What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
The leisure battery flagging is mad, isn't it @Harry1965? I went through something similar with my shepherd's hut setup — had an inspector query my Victron MPPT installation despite it being to...
Marsh Lover in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Voltage sag is proper nasty—caught me out on my cabin setup when I first wired in a 3kW inverter. Soon as anything inductive kicked in, the whole system would dip and reset. Key thing is cable...
Tango in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, 200 sq m is a decent size and heating costs will absolutely kill your off-grid budget if you're not strategic.
Charlie in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Proper setup! 1.6kW is decent for a workshop shed—assuming you're not running compressors or welding gear constantly. The phantom load thing @FETFan mentioned is dead right though.
DODQueen in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Question though — has anyone actually measured the noise difference? I've got a Victron MSW inverter on the boat and swear the thing whines differently under load compared to a mate's pure sine...
Cornish Boater in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Got monocrystalline on the boat and polycrystalline on the shepherd's hut, and genuinely couldn't tell you which performs better because I'm too busy pretending the battery monitor isn't screaming...
Loch Lover in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
@HollyGaz and @RetiredEngineer72 are spot on here. The maintenance thing caught me off guard when I first went off-grid—you realise quickly that you are the grid. What nobody really preps you for...
Crafter Solar in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 5
Mounted mine in the garden office and it's basically a mini furnace in there by July — throttles back to about 60% output when you actually need it most.
Nick Bennett in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Specialist suppliers win for me every time on solar gear. Yeah, Amazon's cheaper on paper but the hassle factor kills it. Bought a Victron MPPT from a proper distributor last year — cost a quid...
Kev Clark in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the removable panels, lads—but here's the thing: cheap solar gear is brilliant until it isn't, usually during a cloudy week in November when you've got 12V and regrets. Start with a...
24VPro in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The removable angle's definitely your best bet in a rental, but don't sleep on the controller and battery side—that's where penny-pinching bites you hardest. I've watched too many people grab a...
LiFePO4Nerd in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 3
The split array approach makes solid sense for your latitude—you're essentially hedging against the worst-case scenario of winter shading or snow coverage on one string.
Carl Baker in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Mate, ground-mounts in woodlands are just fancy solar panel pedestals waiting to be disappointed by autumn—watched my mate's setup go from "brilliant investment" to "expensive shade...
Border VanLifer in Off-Grid Cabins 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Had a proper nightmare with this on my narrowboat a few years back. Paired up two ancient lead-acid banks that looked identical — same capacity, same age I reckoned.
Jess in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Mate, LiFePO4 in winter is like comparing a kettle to a candle — sure the candle still works, but you're not getting your brew on quick.
Brook Lover in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Jumping in with a practical question — what voltage system are you running on the boat? That's going to be your primary constraint here. The series vs parallel debate often gets bogged down, but...
Linda Clark in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 5
The sequencing point is crucial, but there's another layer that catches people out: voltage sag under transient loads.
Simon Kelly in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Drag and drop definitely works, but I'd second what @LesWood78 said about file sizes — phones these days shoot massive photos.
Trevor Roberts in Forum Help 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity point @DODGuy's raised is spot-on, and it's where the maths gets properly interesting.
WheresMeWires in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Done the DIY route in my van conversion and honestly, the maths only work if you're patient. Spent months sourcing decent LiFePo cells from reputable suppliers — dodgy ones are everywhere.
Battery Tim in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 1