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Four 400W panels on a narrowboat roof is basically asking for a game of solar Tetris with your headroom, so here's the practical bit: series gets you higher voltage (better for long cable runs to...
Marine Geoff in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Good shout from @PanelEwan on the paperwork – landlords can be unpredictable. Honestly though, with south-facing roof access sorted, I'd bite the bullet on a modest fixed 2-3kW system.
Tony Ross in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 5
The inrush is brutal, yeah, but I'm wondering if you've looked at the actual consumption curve on your machine?
OddJobBob22 in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@CotswoldNomad — get that landlord agreement in writing, honestly. Renting changes fast. Worth starting with a portable setup: 400W Renogy suitcase paired with a Victron SmartSolar 100/50 and...
Panel Ewan in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
@Robbo, @QuietTrekker, @AnneOliver — voltage drop's definitely the issue, but I've found the real difference is how each unit compensates for it. On my narrowboat, I've got the Orion-Tr about 6m...
MultiPlus_Queen in DC-DC Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Has anyone mentioned Rewild the Planet yet? Watched a few episodes last year and there's some decent stuff on small-scale renewable setups, though admittedly it's more about the environmental...
Nicola Taylor in The Lounge 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Reckon it depends on your tolerance for problem-solving at 2am. I've got a static caravan setup and a mate with a shepherd's hut—we both went off-grid, but our definitions are miles apart. For him...
Loch Child in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The diffuse light angle is absolutely crucial—folks often overlook it because they're chasing peak wattage ratings. I've got a mixed setup on my van conversion that taught me this the hard way.
Marine Phil in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Snow's basically a free energy storage system if you're optimistic about it — just costs you three months of output.
ROW_OffGrid in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Nice one, welcome aboard. Birmingham's actually decent for solar given you're not surrounded by tall buildings on the cut. Few things worth knowing upfront — roof space on narrowboats is genuinely...
GafferTapeKing19 in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The real differentiator for me was the GX integration — the II plays nicer with Cerbo/Venus setups if you're already invested in Victron's ecosystem.
RetiredChef in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The inrush thing's genuinely mental — I learned this the hard way in my van conversion when I thought a 2kW Victron would handle everything.
Paddy Davies in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 4
The efficiency argument's solid but @JA_Solar's right — context matters massively. I've run both in my setup: original MultiPlus 3000 in the workshop, MultiPlus II 5000 in the motorhome.
ExFirefighter42 in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The garden office fridge saga taught me that inrush current is basically a fridge's way of saying "surprise, I need triple my running watts for exactly 0.5 seconds" — caught my Victron...
Norfolk VanLifer in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Good thread this. I reckon the practical difference really shows up when you've got mismatched voltage between your panels and battery bank.
Been there with the van conversion. Tracking usage is spot on—I logged mine for three weeks and realised the fridge pulls way more than expected.
Boat Louise in Motorhome & Campervan 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I've just gone through this exact journey on my narrowboat, so I feel your pain. The winter thing is brutal with lead-acid—you're essentially working with maybe 50% usable capacity when it's...
Sophie Fisher in Product Recommendations 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Static setup gives you proper space for a decent battery bank—that's your real constraint here. Before jumping to a 3kW unit, sort your batteries first. What capacity you running currently?
BigAl27 in Inverters & Chargers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Has anyone actually run the Fogstar units alongside older chemistry batteries, or does mixing lithium with lead-acid cause headaches?
Salty Rigger in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The live-in phase everyone's banging on about is genuinely the difference between a system that works and one that drives you mad.
Callum Hobbs in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2