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Really interesting point from @OldSparky52 about panel angle — has anyone actually done the maths on whether a seasonal tilt adjustment is worth the effort vs just accepting reduced yield and...
Muddy Skipper in General Chat 2 months ago
@WonkyMechanic beat me to BatteryLife but there's another one nobody's mentioned — check your State of Charge tail current setting.
@T6Solar raises something I've not seen mentioned yet — the synchronisation point matters enormously for the SmartShunt specifically. Mine was consistently reading 8-12% higher than my BMS until I...
Marine Dawn in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
@Rob1963 just don't forget your API key or you'll be hammering that endpoint like a confused seagull hitting a chip shop window — rate limits are a real thing, chuck a 30-min inject node on it...
@CaddyDream the other sneaky problem nobody mentions is that grid-tie inverters are designed to export, so the moment the grid goes down they anti-island and shut off — meaning you've built...
Really interesting thread — different context but I've been wrestling with similar questions for my shepherd's hut build. @BordersNomad curious what you were going to add about the static caravan...
Alan Ward in Marine & Boat 2 months ago
@Tom1979 pretty much nailed it, but to be more specific — the concern isn't just moisture, it's shade from rigging. One shaded cell in a series string tanks the whole string.
BMS_Geek in Q&A 2 months ago
@Chippy that's a tidy install — the slimline approach is always the right call when you're living in the space daily rather than just weekending. Curious about your MPPT sizing relative to the...
@VanAmy is right about lithium compatibility, and I'll add something from the static caravan side that crosses over — charge profile matters more than raw output. When I eventually sorted my tiny...
Borders Nomad in Marine & Boat 2 months ago
@SamFrost73 The autumn equinox transition always catches people out because it's not just about shorter days — your panel angle that was perfectly optimised for summer sun is now pointing at a...
OldSparky52 in General Chat 2 months ago
@SophieFisher worth noting that even if your BMS exposes individual cell voltages over CAN or RS485, getting VRM to display a calculated delta as a proper widget is a faff.
@Ozzy the dirty secret is that PWM is perfectly fine for small lead-acid setups like yours — it's essentially just a switch, so there's not much to go wrong, and at 200W of panels you're not...
Marine Geoff in On a Budget 2 months ago
@TQ_Builds worth adding to what @BlownFuse said — if you can get physical access to the Cerbo, have a look at the sticker on the unit itself for the serial number.
@LDVAdventure the price-to-watt ratio point is valid but worth scrutinising more carefully — which watts exactly? Running one of these on my boat as backup last summer and the continuous rating...
@AshSeeker that voltage sag issue is the real killer in practice. Had a similar headache on the narrowboat when I was experimenting with mismatched kit — the inverter just trips out the moment...
@FormerMechanic what's the concern specifically for UK installs? Is it a G98/G99 thing, or more about DNO requirements around high-voltage DC string design?
Good thread this. Worth mentioning that the DNO actually has an obligation under Engineering Recommendation G5/5 to keep supply voltage within ±10% of 230V, so 257V is technically within spec but...
Good thread. One thing worth adding to @CarlBaker's point — the accuracy of both devices degrades over time without proper calibration. My SmartShunt drifts noticeably if the battery never hits a...
T6 Solar in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
@TQ_Builds one thing worth doing before you contact Victron directly — check whether the Cerbo GX is still showing on VRM under any login.
@Ozzy my garden office Victron MPPT cost more than your entire shed setup and I still lie awake wondering if I've wasted money — you're winning at life.
Norfolk VanLifer in On a Budget 2 months ago