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The split array really does make a difference up north. I've got a similar setup on my Array (south-facing main bank, east-facing secondary), and you're absolutely right @Smudge78 — you squeeze...
Titch in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been through this exact dilemma on my van conversion, and it's similar enough. Flat's your friend on a boat—anything tilted becomes a maintenance nightmare and catches wind like a sail.
Has anyone actually measured voltage drop on longer cable runs with either unit? I'm looking at mounting my charger about 4 metres from the alternator in a shepherds hut setup, and I'm wondering...
Robbo in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Running two Fogstar 5.12s in the caravan and they've been faultless for nearly two years now. @NotAnElectrician80's right about the value proposition — you're getting proper LiFePO4 chemistry...
Lee in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Spot on advice from the lads about living in it first — can't stress this enough. That said, since you're working with a shepherd's hut, a few practical points: Start with the basics before you...
Sam Stevens in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The SmartShunt's won me over for the motorhome setup, but I'd say context is king here. Space-wise @ThistleVicky and @BenJackson are spot on—it's genuinely pocket-sized compared to the BMV. What I...
The battery question is absolutely crucial here. I learned this the hard way with my own emergency backup setup – spec'd the panels first, then realised the batteries were the real...
JubileeClipHero in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
What's your battery capacity looking like? That's where this gets real. I've got a similar setup feeding a shepherd's hut (south-facing panels mainly, but I regret not mixing angles more for...
Marsh Lover in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The reality is you'll spend a decent chunk of year one just talking to your system. Sounds daft, but honestly—you learn to read your batteries like a book.
Callum Hobbs in General Chat 1 year ago
Has anyone actually sized their battery bank based on real-world usage rather than just guessing? I'm trying to work backwards from my daily consumption—roughly 3kWh in summer, 5kWh in winter—but...
Cleggy in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Good thread this. I'm curious though—does the definition shift depending on whether you're stationary or mobile?
ThingamyBob in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The trick nobody tells you is that off-grid communities basically operate like a secret society, except the password is "I've rewired my entire house and my partner still speaks to...
AZY_Marine in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, the real killer is whether you're in summer or winter — my Dometic pulls about 40A starting current then settles to 8-12A running, but in July it's basically a tiny air conditioning unit.
Solar Keith in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Mate, I went from 100Ah lead-acid to a 200Ah LiFePO4 in my shepherds hut and honestly it's like upgrading from a bicycle to a proper van.
OffGrid Hamish in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The real ones reveal themselves once you stop looking and just start doing something interesting. Built a solar setup on my boat three years back, suddenly the marina was full of blokes asking...
Stormy Drifter in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The real question is: what's your duty cycle looking like? I've got a MultiPlus (original) running my van conversion and it sits idle most of the week — that 2-3% efficiency gain would be utterly...
Rob in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The efficiency gain only matters if you're actually using the inverter heavily. I've got a MultiPlus 3000 running my shepherds hut setup — it's sat idle most of the time, so that 2-3% is...
JA_Solar in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Right, so you've basically described how I found this lot five years ago too. Was googling "why is my battery bank angrier than my wife" and somehow landed on offgrid4less.
RetiredElectrician in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Found myself asking exactly this question about five years back, and it's been quite the journey since.
48VWizard in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Proper jealous of your landlord situation, mate — most would rather you set fire to the roof than drill a hole in it.
Anne Butler in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1