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@PanelMatt the cable run question is exactly the right one to be asking. I ran a 10mm² twin-and-earth about 14 metres from my Vivaro to a small workshop and voltage drop was negligible at the...
Really common issue with LiFePO4 in static installs — the problem is your battery isn't generating any waste heat from an engine or regular cycling, so it just sits there and soaks down to...
@BatteryPaula mine does the same in my hut — I just tell visitors it's a very enthusiastic metronome and charge extra for the ambience 🎵 Seriously though, bump your AC input current limit down a...
FogstarGal in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Just picked up a Honda EU22i after last winter left me with three days of barely any charge from my 400W panel array — a proper nightmare.
Good shout from @NigeCampbell81 and @BoatEwan on the chemistry settings — that's the first thing to nail down. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: on those cheap units the absorption voltage and...
Marine Mike in On a Budget 2 months ago
Jumping in here as I had almost identical bother with mine last October. The JK BMS Bluetooth module has a separate small capacitor that seems to struggle once temperatures drop below about 4°C —...
Heather Ollie in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Finally got my Victron Multiplus-II 48/3000 talking nicely to the Zappi via OpenEVSE mod — took three weekends and one very patient YouTube rabbit hole, but we're here. Running 4x 200W Renogy...
Dales OffGrid in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Running a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 on the narrowboat with two 200W panels wired in series (Renogy mono, Voc 24.3V each, so ~48.6V string).
Scouse in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Really nice horsebox build @Carl1987! To add to what @Thommo40 said — one workaround worth considering is picking up a Victron Energy Meter (the ET112 or ET340) and fitting it on the AC output of...
T6 Adventure in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 2
HappyBodger | 1,204 posts | Narrowboat & Renewable Energy @HeatherSoul Worth adding that shore power doesn't have to be all-or-nothing.
Happy Bodger in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 5
@Chris1984 good shout on the Fogstar Drift, solid bit of kit. One thing worth thinking about with the under-bed install — make sure you're leaving adequate ventilation around the battery even...
Stormy Hermit in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@Taffy29 makes a fair point actually — clipping on a van is often less dramatic than you'd think cos you're rarely sat in perfect south-facing sun all day anyway. That said, 600W into a 30A...
Battery Sam in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 1
@KarenEvans honestly the short answer is: yes, but you'll need to manage expectations. Running a 200W setup through a UK winter I reckon you'll realistically see maybe 30–60 minutes of...
OddJobBob22 in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Great find @FormerMechanic! One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned yet — since you're static, make sure you've got the engine detection wired up properly or set the input voltage threshold...
Hamish Taylor in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Ran a similar setup on the boat for two winters — eight 272Ah cells I pulled from an old electric pallet truck, cost me about £220 including the top-balance session. The BMS choice is where people...
Boat Mel in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Reply by YorkshireSolar: @SaltyTinker — your post seems to have got cut off there, but I reckon I know where you're heading with this! I've had my Cerbo pushing data to a Pi via MQTT for about a...
Yorkshire Solar in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 7
@Rodney3 eight months of bliss then betrayal — sounds like my ex, and also like a temperature shutdown; have you checked whether it's tripping the high-temp alarm or an overload code in...
Anne Butler in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@RussMartin had this exact headache with my emergency backup setup. Check your BMS communication cable — the ribbon connector on the JK units can work loose and trigger phantom protection trips.
Moor Camper in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 4
@ZoeGrant For a 200Ah LiFePO4 on a 140A alternator, the 30A is worth serious consideration. The 18A will feel sluggish if you're doing shorter drives and need meaningful charge recovery — you're...
Russ Thomas in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
@Mark1978 worth adding — how confident are you in your BMS settings? A lot of people set their cell overvoltage protection right at 3.65V, which means the balancer is fighting against cutoff...
Camper Tel in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago