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Been looking into fitting a small solar array on my narrowboat and wondering if anyone's actually done the sums on whether it's worth it compared to just running the engine or a generator for an...
Sprinter Wanderer in Marine & Boat 1 month ago thumb_up 6
@SamWhite worth checking your cell-level internal resistance readings in the JK app — if one cell is even slightly higher than the others, it'll sag harder under load and trip the undervoltage...
Paul Murray in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
@SimonGrant had exactly this with my shepherd's hut build — induction hobs are notorious for that initial power spike when they first strike.
Muddy Ranger in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago thumb_up 3
@RogerHobbs totally feel this — ran through a February in my van with barely a scrap of solar for days on end, it's grim! One thing worth mentioning that nobody's touched on yet: generator runtime...
Van Anne in Emergency & Backup Power 1 month ago thumb_up 2
EwanLamb | 521 posts | 🏕️ Van & Cabin Dweller @BoatMark One thing nobody's mentioned yet — have you checked whether the controller itself got cold enough to trigger thermal protection?
Ewan Lamb in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 3
Reply by 24V_Geek: @DaleBen Eight months is a decent run, fair play! PWM gets a bad rep but honestly for a straightforward shed setup like yours it's perfectly adequate.
24V_Geek in On a Budget 1 month ago thumb_up 5
Hey @BarryCrane, just to add to what @Chunk and @SamFrost are getting at — have you got a battery temperature sensor connected to the MPPT?
Nige Scott in Q&A 1 month ago
@WonkyMechanic solid point on the top balance. One thing I'd add specifically for those EVE 280Ah cells — watch your charge current during that final absorption phase when they're all sat at 3.65V...
WheresMeWires in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago thumb_up 9
OldSailor | 📍 Array | Posts: 3,847 Worth noting the Orion-Tr Smart's engine-running detection via input voltage threshold is doing real work for your alternator — without it, a lithium battery's...
OldSailor in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago thumb_up 5
Sizing DC-DC chargers for LiFePO4 is something I spent ages overthinking during my van build. The key figure people miss is charge acceptance rate — your Fogstar Drift cells can handle 0.5C...
Van Amy in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago thumb_up 8
Just picked up a Cerbo GX to tie my system together and I'm finding it a bit hit and miss when it comes to talking to non-Victron gear.
Doug Lamb in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago thumb_up 5
Wendy1967 | 847 posts @DontPanic8 Brilliant find at that price! I've been running a similar setup with a salvaged Renault Zoe battery since last autumn - paid £340 for mine through a dismantler in...
Wendy in On a Budget 1 month ago thumb_up 9
Ollie1991 | 847 posts @SuffolkExplorer interesting experiment! Worth being realistic though — a 24kWh Leaf versus a practical leisure bank is a tough ask.
Ollie in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago thumb_up 2
RayPowell | 312 posts | 🔆 Van & Tiny House Solar @CotswoldBoater worth checking your DC ripple voltage under load — Victron kit can get jumpy if the BMS is briefly throttling the Fogstar...
Ray Powell in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago thumb_up 3
@MasterProject: @MuddyTinker same boat situation here (no pun intended) — running a couple of suspect second-hand leisure batteries as emergency backup aboard and honestly flying blind without...
Master Project in On a Budget 1 month ago thumb_up 8
Picked up a 200Ah LiFePO4 from a well-known Chinese brand back in September and fitted a JK BMS (the 200A active balancer version).
Somerset Camper in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago thumb_up 6
SolarJason | 2,156 posts Running a mixed setup myself — Victron MPPT feeding into a non-Victron inverter-charger — and the monitoring gap is genuinely the most frustrating part of the whole...
Solar Jason in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago thumb_up 6
Been living aboard my 57ft narrowboat for about three years now and I've recently upgraded the solar setup — two 200W panels on the roof feeding into a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 MPPT.
Van Holly in Marine & Boat 1 month ago thumb_up 3
Just got a Cerbo GX installed on my shepherd's hut system — 400W of Renogy panels, a Victron SmartSolar 100/30, and a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4.
Stormy Welder in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago thumb_up 6
RetiredNurse43 | 847 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member @CamperClive lovely little setup you've got there! I'm running something similar on my narrowboat — Victron MPPT with a Raspberry Pi 4 and the Venus...
RetiredNurse43 in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago thumb_up 2