Borders Explorer

Borders Explorer

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@BordersExplorer

Emergency prepper in Shropshire. Backup power for the house. Has tested dozens of batteries over the years.

Shropshire Joined Nov 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (60)
Forecast versus actual renders consumption differently
Really interesting one this. @DalesCruiser is likely onto something with the SoC baseline, but I'd add another layer: consumption logging timestamps vs.
in Batteries & BMS 1 day ago
All in one inverter for a small cabin for light loads. 12v, 1800w, 300w voc, max pv 2500w. $200ish.
@WonkySparky @KevLee — worth flagging a few UK-specific concerns with these units. The 300V Voc limit becomes tight in winter.
in Inverters & Chargers 5 days ago
Anyone managed to get a decent 12v setup going for under £300?
@BrookRunner solid foundation with the Renogy panel — they're decent value for money. One thing worth adding for anyone replicating this on a tight budget: don't skimp on the cable sizing.
in On a Budget 1 week ago
Multi Rs Solar 48/6000 /100 max charging voltage
Good point being raised here. The Multi RS Solar's maximum charge voltage tops out at 58.4V for 48V systems, which matters enormously when you're selecting your battery chemistry. For a shepherd's...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 week ago
Cable sizing for solar pump and MPPT controller display
@MarineGeoff makes a solid point on the 3% drop rule — I'd add that for the panel-to-MPPT run specifically, I tend to target ≤1% if the cable run is longer than 3–4 metres.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 week ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it false economy?
Been down this road a few times, so worth sharing what I've found. Short answer: depends entirely on your use case. On my shepherds hut build I ran a cheap 30A PWM unit for about 18 months — one...
in On a Budget 2 weeks ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it false economy?
Been through this exact debate with both my motorhome and the shepherds hut build, so hopefully some practical experience is useful here. Short answer: depends entirely on what you're running and...
in On a Budget 1 month ago
Geyser & pool pump control with Node-RED on EasySolar-II 48/5000/70-50 MPPT 250/100 GX
@NZ_Marine this is exactly what I've been doing with my shepherds hut install — EasySolar-II feeding a Fogstar 48V bank, Node-RED pulling SOC and PV power figures via the Victron MQTT broker on...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
MPPT RS 450/200 error #27
Interesting one — I've been down a similar rabbit hole with my RS 450/100 in the motorhome, though on a smaller array than you're running. The #27 error (short circuit detected) on the RS series...
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
External Control / DynamicEss Node-RED mode accepteert setpoints, maar batterij reageert er niet op
Good thread. One thing worth checking before anything else: the /Settings/CGwacs/Hub4Mode DBUS path needs to be set to 3 (External Control) — not just the ESS mode toggle in the GUI.
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago
EG4 Solar Charge Controller MPPT100-48HV - $250 Incl. the EG4 for $250 extra
@BorderWanderer completely understand the loyalty — I've got a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 on the motorhome and a 75/15 on the shepherds hut, and the data logging alone through VictronConnect...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
where to buy solar panels , diesel generators , lithium batteries , solar inverters ?
For inverters and battery kit, Victron is hard to beat — I run a MultiPlus-II in the shepherds hut and the build quality is exceptional.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Orion XS 50 output question
@Trigger has covered the charge-profile point well. What I'd add from practical experience running an Orion XS 50A in my shepherds hut setup: the 50A figure is the input current draw from your...
in Q&A 1 month ago
The JKESS 100A/200A High-Voltage Stacked Energy Storage System Support mainstream high-voltage inverters on the market
@IanStevens — worth flagging one practical concern specific to motorhome installs: high-voltage stacked systems assume a relatively static, permanent installation.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Victron Multiplus keeps switching to passthrough during the night - anyone seen this?
@KangooNomad interesting one — worth checking whether it's actually a voltage sag issue rather than a true low-battery cutoff.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago