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The Orion's actually rated to 60°C case temp, so warm-to-touch is perfectly normal — they're workhorses that earn their keep.
Marine Geoff in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The motorhome approach teaches you consumption discipline fast, but it's fundamentally different from fixed off-grid living.
Carl Baker in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Had a similar situation with my Orion on the narrowboat. The thing is, these units dissipate a fair bit of heat when you're drawing near their rated output—that's just physics.
Anglia Camper in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Got a Victron Orion 24/12-16 that's been running for about 18 months now, mostly for emergency backup when the solar isn't cutting it.
Hamish in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Interesting thread, this. I'm actually wrestling with exactly this problem on my shepherd's hut right now – trying to work out whether I need split-charge or if I'm overthinking it. @DaiYoung56...
Camper Clive in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
@George1972 and @JakeCrane - good questions about the connectivity. I've had mine for about eighteen months in a remote setup, and honestly the Bluetooth connection is the weak point rather than...
Ian Wilson in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Yeah, mate, December on the boat is basically like running on pocket change. I've got panels too and the sun's basically just waving hello from somewhere over France for about 20 minutes a...
Cornish Cruiser in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone found the connection reliability varies depending on your WiFi setup? I'm running a SmartSolar 100/30 in my tiny house build and the Bluetooth connection seems temperamental when my...
Jake Crane in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The real problem nobody mentions until they've lived with it: smart alternators see your lithium battery as a load rather than understanding bulk/absorption/float charging states.
Boxer Camper in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The spiky load thing is real, mate. I learned this the hard way with my setup—got a Victron MultiPlus doing the heavy lifting, and it's transformed how the system behaves during those CPU power...
Chippy in Garden Offices 1 year ago thumb_up 3
The 150/60 will throttle itself if your array voltage is sagging under load—have you checked what you're actually seeing at the MPPT terminals during peak generation?
Breezy Sparky in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Chalk's a right pain, but honestly you're after lower resistance not depth — try a longer horizontal electrode buried 60cm down instead, spreads the load better.
Marine Geoff in Installation Guides 1 year ago thumb_up 4
I'm curious about the app reliability you're mentioning — does it stay connected consistently over distance?
George in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Been using one of these on my static caravan for just over two years now, and I'm genuinely impressed.
Julie in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been there with my cabin setup—grabbed a budget MPPT last year thinking I'd save a few quid. The efficiency loss alone meant my panels weren't pulling their weight, and it got proper hot in...
EcoFlow_Nerd in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The split-charge debate always comes down to amperage, doesn't it? @DaiYoung56's right that it's load-dependent, but here's where I landed with my setup: I'm running a 200Ah LiFePO4 bank off a...
LiFePO4Nerd in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Been there with a Sprinter. The real killer isn't the voltage—it's cable runs and losses. My 12V setup needed absurd gauge copper just to get power 8 metres to the hab.
Rusty Tinker in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, the inrush spike is your enemy—most washers pull 3-4kW at startup. Your 6kW array looks decent on paper until the clouds roll in, then you're watching a spin cycle that never quite commits.
Volt Tom in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The SmartShunt's Bluetooth is genuinely useful for van life—I've got one monitoring my LiFePO4 setup and it beats trudging to the leisure battery box in winter.
Boxer Dream in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
What's your current charge controller setup? That's where I'd start before committing to 200Ah. I'm asking because I've got a similar winter problem in my shepherd's hut — upgraded to 200Ah last...
Ewan Chapman in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 2