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Mine's been flawless on the narrowboat, though I'll admit the Bluetooth range is basically "stand next to it and squint at your phone hopefully." The app itself is solid when it actually...
The narrowboat insurance was a proper saga, mate. My broker initially lumped the whole setup under "commercial vessel conversion" because of the Victron and battery bank.
Gazza25 in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Fair points from @ExChippie94 and @RetiredElectrician, but I'd actually push back slightly on the "overkill" angle.
FormerMariner1 in Jokes & Fun 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Brilliant to see another Cornish van dweller on the forum. Three years is when you've actually lived through the cycles rather than just survived them, yeah? I'm curious what your power setup...
Bramble Ella in Introduce Yourself 8 months ago thumb_up 3
The losses compound fast with intermittent loads, actually. I've measured idle draw on budget units around 40-50W vs Victron's 10-15W—barely matters if you're powering occasional tools, but over a...
OXM_OffGrid in Inverters & Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Right, salt spray's a proper nightmare. Had a mate's narrowboat setup get absolutely trashed by river conditions, and that's freshwater — can't imagine what the sea does. Thing is, enclosure alone...
Downs Cruiser in Marine & Boat 8 months ago thumb_up 5
Running a Webasto in my shepherd's hut off a similar setup — the startup surge is genuinely the killer.
CurrentAffairs in Product Recommendations 8 months ago thumb_up 1
I'm with @CrafterSolar on this one — blanket dismissal isn't quite fair, but context matters enormously. The real question is: which second-life pack? Nissan Leaf modules?
Taffy62 in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 1
You're spot on about the overspec'd kit—ambulances are built to keep life support running, so they don't mess about with cheap components.
FormerMechanic in Show Your Setup 8 months ago thumb_up 3
The gaming PC spikes are the real killer here—you're looking at 400-500W+ when those GPUs wake up. I run a similar setup on my narrowboat and learned quickly that you need two things working...
SmartSolar_Master in Garden Offices 8 months ago thumb_up 3
@CamperCarl spot on about the noise — that's been my experience too with the hut. The real issue is runtime though.
Marsh Lover in Emergency & Backup Power 8 months ago thumb_up 5
The seasonal swing is brutal—I'm running a 5kWh LiFePO₄ battery bank in my shepherd's hut and even with winter panel angle optimisation, I'm still burning through reserves come December.
Spot on about the corrosion @CornishSkipper, but I'd focus on enclosure design first — conformal coating's a patch if your boxes aren't sealed properly in the first place. Marine-grade stainless...
Marine Gaz in Marine & Boat 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The separation point is what catches most people out. I've got a Victron Orion-Tr isolated 12/240V converter in my van setup, and honestly it's made the whole thing cleaner than trying to run...
Bramble Ella in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Yeah, series strings are brutal with partial shading. @RussHunt82's right about the weak link thing, but bypass diodes are only half the solution if you're losing the whole string output. What...
Downs Wanderer in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Have you looked at those compact 3-5kg portable washers? They're less brutal on inrush current than full-size machines.
Stu Knight in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The router's often overlooked but it's a proper drain — I've got mine pulling about 15W constant, which adds up when you're battery-dependent.
BodgeItAndScarper in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 2
The reality is that winter solar output in the UK is genuinely constrained by physics — you're looking at roughly 10-15% of summer generation depending on your latitude and panel orientation.
Borders Explorer in General Chat 8 months ago
Solid work @DorsetSolar. I ran similar numbers on my static caravan before upgrading, and you've picked the right corners to cut.
FormerMechanic in Show Your Setup 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Same trap caught me on the boat. Spent three months researching battery chemistries when I should've just grabbed a decent Victron setup and started learning hands-on.
Del in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 1