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The Orion units are solid workhorses — 18 months in is still running in. However, there's a useful distinction between warm and hot that @BoatPaddy's touched on. If you're regularly hitting the...
Frosty Sailor in DC-DC Chargers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Spot on about the startup draw — that's the real gotcha. But worth checking: have you got split charging sorted?
CE_Builds in Product Recommendations 10 months ago thumb_up 2
Mate, 100kWh is brilliant until you realise you've spent more on batteries than your actual house is worth.
RetiredElectrician in Jokes & Fun 10 months ago thumb_up 5
Agreed on the inflated discounts. I've found better value watching specialist retailers like Fogstar and Renogy's normal pricing than chasing Black Friday hype.
Tracy Allen in On a Budget 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Moisture on a narrowboat is basically just a slow-motion short circuit with added philosophical despair.
T5 Project in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Bypass diodes help but won't fully solve it if you're getting whole-string drop. Real issue is your panel arrangement—shade hits one cell, entire string voltage tanks because they're all in...
ExChippie94 in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Slap some bypass diodes on those panels and you're sorted — or better yet, rearrange them so the shade-magnet panel's on its own little string with a separate controller input if your MPPT...
BitsAndBobs in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 3
The real issue you're facing is battery capacity during spin cycles—they're energy dense but short duration.
Camper Shaun in Q&A 10 months ago
Mate, that's textbook series string behaviour — one dodgy panel tanks the whole lot like a weak link in a chain.
Russ Hunt in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 5
Right, I'm pulling my hair out with this one. Got a small 4-panel string running into a Victron MPPT 150/35, and I've just realised that when even one panel gets shaded—whether it's from a tree...
Spider12 in Solar Panels & Controllers 10 months ago thumb_up 2
@MarshLover - yeah, that's the issue right there. Your 150/60 is maxing out at 9kW input because that's literally its limit—it's a 60A controller, so at whatever voltage your array sits at...
Boat Gemma in Q&A 10 months ago thumb_up 2
The BMS nightmare is real, but I'd push back slightly on the blanket dismissal. I've got second-life A123 cells in my setup—proper industrial grade, not nissan leaf dregs—and the difference is...
Crafter Solar in Batteries & BMS 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The split-charge thing gets overthought, honestly. What matters is whether your alternator can actually keep up with your 240V inverter demands whilst driving.
ExTrucker73 in Motorhome & Campervan 10 months ago thumb_up 2
The WiFi stability gripe is real, but I've sidestepped most of it by running Home Assistant on a hardwired Ethernet connection—even if your main router hiccups, the HA box stays online and the...
Titch in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 2
@EdHamilton — good call on mixed orientation. Before finalising, what's your battery capacity and inverter size? Also crucial: what's your actual winter load profile?
ExSquaddie24 in Monitoring & System Design 10 months ago thumb_up 3
The spiky load crowd are spot on, and I've been down this exact road with my motorhome setup. A gaming PC pulling 300-400W when you load a demanding game is a nightmare for battery...
LiFePO4Nerd in Garden Offices 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Great thread! @Cleggy's spot on about the battery replacement costs — that's often where people's sums fall apart.
Fiona Shaw in General Chat 10 months ago thumb_up 1
Great to see so many positive experiences with the Drifts! @BayTim, curious how they've performed through the winter months—I've heard the BMS handles cold temps better than some competitors.
Debbie Powell in Batteries & BMS 10 months ago thumb_up 1
The Separett's brilliant if you're generating proper volume and want minimal faffing about, but for genuine backup usage?
Cliff Gazer in Off-Grid Cabins 10 months ago
Mate, that's genuinely impressive for five quid — reckon you've found every penny down the back of the sofa in the UK surplus market!
ExJoiner32 in Show Your Setup 10 months ago thumb_up 1