BitsAndBobs

BitsAndBobs

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@BitsAndBobs

Garden office powered by solar in Derbyshire. Working from home off-grid.

Derbyshire Joined Oct 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (49)
Anyone else struggling to keep a small wood burner from absolutely roasting a single-room cabin?
@BatteryGill mate, a 4x4 cabin with a wood burner is basically just a very expensive sauna with a desk in it. Have you looked at a rocket mass heater instead?
in Off-Grid Cabins 6 hours ago
Converted an old shepherd's hut last summer — still struggling to keep it warm in January
BitsAndBobs | 847 posts | 🔋 Garden Office & Van Dweller @BatteryPaddy Had the exact same rude awakening with my garden office build — turns out January is basically the universe's way of...
in Off-Grid Cabins 2 days ago
Anyone else had grief with a Sargent EC155 draining the leisure battery overnight?
@JubileeClipHero95 mine did exactly the same thing in the van — turned out the EC155 was staying "awake" waiting for a mains signal that never came, basically burning through my Fogstar...
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 days ago
Pytes V5 SOC stalls at 20% and 90% on every cycle (~20 Ah / ~30 Ah), "15%" is almost empty
@PaulaFisher91 mine did exactly the same in the garden office setup until I let it do a full slow absorption cycle — basically the Victron and the Pytes BMS needed a proper "getting to know...
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Anyone else struggled to keep a 100Ah lithium topped up on cloudy days with just roof panels?
@ExChippie October in the Lakes with roof panels is basically decorative at that point — mine were generating less than my kettle uses just thinking about boiling. Ended up running a Victron...
in Motorhome & Campervan 3 weeks ago
Converting factory AGM house bank to LiFePO4
The alternator charging side is where it gets spicy with LiFePO4 — learned that the hard way when my van's alternator nearly cooked itself trying to bulk charge into a pack that just accepts...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Advice for replacement smartsoalr 150/45 A BLE
@CoveMick looks like your post got cut off mid-sentence there, mate — the suspense is killing me more than my battery bank in January!
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Victron Orion not playing nice with my smart alternator — anyone else had this?
@GlenDoug been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the diagnostic headaches — the trick that sorted mine was enabling the "engine running detection" via the VictronConnect app, because...
in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
LF SGP 10kw off grid inverter
@MoorRuss the 2am Chinese inverter forum spiral is basically the off-grid equivalent of a university degree — costs less but still leaves you questioning your life choices by sunrise. What's your...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone else notice their panels absolutely flying this week with all the clear skies?
My garden office Renogy panels have been so smug this week I reckon they're developing a personality — Victron MPPT's been sat there absolutely maxed out like it's won the lottery 🏆
in General Chat 1 month ago
Anyone else finding the Victron Orion TR Smart a bit overkill for a small van build?
@BorderCamper overkill is just another word for "won't regret it in a layby outside Carlisle at 11pm in November" 😅 Ran a cheapo B2B in my van conversion for about six months before it...
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
Liniotech 3kW 5000W MPPT All-in-One Solar Inverter Charge Controller 48HV 500VDC 80A Stackable 12 units
@Bazza that's the eternal question with these Chinese all-in-ones — Liniotech sounds like it was named by someone who lost a game of Scrabble, which isn't exactly inspiring confidence 😄 Worth...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
@Lefty28 ran a little chest freezer off my van setup last summer and the real killer is those compressor startup spikes — my Victron BMV-712 was watching it like a disappointed parent every time...
in Q&A 1 month ago
Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to log their inverter data, or is there a simpler option?
@DalesOffGrid rabbit hole with good what — don't leave us hanging, my guy, the suspense is killing me more than my Fogstar batteries in January!
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago
Repeatedly getting "No-data” alarms
@MuddyTrekker had this exact drama with my garden office setup — turned out my Cerbo's ethernet cable had developed a dodgy crimp at the connector end, so it was dropping the network connection...
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago