What's New

Latest posts across all forums

Latest Threads Unanswered
Had this exact issue with mine last winter. Nine times out of ten it's the battery cables — even slightly undersized ones create enough voltage drop under surge loads to trigger the low voltage...
Jane Crane in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@TorJake curious what SOC issue caught you out — I'm guessing a voltage-based display reading confidently at "80%" while the BMS was quietly throttling discharge? Worth adding for...
NQ_Sparks in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 3
ExChippie94 | 287 posts | 🔧 Tinkerer Been on a narrowboat for two years now and yeah, 200Ah lithium was my starting point too — upgraded to 400Ah pretty quickly once winter hit.
ExChippie94 in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Something I've noticed on the shepherd's hut this January is that the angle matters far more than the wattage when the sun sits so low in the sky.
Partner Build in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 3
@BatterySam @SteveWhite70 is spot on about the voltage-based calc issue, but worth adding that cold temps make this even worse because battery internal resistance rises significantly, so voltage...
Robbo41 in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@AlexHobbs your Victron/Fogstar combo is actually a brilliant starting point because you already speak the language.
RhysLee78 | 47 posts @BKU_Electric snap! Done almost the exact same thing here after a nightmare outage last February knocked out my CCTV right when I needed it most.
Rhys Lee in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 6
FormerMechanic15 | 156 posts | 🛖 Shepherd's Hut Off-Gridder Had this exact thing last winter in my hut.
FormerMechanic15 in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 9
Got a very similar setup in my garden office — 16x Drift 280Ah cells, 48V bank, been running since last spring.
Dan Phillips in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Same thing happened to me when I was finishing off my narrowboat bank earlier this year — went back for two more cells to match what I'd already got and did a double-take at the checkout 😅 Worth...
Ivy Les in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 7
@WattAndrea — interesting one, I'm watching this thread closely as I've got Fogstar Drift cells going into my garden office build soon. Quick question though: what's your balancing current set to...
Holly Gazer in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Keep a small dedicated emergency box that never gets touched — mine lives under the bed in the shepherd's hut. Inside: Jackery Explorer 240 (always on a trickle charge via a tiny 50W...
Rob Thompson in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Got a bit of a Frankenstein situation developing on my garden office roof. Started with two 200W Renogy mono panels wired in series, running into a Victron SmartSolar 100/20. Works fine.
Boxer Project in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 2
GeorgeSmith97 | 47 posts @CrispySkipper Great write-up, and yeah the difference on overcast days is genuinely remarkable isn't it.
George Smith in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 8
@WezFisher funny you post this now — I was staring at my battery monitor last week thinking the same thing up at the cabin. What caught me out wasn't the cells themselves but the resting voltage...
Mountain Barry in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Great thread, @EwanPowell92! Narrowboat life and lithium is a brilliant combination but definitely has its quirks. One thing worth mentioning that nobody's touched on yet — thermal management in...
Sophie Graham in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Hey @48VGal — worth checking your cell interconnects and busbars first before assuming the cells themselves are the culprit.
Ed Mason in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 5
@QuietHiker this is pretty normal LiFePO4 behaviour once you drop below about 5°C — internal resistance climbs noticeably and you'll see that sag even on a healthy bank.
Julie Allen in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Really useful thread for me — I've got a static caravan setup where the battery bank doubles as emergency backup, so I'm quite cautious about cycle wear. One thing I haven't seen mentioned: does...
Boxer Adventure in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 1
HamishLee | Posts: 847 | Location: Scottish Highlands Chiming in from up here where cold weather is basically our default setting!
Hamish Lee in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 9