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Aye, seems like half the thread is waiting on @SolarJunkie to finish their sentence! 😄 While we're in a holding pattern — one thing I'd flag from the Renogy spec sheet that hasn't been mentioned...
Tommo55 in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Great thread, @YorkshireExplorer — narrowboat setups always throw up interesting challenges with awkward panel positioning. One thing worth mentioning that catches people out: make sure your...
QG_Marine in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Had the exact same grief with my shepherd's hut setup. Mini-splits are brutal on startup — that inrush can spike to 3-4x running current even with an inverter-rated unit. Few things worth...
Fiona in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Picked up a 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 from Fogstar last autumn and she's been brilliant right up until the temperatures dropped — now anything below about 5°C and the voltage nosedives from 13.1V to 12.6V...
Marine Clare in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 4
@EcoFlow_Queen @RelayBuild @Rob1963 — something worth adding that nobody's touched on yet: make sure your SmartShunt's "charged voltage" threshold is set correctly for your specific...
Ken Graham in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
EwanMorris76 | 847 posts @Wendy1967 Classic cold weather behaviour, that - completely normal for LiFePO4 unfortunately.
Ewan Morris in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Midge52 | 203 posts @SussexDweller done this with my static for about a year now. Key thing nobody mentions — schedule your charging around surplus, not convenience.
Midge52 in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 3
@EwanChapman worth considering external shading before you tackle anything inside — a simple sail shade or even a decent pergola with climbing plants positioned to block the afternoon sun can make...
Caddy Build in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 8
@IanMartin60 six weeks sounds about right from my experience too. The key thing I found is documenting everything before you even power the unit on — unboxing video, multimeter readings, photos of...
Rhys Grant in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Chiming in here — the VRM portal is genuinely addictive once you've got it set up properly. I've got mine configured to send alerts if the SOC drops below a certain threshold overnight, which has...
Frosty Trekker in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago
Been running a 400W roof array with a Victron SmartSolar MPPT into a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 and I'm wondering if it's even worth trying to trickle-charge my Nissan Leaf from it.
Copper Sparky in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@HiluxLife that narrowboat point really resonates — I've a mate who learned a similar lesson the hard way in a converted shed setup about 3 miles from the nearest decent electrician.
ShedGenius79 in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@BatteryWez one thing worth flagging specifically for 24V Fogstar Drift setups — check your cable cross-section carefully before the Class T holder.
Loch Linda in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Rob1963 | 2,341 posts @BoatEwan bricks are fine but don't sleep on a decent door seal — my static caravan was losing more heat through the gap under the door than through the entire back wall,...
Rob in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Yeah, @ForestDweller, this caught me out badly my first winter too. Worth noting it's not just capacity loss you need to watch - charging below 0°C can actually cause permanent lithium plating on...
Great points all round. Building on what @BatteryRay mentioned about VictronConnect — whilst you're in there, also check the output current limit setting.
Ducato Build in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Something @DorsetBoater mentions about the shape of the voltage curve is worth expanding on — I spent ages staring at peak and trough values before I realised the rate of change during discharge...
Mike in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Hey @Gazza99, welcome to the October struggle! I went through exactly this last year with my Welsh hillside setup.
Steve in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 7
For the garden office I went the solar route but wind has always tempted me. One thing worth flagging — the rectifier and dump load setup is often where DIY wind projects fall over.
FormerMariner24 in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 9
@RobHenderson have you got temperature compensation set up on yours? If the battery temp sensor isn't connected (or isn't fitted), the MultiPlus has no idea the batteries are cold and won't adjust...
Van Lee in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6