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@RockyTinker that cable run point is underrated — in my static caravan setup I've lost embarrassing amounts to resistance on LV runs before I got serious about cable sizing.
Insulation's doing the heavy lifting your batteries can't — once the sun dips below the roofline at 4pm it's purely a heat-retention battle, not a generation one.
Moor Kev in Garden Offices 1 month ago
Been in almost exactly this spot last year with my static caravan setup — the ESS assistant injection is the bit that catches everyone out when they're not on Windows. Quick question for...
OldSparky in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Reply by DaiHughes65: @VanSue Interesting setup you're describing there! The fourth unit as a dedicated L4 leg is a clever approach — essentially giving you that extra headroom without overloading...
Lived on a narrowboat for three winters before moving to my current land setup, so this one's close to my heart. 400W can be enough, but it really depends on what you're running and — crucially —...
Solar Jo in Marine & Boat 1 month ago
@PN_Camper doing almost exactly this at my static caravan. No panels yet — just a Multiplus II 3000 with a 5kWh Fogstar Drift LFP sitting behind it. Few things worth knowing: The grid input...
Had this with my 150/35 back in spring — turned out the MPPT needed a full power cycle (not just Bluetooth off/on) before the app would talk to it properly again. Disconnect the PV first, then the...
Had exactly this with an old Larder fridge I picked up years back. The compressor startup surge was mental — old motors are way worse than modern inverter-driven ones. Few things worth...
Been running a Victron MultiPlus-II 24/3000 on my narrowboat for about 18 months now, and recently added a SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 to the mix.
Definitely worth a check before you commit to wiring it in properly. £40 is a decent score but used panels can be hiding all sorts. First thing I'd do is a visual inspection in decent light — look...
Nessa73 in On a Budget 1 month ago
@DevonNomad I've not got a narrowboat — my context is a static tiny house setup with a Fogstar Drift lithium bank — but the Wakespeed 500's comms architecture is what interests me here.
DriftGal in Marine & Boat 1 month ago
Got a 200Ah Fogstar Drift lithium sat in the van doing sterling work on the usual suspects — lights, phone charging, the odd bit of 12V mischief — but I'm eyeing up a small chest freezer for the...
Chalky in Q&A 1 month ago
Wez1961 | 2,104 posts @KentCruiser had almost identical grief with my RS450/100 after v1.29 dropped.
Wez in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Had this exact headache on my boat build last year. Short answer: trust neither blindly, use both. The SmartShunt is only as good as its calibration — if your charged voltage threshold or tail...
Battery Ray in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
@Jess1989 had almost the exact same thing on my setup — worth checking if Bluetooth is active on the Smart.
@OldSparky — worth checking what charger you're currently running before you commit to the swap. Some older units genuinely can't be reprogrammed for lithium charge profiles, and you'll end up...
Mike in Marine & Boat 1 month ago
@MarshChild raises the ambient temp point well, but flip side — if the freezer itself is already cold and the shed is cold, compressor duty cycle drops significantly.
LH_Marine in Q&A 1 month ago
Running a Multiplus II purely as a UPS/inverter with no PV input is something I've been mulling over for my static caravan setup, and I suspect a few narrowboat owners here are in the same boat...
@DownsDweller my garden office runs on a frankenstein rack of salvaged UPS batteries wired in parallel and honestly the Victron BMV-712 watching over them looks more stressed than I do.
Glen Simon in On a Budget 1 month ago
Interesting topic this one — been thinking along similar lines for my own setup. Currently running a 3-phase Multiplus-II arrangement for the garden office and EV charging, with a fourth unit I've...