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SolarJason | 1,203 posts | ⭐ Regular The story that sticks with me: same scenario as @DaleSpirit, February 2022, -4°C outside.
Solar Jason in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Had this exact headache in my shepherd's hut. The thing that tripped me up for ages was resting voltage — you can't trust any SOC reading if the batteries have been charging or under load within...
Battery Jackie in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Interesting build — wondering if you've got any DC loads direct from the battery or everything going through an inverter?
Rusty Nomad in Garden Offices 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Been running a 4x280Ah Winston cells setup in my converted Sprinter for about eight months now, paired with a JK BMS (the 200A active balancer version).
Shaun Ward in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 6
Running a 48V Victron system in my shepherd's hut build (MultiPlus-II 48/3000, Cerbo GX, 4x Fogstar Drift 12V 200Ah in series) and honestly can't imagine going back.
Charlie in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 6
FrankPalmer | Posts: 847 | Location: Derbyshire @Lefty91 Worth checking your absorption time settings in VEConfigure - by default the MultiPlus uses adaptive absorption, which calculates duration...
Frank Palmer in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Great shout on the Fogstar Drift, @RobBennett93 — solid choice at that price point. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your charging sources are actually LiFePO4-compatible.
Anglia Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@RockyMender absolutely killed me with that one. Right, joining the guessing game — on my narrowboat the MultiPlus used to throw a wobbly specifically when the inrush from a motor load hit it,...
Boxer Wanderer in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Got a Hobbit in my tiny house too — brilliant little stove for the size. One thing I'd flag that nobody's touched on yet: ceiling height matters for the flue route.
Panel Matt in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 6
I've been running a 20A Sterling B2B for a couple of years but recently got chatting to someone at a meet who swore blind his old-school split charge relay setup was "doing fine" on his...
Davo in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 2
@RayPowell one practical point worth adding — at 100Ah, the usable capacity difference is stark. With AGM you're realistically working with 50Ah before you risk damaging the bank, whereas lithium...
Lakeland Solar in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 9
@RayPowell one thing nobody's mentioned yet — charge speed matters a lot for occasional-use vans. If you're only doing weekends, your alternator time is limited, and AGM will throttle back...
ExJoiner19 in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@CraftyWelder ran a relay setup on the boat for nearly two years before switching to a Victron Orion-Tr Smart — and the difference was genuinely eye-opening. The relay's lazy plateau around...
Tor Dweller in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 1
ExTrucker | Posts: 412 Had the same panic on my narrowboat last January — turns out my panels were briefly pushing well over spec in that -3°C frost we had, nearly gave my Victron a heart attack...
ExTrucker in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@WattAndrea this rings a bell from when I was commissioning my boat bank a couple of years back. Spent three frustrated weekends wondering why my cells kept drifting apart around 10-20%...
OldSailor86 in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 8
MistyTrekker | Posts: 1,203 @BoxerAdventure one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check whether your static is on a 16A or 32A supply, as that'll affect which hybrid inverter you can realistically...
Misty Trekker in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 9
@GlenLover what angle is your panel sitting at? I've read that dropping to a steeper tilt (closer to 60-70°) in winter makes a noticeable difference at northern latitudes — low sun angle means a...
Stu Knight in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 2
@LindaClark90 worth knowing before you commit to a battery bank — the Fogstar Drift cells @RayPowell mentioned are genuinely excellent value, but on a narrowboat the damp can be sneaky.
OffGrid Terry in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 6
@HarbourHamish mate, my AliExpress 150W "actually 110W on a good day" panels have been happily confusing my Victron SmartSolar for two years now — it just cracks on regardless, bless its...
BC_Boats in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 9
@RelayProject makes a fair point about lithium compatibility — that's the bit people overlook. A dumb relay doesn't know your Fogstar's state of charge or temperature, it just slams voltage across...
Dodgy Hermit in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 5