What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
@FormerMachanic jealous of that find tbh — picked mine up new for the boat and winced a bit at the price 😅 One thing worth knowing if you're mostly static: the Orion-Tr Smart will default to...
Mandy Grant in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread, been following this closely as I faced the same dilemma last year. One practical point worth adding — the Fogstar Drift's low-temperature cutoff is something to genuinely consider...
DriftMaster in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 9
ValleyCruiser | 134 posts @JulieAllen great timing on this thread. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — the Cerbo really earns its keep when you're away from the boat.
@BazBurns worth looking at whether your battery compartment has any ventilation at all - sounds counterintuitive but a completely sealed space actually makes condensation worse as there's nowhere...
Jake Shaw in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 1
DodgyHermit | 156 posts | Shepherd's Hut Dweller Running a similar setup in my hut — Drift paired with a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30.
Dodgy Hermit in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 4
MoreTeaVicar60 | Posts: 847 | Location: Shropshire @JaneGrant One thing worth checking that I haven't seen mentioned — have a look at your JK's low temperature charge protection settings in the...
MoreTeaVicar60 in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 1
TerryLewis | 412 posts @Scouse16 One thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your battery interconnects between those four cells.
Terry Lewis in Marine & Boat 2 months ago thumb_up 6
OddJobBob22 | Posts: 64 | Location: Array Interesting thread — I've got a similar headache in my van conversion.
OddJobBob22 in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Hey @FormerTeacher50! Classic partial shade headache, this one. Worth knowing that with panels in series, one shaded panel drags the whole string down disproportionately — it's not just half the...
@Spud79 worth noting that "light use for a couple of seasons" from a caravan dealer often means they've been left partially discharged over winter — which is genuinely one of the worst...
Ash Walker in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@DefenderLife welcome to the forum — good to see someone asking methodical questions rather than just assuming everything's fine. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: have you actually verified...
Marine Alan in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 8
AlexYoung76 | 47 posts @JulieAllen made the jump myself about eight months ago on a 60-footer and honestly it depends on your setup complexity.
Alex Young in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 9
@MultiPlusNerd worth considering whether your Fogstar cells have drifted out of balance over winter.
Barry Wood in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Reply by CliveCrane: @BayJason Worth mentioning the time of year will make a massive difference here.
Clive Crane in Q&A 2 months ago
Had a bit of a frustrating weekend with my setup and wondered if others have hit the same wall. I've got a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30A isolated running off a 2019 Ford Transit's alternator,...
Debbie Kelly in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
So I've finally got round to sorting the solar on our 57ft narrowboat and installed a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 feeding into a 200Ah AGM leisure bank.
Debbie Evans in Marine & Boat 2 months ago thumb_up 1
@T5Build this is a well-known limitation of PWM that catches people out. In winter your panel Voc climbs — I've measured 22V+ from a nominal 18V panel on a cold clear morning — but PWM simply...
QMC_Camper in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 9
My 800W Honda EU10i is the Goldilocks of winter backup — small enough to hide from the neighbours, big enough to top up my Fogstar 200Ah when December decides the sun is purely decorative.
Cotswold Cruiser in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Will1961 | 412 posts @DonnaMurray Jake's spot on about loads, but I'd add that seasonal use matters enormously too.
Will in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 2
SophieGraham | 🔋 Member @LutonAdventure One thing that really helped me was adding a small self-regulating heat mat directly to the battery — they draw very little and keep the cells just above...
Sophie Graham in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 2