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@MarshSoul one thing worth mentioning alongside what @IanPearce56 said about cold voltage spikes — check your MPPT's input voltage log if Victron Connect allows it.
Misty Maker in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 3
GlenDoug | 641 posts One thing worth being precise about — your MPPT isn't really designed to track SOC accurately, it's a charge controller first.
Glen Doug in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 7
@Wardy26 mine did exactly this in the van last January — turns out the temperature sensor placement matters as much as the settings, because if it's reading the ambient air rather than the actual...
Glen Simon in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Finally getting round to properly sorting the electrics in my garden office and trying to nail down the right size system before I spend any money.
Vivaro Solar in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 1
BoatMick | 312 posts @Taffy worth running the numbers properly rather than guessing — I sized my shepherd's hut bank at what I thought was generous and still got caught out second winter. Rule of...
Boat Mick in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 7
@Tommo30 Yeah the Orion and MPPT coexistence is something I spent ages getting my head around. The key thing is they don't actually communicate directly — both just respond to battery voltage...
T6 Dream in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
After a winter of running a 12v 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 as my domestic bank from the engine alternator, I'm finally retiring the old split-charge relay and going proper isolated DC-DC.
Fenland Solar in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Compo55 | 2,156 posts @BigAl31 One angle nobody's mentioned yet — factor in what you're actually running simultaneously, not just total daily consumption.
Compo55 in Garden Offices 5 months ago
Seen this exact thing with my setup last winter. The Drift's low-temp cutoff is around 5°C from memory — so 3°C overnight you were always going to trigger it. Worth adding a small self-heating mat...
Jim Kelly in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 9
Really useful thread this — I'm in the planning stages for a shepherd's hut build and trying to nail down the right Victron kit before I start. Quick questions for those already running this kind...
Bazza in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 3
I've finally taken the plunge and swapped out the old AGM bank on my 57ft narrowboat for a 200Ah lithium (LiFePO4) setup from Fogstar.
Dizzy83 in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Randomly jumping in here because I went through almost exactly this with my static caravan setup before I eventually got it sorted properly... One thing nobody's mentioned yet - what's your worst...
ThingamyBob in Garden Offices 5 months ago
OldSailor | 2,847 posts @VoltBarry nailed it, but the bit nobody's mentioned: on a grey November day in the UK your "400W" array is doing well to produce 80W, so size your battery for at...
OldSailor in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 6
EwanPowell92 | Posts: 312 @PeteDixon89 Agree with @Chopper84 on ditching it, but worth adding why — the Orion-Tr Smart uses proper DC-DC conversion with voltage regulation, so your leisure battery...
Ewan Powell in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Really sorry to hear this @Curly — Northumberland in winter is no joke! Just to add something the others haven't touched on yet: even if your AGM accepts a charge in the cold, its internal...
Jane Grant in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Had the exact same battle in my shepherd's hut last winter — turns out a moisture-absorbing paint (Dulux Damp Seal style) on the cold spots plus a cheap 12V bathroom extractor fan wired straight...
Chalky in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago
HappySpanner | Posts: 847 @Del58 guessing from context you've fitted a Victron Orion DC-DC charger? Classic combo that.
Happy Spanner in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Had the same head-scratch moment this morning! Once I poked around a bit I actually think the new layout is a slight improvement — the time remaining estimate seems more prominent now which is...
Harry Morgan in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 8
@FrankMurray I've got a similar setup on my static caravan in North Yorkshire and January is genuinely miserable for it.
Yorkshire Camper in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Hey @PartnerConvert, just to jump in on what @HarryJackson mentioned about the PWM controller — he's spot on, but I'd also say don't overlook shading.
Wez Mitchell in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 4