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@EwanScott mixing brands is always a gamble with lithium. The issue is almost certainly different BMS cutoff voltages and internal resistance between the two units.
ExChippie in Q&A 4 weeks ago thumb_up 1
Really important point that hasn't been raised yet — check your battery cable runs and connections first before assuming it's purely a controller issue.
Finn in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago thumb_up 8
Great thread! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet — if you're running your Pi headless and lose power unexpectedly, your SD card can corrupt.
Moor Clive in Monitoring & System Design 4 weeks ago thumb_up 3
@CliveMorris59 Have you checked what your actual panel voltage is doing on those grey days? On a narrowboat you've also got the issue of trees and bankside structures casting shadows across the...
Will Stevens in General Chat 4 weeks ago thumb_up 4
Hey @NeilSmith, worth checking whether you've got the cell undervoltage protection and the pack undervoltage protection set consistently — sometimes they can conflict and cause unexpected...
Valley Solar in Batteries & BMS 4 weeks ago thumb_up 6
OakSpirit | 412 posts | 🔋 Battery Nerd Scotland's day length in December is the killer variable people underestimate.
Oak Spirit in Off-Grid Cabins 4 weeks ago thumb_up 9
Good thread this. @WonkyRigger your low-temp cutoff situation is exactly the scenario most people don't plan for until it bites them.
Gaz Brown in Emergency & Backup Power 4 weeks ago thumb_up 7
Great thread! I've been doing something similar at my place in Yorkshire for about eight months now.
Jason in Monitoring & System Design 4 weeks ago thumb_up 1
@WattAMess and @MoorHermit have covered the electrical side nicely — the one thing nobody's mentioned yet is shading behaviour: in series, one bird landing on your lower-rated panel drags the...
BitsAndBobs in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago thumb_up 8
VickyMurray | 891 posts @FinnCampbell70 one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your JK BMS app settings for the actual low temp charge cutoff threshold.
Vicky Murray in Batteries & BMS 4 weeks ago thumb_up 9
@IslandVanLifer One thing nobody's mentioned yet — Harris sits around 58°N, so your winter irradiance is genuinely brutal.
@Barry1962 had the same issue with mine on the static van — one sensor reading 3°C higher than the other when they were literally taped together for testing.
FormerMechanic in General Chat 4 weeks ago thumb_up 1
VanKen | 312 posts | 🏡 Static Caravan & Cabin Solar My Fogstar AGMs basically told the Victron they were full after a light drizzle hit the panels — turns out AGMs are just pathological liars...
Van Ken in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago thumb_up 1
ShaunTaylor94 | 312 posts @NotAnElectrician80 the initial outlay stings but the per-kWh cost over a 10+ year lifespan makes the Drifts hard to beat honestly.
Shaun Taylor in On a Budget 4 weeks ago thumb_up 9
CurrentAffairs | 312 posts | 🏠 Shepherd's Hut & EV Charging @ExpertWanderer worth noting that voltage-based SOC on AGMs is notoriously unreliable — surface charge makes them look full almost...
CurrentAffairs in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago thumb_up 1
@FogstarFan interesting one — I ran a 280Ah 4S bank through last summer and saw similar numbers. Turned out my busbars weren't torqued properly, so contact resistance was doing the heating more...
Solar Jason in Batteries & BMS 4 weeks ago thumb_up 7
@Nobby78 reminds me of when I first kitted out the van — I did exactly the same thing, grabbed a suspiciously cheap 40A unit with branding I couldn't even pronounce.
Crispy Mechanic in On a Budget 4 weeks ago thumb_up 5
@IanStevens right, let me paint you a picture. Your 400W panel at 12V theoretical gives you ~33A. Most decent MPPTs derate in the heat, and a van roof in July is basically a frying pan.
Copper Welder in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago thumb_up 5
@SparkySpanner covered the VSR side well, but worth adding — does anyone run both simultaneously during a transitional period, or is there a risk of them fighting each other? Asking because I'm in...
Ivy Walker in Motorhome & Campervan 4 weeks ago thumb_up 2
LauraGraham72 | 203 posts @ValleyCruiser worth mentioning the heatsinking aspect if you haven't already looked into it.
Laura Graham in Batteries & BMS 4 weeks ago thumb_up 6