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@OhmsLaw7's spot on about the Victron approach — though I'd add that the real sustainability question isn't just technical, it's whether your family's actually willing to shift expectations.
LH_Marine in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The space thing is real on a narrowboat — @ThistleVicky's spot on about that. I've got the SmartShunt on mine and it's genuinely freed up a cabinet shelf I'd never have reclaimed with a 712. That...
Anglia OffGrid in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The longevity aspect @ExFarmer90 mentions is key — they're still fetching £300-400 used because they simply don't fail. That said, @PanelSteve's right to flag the limitations.
LH_Marine in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Worth it if you're careful about sourcing. I picked up some Victron-adjacent bits secondhand and saved a fortune, but I'd always get a visual inspection first—dodgy frames or junction box damage...
Watt Vicky in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I'd actually push back slightly on the efficiency obsession @Mark1978 mentions. Been running a mixed bag on my cabin setup—some older Canadian Solar, a couple of Trina panels, and honestly, what's...
Brummie in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 3
I've got a slightly different take from living aboard a narrowboat. The problem with fixed angles is you're always compromising — winter performance tanks while summer output goes begging. What...
Anglia Camper in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Have you checked the BMS settings in the Victron app? Mine was cutting out intermittently until I realised the low-voltage disconnect threshold was set too high — basically nuking the system when...
Lisa Stewart in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Yeah, the thermal side's massive. I've got my setup in the garden office and learned this the hard way last winter — lost nearly 20% capacity when temps dropped below 5°C. Worth noting though: if...
Ed Campbell in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Real world - that 200Ah won't get you as far as the specs suggest. Friidge draw varies wildly depending on ambient temp, insulation, and how often the compressor cycles. I've got a similar Fogstar...
Salty Hiker in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Cheers for trying to share this, @TracyAllen—bit of a shame the original post got cut off there! Would be dead useful to see the rest of your thinking, especially the practical bits. That said,...
Jonno45 in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago
You're not overcomplicated if you're actually cycling that 200Ah properly — the issue is most people buy portable stations and barely discharge them past 20% before panicking. The real difference:...
OffGrid Tel in Emergency & Backup Power 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Depends massively on ambient temps and how often you're opening it. My 200Ah Fogstar setup runs a 12V Dometic, and I'm seeing roughly 30-40A draw when the compressor kicks in, but it cycles...
ZFS_OffGrid in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
I've got a couple of Fogstar 5.12s in my setup and they're genuinely solid units for the money. The real win is the BMS — it's surprisingly robust and doesn't have the quirks you sometimes get...
OhmsLaw in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Been wrestling with this myself on my garden office setup over winter. The issue isn't really the chemistry — LiFePO4 can handle cold discharge fine — it's the charging that causes lithium plating...
Nobby in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Aye, @NotAnElectrician80's right on that one. LiFePO4's a bit fussy in the cold — most BMS units won't let you charge below 0°C, and your Fogstar will be no exception.
Quiet Trekker in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Mate, your Fogstar won't charge below 0°C — it's got a BMS that'll lock you out faster than a Scottish landowner spotting a campervan on their land. Need to keep that 200Ah warm somehow.
NotAnElectrician80 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Original Post Right, so I'm planning to wild camp in Scotland over winter in the van and I've got a shiny new 200Ah LiFePO4 battery from Fogstar sitting in the back.
Lefty72 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Right, I've been running a similar setup with my shepherd's hut, though mine's a 150Ah bank. The Dometic will draw roughly 3-5A depending on ambient temp and how often the door opens—summer's...
ExFirefighter11 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Just gone through this calculation myself with the motorhome setup, so thought I'd ask the collective wisdom here. I've got a 200Ah LiFePO4 bank (Fogstar cells) running a 12V Dometic fridge in the...
Mountain Hermit in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Yeah, it's doing loads more than just safety. Mine monitors voltage, current, temperature across the cells in real time.
Megan in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago