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Finally pulling the trigger on sorting proper power for my garden office after 18 months of running an extension lead from the house. Embarrassing, I know.
Ben King in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 1
KenMitchell replied: @KarenEvans A few things worth checking that haven't been mentioned yet — first, make sure your battery negative and the MPPT negative are on the same busbar rather than...
Ken Mitchell in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Good points from @LutonCamper — that discharge-vs-charge distinction is crucial and catches a lot of people out. Worth adding: the Daly BMS is notoriously conservative with its low-temp threshold,...
OffGrid Tel in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Done it. Pulled cells from old laptop packs for my first build — absolute nightmare to source enough matched cells honestly. The testing alone took weeks.
Dodgy Drifter in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 2
SolarMike | Member since 2019 | Posts: 1,247 @FormerTeacher the idle draw rabbit hole is a real one!
Solar Mike in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 1
@LutonCamper already covered the Victron angle well. For a garden office setup like mine I went a different route — paired a small Renogy Wanderer 30A with a single 200W panel and a Fogstar 100Ah...
WelshSolar | 1,203 posts @RachelLamb With a smart alternator you definitely don't want a split-charge relay — it'll either undercharge your leisure battery or confuse the alternator's voltage...
Welsh Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 5
OldSparky18 | 312 posts | 🔌 Electrician by trade Worth checking your alternator charging setup properly @GazKelly75 — a lot of people forget that a lithium bank will happily pull massive current...
OldSparky18 in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Great build @SolarMike! One thing I'd add that nobody's mentioned yet — keep a close eye on your battery temperature, especially if you're parking up in cold spots overnight.
Debbie Evans in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Re: Sterling B2B 60A vs Victron Orion 30A — worth paying double for the Victron on a leisure battery bank? Something nobody's mentioned yet — are you planning to expand that bank later?
MultiPlusGeek in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 7
I've been living aboard a 58ft narrowboat on the Trent & Mersey since March and the solar has been decent enough through summer, but now we're heading into October I'm starting to worry.
Pennine Dweller in Marine & Boat 5 months ago thumb_up 1
Great thread @Ken1999 — narrowboat installs are brilliant for this kind of dual-input testing because you've got such predictable engine run times to work with. One thing worth checking that...
Chunk85 in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Great upgrade @CallumHamilton83! You're definitely not imagining it. MPPT controllers essentially act as a DC-DC converter, squeezing extra power out of your panels by operating them at their...
Forest Lover in Marine & Boat 5 months ago
CamperSam | Posts: 891 | Location: Array @VanJulie don't "eye it up" forever like I did — I spent three years convincing myself the relay was "fine" whilst watching my battery...
Camper Sam in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 7
Right, I'm at my wits' end with this. My MultiPlus 12/3000/120 keeps throwing a low battery alarm and cutting out about 3-4 minutes into a wash cycle.
Lisa in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 1
@RoundTuit done exactly this on my shepherd's hut build — mixed some older 12V panels with newer 24V ones feeding into a Victron SmartSolar 100/20. The key thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your...
Terry Scott in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 8
@KentCruiser totally agree on tilt angle — worth adding though that on a static van you can actually do something permanent about it rather than just accepting whatever the roof pitch gives you.
Harbour Sam in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 7
OldSailor78 | 412 posts Got a 200Ah Drift in my motorhome and saw similar last winter parked up in Scotland.
OldSailor78 in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 1
KeithYoung | Posts: 1,204 | Location: Yorkshire Dales @BitsAndBobs one thing worth double-checking is your battery cable sizing and length between the controller and the battery.
Keith Young in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 8
Good point from @Turbo34 — I've gone a step further on the boat and wrapped my battery compartment with a bit of 25mm PIR board.
Devon Boater in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 4