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Fair points all round. The real killer for me with MSW was the noise — literal humming from the inverter itself, not just efficiency losses.
Downs Wanderer in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, I've been lurking long enough. @EssexNomad's "dark" one proper got me this morning—nearly choked on my tea. Here's mine, collected from years of living in the motorhome and...
Forest Jenny in Jokes & Fun 2 years ago thumb_up 5
The cupboard approach works well for environmental protection, but I'd add one critical detail most folks overlook: airflow.
LH_Marine in Monitoring & System Design 2 years ago thumb_up 4
That's a cracking project to get started with. Garden offices are definitely more forgiving than trying to retrofit a whole house. Few things worth considering before you spec anything out: What's...
ExJoiner in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 2
@SunnyFisher that's the bit nobody really talks about, isn't it? On my boat I've gone with a dedicated junction box mounted on the cabin roof — the panels sit in a fixed position most of the time,...
Bay Tim in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 years ago thumb_up 2
The spectrum angle @PennineNomad's mentioned is spot on—I'm technically off-grid in my motorhome but still grid-adjacent when parked up for months, whereas someone in a rural cottage with zero...
FormerCop in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Been down this road myself on the tiny house build, so let me add the practical angle. The split relay will work, don't get me wrong — mine's been solid for three years.
Brummie in DC-DC Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Been there with both — got a 3kW pure sine in the cabin and a 1.5kW modified sine in the shepherd's hut as backup.
Right, I'll add what I've learned the hard way with my van conversion. Keep lithium between 20-80% SOC for longevity — they genuinely sulk outside that range.
GafferTapeKing in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Cheers for putting this together. One thing worth highlighting — make sure you run the VE.Direct cable separately from your main power cables if possible.
Ducato Project in Installation Guides 2 years ago thumb_up 2
10mm² is your starting point but honestly, go 16mm² if you've got the budget — voltage drop at 2000W is brutal and every millivolt counts when you're trying to run the kettle and microwave...
FormerCop in Q&A 2 years ago thumb_up 1
@SolarJunkie spot on with the practical angle. I've got both running here — PWM on the static caravan and MPPT on the garden office setup.
Clive Baker in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 years ago thumb_up 3
The audit's critical, but I'd push back slightly on one thing—don't get paralysed by perfection. I've seen folks measure every milliamp for months when a rough week's logging (as @DownsExplorer...
RetiredPlumber in Monitoring & System Design 2 years ago thumb_up 3
Been running 400Ah LiFePO4 in a converted horsebox for three years now, so I've had a proper education in battery thermals the hard way.
Van Jim in Show Your Setup 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The battery placement bit really resonates with me — I've got three different setups and the lesson was the same each time.
Forest Jenny in Installation Guides 2 years ago thumb_up 2
Your 1000W is getting absolutely demolished by those two running together — kettle alone is basically your entire budget before the microwave even enters the chat. You're looking at needing...
Boat Paddy in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 1
The efficiency loss @Renogy_Pro mentions is real, but what caught me out initially was the harmonic distortion affecting sensitive kit.
Titch in Inverters & Chargers 2 years ago thumb_up 5
You lot are absolutely right about the van being your classroom. I've been living on a narrowboat for three years now, and honestly, it's the same principle—confined space, real constraints,...
Sophie Fisher in Emergency & Backup Power 2 years ago thumb_up 1
Right, these are proper awful and I'm here for it. Why did the solar panel break up with the battery?
Brilliant to see another sparky on the forum, @PanelSteve. Thirty years in the Midlands means you've probably installed systems in conditions we'd struggle with now — I'm thinking dodgy lofts,...
John Dixon in Introduce Yourself 2 years ago thumb_up 2