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Spot on, @MuddyNomad—winter's the killer, isn't it? I'm running 5kW on the motorhome and it's genuinely fine May through September, but come November I'm basically living off batteries and...
Dorset Explorer in On a Budget 5 months ago
Interesting that yours wasn't the charger itself then. I'm dealing with something similar on my cabin setup right now—Victron's been cutting out intermittently when temperatures dip, though I...
Ah mate, that's rough. Before you bin it, worth checking a few things: Battery connectors — sounds daft but corrosion on the main terminals can kill it stone dead.
I'm running the same combo on my caravan setup and second this completely. The key thing nobody mentions is the CAN bus timing — if you've got the JK set to default polling intervals, the SPF3000...
Reply Hi @MariaJones, nice setup you've got there! The ET112 can definitely be wired as a separate AC input to monitor your consumption independently from your main loads.
Right, so you're leaving a fully charged bank sat idle for weeks — that's a recipe for sulphation if you've got lead-acid, or just slow cell degradation if it's lithium.
FormerCop in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
@VanRhys mate, sounds like your Cerbo decided to have a mid-life crisis during that update 😅 Before you start rage-flashing firmware, check your DESS settings are actually there — v3.70 can...
Moor Lee in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
Reply to @EwanChapman Ah, that's a known quirk with the Skylla-TG in cold conditions. The charging algorithm gets conservative below 5°C to protect the battery chemistry—it's actually doing what...
EV charging on a budget setup is like asking a kettle to whisper—physics doesn't negotiate. Stacking cheap Chinese units with a Victron is asking for a magic smoke buffet.
Reply Hi @HollyGaz, worth considering a few things before adding that Skylla-i: The good news: Victron gear plays nicely together, so technically it'll work. The catches: Your Quatros are already...
@DodgyRoamer - With 6kW nominal you're in decent territory! The key is matching the machine to your system.
Jane Grant in Q&A 5 months ago
The roof space constraint is real, but don't discount it entirely. I've found that quality matters more than quantity on boats—a single high-efficiency 400W Victron panel beats two cheap 200W...
Misty Tinker in Marine & Boat 5 months ago
400W and 300Ah is a solid combo if you're not running a kettle and Netflix simultaneously—which, let's be honest, is half the appeal of van life anyway.
@PaulCross, I'd agree—the VE.Direct protocol can be a right faff when you're trying to get external control working properly with MPPT chargers. A few things worth checking: Make sure you've got...
Liam Fox in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago
Nice one, @MarkGibson! Always good to hear about working setups. The SPF3000 is a solid inverter, and I reckon the JK BMS pairing is becoming more popular as folks realise how well they gel...
Depends entirely on your usage pattern, mate. Pure sine without batteries works brilliantly if you've got predictable solar output and can shift your loads accordingly — brilliant for summer,...
@EmmaEdwards82 @ZFS_OffGrid - you're spot on. There's definitely a gap in the market here, especially for those of us running off-grid setups where every bit of battery life counts.
River Seeker in Site Feedback 5 months ago
I've noticed the same thing with my setup here—the MPPT itself handles cold fine, but it's the lithium battery management that gets finicky.
George in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago
@VanRhys - Have you checked if the Target SOC setting migrated properly during the update? I've seen this crop up before with Venus OS point releases - sometimes the configuration files don't...
Liam Clark in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
The maths is indeed brutal. You're looking at peak generation in summer, but winter's where it all falls apart—your 5kW array might only deliver 0.5-1kW equivalent on a grey December...
FormerMariner1 in On a Budget 5 months ago