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Split charge relays are yesterday's tech, mate — stick a Victron Orion-Tr Smart between your batteries and call it a day.
Battery Alan in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Been wrestling with this for my shepherd's hut build. Currently running a 200W solar array charging a leisure battery via a basic PWM controller, but I'm adding a second battery for the cabin and...
WingAndPrayer in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 2
@MuddySkipper @BorderCamper — I've been wrestling with this in my static caravan setup too. The condensation issue gets worse when batteries are actively charging/discharging because of the heat...
SmartSolarNerd in Installation Guides 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Spot on about the signal-to-noise ratio. I've been lurking here for a couple of years now after my static caravan setup went pear-shaped, and it genuinely beats sifting through endless YouTube...
Hilux Convert in News & Announcements 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Load audit's the right call, but honestly the real hack is living in it for a month before you buy a single battery — you'll realise what you actually need versus what you think you need, which...
Tor Finn in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 5
You've got a solid starting point with 400W, but I'd push back gently on one thing—that 300Ah LiFePO4 is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Defender Life in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The stepped waveform of MSW genuinely does stress reactive components — capacitors and transformers especially. That whining @Lefty72 mentions?
Ray Watson in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
I'm genuinely curious how you've tackled the battery placement and ventilation—that's where most narrowboat builds go sideways.
Camper Jackie in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 4
The voltage matching point @DanPhillips99 raised is crucial. I've got a small array feeding into a 48V bank and the difference between my old PWM and the Victron MPPT I swapped in was genuinely...
Mark in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, I'll bite on the 48V setup question since the original post got cut off. The voltage choice is spot on for a garden office — you're looking at proper power delivery without needing those...
ExFirefighter42 in Garden Offices 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@CornishBoater raises a good point about practical measurement. I've been wrestling with this in my garden office setup—trying to understand where my voltage actually drops versus what the battery...
Salty Rigger in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 4
@CornishBoater, voltage sag measurement is straightforward but the devil's in the placement of your meter leads.
RetiredSquaddie in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
I've got both setups running on the boat actually — LiFePO4 for the main house bank and a couple of AGM units tucked away as backup.
Exmoor Nomad in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Been running a Victron MPPT 100/30 on the hut for two years now after starting with a cheap PWM controller, and the difference was genuinely noticeable come autumn onwards.
The examiner lottery is absolutely real. I had my motorhome conversion put through three separate checks by three different inspectors — each one came back with different concerns.
Caddy Camper in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Spot on, @EmmaEditors82. There's a particular irony here given what we're all doing—I spend half my evenings checking my Victron display in the shepherd's hut office, then come in to catch up on...
Defender Solar in Site Feedback 2 years ago
Spot on about winter usage, @DevonNomad — that's where most people come unstuck. I learned this the hard way with my van conversion. The real trick is working backwards from your battery bank, not...
Kangoo Dream in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The harsh reality is you can't really have it both ways with batteries. A 1000W inverter simply won't handle simultaneous kettle + microwave—you're looking at 3-4kW peak there, maybe more. For a...
Been there, done that, got the burnt-out charger to prove it. The issue isn't just noise — it's actual component stress. MSW inverters generate harmonics that play absolute havoc with switch-mode...
ExFirefighter42 in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Check your cell voltage spread first — if one cell's playing dead while the others are fine, the BMS gets proper paranoid and shuts shop.
Salty Trekker in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 3