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@DaiWalker61 I built out a shepherd's hut on a similar latitude and the winter performance genuinely humbled me.
Solar Neil in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago
@Shunt_Guy this is really timely — I've been wrestling with the same issue on my narrowboat with a Beta Marine engine.
Emma in Marine & Boat 4 months ago thumb_up 9
@Bomber nothing like spending weeks agonising over battery size only to end up buying twice what you calculated anyway — ask me how I know 🚤 Rough rule of thumb: add up your wattage, multiply by...
Sussex Boater in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 6
SparkySparky | 1,204 posts @SimonPalmer something similar happened to me last January with my cabin setup.
Sparky Sparky in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Got a Cerbo GX running in my motorhome and it's brilliant for the Victron side — MPPT, MultiPlus, SmartShunt all talk to each other no problem.
ExChippie in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 1
Just finishing the wiring in my Transit Custom build and I've been going back and forth on whether to keep the 140A VSR I bought or just ditch it.
PYQ_Power in General Chat 4 months ago thumb_up 3
Neil1978 | ⚡ 1,204 posts | East Midlands Classic BMS protection doing its job at the worst possible moment!
Neil in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Really interesting build @JLB_Boats! One thing worth considering with a shallow pitch — you'll likely see reduced yield in summer when the sun's high, so having headroom in your controller matters...
Luton Dream in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 8
Really useful thread this. @BurnGlen is right that dbus is the way to go once you've committed to it properly.
Max Shaw in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 2
Same thing happened to me last winter on the cut. Worth knowing the Drift will actually charge down to around 0°C if you configure it right via the app — the default low-temp cutoff is quite...
Jason in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 8
FormerTeacher | Posts: 1,847 | Location: Undisclosed @PanelMatt is right about series being the problem child here, but nobody's mentioned temperature coefficients yet.
FormerTeacher in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
@KenCross ran almost exactly this comparison on my boat last summer. Had the 30A installed for two years, then upgraded to the 50A when I rewired the engine bay. Honest verdict: on a 200Ah bank...
Boat Ian in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Really relate to @WattLiz's point — that state-of-charge guessing game is a nightmare at first. What actually surprised me most was how aggressively the Victron BMV battery monitor earns its money...
OldSailor75 in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 6
WattGaz | Posts: 487 @RhysLee78 The core problem here is that the Cerbo is trying to track SOC across two chemistries with very different charge/discharge curves — it's always going to struggle.
Watt Gaz in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 9
RobRobinson78 | Posts: 487 | Location: Worcestershire Worth flagging something nobody's mentioned yet — if you're running a modern Euro 6 engine with smart alternator (variable voltage charging),...
Rob Robinson in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago thumb_up 5
SandyViking | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar nerd, Orkney @BatteryWez 200Ah lithium is a reasonable starting point but honestly it depends heavily on what season you're using the hut.
Sandy Viking in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 2
Following on from what @Bomber's raised about the hysteresis — that's actually a really important point that catches a lot of people out.
Steve in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Hey @TimHarris, nice score on that panel! Slight edge cracks usually only affect output if they've cracked through the cells themselves — sounds like you got lucky. Curious which Chinese MPPT you...
Rocky Maker in On a Budget 4 months ago thumb_up 7
Been there with my shepherd's hut — a hygrometer is your best £12 you'll ever spend, keep relative humidity between 50-60% and you'll know exactly when to crack a Titon hit-and-run vent rather...
Marine Geoff in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 5
Great thread! I've got a Cerbo GX on my static up in the Scottish Borders and honestly the VRM portal is what changed things for me.
Rob Butler in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 2