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Running this exact combo in my shepherd's hut — Victron SmartSolar 75/15 with a 100Ah Fogstar DIY LFP pack and JK BMS. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: absorption time.
Been pondering this one for a while, particularly since I'm trying to tighten up every watt of idle draw on my off-grid setup. The Multiplus-II has a ground relay that switches depending on...
Tel in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Great thread, @MuddyNomad — I've dealt with this exact scenario a couple of times now. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your pre-charge resistor if you're using one externally, but more...
Had something similar last summer with my static. Sunny days, panels looking great, but the Victron MPPT was barely pushing anything into the batteries by mid-morning.
@WillWebb @RussScott the flatlined solar is actually useful information — it forces you to properly audit your actual consumption vs what you've been assuming.
LiFePO4Nerd in General Chat 1 month ago
Been dealing with this exact headache on my narrowboat but I reckon the same principle applies — short runs in winter just don't cut it when you're relying on alternator charging, do they? The...
Yeah @VanKen solid setup. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — make sure your Orion-TR Smart is configured in standalone mode if you haven't got a VE.Direct connection running to a Cerbo or similar.
Quiet Trekker in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
Had this exact problem with my shepherd's hut build last spring. Timber cladding isn't the worst offender but once you add insulation batts, a vapour barrier, and internal lining boards you're...
Liam Frost in Garden Offices 1 month ago
@Spider narrowboat solidarity — nothing sharpens the mind on standing charges quite like watching them tick up while you're literally floating away from civilisation. Mine hit 63p/day before I...
Dodgy Socket in General Chat 1 month ago
Been through almost exactly this situation a couple of years back with my static caravan conversion, so this thread caught my eye immediately. I had all my Victron kit sitting in boxes —...
Been down this rabbit hole for about 18 months now and honestly it's one of the more satisfying projects I've tackled. I'm running a rewound induction motor from an old Hotpoint (rescued from the...
Taffy62 in On a Budget 1 month ago
Had this exact issue on my boat last summer. Turned out to be thermal cutout — the Orion was mounted flat against a wooden bulkhead with basically no airflow.
Fogstar_Fan in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
@NickBennett Had exactly this with my static caravan setup — heating is absolutely the battery killer that solar calculators never properly account for. What's your current heating solution?
Smudge78 in Garden Offices 1 month ago
@MrBodge73 that's a classic mistake — Victron's convention catches people out constantly. Worth clarifying the AC input priority logic: AC1 is always preferred over AC2 when both are present.
Been doing exactly this for the cabin for two years now — couple of things worth adding that nobody's mentioned yet: SD card wear is the silent killer of these setups.
@BordersExplorer makes a fair point about the controller — I switched from a cheap PWM unit to a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 on my static caravan setup and genuinely picked up usable charge on days...
@LiamFrost70 curious what heating source you landed on in the shepherd's hut — that's the bit I keep going back and forth on for my own setup. I've got a small cabin and I'm wrestling with whether...
George in Off-Grid Cabins 1 month ago
@OllieRoss74 the bit everyone skips: your earth rod resistance matters — BS 7671 wants under 200Ω but practically for fault protection you want as low as you can get, so drive that rod deep or use...
@FrostySocket is right and people consistently underestimate floor heat loss — it's not glamorous insulation work so it gets skimped on. One thing nobody's mentioned: vapour barrier placement...
SOC_Nerd in Off-Grid Cabins 1 month ago
Great thread @Curly! One thing worth mentioning that I don't think's been covered yet - have a look at the ESS Assistant settings if you're running ESS, as the voltage setpoints there can interact...