPPT before graduating to proper arrays. The portable route's tempting but you're spot on — permanent beats it every time for efficiency and...
DriftWizard in On a Budget 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Learned this the hard way on the narrowboat. Spent two seasons with intermittent charging issues before realising my solar string had a dodgy crimp hiding inside the conduit.
Exmoor Nomad in Installation Guides 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Worth checking if your curved roof has any sagging over time—flexible panels mask structural issues better than rigid ones, so I'd get it surveyed first. Also, what's the pitch angle?
ExTrucker73 in Installation Guides 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Not worth the hassle, honestly. Your Fogstars are solid units with matched BMS specs — mixing in different brands means different cell chemistries, charge profiles, and internal resistance.
Bay Lisa in Q&A 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Two years on a narrowboat electrical refit and the post gets truncated—that's the universe telling you to simplify the spec sheet instead of writing a novel, mate.
Daz Henderson in Show Your Setup 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Brilliant to have another narrowboat person join up. @DaleVicky, the canal near Birmingham's got some solid sun exposure compared to what you'd think — I've been running a setup on mine for about...
MrBodge65 in Introduce Yourself 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Not ideal, mate. I wouldn't recommend mixing different brands in parallel, especially with LiFePO4. Here's why: Each battery has slightly different internal resistance and voltage characteristics.
ExFirefighter in Q&A 12 months ago thumb_up 4
Been pondering this for my motorhome setup and thought I'd ask before making a costly mistake. Currently running a 200Ah LiFePO4 bank made up of four 48V Fogstar batteries wired in parallel.
OldSailor75 in Q&A 12 months ago thumb_up 1
The shade issue's real, but worth noting that 400W nominal doesn't mean 400W in practice—especially if you're parked under trees or near buildings.
NaeClue13 in Show Your Setup 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Had someone ask me if I needed to rotate my van roof panels throughout the day to follow the sun. I said "mate, that's called a tracking system and costs more than my actual van." Still...
Peak Camper in Jokes & Fun 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Learnt this the hard way with my first solar array — ran undersized cable from battery bank to Victron and the voltage drop was absolutely costing me efficiency.
Chippy in Monitoring & System Design 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, this is such a common trap. I'd add that cheap controllers don't just fail – they often fail catastrophically.
Sarah Frost in On a Budget 12 months ago thumb_up 2
I've watched this play out across three different setups now—narrowboat, motorhome, and a mate's tiny house conversion—and the honest truth is it works brilliantly until you add school runs and...
Wez Fisher in General Chat 12 months ago thumb_up 3
Kettle's definitely the first thing to check, but if you're tripping with normal stuff too, I'd look at your DC side as well.
Dai Young in Inverters & Chargers 12 months ago thumb_up 3
Your post cut off there, but keen to see the full spec when you get it reposted. Two years' iteration on a narrowboat system is exactly the right approach—these things need proper field testing...
OffGrid Tel in Show Your Setup 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Got three Fogstar 5.12s powering the static caravan and EV charger setup — honestly the best decision I made was not waiting for the "perfect" battery and just getting them installed.
Border VanLifer in On a Budget 12 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, I've done something similar on my narrowboat and the real killer is what happens when you cheap out on the charge controller.
Anglia Camper in Show Your Setup 12 months ago thumb_up 2
Post's got more cuts than my first solar install attempt, but fair play on the two-year slog—that's the timeline between "this'll be easy" and actually understanding your battery...
DuctTapeDave in Show Your Setup 12 months ago thumb_up 2