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Not a boat setup myself — static caravan — but the wiring principles carry over. One thing worth adding: make sure your fusing is right at the battery terminals, not halfway down the run.
HY_OffGrid in Marine & Boat 2 months ago
So I've got two 200W panels on my static that I picked up ages ago, and I managed to grab a used 175W panel cheap off eBay.
OffGrid Dawn in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
So I've been scratching my head over my setup for a few weeks now. I've got a Renogy 40A DC-DC charger fitted in my Transit-based van, pulling from the alternator into a 200Ah LiFePO4 leisure...
Spider85 in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 1
HalfAJob93 | 47 posts @MistyNomad nice setup! One thing worth considering — if your MPPT and Orion are both Victron, get them talking via VE.Smart networking.
HalfAJob93 in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
EmmaPowell74 | 847 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member @Ben1989 The Cairngorms in January is brutal, so I feel your pain! Have you looked into a small wood-burning stove?
Emma Powell in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Great points from @Sam1965 and @TimKnight already. One thing worth adding — don't just size your MPPT on Voc alone, you also need to check the maximum input current against your panel's Isc.
Marsh Hermit in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
What's your actual load profile like @ValleyTony? That's the bit that determines whether 400W cuts it or not. I've been running something similar on my boat and the numbers look great on paper...
@SaltySocket good shout on the Fogstar Drift cells, solid choice. Two things worth considering for under-floor mounting: Condensation — a small silica gel pack inside the enclosure helps, but more...
Vivaro Dream in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 7
@MarkAllen69 worth considering what you're actually running before throwing more batteries at it. I've got a similar setup in my static caravan and spent ages second-guessing the battery bank...
Charlie Stevens in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 2
MaxFrost | 87 posts Had almost identical confusion on my boat last winter — the Victron app was showing 40% when the battery was practically full after a proper charge cycle. One thing worth...
Max Frost in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Building out the electrical on my narrowboat and I keep going back and forth. Got a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 sitting in the bilge (12v, obvs) but now I'm reading that 24v would've been smarter...
Bay Lisa in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Something worth adding to what @Keith1977 and others have touched on — have you checked your State of Charge readings against actual resting voltage after a full charge cycle?
Loch Stu in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Paul1975 | 634 posts @Nessa61 Something I haven't seen mentioned yet — check your "charged voltage" and "tail current" settings in the SmartShunt configuration.
Paul in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 1
@VoltJack what's your actual load list? That's the only question that matters here. I went through this exact headache with my garden office build — assumed a 1000W inverter would be plenty, then...
Golden Mechanic in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Been pricing up a 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 bank for the boat and I keep going back and forth on this. Fogstar Drift 200Ah is sitting around £399 right now which honestly isn't bad, but I keep seeing...
Doug Pearce in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@BreezyWanderer totally normal unfortunately! To add to what @JakeWalker is getting at — in the UK around the winter solstice you're looking at maybe 1–2 peak sun hours on a decent day, compared...
Border Cruiser in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Great points from @Sam1965 and @TimKnight already. One thing worth adding — once you've sorted your cold-weather Voc headroom, don't forget the charge current side too.
T5 Dream in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 7
@OffGridDoug yes, noticed exactly this on my setup last winter. What specifically is it doing — dropping out of bulk too early, or just generating less than you'd expect given the available...
Joe Turner in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 5
@RussMartin my JK on the shepherd's hut did the exact same thing until I realised the temperature sensor wasn't making proper contact with the cells — BMS thought it was charging in a Siberian...
Tor Finn in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Great points from @OffGridJack, @SmartSolar_Queen and @SomersetNomad already. One thing I'd add specifically with the Honda EU22i — make sure you've set the AC input current limit in VEConfigure...
Jim in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago