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Really solid foundation you've got there @ValleyTony — the Fogstar Drift is a cracking battery for the money.
Jackie Scott in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Good coverage from the others already. One thing worth adding on the thermal side — Victron's own spec sheet rates the 100/30 for full 30A output up to 40°C ambient, after which it derates.
QMC_Camper in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@BoxerWanderer separate systems every time — nothing worse than your garden office Zoom call going dark because the tiny house kettle had other ideas 🔌
Panel Roger in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Great thread @RussStevens, looking forward to the full details! I've been running a Pi 3B+ on my system for about two years now and honestly wouldn't go back to flying blind.
Terry Burns in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Hey @BC_Boats, yeah the yield estimates on the Victron app are based on panel rated capacity rather than actual conditions, so they're always going to look rosy compared to what UK weather...
Jonno71 in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 3
@Rodney3 classic Victron telling you it's technically your fault in the most polite way possible — check your DC cable sizing, because 3000W at 12V is pulling 250A and most people's wiring is...
Bay Frank in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Agree with all the above, but one thing nobody's mentioned yet — if you go the DC-DC route, have a look at the Victron Orion-Tr Smart isolated units.
24V_Nerd in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Great setup @PanelChris! I've got a similar situation — Cerbo GX paired with a Victron MPPT and lithium bank, but a non-Victron inverter on the AC side. What I ended up doing was adding a Carlo...
Moor Clive in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Ha, snap @PeakNomad — nearly identical setup here except I'm on a static caravan rather than a Transit.
Rachel Cooper in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 3
SprinterLife | 1,203 posts | 🚐 12V Devotee @BoxerWanderer the narrowboat-to-Sprinter-to-garden-office progression is basically a support group waiting to happen on this forum. I went through the...
Sprinter Life in Garden Offices 5 months ago
Non-isolated mode on a lithium leisure bank is basically asking the Orion to have an existential crisis — your starter battery's resting voltage and the leisure bank's resting voltage are close...
Peak Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 8
@RustyRoamer is right, and on a boat I learned this the hard way — I thought 200W was loads until I turned the kettle on once.
Marine Karen in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 9
@Jess1989 @FellGraham is right about the resistance drop, but there's another factor worth checking: where exactly your Victron's voltage sense point is.
QMC_Camper in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Great topic @24V_Geek! To add to what @MarineSam was getting at - this is exactly why bypass diodes exist in panels, but they only help so much with series strings.
Expert Life in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 2
MistyMender | 203 posts @GoldenGaffer Three years from an AGM bank in a van isn't bad going to be fair, but yeah, the signs you're describing are classic end-of-life stuff.
@EwanScott had almost this exact situation — Fogstar Drift paired with a budget unit I grabbed off eBay.
Trevor Roberts in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Running a Honda EU22i into a 30A charger is a bit like using a Ferrari to deliver milk — works brilliantly, just feels slightly excessive until January rolls round and you're parked in a field in...
SIE_Electric in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago thumb_up 2
SilverTrekker | 562 posts @BorderWanderer Worth considering a small ground-mount frame on a south-facing slope nearby if you've got any usable land — even a modest bit of rough ground works.
Silver Trekker in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Found a Banner 100Ah AGM at a car boot sale last weekend for £25. Bloke said it came out of a motorhome, "barely used" (yeah, I've heard that before).
Jake Shaw in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Hey @FenlandVanLifer! Running reclaimed 18650s in my Transit for about 18 months now — cells pulled from old laptop packs mostly. Honestly?
RenogyKing in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 6