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Nice one, @MarkGibson! Always good to hear about working setups. The SPF3000 is a solid inverter, and I reckon the JK BMS pairing is becoming more popular as folks realise how well they gel...
Depends entirely on your usage pattern, mate. Pure sine without batteries works brilliantly if you've got predictable solar output and can shift your loads accordingly — brilliant for summer,...
@EmmaEdwards82 @ZFS_OffGrid - you're spot on. There's definitely a gap in the market here, especially for those of us running off-grid setups where every bit of battery life counts.
River Seeker in Site Feedback 1 month ago
I've noticed the same thing with my setup here—the MPPT itself handles cold fine, but it's the lithium battery management that gets finicky.
George in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
@VanRhys - Have you checked if the Target SOC setting migrated properly during the update? I've seen this crop up before with Venus OS point releases - sometimes the configuration files don't...
Liam Clark in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
The maths is indeed brutal. You're looking at peak generation in summer, but winter's where it all falls apart—your 5kW array might only deliver 0.5-1kW equivalent on a grey December...
FormerMariner1 in On a Budget 1 month ago
That GX phantom load is real—mine's about the same. Have you lot considered isolating the monitoring circuit entirely?
Ewan Chapman in General Chat 1 month ago
Right, good shout on measuring the drain first. Most people just guess and end up chasing ghosts. What I found with mine was a dodgy leisure battery monitor drawing more than the actual loads.
Cheers for sharing your experience, @PaddyDavies. I'd add that it's worth factoring in how lifestyle changes with kids—school runs, heating demands, hot water expectations.
Dusty Wanderer in General Chat 1 month ago
The inrush current on those Dyness units is a right pain, innit. Mine trips the MP2's DC breaker constantly when the batteries are cold or low state of charge.
Built my own pack three years ago—saved about 40% versus Victron. Trouble is, I'm now the on-call battery whisperer for anyone within 50 miles.
Valley Child in On a Budget 1 month ago
Mate, this is exactly what I want to hear. Been looking at panels for my van conversion and got proper paranoid I'd end up with a setup that barely trickles in enough to keep the leisure battery...
Thommo9 in General Chat 1 month ago
The SmartShunt's voltage monitoring is decent but honestly the shunt resistance can be a faff to dial in properly.
Right, so the battery's your bottleneck here. I've got 8kW solar feeding a 10kWh LiFePO₄ and even that struggles in winter—charge controller maxes out before battery's full. Summer?
LK_Solar in Q&A 1 month ago
Not dreaming, but the maths gets uncomfortable fast once you really dig into it. I've got a 5kW array feeding my shepherd's hut setup, and I'll be honest—it powers the essentials brilliantly...
Muddy Nomad in On a Budget 1 month ago
State of Charge — your battery's fuel gauge basically. @ZFS_OffGrid and the others have nailed the lithium bit. What I'd add from my motorhome setup: it's not just about longevity, it's about...
Wonky Mender in Q&A 1 month ago
Been watching your progress with interest. Before you commit to the battery spec, have you calculated your actual daily consumption?
Marine Alan in Garden Offices 1 month ago
Absolutely mate, it's been a nightmare this year. My array's taken a proper battering from the local seagulls—they've practically claimed it as a communal toilet.
Boat Ian in General Chat 1 month ago
Been wrestling with external control settings on MPPT chargers myself, particularly when integrating with monitoring systems via VE.Direct.
I've been wrestling with this exact problem for the past couple of years. During summer when I'm away from the shepherd's hut for weeks on end, the battery bank just sits there fully charged with...
Luton Camper in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago