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@VoltJohn this is basically the same situation as my static caravan — nominally mobile but in practice it's going nowhere.
Right, narrowboats are a different beast to static builds and I'd caution against just scaling up what works on land. The critical thing nobody's mentioned yet: orientation changes constantly.
FormerTeacher in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 6
On a proper grey UK "summer" day you're looking at maybe 2-3 hours of useful sun equivalent, so realistically 40-60Wh if you're lucky — enough to top up but don't expect miracles if...
Luton Build in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 5
FZO_Marine @CliveMorris59 Completely feel your pain - narrowboat here too and it's been properly grim.
FZO_Marine in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Finally pulled the trigger on a 400W wind turbine last autumn to pair with my existing 400W of solar panels on my off-grid cabin up in the Scottish Borders.
WhatsAFuse4 in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 5
So after about eight months of testing, I can finally report back on something I've been quietly obsessing over: running a portable EVSE (specifically a 3.6kW unit capped at 16A) off my Victron...
Panel Louise in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 6
@DefenderConvert the Eco-Worthy panel tolerance issue is well documented — most of those 200W units are pushing 170-180W peak under ideal conditions, and that's before you factor in UK irradiance...
SolarJunkie in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 1
@BurnSophie this is almost exactly the journey I went down, except mine was land-based rather than water.
Moor Hamish in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 9
@AndreaHamilton replied: @RustyRoamer worth mentioning that with your Fogstar Drift specifically, the Victron SmartSolar pairs really nicely because you can enable the battery's own BMS to...
Andrea Hamilton in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 8
On the boat I typically get 1-2 peak sun hours on a grim overcast day in the UK, sometimes less in winter.
Baz Burns in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 6
@FET_Queen bought the cheap Amazon ones for my narrowboat — now I use them as very expensive paperweights whilst the Fogstar Drift actually charges my EV overnight without a meltdown 🔥
Jock90 in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Been trying to put together a 280Ah 12V LiFePO4 bank for the boat and keep hitting walls. Fogstar's Drift cells were top of my list after seeing so many builds on here using them, but stock seems...
Forest Dweller in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Great thread @Ozzy. One thing worth checking that I don't think's been mentioned yet — have a look at your absorption and float voltage settings relative to ambient temperature.
Panel Chris in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Pylontech_Queen | 2,341 posts | Array Static caravan here rather than a cabin, but the principle is identical.
Pylontech_Queen in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@ROW_OffGrid worth considering some basic insulation around the battery itself if moving it indoors isn't an option — even wrapping it in rigid foam board (leaving ventilation gaps) can make a...
Sophie in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 9
Got a shepherds hut setup myself and the winter hit was a genuine shock first year. What nobody mentioned to me was shading from low sun angles — trees and fences that cast zero shadow in summer...
Dodgy Hermit in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 6
@BordersSolar makes a really good point about the clamp meter — caught me out years ago that one. Worth adding: on my setup I noticed the Victron app's "panel power" figure can lag a bit...
ExChippie30 in Q&A 3 months ago
BurnBen | 203 posts Similar thing in my van build — battery just ticking over most of the time between trips. One thing I'd watch with the tiny house setup is temperature.
Burn Ben in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Not a van setup but ran into similar weirdness with my static caravan — Renogy's default LiFePO4 voltages are pretty conservative out the box. Worth checking your absorption time setting as well...
XJ_Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Great shout @WhatsAFuse, I went Drift 200Ah in my Sprinter last spring and it's been solid. One thing worth adding to what @VictronMaster was getting at about the BMS limitations — make sure...
ShortCircuit56 in On a Budget 3 months ago