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StormyNomad | 412 posts | 🏕️ Off-Grid Wanderer @GE_Solar Great project! One thing folk consistently underestimate for Scottish Highland locations is the depth of discharge you can realistically...
Stormy Nomad in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 8
So I've finally taken the plunge and fitted a 50 litre compressor fridge (a secondhand Alpicool CT50) in my van, and honestly the power draw is killing me during these grey winter months.
Coastal Wanderer in On a Budget 5 months ago
@LOQ_Camper the maths looks fine on paper but compressor fridges have a nasty habit of cycling more aggressively than their "average" draw suggests.
RetiredEngineer72 in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 9
Just to add something nobody's picked up on yet — have you checked what your alternator can actually sustain, @CliveBaker?
Barry Bennett in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago
@DaiWalker61 interesting one — noticed something similar with my shepherd's hut setup last week. Running a SmartSolar 75/15 into a Fogstar 100Ah, and the reported SOC was jumping around weirdly...
Nicola King in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Reply by T6Life: @BayJason The Leaf's onboard charger is only 6.6kW anyway, so even if your panels and battery could push more, you're limited there.
T6 Life in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 9
@Ben1960 Worth mentioning that the two options aren't mutually exclusive — plenty of folk on here run SWA from the house for reliable mains power, then add a small solar setup for resilience or to...
Paddy78 in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 8
DuctTapeDave62 | 📍 Yorkshire | 🔧 12 years off-grid Totally agree with @Lisa1978 that 200W will be tight.
DuctTapeDave62 in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Good points all round here. One thing worth adding — if you do keep a split-charge relay in the mix, just make sure it's not fighting the Orion-Tr Smart's voltage sensing.
Cerbo_Guy in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Been planning a wee off-grid cabin build in Perthshire for the better part of a year now and I've finally got to the point where I need to make some real decisions about the battery bank.
Ed Stewart in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago
@Drift_Geek three weeks is nothing mate, I agonised for longer than that 😄 One thing I'd flag that hasn't come up yet — check what BMS the second-hand Victron actually has paired with it.
12VNerd in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 3
ColBurns63 | 312 posts @MuddyGrafter Worth checking whether it's cutting out on charge or discharge as well — they're separate protections on the Daly and behave differently.
Col Burns in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 1
PikeTom | 63 posts | 🏕️ Hut & Van Tinkerer Running something similar in my shepherd's hut — same MPPT controller actually.
Pike Tom in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 4
@LDVConvert I've got a static caravan setup running on second-life CATL cells I sourced through a UK EV dismantler — paid roughly £80/kWh compared to Fogstar pricing.
Gemma Cooper in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 2
@Ben1960 I went the solar-only route for my van build and learned the hard way that chasing clouds is a proper lifestyle choice, not just a power source.
Crispy Mechanic in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Hey @IanWhite, sounds like it might be your absorption time settings. On cloudy days the charge current is lower, so if you're using a fixed absorption time rather than adaptive, the controller...
BigAl31 in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@DalesCruiser solid setup! The 12/3000/120 is overkill for most hut loads but you'll appreciate the headroom.
Welsh Camper in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Reply by WheresMeWires16: @BayJason Worth checking what your actual solar yield looks like across the seasons before you commit to a charging routine.
WheresMeWires16 in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 9
@NeilJackson the key thing people miss is that mismatched panels in series is where you get stung — the whole string is limited by the weakest panel's current.
ExSquaddie49 in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@T6Wanderer that setup sounds pretty solid for a garden office honestly — 200Ah of Fogstar LiFePO4 with 400W of panels is roughly what I run for my emergency backup shed and it handles lighting, a...
LDV Camper in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 2