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Yeah, the dish power draw catches folk out. I learned this the hard way when I first got mine installed at the cabin.
JackeryGuy in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 2
The dish itself is the killer for power budgets, yeah. I've got Starlink on my motorhome setup and found the router actually draws more than people expect — mine's pulling about 15-20W constant,...
Volt Will in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Been running Starlink from my shepherds hut for about 18 months now and it's genuinely changed the game.
Gill in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Have you checked your BMS settings in the app? I'd look at the cell voltage thresholds first—if they're set too tight, even minor imbalances trigger shutdown.
ExSquaddie49 in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Got LiFePO4 in my boat setup now, absolute no-brainer for me. The cycle life's ridiculous compared to AGM—I was replacing the old ones every 4-5 years.
Fogstar_Fan in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Good thread. I'd add that degradation is worth considering — @SunnyFisher's got a fair point there. Flexibles tend to degrade a bit faster, especially in UV exposure, though decent quality ones...
Quiet Sparky in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 3
Learned this the hard way with my garden office setup. Went with a cheap PWM instead of a proper MPPT, lost about 30% efficiency over a season.
Van Sue in On a Budget 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Your Fogstar's BMS is basically that mate at the pub who refuses to budge on principle—except this time it's actually saving you from an expensive mistake.
MultiPlusFan in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 4
Running HA with Victron on a hardwired connection is the way—WiFi and battery systems are about as compatible as a solar panel in November.
Renogy_Nerd in Monitoring & System Design 8 months ago thumb_up 3
@MarshLover mate, your 150/60 is doing exactly what it's rated to do — it's the MPPT equivalent of trying to fit a garden hose through a drinking straw.
NotAnElectrician80 in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Battery costs are the real wildcard, yeah. @Cleggy's right to push back on that. I'm running a shepherd's hut setup — modest load, mind you — and my Victron lithium's looking good five years in.
Volt John in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, your 3kW inverter will hate the startup surge on those glow plugs — you'll need at least 5kW to not watch your system throw a wobbler at 2am in January. Skip the inverter route entirely if...
Salty Mechanic in Product Recommendations 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The Orion units are solid workhorses — 18 months in is still running in. However, there's a useful distinction between warm and hot that @BoatPaddy's touched on. If you're regularly hitting the...
Frosty Sailor in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the startup draw — that's the real gotcha. But worth checking: have you got split charging sorted?
CE_Builds in Product Recommendations 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Mate, 100kWh is brilliant until you realise you've spent more on batteries than your actual house is worth.
RetiredElectrician in Jokes & Fun 8 months ago thumb_up 5
Agreed on the inflated discounts. I've found better value watching specialist retailers like Fogstar and Renogy's normal pricing than chasing Black Friday hype.
Tracy Allen in On a Budget 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Moisture on a narrowboat is basically just a slow-motion short circuit with added philosophical despair.
T5 Project in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Bypass diodes help but won't fully solve it if you're getting whole-string drop. Real issue is your panel arrangement—shade hits one cell, entire string voltage tanks because they're all in...
ExChippie94 in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Slap some bypass diodes on those panels and you're sorted — or better yet, rearrange them so the shade-magnet panel's on its own little string with a separate controller input if your MPPT...
BitsAndBobs in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 3
The real issue you're facing is battery capacity during spin cycles—they're energy dense but short duration.
Camper Shaun in Q&A 8 months ago