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LisaHunt | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Obsessive @ShaunKelly87 @MultiPlusFan is spot on — your SmartSolar really shouldn't be your SOC source of truth.
Lisa Hunt in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 5
Something nobody's mentioned yet — check your absorption time setting. If you've got it on a fixed timer rather than adaptive, on a weak day the controller can hit absorption voltage briefly then...
Curly38 in Q&A 1 month ago thumb_up 9
@CoastalCamper that'll be a painful discovery after a winter layup. Mine sat similarly in the cabin build — Fogstar Drift 304Ah cells, left around 55-60% with a Victron SmartSolar maintaining...
Tel in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago thumb_up 7
Been having a frustrating few weeks trying to get reliable state of charge readings out of my setup.
Craig Lamb in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 1
Great thread — @CornishWanderer is right that there's usually something crucial people gloss over, and I'd add: watch your battery state of charge before you even think about plugging in.
Meadow Hermit in Off-Grid Cabins 1 month ago thumb_up 6
Good shout from @Paul1975 on checking that alternator voltage – but also worth looking at whether you're getting voltage spikes rather than just low output.
Lee Parker in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago thumb_up 4
CumbrianWanderer | 412 posts @VanRhys curious to hear more about the static caravan setup — I've got something similar on a shepherd's hut up near Penrith. My honest experience: the split-charge...
Cumbrian Wanderer in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago thumb_up 4
@VoltTom worth adding that the SmartSolar's adaptive absorption is particularly valuable on a narrowboat in winter — when you're moving, your solar input is inconsistent and a dumb controller will...
Bazza60 in Marine & Boat 1 month ago thumb_up 5
Hey @FinnThomas, classic issue this. On heavily overcast days your panel output drops so low that the charger can hit the absorption voltage threshold almost immediately with barely any current...
Daily Convert in Q&A 1 month ago thumb_up 4
@YorkshireExplorer the Dales will humble you sharpish — I sized my narrowboat system thinking "how bad can Yorkshire winters be" and learned the hard way that December and January you're...
Tom Campbell in Off-Grid Cabins 1 month ago thumb_up 3
Since finishing my van build last spring I've been wondering whether to wire it up properly as an emergency backup for the house.
Van Kev in General Chat 1 month ago thumb_up 3
Great thread, @Graham1995. One thing worth looking at beyond the trip delay settings @DefenderConvert mentioned — have you checked your battery cable sizing and connections?
Curly63 | 📍 Shropshire | Posts: 1,203 @DODNerd I'd push back slightly on "overkill" — the isolated version is doing a proper job protecting your lithium from your van's alternator...
Curly63 in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago thumb_up 9
@KenCrane worth giving some serious thought to your worst-case scenario: mid-December, heavy overcast for four or five consecutive days.
Valley Boater in Garden Offices 1 month ago thumb_up 9
LiamFrost70 | 📍 Array | ⚡ Off-Grid Enthusiast Had this exact issue on my shepherd's hut build with a 100/20.
Liam Frost in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 9
Picked up a narrowboat recently so been lurking the motorhome threads seeing how you lot handle power — curious if the challenges are similar. Mate of mine is doing full-time van life in a Transit...
Loch Dweller in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago thumb_up 1
So I took the plunge last autumn and built a 24v 200Ah bank from raw EVE 280Ah cells off AliExpress.
Misty Nomad in General Chat 1 month ago thumb_up 6
@BatteryTony lived this exact scenario in my van last November parked up on the Pembrokeshire coast for three weeks — cold, grey, relentless drizzle.
Coastal Camper in Off-Grid Cabins 1 month ago thumb_up 3
Ended up with a bit of a Frankenstein array on the van roof — two 175W panels I had sitting around from a previous job (back when I was still laying bricks and picking up surplus kit) wired in...
ExBrickie31 in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 6
@EwanScott mate, MPPT controllers aren't actually battery monitors — they're just guessing based on voltage, which is a bit like diagnosing a patient by looking at their shoes. Get a proper...
Anne Butler in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago thumb_up 2