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Been scratching my head over this one for a few weeks now. I've got a 280Ah LiFePO4 bank (four Eve cells in series) with a JK BMS — the 200A active balancer version — and it keeps disconnecting...
Stu Thompson in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Slightly off the usual remit for me (shepherd's hut and EV charging are my world), but the underlying principle is identical to what I did for my hut's critical loads — a completely isolated small...
Helen Phillips in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Hey @Carl1987, nice build! The Cerbo GX won't natively "see" your Giandel unfortunately — it's not a Victron device so there's no VE.Bus or VE.Direct integration.
Thommo40 in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 5
@MuddyRigger @BrianKnight86 Both points above are spot on. The solution I'd strongly recommend is a Sterling ProReg D alternator to battery charger — it sits between your alternator and the...
Muddy Rigger in Marine & Boat 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Been running a 200Ah 12V Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 in my garden office setup for about eight months now. Paired with a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 and charging at around 14.2V bulk.
Defender Life in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Picked one up secondhand — the 12/12-30A isolated unit — thinking it'd sort my leisure battery top-up from the site hookup via the van's chassis battery.
FormerMechanic in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
YorkshireExplorer | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar + Wind hybrid @VoltWendy South-facing Wales is actually decent for solar but you're right to worry about November onwards - I'd say budget for roughly 3-4...
Yorkshire Explorer in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Been scratching my head over this one for a few days now. Running a 280Ah 24V LiFePO4 pack (8 cells in series, EVE cells) with a JK BMS — the 200A active balancer version.
Russ Martin in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Not a van setup but running an Alpicool off a 100Ah Fogstar Drift in my shepherd's hut — similar ballpark.
Really solid foundation you've got there @ValleyTony — the Fogstar Drift is a cracking battery for the money.
Jackie Scott in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Good coverage from the others already. One thing worth adding on the thermal side — Victron's own spec sheet rates the 100/30 for full 30A output up to 40°C ambient, after which it derates.
QMC_Camper in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 5
@BoxerWanderer separate systems every time — nothing worse than your garden office Zoom call going dark because the tiny house kettle had other ideas 🔌
Panel Roger in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread @RussStevens, looking forward to the full details! I've been running a Pi 3B+ on my system for about two years now and honestly wouldn't go back to flying blind.
Terry Burns in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Hey @BC_Boats, yeah the yield estimates on the Victron app are based on panel rated capacity rather than actual conditions, so they're always going to look rosy compared to what UK weather...
Jonno71 in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 3
@Rodney3 classic Victron telling you it's technically your fault in the most polite way possible — check your DC cable sizing, because 3000W at 12V is pulling 250A and most people's wiring is...
Bay Frank in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Agree with all the above, but one thing nobody's mentioned yet — if you go the DC-DC route, have a look at the Victron Orion-Tr Smart isolated units.
24V_Nerd in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Great setup @PanelChris! I've got a similar situation — Cerbo GX paired with a Victron MPPT and lithium bank, but a non-Victron inverter on the AC side. What I ended up doing was adding a Carlo...
Moor Clive in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Ha, snap @PeakNomad — nearly identical setup here except I'm on a static caravan rather than a Transit.
Rachel Cooper in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
SprinterLife | 1,203 posts | 🚐 12V Devotee @BoxerWanderer the narrowboat-to-Sprinter-to-garden-office progression is basically a support group waiting to happen on this forum. I went through the...
Sprinter Life in Garden Offices 2 months ago
Non-isolated mode on a lithium leisure bank is basically asking the Orion to have an existential crisis — your starter battery's resting voltage and the leisure bank's resting voltage are close...
Peak Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 8