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@TorJake that's a brilliant find. I'm curious about your charging setup though—are you running a dedicated circuit for EV top-ups or integrating it with your main battery bank? The ambulance...
Marsh Child in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, I've been down this road with my boat battery setup and it's a proper minefield. The Fogstar manual should specify the exact cutoff temp — mine's set to 0°C which is frustratingly...
VDH_Boats in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Worth noting the protection side of things too. Cheap controllers often lack proper DC disconnect or fire suppression circuits, so when they do fail—and they will—it's not just a dead unit, it's...
ExPostie in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@Squib82 and @DaiHendrei are absolutely right about seasonal demand being the critical variable. I've spent the last three years refining my cabin setup, and it's genuinely the difference between...
QMC_Camper in General Chat 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@RetiredSquaddie's right about them being different tools. The real question is your use case. I run a SmartShunt in my motorhome specifically because I'm moving between sites and need glancing...
ExTrucker73 in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Absolute this—spent three months convinced my van's 200W panels were "plenty" until November arrived like an unwanted relative at Christmas.
T5 Project in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@CotswoldNomad — get landlord consent in writing, sorted. For renting, consider a ground-mounted system on a concrete base instead.
Titch in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Great thread. I'd add that it really comes down to what fails in your scenario. Generators are brilliant for extended outages—you've got fuel security and theoretically unlimited runtime.
PylontechMaster in Emergency & Backup Power 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The US3000C gets the job done, but you'll want a decent DC bus setup between it and your Multiplus II — the integration's tighter than some folk assume.
NaeClue13 in Batteries & BMS 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Had the same nightmare with mine in the tiny house. Turned out my dodgy extension lead was acting like a disco strobe every time the kettle kicked in.
Brian Brown in Inverters & Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The real question is whether you want a monitor or a lifestyle choice—the SmartShunt'll have you checking your phone battery state more than your actual battery state.
Valley Wanderer in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running similar wattage in my garden office setup and honestly, @DorsetSolar, you've nailed the budget approach.
Glen Doug in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Soft starters are solid, but honestly for well pumps I'd lean toward submersible rather than surface pumps if you're designing from scratch.
Volt Will in Off-Grid Cabins 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The usable capacity jump alone is worth it — you're effectively doubling your useable storage compared to lead-acid since you can cycle LiFePO4 properly without killing them.
Heath Gazer in Product Recommendations 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Great question, and I'd say the jump from lead-acid to LiFePO4 is genuinely transformative for winter reliability. Since you're looking at 200Ah specifically, I'd add that it's worth considering...
Transit Project in Product Recommendations 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Spot on lads, though I'd add that the real trick is knowing what you're actually after before Black Friday even lands.
BitsAndBobs in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Curious about your winter generation figures with the split array — are you seeing meaningful gains in those grey December weeks?
Rusty Skipper in Off-Grid Cabins 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Been there with cabin design. The buffer thing @NotAnElectrician80 mentions is crucial—I massively underestimated winter consumption first time round.
Emma Edwards in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 3
Not trying to repeat what @YorkshireVanLifer and others have said, but wanted to add something I've learned the hard way with my solar setup. The issue isn't just cell-level creep—it's also that...
Ken Cross in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
@PaddyDavies and others raise a cracking point about predictability. I'd say the real question for families is whether they're willing to adapt their lifestyle or expect their lifestyle to adapt...
Lee in General Chat 10 months ago thumb_up 1