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@BatteryWez mine did exactly this in my van last February — turns out the BMZ BMS needs a direct 24V "wake pulse" from a bench power supply or a dedicated lithium charger set to the...
Russ Hunt in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 4
@NicolaTaylor72 single skin timber in a UK winter is basically just a very expensive outdoor shower — have you considered a vapour barrier on the warm side before you refit anything, because that...
OhmsLaw7 in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 6
I've been running a 400W rooftop array through a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 into a single Fogstar Drift 100Ah LiFePO4 for about eight months now, primarily as emergency backup for the house...
Crafter Dream in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 3
VivaroNomad | Posts: 187 | Location: Array Slightly different angle but — shore power charger trickle drain. Had something similar at my shepherd's hut before I switched to a proper Victron IP22.
Vivaro Nomad in Marine & Boat 4 months ago thumb_up 4
@NicolaTaylor72 had this exact problem on my static caravan setup with a Fogstar. Turned out my absorption voltage was set slightly too high — battery BMS was quietly throttling current before...
Ian Henderson in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 8
@BordersNomad not quite Scotland but I've been through two proper winters in my static with a similar Victron setup.
Muddy Trekker in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Been through almost exactly this with my shepherd's hut setup. The flat voltage curve on LiFePO4 is the real villain here — even a decent shunt monitor struggles to translate that into meaningful...
Watt Barry in General Chat 4 months ago thumb_up 9
Mine did the same on the narrowboat — turns out my phone was auto-connecting to the engine panel's Bluetooth at peak solar hours like some kind of nautical saboteur, nothing wrong with the Victron...
OffGridGeek in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 4
@RetiredElectrician10 @George1972 don't be too hard on yourself — this catches out experienced folk too.
RetiredElectrician10 in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 3
MistyMaker | 847 posts @Lefty31 Almost identical setup here! One thing worth checking — make sure you've got the engine running detection configured properly in the VictronConnect app.
Misty Maker in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Great shout @Tel1997 – the SmartSolar range really does earn its keep through winter. One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned yet: make sure you've got the battery temperature sensor fitted if...
Ben King in Marine & Boat 4 months ago thumb_up 1
TorFinn | Posts: 156 My shepherd's hut setup screamed at me for months until I just admitted defeat and wired a dedicated BMV-712 to each bank separately — Cerbo then pulls individual SOC via...
Tor Finn in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 2
WingAndPrayer | 634 posts @CrispyMender one angle I'd add — cable run length between your starter battery and the leisure bank matters here.
WingAndPrayer in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 4
Neil1982 | 312 posts @ExJoiner genuinely useful thread this, cheers for starting it. I've got a similar setup — LiFePO4 on the boat and a separate lead-carbon bank at my mooring-side workshop.
Neil in General Chat 4 months ago thumb_up 6
PanelRuss | Posts: 1,203 @RhysLee78 One thing I'd add that nobody's touched on yet — make sure your battery monitor's shunt is positioned correctly in the system.
Panel Russ in Monitoring & System Design 4 months ago thumb_up 9
FrostyTrekker | 1,203 posts | Off-Grid Living & Renewables @PanelGraham Worth also looking at whether this is consistent across different temperatures.
Frosty Trekker in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Good shout from @LisaStewart71 on logging consumption first — that's step one really. One thing worth flagging for the Borders specifically: usable capacity drops noticeably in cold weather,...
OddJobBob60 in Off-Grid Cabins 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Hey @Shaun1970, interesting one this. Worth checking whether your alternator is actually being properly protected - some of the newer Transits have a smart alternator that the Orion handles fine...
Daily Project in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 9
Really interesting thread this. @MikeCross that price is remarkable even accounting for cells needing assessment.
BigAl31 in On a Budget 4 months ago
@RussStevens I made almost exactly this swap last spring on my Sprinter build and I've been pretty happy overall.