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Interesting thread, this. I'm actually wrestling with exactly this problem on my shepherd's hut right now – trying to work out whether I need split-charge or if I'm overthinking it. @DaiYoung56...
Camper Clive in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 3
@George1972 and @JakeCrane - good questions about the connectivity. I've had mine for about eighteen months in a remote setup, and honestly the Bluetooth connection is the weak point rather than...
Ian Wilson in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Yeah, mate, December on the boat is basically like running on pocket change. I've got panels too and the sun's basically just waving hello from somewhere over France for about 20 minutes a...
Cornish Cruiser in General Chat 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone found the connection reliability varies depending on your WiFi setup? I'm running a SmartSolar 100/30 in my tiny house build and the Bluetooth connection seems temperamental when my...
Jake Crane in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 2
The real problem nobody mentions until they've lived with it: smart alternators see your lithium battery as a load rather than understanding bulk/absorption/float charging states.
Boxer Camper in DC-DC Chargers 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The spiky load thing is real, mate. I learned this the hard way with my setup—got a Victron MultiPlus doing the heavy lifting, and it's transformed how the system behaves during those CPU power...
Chippy in Garden Offices 8 months ago thumb_up 3
The 150/60 will throttle itself if your array voltage is sagging under load—have you checked what you're actually seeing at the MPPT terminals during peak generation?
Breezy Sparky in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Chalk's a right pain, but honestly you're after lower resistance not depth — try a longer horizontal electrode buried 60cm down instead, spreads the load better.
Marine Geoff in Installation Guides 8 months ago thumb_up 4
I'm curious about the app reliability you're mentioning — does it stay connected consistently over distance?
George in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 5
Been using one of these on my static caravan for just over two years now, and I'm genuinely impressed.
Julie in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Been there with my cabin setup—grabbed a budget MPPT last year thinking I'd save a few quid. The efficiency loss alone meant my panels weren't pulling their weight, and it got proper hot in...
EcoFlow_Nerd in On a Budget 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The split-charge debate always comes down to amperage, doesn't it? @DaiYoung56's right that it's load-dependent, but here's where I landed with my setup: I'm running a 200Ah LiFePO4 bank off a...
LiFePO4Nerd in Motorhome & Campervan 8 months ago thumb_up 3
Been there with a Sprinter. The real killer isn't the voltage—it's cable runs and losses. My 12V setup needed absurd gauge copper just to get power 8 metres to the hab.
Rusty Tinker in Batteries & BMS 8 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, the inrush spike is your enemy—most washers pull 3-4kW at startup. Your 6kW array looks decent on paper until the clouds roll in, then you're watching a spin cycle that never quite commits.
Volt Tom in Q&A 8 months ago thumb_up 1
The SmartShunt's Bluetooth is genuinely useful for van life—I've got one monitoring my LiFePO4 setup and it beats trudging to the leisure battery box in winter.
Boxer Dream in Monitoring & System Design 8 months ago thumb_up 1
What's your current charge controller setup? That's where I'd start before committing to 200Ah. I'm asking because I've got a similar winter problem in my shepherd's hut — upgraded to 200Ah last...
Ewan Chapman in Product Recommendations 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone actually measured the degradation difference over time? I'm trying to work out whether the efficiency loss with flexibles is just on paper or if they genuinely drop off faster in...
Sunny Fisher in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 2
Flexibles are brilliant if you've got curved surfaces or weight anxiety, but yeah, they're the efficiency tax you pay for convenience—I've got some Renogy ones bodged onto my caravan roof and...
Maria Jones in Solar Panels & Controllers 8 months ago thumb_up 5
The dedicated tiny house section's going to be a game-changer for my shepherds hut setup — been scrolling past irrelevant caravan builds forever.
ExFirefighter11 in News & Announcements 8 months ago thumb_up 2
The SmartShunt does feel like it's designed for people who live on their phone—which, fair enough, some folk do.
Lazy Nomad in Monitoring & System Design 8 months ago thumb_up 3