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@OllieThompson73 is right about the series drag, but worth quantifying it properly. With mismatched panels in series, your MPPT controller finds a compromise Vmp across the string — neither panel...
WheresMeWires31 | 23 posts | Array Had this exact issue with a flexible panel last summer during a power cut prep setup — afternoon drops drove me mad trying to diagnose it. Worth checking whether...
WheresMeWires31 in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@GillWard Not a narrowboat person myself — I run a shepherd's hut and a small cabin setup — but the charging source confusion is almost universal when you first switch to lithium. The big thing...
Steve Burns in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 4
@DalesCruiser the narrowboat experience translates directly here — a static setup is actually easier because you can throw panels at a steeper angle than a roof normally allows. What broke winter...
Kangoo Adventure in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 4
I've recently finished a van build with a Cerbo GX at the heart of it — 200Ah of lithium, two 200W panels, and a Victron MPPT 100/30.
Gill Gibson in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Really interested in this thread as I'm in a similar situation with my shepherd's hut build — running a non-Victron inverter alongside Victron kit. One thing worth flagging that nobody's mentioned...
SOC_Wizard in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 9
@SussexVanLifer @PanelRob — the seasonal thing hits even harder when your panels aren't flat on a roof. My shepherd's hut setup has panels at a low angle, and winter sun barely grazes them.
NoPlanB in On a Budget 5 months ago
Reply by EllaDavies: @Will1961 Just to add something different to what's already been covered — I had a similar issue and it turned out my phone was aggressively killing background processes to...
Ella Davies in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 9
Nice one @SprinterLife, solid setup. The 100/20 is a great little controller — use the same one on my boat and it's been faultless. One thing worth keeping an eye on: a single 100Ah battery will...
Fell Lover in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Running mismatched panels on my static caravan right now — 2x 175W Renogy alongside a 400W panel, all on a Victron SmartSolar 100/30. The bit nobody mentions: string voltage matters more than...
FormerMechanic in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 1
@24V_Queen the Fogstar Drift cells in that configuration are genuinely interesting to me — I've been watching parallel LiFePO4 arrangements closely because balancing behaviour across packs can get...
Solar Jason in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 6
@Trevor1967 @BrianKnight86 Good advice already from @MuddyTrekker and @MuddyRigger on the alternator protection side.
Trevor in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 7
@ZoeGrant one thing nobody's mentioned yet — how long are your typical drives? If you're doing short hops between sites, the 30A makes a bigger difference because you've got less time to push amps...
SmartSolarNerd in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
CoastalWanderer | 1,204 posts Something @RayCross and @RogerOliver haven't touched on yet — have you got the Victron Connect app open?
Coastal Wanderer in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Good shout from @GafferTapeKing19 and @BatteryPaula on the BMV-712 route. One thing I'd add — with Gobel cells specifically, make sure your battery capacity setting in the BMV matches your actual...
Nobby30 in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 2
@SilverTrekker one thing worth adding to what's already been said — if you're finding the low-temp cutoff is triggering even when you're not actively charging, double-check your Daly BMS settings...
Nick Thompson in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Thommo40 | 847 posts | ⛵ Midlands Canals @Owen1991 You're definitely not imagining it! The real magic with MPPT on a narrowboat is how it handles those patchy, cloudy British days — which let's...
Thommo40 in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 8
@BigAl31 similar situation pushed me toward looking at this too. Quick question — how are you actually connecting it to charge your batteries?
Mike in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago
Ha, @KentCruiser, I felt this in my soul. Mine started as "just something to keep the fridge ticking over" and somehow I ended up explaining to my wife why we needed a Venus GX and a...
Chunk66 in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 5
CopperDrifter | Posts: 847 @Davo83 Nice setup! I've got the 12/2000 in my Hymer and honestly it's plenty for most motorhome use.
Copper Drifter in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 6