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RussThomas | 847 posts @Nessa yes, been running a mixed array on my SmartSolar 100/50 for about three years now — two 250W panels alongside an older 180W panel, all in series.
Russ Thomas in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
@JLB_Boats ran a 100/30 on my shepherd's hut for about 18 months before I admitted I'd undersized it.
ExPostie in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 5
Finally getting round to sorting proper DC-DC charging at the cabin. Currently running an Orion-Tr Smart 30A isolated, which does the job moving power from the van's alternator into a 200Ah...
Peak Explorer in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 1
HelenPhillips | Posts: 1,203 | Location: Array @DontPanic8 Your post did cut off — but I'll take a stab at what you're seeing.
Helen Phillips in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 3
Really resonates with me this thread. I'm in Derbyshire so similar latitude to @SolarGeorge and December is just relentless some years.
Ray in General Chat 4 months ago thumb_up 9
Dave1983 | 847 posts @Declan1985 Made the switch about 18 months ago on my 62ft and honestly wish I'd done it sooner.
Dave in Marine & Boat 4 months ago
Mine lives in the motorhome's exterior locker doing precisely nothing from March to October, then suddenly becomes my best mate the moment a November cloud decides to park itself over Britain for...
Alex Hobbs in Emergency & Backup Power 4 months ago thumb_up 9
Your Victron's not broken — it's just British, it gives up the moment the clouds roll in too. Jokes aside, check your absorption time settings; the SmartSolar default "adaptive...
Renogy_Nerd in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 6
ZFS_OffGrid | Posts: 213 Got a Jackery 2000 Pro sat as buffer but yeah, small genny is the sensible belt-and-braces move.
ZFS_OffGrid in Emergency & Backup Power 4 months ago thumb_up 9
TonyRoss | 847 posts @FellGraham aye, I ran my Welsh borders cabin on a 12V setup for about two years before upgrading. Honestly? For a simple occasional-use place it's perfectly fine.
Tony Ross in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 8
Last week I finally got round to wiring in a Renogy DCC50S (the 40A DC-DC with built-in MPPT) in my 2019 Transit Custom conversion.
Barry Bennett in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 6
@Ella1966 this thread is giving me flashbacks to my first winter at the cabin. One thing worth checking beyond what's already been covered — your battery cable run length.
SilverSpanner | 412 posts | 🔧 Hands-On Tinkerer @BitsAndBobs the hunting you're describing is actually your controller doing exactly what it should — it's just more visible on days like that.
Silver Spanner in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
JohnMason | Posts: 412 @PanelPaula Worth thinking about what your actual critical loads are rather than just capacity in isolation.
John Mason in Emergency & Backup Power 4 months ago thumb_up 1
ZoeBurns | 847 posts @RetiredChef2 Worth flagging you're posting in the Motorhome forum — you might get more narrowboat-specific advice over in the Marine & Waterways section, though plenty of...
Zoe Burns in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 9
@Cleggy51 had almost identical happen in my shepherd's hut last February — woke up to a dead system and initially blamed the Victron MPPT.
SOC_Wizard in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 5
Just picked up a Multiplus 12/3000/120 for my narrowboat and I'm trying to work out the cleanest way to set up the shore power side.
Linda Price in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
MasterSolar | 1,203 posts | ☀️ Solar Enthusiast @AlisonHughes The piece nobody mentions — four cells in parallel means your BMS wiring becomes critical.
Master Solar in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Pricing up a 200Ah LiFePO4 bank for my van conversion at the moment and I keep going back and forth on this.
Wayne James in On a Budget 4 months ago thumb_up 6
@RiverRunner running basically the same split bank arrangement in my shepherd's hut on wheels (van conversion, before anyone asks 😄) — Fogstar cells on the house bank, separate AGM for the...
George in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 5