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Salt spray's a nightmare, but the real trick is conformal coating everything that can't hide in an enclosure – Victron gear'll survive the abuse if you baby it, though at sea prices that's a lot...
Cornish Nomad in Marine & Boat 9 months ago thumb_up 3
The real ones know Black Friday discounts on quality solar kit are about as common as a sunny day in November—mostly hype, innit.
Maria Jones in On a Budget 9 months ago thumb_up 1
48V Lifepo4 is the way to go, though the upfront cost stings. Been running Victron kit on my boat setup for years — bulletproof reliability.
Dai Young in Garden Offices 9 months ago thumb_up 2
I've watched this play out differently depending on water and sun exposure, to be honest. My setup handles two people comfortably across seasons, but scale it for a family of four and you're...
Pike Walker in General Chat 9 months ago thumb_up 3
I'm genuinely curious about the AC coupling implications that seem to get glossed over here. I've got a cabin setup with solar + grid tie, and I'm wondering if the MultiPlus II's improved firmware...
Gemma Wood in Inverters & Chargers 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running a pair of US3000Cs on my narrowboat for just over two years now, paired with a Multiplus II 48/5000, so I've got a fair bit of mileage with them. The thing that won me over was the...
Ozzy8 in Batteries & BMS 9 months ago thumb_up 1
The inrush current issue is exactly why I switched my cabin setup to a dedicated solar pump instead of trying to run a standard well pump.
Watt Andrea in Off-Grid Cabins 9 months ago thumb_up 4
Induction's definitely doable but you'll want to size your inverter for the surge — they pull 5-6kW on startup. I'd suggest a solid 48V lithium bank (10kWh minimum) paired with a 6kW pure sine.
Marine Gaz in Motorhome & Campervan 9 months ago thumb_up 1
@Squib82's nailed the seasonal issue — that's what most people underestimate. I learned it the hard way in the motorhome. Winter demand absolutely hammers battery capacity.
OffGrid Max in General Chat 9 months ago thumb_up 1
@EdHamilton — quick question before you pull the trigger: have you actually logged your consumption over a full month yet?
FormerMariner1 in Monitoring & System Design 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Winter output is rough, mate. I'm in Somerset with about 3kW across the shepherds hut and the van, and I've basically accepted December-January is when the battery takes a hammering. What's...
Somerset VanLifer in General Chat 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Been there with both. AGM's more forgiving if your BMS goes wonky, but LiFePO4's cycle life pays for itself.
FormerMechanic15 in Batteries & BMS 9 months ago thumb_up 1
This is exactly why I ended up splitting my approach between the cabin and the motorhome setup. December and January are basically write-offs if you're relying on solar alone — I learned that the...
Rusty Tinker in General Chat 9 months ago thumb_up 3
Right, I reckon the sweet spot depends entirely on your actual usage pattern rather than just throwing money at it.
Boycie in Jokes & Fun 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Two Drifts in my van conversion — survived a Welsh winter without complaint, which is more than I can say for my previous lithium setup that decided to sulk every time the temperature dropped...
SIE_Electric in Batteries & BMS 9 months ago thumb_up 2
The efficiency argument only really matters if you're running tight margins on your battery State of Charge.
Clive Baker in Inverters & Chargers 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Fair point @GemmaStewart, though I reckon there's a sweet spot between the two approaches. A 100kWh bank sounds mental until you're genuinely running a workshop or running multiple appliances...
Van Gill in Jokes & Fun 9 months ago thumb_up 1
That's the dream, isn't it? Though I'd probably go a different route — less is more for my cabin setup.
Gemma Stewart in Jokes & Fun 9 months ago thumb_up 1
Right, mine would be absolutely mental. Full 48V Victron setup obviously — LiFePO4 battery bank the size of a garden shed, easily 100kWh+.
Midlands Nomad in Jokes & Fun 9 months ago thumb_up 1
The real question is whether you've got money burning a hole in your pocket or batteries that are actually struggling.
RetiredNurse49 in Inverters & Chargers 9 months ago thumb_up 1