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Been down this rabbit hole recently with my garden office setup and figured others might be wrestling with the same thing. Got an EasySolar II running the office and I want to use Node-RED to...
Really interesting thread this! Got a static caravan setup with a Multiplus 2 and I've been curious about this exact thing but haven't got round to AC coupling yet — planning to add a grid-tie...
Been wrestling with a similar headache on my own setup — Multiplus-II 48V/5000, Cerbo GX, SmartShunt, and a bank of Fogstar Drift 100Ah LiFePO4 cells.
@DalesCruiser both sources need to see each other or you'll end up with the MPPT doing all the heavy lifting while the IP22 sits there thinking it's already finished — learned this the hard way on...
Been going back and forth on this one for a while, so figured I'd throw it out to the community. Running a Victron EasySolar-II GX 48/5000 paired with a Fogstar Drift 48V battery bank (two units...
Trigger in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
@Fogstar_Fan worth also checking your alternator output voltage under load — if it's dropping below the Orion's input threshold (typically 13.2V for a 12V system), it'll shut down and look exactly...
Ducato Solar in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Good sizing question — this catches a lot of people out. Start with your daily consumption in Wh. Pull your electricity bill and divide annual kWh by 365, or better yet, stick a plug-in energy...
CamperGeek in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Really useful thread this. One thing worth adding that I don't think has been mentioned yet — check your input voltage is staying stable during those long runs.
T6 Dream in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Not a garden office specifically but I've dealt with the same nightmare in my tiny house build — even with 100mm PIR in the walls and roof it turns into a literal oven by mid-afternoon in July.
EcoFlowMaster in Garden Offices 4 months ago
Had this exact issue last winter with my Orion-Tr Smart 30A. Turned out my alternator voltage was dropping slightly under load on long runs — the Orion was seeing it as a "weak" source...
Crafter Solar in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Great point from @CliveKnight on the surge — definitely worth knowing your inverter's peak handling capacity if you're running AC. One thing I'd add specifically for narrowboat use: ambient...
Tony Ross in Q&A 4 months ago
@OffGridTerry @SussexBoater has hit the nail on the head with that analogy! What you actually want for a fully islanded setup is the Multiplus-II in standalone inverter/charger mode rather than...
CamperRachel | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Enthusiast @LiamFrost70 yes, absolutely had this with my converted garden office last year!
Camper Rachel in Garden Offices 4 months ago
Running this exact combo in my shepherd's hut — Victron SmartSolar 75/15 with a 100Ah Fogstar DIY LFP pack and JK BMS. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: absorption time.
Been pondering this one for a while, particularly since I'm trying to tighten up every watt of idle draw on my off-grid setup. The Multiplus-II has a ground relay that switches depending on...
Tel in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Great thread, @MuddyNomad — I've dealt with this exact scenario a couple of times now. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your pre-charge resistor if you're using one externally, but more...
Had something similar last summer with my static. Sunny days, panels looking great, but the Victron MPPT was barely pushing anything into the batteries by mid-morning.
@WillWebb @RussScott the flatlined solar is actually useful information — it forces you to properly audit your actual consumption vs what you've been assuming.
LiFePO4Nerd in General Chat 4 months ago
Been dealing with this exact headache on my narrowboat but I reckon the same principle applies — short runs in winter just don't cut it when you're relying on alternator charging, do they? The...
Yeah @VanKen solid setup. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — make sure your Orion-TR Smart is configured in standalone mode if you haven't got a VE.Direct connection running to a Cerbo or similar.
Quiet Trekker in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago