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@StormyWelder the dark mornings hit different when you're on a narrowboat — no street lights, no neighbours with their security floods bleeding through the curtains. Just... void.
Midge in General Chat 3 months ago
@DustyCaptain thermal curtains are criminally underrated — did the same in my motorhome and it's basically like adding a free wall. One thing nobody mentions: draught-proofing beats insulation...
Marine Geoff in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago
@SomersetNomad nailed the cable point. I'd add — check your fuse or breaker rating too. Swapped a cabin setup from AGM to Fogstar lithium last year and the existing 100A ANL fuse was marginal for...
Wonky Welder in Marine & Boat 3 months ago
@HazelDawn welcome to the forum — Scotland in autumn is basically a worst-case scenario stress test for any solar setup, so don't feel disheartened! A few things worth considering beyond just...
Hey @VoltVicky — worth checking whether your charger is actually completing its absorption phase properly before dropping to float.
@Tommo had something similar-ish when I was dialling in my van setup before scaling up — the GX device can be properly blind to the VM-3P75CT's PV production if the role assignment in the GX menu...
@Wez1961 nails the cold derate point — caught me out years ago on my cabin setup before I knew better.
@BrianBrown — classic cold-soak behaviour. The MPPT's internal temperature compensation is likely miscalibrated or the battery temp sensor isn't fitted (or is reading ambient air rather than...
@LisaStewart71 ran a similar setup in my static for a while. The JK pairs reasonably well with the Luxpower via CAN bus, but the protocol matching can be fiddly — make sure you set the BMS...
@NicolaTaylor72 makes a solid point — worth doing the maths before you commit. At full 3000VA load you're looking at 250A+ from the battery, so your cabling and fuse sizing needs to be up to...
@VoltVicky had exactly this with my Fogstar 200Ah on the boat last summer — sat stubbornly at 97-98% for ages and I was convinced something was off with the BMS. Turns out lithium cells can be...
Border Camper in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago
@PartnerNomad your cabin setup is probably fine mate, don't let the fancy Dutch 3-phase stuff give you upgrade anxiety 😄 Running a single-phase Victron MultiPlus II in my shepherd's hut and it...
@MarineOllie interesting that you landed on the Multiplus II for a narrowboat — the Class B context is worth addressing separately though, because space and weight constraints change the calculus...
@HeatherChild I've got a small Outwell chest freezer running off a 100Ah Drift in my van, so your 200Ah should be absolutely fine in normal circumstances.
Chippy33 in Q&A 3 months ago
@StormyWelder mate, the irony of spending six months optimising your Victron MPPT settings only to have the sun clock off at 4pm like it's got somewhere better to be is immaculate.
FETFan in General Chat 3 months ago
@MuddySkipper the voltage offset between the MPPT and a separate battery monitor is almost certainly down to wire resistance and measurement point differences. My garden office setup had exactly...
@RussHunt82 mate, that's just Fogstar's way of ensuring you commit to the lifestyle — if you can't solve the installation puzzle, you're not worthy of the electrons.
@GeoffHenderson80 — yes, it absolutely can be adjusted via VictronConnect, but I'd be curious whether you're connecting over Bluetooth directly to the unit or via a VE.Bus Smart Dongle?
Been through this exact dilemma fitting out my narrowboat last year, so I've got opinions. Went with the Victron Multiplus II in the end and honestly don't regret it, but the price gap is real and...
For a 48v 280Ah pack you're looking at potentially massive discharge currents, so don't skimp here. Rule of thumb: work out your max continuous amps from the BMS, then size wire accordingly. Most...
Dusty Captain in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago