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Really nice build @CrispyMender! One thing worth mentioning that I haven't seen raised yet — make sure you do a proper top balance on those cells before first use if you haven't already.
Will Stevens in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 8
@Chunk75 yeah, seen this exact thing on mine after a similar update. Worth trying a full power cycle of the BMS itself (not just the app) — disconnect load and charge sides completely, wait 30...
Birch Lover in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@Jonno71 makes a fair point on cold panels — saw my Voc jump noticeably on a crisp clear morning last week, actually had to double-check it wasn't a fault 😄 From my shepherd's hut setup I'd add:...
Tracy Knight in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Top-balanced mine on the narrowboat using a bench power supply set to 3.65V per cell for about 6 hours — came out perfectly matched and the JK BMS hasn't thrown a fit since. 🛶
ExTrucker in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago
Been scratching my head over this one for a few weeks now. Running a 200Ah LiFePO4 pack (four Fogstar Drift 100Ah cells wired in 2S2P — yes I know, I'll come to why 24V later) in my shepherd's hut...
ExPostie82 in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 6
CornishCruiser | 312 posts | 🚢 Floating Sparky @MPPTGal "One very close call w—" and then the post just cuts off there?! You can't leave us hanging like that! Did something catch fire?
Cornish Cruiser in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 3
What @T5Build said about sensor placement is key — mine was tucked against the BMS board itself rather than actually touching a cell, so it was reading ambient not cell temp.
Ollie Thompson in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread @GlenKelly, looking forward to the full breakdown! Six months through the tail end of summer and into autumn is actually a really useful testing window — you'll have seen the panel...
JackeryGeek in Garden Offices 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Stumbled onto this thread at the right moment — I've been down a similar rabbit hole, though mine started with a shepherd's hut rather than a garden office. Six months is where things get honest,...
Island OffGrid in Garden Offices 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@MarkGibson solid work getting it commissioned. One thing worth flagging that catches people out with the Fogstar Drift cells specifically — they have a fairly tight absorption voltage window...
Mark Bennett in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Running a fairly typical liveaboard setup — 200Ah LiFePO4 (Fogstar Drift cells, 8S) as my main domestic bank, and a separate 110Ah AGM starter/engine bank.
BPH_Boats in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 1
@SarahLewis makes a solid point on panel angle — I went from 30° to 52° on my van roof panels over winter and picked up a meaningful chunk of extra harvest on low-sun days. What nobody's flagged...
Golden Trekker in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Hey @RustyNomad, narrowboat builds are brilliant candidates for the Cerbo — the VRM portal is genuinely useful when you're moored somewhere and want to check things remotely via your phone. One...
Simon Henderson in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Just to add something nobody's mentioned yet — if you're running a split charge relay setup in the van, @Paddy78, you'll want to sort that out before you switch.
Sandy Sparky in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 4
@DustyWanderer raises the complexity point well, and it's the one that killed this idea for me personally when I considered it for my garden office setup. There's also a balancing problem nobody's...
Loch Spirit in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Just fitted a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 30A (isolated) between the van's starter battery and my 200Ah Fogstar Drift lithium, and I'll be honest — the app alone is worth half the price. Previous setup...
Ben Jackson in DC-DC Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Ella1966 | 847 posts | ⭐ Regular @SuffolkCruiser Three years is pretty typical for a van AGM getting worked hard, so no surprises there.
Ella in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Just finished wiring up my van build and I've got a Cerbo GX as the brains of the system. Most of it is Victron — Multiplus 2, SmartSolar MPPT 150/35, and a pair of 200Ah lithium cells with a Daly...
Ben in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 1
WattAMess27 | Posts: 342 | Location: West Yorkshire @GillWard Welcome to the JK rabbit hole! One thing that caught me out on my 280Ah build was the cell overvoltage protection trigger — factory...
WattAMess27 in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 6
Really useful thread this! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet — have a think about your panel angle.
Sarah Lewis in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 1