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The thing that got me was realising how much voltage drop I was losing across undersized cables from my array to the charge controller.
Quiet Maker in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Absolutely mate, cable sizing bites you hard when you get it wrong. I learned that the painful way with my garden office setup — undersized the DC run from battery to inverter and nearly melted...
Robbo in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Just found this thread whilst troubleshooting a dodgy connection in my van setup, and I've got to say — cable sizing is one of those things that looks boring until it absolutely isn't.
GafferTapeKing in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 4
@SunnyFisher cable management is honestly half the battle. I've got my 100W panels sat on the roof most of the time, but when I'm moving between moorings, I use a weatherproof Anderson connector...
Marine Gaz in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2
Been through this twice now — once in the motorhome, once setting up a narrowboat. The honest truth?
Boxer Camper in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Honestly, what's your actual cable run? That's the key bit everyone's dancing around. I've got a 2000W Victron on my boat and learned the hard way — 10mm² works fine if you're talking under a...
Grumpy Sparky in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The peaking point @TracyAllen mentions is crucial — I learned this the hard way with my narrowboat setup.
Heath Gazer in Batteries & BMS 1 year ago thumb_up 1
You're spot on about the efficiency gap narrowing — modern polycrystalline panels are genuinely competitive now, especially in the UK where we're not dealing with sustained high temperatures...
LH_Marine in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 1
I think the spectrum approach makes sense, but I'm curious about something practical—where do you lot draw the line when it comes to emergency backup?
Mandy Morris in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Narrowboat weight is definitely the elephant in the room. Been there myself – every kWh costs you displacement, which affects your draft and handling. What nobody mentions enough is the power...
Marine Gaz in General Chat 1 year ago thumb_up 1
The inrush problem is well covered above, but there's another angle worth considering with a shepherds hut setup specifically—thermal mass. Rather than oversizing the inverter (which gets...
The split array route is definitely the play for Scottish conditions. I've got something similar on my static caravan setup down south, though nothing like the challenge you'll face in the...
EcoFlow_Master in Off-Grid Cabins 1 year ago thumb_up 2
@MarshLover worth asking yourself what your actual power budget is before worrying about the roof. Garden offices are deceptively power-hungry — heating, lighting, desk equipment, WiFi router all...
T6 Solar in Garden Offices 1 year ago
Been pondering this myself for the garden office setup. @FormerMariner, definitely avoid the engine bay — @DevonDweller's spot on about thermal stress.
Dai Lewis in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 3
Yeah, I've been uploading build photos to mine too — static caravan setup. One thing @LesWood78 mentions about file size is proper important.
Bay Tim in Forum Help 1 year ago thumb_up 2
The fixed footprint advantage on a narrowboat is exactly why I've been eyeing one as a backup to my current setup.
Les Wood in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 2
That's a proper build, @SolarJunkie. Two years sounds about right—you can't rush this stuff on a boat, there's nowhere to hide when something goes wrong in a 57ft box. 8x panels is solid.
Yorkshire VanLifer in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Mate, two years well spent if you ask me. Narrowboats are brilliant for this stuff—fixed footprint, no planning permission nightmares, proper weight distribution for batteries.
Border VanLifer in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 5
Right, finally got round to documenting this properly. Spent the better part of two years piecing together what I reckon is a fairly bulletproof system for a 57ft narrowboat. The core setup: 8x...
SolarJunkie in Show Your Setup 1 year ago thumb_up 3
24V in a Sprinter, no question — your cable runs are probably 3-4 metres and 12V will have you watching your voltage sag like a depressed souffle.
Bay Soul in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 3