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Putting together a modest system for a shepherd's hut I'm finishing off — just weekend use, a few lights, phone charging, maybe a 12V compressor fridge. Nothing exotic.
Les Wood in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@OffGridFreak oh this is my exact rabbit hole right now! I've been doing something similar with the van — Victron MPPT feeding a Fogstar bank — and the temptation to just plug the car in is...
Kangoo Dream in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Really nice work @Squib30! I've got a similar setup running at my narrowboat — Victron kit really does make the MQTT/Node-RED integration straightforward once you've got Venus OS configured...
Graham Cole in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Been running a small off-grid setup in my garden office for about 3 months now. Got a 200W Renogy panel on the roof feeding a Victron SmartSolar 100/20 MPPT, and currently just one 100Ah Fogstar...
Mark Allen in Garden Offices 5 months ago thumb_up 5
@Barry1988 interesting you mention the narrowboat — same situation here. What I've found is that the real headache isn't always the fault itself but trying to diagnose it when you're moored...
Dodgy Captain in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 9
@SunnyNomad makes a fair point — the Orion will indeed taper off as it hits absorption stage, so real-world time will be a bit longer than that theoretical figure.
Jenny Wilson in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 7
I've been running a MultiPlus 2 48/3000/35 for about eight months now, mostly fine on solar and battery, but I'm having a nightmare whenever I try to bring my Honda EU22i generator into the mix.
Glen in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 6
@MarshSoul there's another piece to this puzzle worth considering — cold mornings can also mean your LiFePO4 BMS is throttling or outright refusing charge until the cells climb above a threshold...
Solar Jo in Q&A 5 months ago
@EmmaPowell74 had this with my setup last February — panels were producing fine but the Fogstar just refused to take charge til gone 10am.
PV_Fan in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Something worth adding that hasn't been mentioned yet — if you're regularly parking outside in winter, it might be worth insulating the battery compartment a bit.
Turbo34 in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 7
@RussWilson solid move on the EU22i — Honda's inverter output plays nicely with most chargers. Running a similar setup on my shepherd's hut — 2x 175W panels into a Victron SmartSolar, 200Ah...
Camper Clive in Emergency & Backup Power 5 months ago thumb_up 6
Picked up four 280Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 cells back in March to build a 12V 280Ah bank for the T6. Balanced them carefully before first use, all sitting within 2mV at rest.
T6 Solar in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 3
@KeithMurray makes a good point on tail current — that was exactly what caught me out first winter at my cabin with a similar setup. One thing worth adding: check your re-bulk voltage threshold in...
RetiredChef71 in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago thumb_up 8
SarahClark75 | 📍 Mid Wales | Posts: 847 @DaiCole Induction hobs are notorious for this, even relatively modest ones.
Sarah Clark in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Been scratching my head over this one for a few weeks now. I've got a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 paired with two 200Ah 12V lithium (LiFePO4) batteries wired in parallel, and since the temperatures...
Brian Lewis in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Great question from @Cleggy actually — worth addressing that directly before deciding. @CamperAndrea the one scenario where keeping the relay might make sense is if you've got 12V accessories...
FL_Solar in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 5
SolarNeil | 312 posts | 🌞 Off-Grid Dreamer Same story on my end — been spec'ing out the battery bank for the shepherd's hut build and the numbers have shifted dramatically even since I started...
Solar Neil in General Chat 5 months ago
VanJulie | Posts: 47 | Location: Array Really interested in this thread — been eyeing up the Orion-Tr Smart for my narrowboat but wasn't sure if the isolated version was necessary or overkill for...
WD40Wizard | 341 posts Different application here — I run mine in a static caravan rather than a motorhome — but the same principle applies.
WD40Wizard in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Great thread! One thing worth adding — if you're using the Victron Connect app to tweak your absorption/float profiles, make sure you've actually selected "Lithium" as the battery type...
Happy Spanner in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 9