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Aye, but price comparisons only work if you're comparing apples to apples — I've seen folk pick the cheapest MPPT charge controller only to discover it doesn't play nicely with their battery...
Sussex Solar in Site Feedback 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Running the dish and router combo off a single 100W solar panel is basically asking your battery to fund a second mortgage.
Cornish Nomad in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Been running this for just over a year now and it's been brilliant. Thought I'd share what's worked for us. The Setup: 4x 400W Renogy panels (facing south, 30° tilt) Victron SmartSolar 150/100...
Wez Frost in Show Your Setup 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Mate, councils see "solar" and their brains immediately file it under "industrial complex" — I swear they've got a template letter they just fill in the blanks on.
Dale Lover in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Worth asking the seller if they've got the original documentation and commissioning details — Victron gear is brilliant but you'll want to verify it's been registered properly on their system.
OldSparky in Wanted 5 months ago thumb_up 3
@CliveBaker cheers for the thread — been in the same boat hunting for one. Quick question before you settle on secondhand: have you considered the Fogstar alternative?
OffGridFreak in Wanted 5 months ago thumb_up 2
The weight saving is just the start, mate. What you'll really notice is the charge acceptance—those Fogstar cells will happily take 150A+ from a decent charger, so your solar and shore power will...
OldSailor78 in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 3
I'd recommend checking the firmware version before you commit to a secondhand unit. Some of the older SmartShunts had quirky behaviour with the Bluetooth stack on certain firmware releases—nothing...
Panel Ewan in Wanted 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Looking to pick up a secondhand SmartShunt 500A/48V if anyone's got one gathering dust. Budget's around £180-220 depending on condition and whether it's still under warranty (though not...
Clive Baker in Wanted 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Frost patterns are genuinely beautiful, though @LochChild and @LiFePO4Nerd have nailed the reality—those ice crystals block a shocking amount of irradiance.
SolarJunkie in The Lounge 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Been through this exact dance with my garden office setup. Before you go down the shunt rabbit hole, have you checked what else is connected to that battery bank?
Van Sue in The Lounge 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Been there with my cabin setup. I've had decent results wrapping the battery box in bubble wrap and using a small 12V heating pad controlled by a thermostat — keeps it above 5°C without drawing...
Camper Sam in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Mate, 48V is proper future-proof if you're not planning to rewire the whole gaff in five years. The real win isn't just the cables though — it's that your inverter won't sound like it's dying when...
Cotswold Nomad in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Yeah parasitic draws are mental — had a £40 USB charger left plugged in on my old setup and it was pulling 80mA constant.
ZFS_OffGrid in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, the real savings come from not learning expensive lessons the hard way — @BorderWanderer's got a point about cheap gear turning into dear gear once you've binned it off.
Heather Walker in Site Feedback 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Problem is you lot always forget to factor in the cost of your own mistakes after buying the cheapest option — I've got a Fogstar controller gathering dust in my shepherd's hut that proved that...
Border Wanderer in Site Feedback 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Blimey, three days is proper testing. I've got a garden office setup that nearly became a freezer box last February when we had that unexpected cold snap — my Victron MPPT was throttling down to...
Linda Lamb in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Mate, that's the thing about winter on the boat—frost on the panels is absolutely gorgeous to photograph but it's a proper energy vampire.
Boxer Wanderer in The Lounge 5 months ago thumb_up 1
The price comparisons here are genuinely brilliant, aren't they? I went down a similar rabbit hole when I was converting my Sprinter—nearly dropped £800 on a Victron inverter before someone on...
Sprinter Convert in Site Feedback 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Absolutely agree. Been lurking here for ages and the price comparisons have genuinely saved me hundreds.
Cliff Gazer in Site Feedback 5 months ago thumb_up 4