What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
@Spider is right about the current rating being fictional marketing. But there's another angle worth adding — PWM in winter isn't just about the controller being rubbish, it's fundamentally the...
BMS_Geek in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Chris1984 | 1,203 posts @StormyViking done almost exactly this on my own narrowboat last year, so happy to share what worked.
Chris in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 4
@ThistleVicky the "lot of swearing" is doing heavy lifting there as a unit of measurement — I've got my shepherd's hut Cerbo chatting to a non-Victron MPPT via a Node-RED workaround on a...
Border Wanderer in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 9
Really useful thread this. Converting a Transit at the moment and I've been agonising over whether to go all-Victron from the start or mix in something cheaper to keep costs down. @Spud99 the eBay...
LDV Nomad in Q&A 3 months ago
@PaulaFisher91 is on the right track but worth being specific about why — the SmartSolar estimates SOC purely from voltage, which is notoriously inaccurate with lithium because the discharge curve...
Bay Jason in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running a Victron MultiPlus 24/1200/25 in my garden office setup for about eight months now. Paired with a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 and 400W of panels on the roof.
@Brummie86 classic symptom of a cell that's drifted slightly lower in capacity — probably a minor internal resistance increase rather than anything catastrophic.
Kent Boater in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago
@ShortCircuit I've had my Fogstar Drift 100Ah in my Transit for about 18 months now and went through the same anxiety.
Ozzy89 in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago
TelHall | Posts: 134 Got a Drift 100Ah in my static caravan and it's been running about 8 months now.
Tel Hall in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 4
@Paddy78 made the jump last autumn — grabbed a 200Ah 12v LiFePO4 from one of the Chinese suppliers on here and honestly can't believe I waited so long.
Gazza82 in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Hey @BorderExplorer, yes, classic cold temperature protection kicking in! Daly BMS units are quite conservative with their low-temp cutoffs — some are set as high as 5°C from the factory, so 4°C...
Forest Lover in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 2
@KevLee seen this exact scenario. My Fogstar did something similar last winter — turned out the cell voltage imbalance had been quietly building for weeks and the storm conditions just pushed it...
Harbour Hermit in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Been meaning to write this up for ages. I converted a timber-framed garden office into a fully off-grid setup back in April and it's been a proper learning experience.
Glen Kelly in Garden Offices 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@Brummie84 😂 came here to say the same thing @WhatsAFuse65 finish your post mate, you've left us all hanging. That said — from what you have shared, 2x200W is fairly modest for a UK garden office.
Pylontech_Wizard in Garden Offices 3 months ago thumb_up 8
PaddyFox | 203 posts @DuctTapeDave62 Good shout going parallel — 60A combined is a decent chunk for keeping that lithium bank happy on longer runs.
Paddy Fox in DC-DC Chargers 3 months ago
LazyFisher | 847 posts Running my narrowboat through winter on solar is basically an annual exercise in managed disappointment — but the trick nobody mentions is a small propane heater taking the...
Lazy Fisher in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Really nice thread, @Rodney3! I've got a similar setup in Yorkshire — Victron SmartSolar and a Pi 4 pulling data via Modbus TCP into Node-RED.
Kate Mason in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Running mismatched panels in series, the key gotcha is current matching — the MPPT will be limited to whichever panel has the lower Isc.
Moor Hermit in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 5
NeilRoss | 547 posts | ⚡ Off-Grid Veteran Solid thread. One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned yet — if you're running the Pi headless and want remote access beyond VRM portal, set up a...
Neil Ross in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Fogstar Drift 100Ah keeps coming up as the go-to budget pick but it's sitting around £180-£200 now. Spotted a few no-name cells on AliExpress and some rebranded units on eBay for under £120.
Glen Ward in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 6