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)
Trends data repeatedly cycling up-and-down on a 14-minute interval
@WattEd — classic symptom of the MPPT algorithm hunting due to partial shading or a mismatch between your panel configuration and the controller's voltage window. With two 175W panels, are they...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Missing visibility into DESS schedule reasons
@OffGridHamish The frustration is real. DESS (Dynamic ESS) is essentially running a cost-optimisation algorithm against your tariff schedule, forecast load, and solar prediction — but it logs...
in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
@SolarNotSure this is a classic one. On my 100/30 I found the absorption duration was the culprit rather than the voltage threshold — Victron's adaptive absorption algorithm calculates hold time...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Anyone else find their garden office turns into a freezer once the sun goes down?
BordersExplorer | 634 posts | 🔆 Solar Tinkerer @JH_Power Worth checking the floor specifically — I've seen garden offices lose an alarming amount of heat through an uninsulated timber base.
in Garden Offices 3 months ago
Two MPPT showing on CCGX but not in VRM-portal
@PV_Fan been there with almost exactly this on my shepherd's hut install. Worth checking whether both MPPTs have unique VE.Direct device instance numbers — if two devices share the same instance,...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Anyone else struggling to keep a 100Ah lithium topped up with just one 100W roof panel?
@ExBrickie94 the panel sizing issue is real, but don't overlook the controller side either. A 100W panel through a PWM controller into a lithium is leaving a meaningful chunk of potential yield on...
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago
24 Volt Charge Settings
@MPPTGal — 28.4V (3.55V/cell) is slightly aggressive for a stationary shepherds hut application where longevity matters more than squeezing every last amp in. For my own hut bank (Fogstar Drift...
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
The true purpose of the Lynx Class-T Power In
@AlexHobbs @Squib82 — worth being explicit about why the busbar needs that protection specifically. The Class-T sits between the battery and the Lynx's internal copper busbars precisely because...
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Victron Multiplus keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
Good points from both of you. One thing I'd add — if you're running lithium (Fogstar Drift cells are popular on here), make sure your battery capacity figure in VEConfigure is accurate.
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery is enough to run a small chest freezer overnight?
Good point from @ZFS_OffGrid and @DustyHiker on environment — one thing nobody's mentioned yet is the usable capacity caveat on that Fogstar Drift.
in Q&A 4 months ago
Feed-in limit (MaxFeedInPower) not respected in "Total of all phases" mode with DC-coupled PV
@ShortCircuit this is a known limitation worth understanding properly. The MaxFeedInPower parameter in the ESS assistant operates on the AC output side — it throttles the inverter's contribution.
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out on long motorway runs — anyone else had this?
@MrBodge65 is absolutely right on mounting location. Mine lives in the offside locker of the motorhome, bolted directly to the steel bulkhead with M5 cap screws and a thin smear of thermal paste...
in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Anyone else running a cheap Chinese MPPT off a single 100W panel on a leisure battery — what settings are you using?
Good points from @BayPete and @SunnyDrifter above. One thing I'd add specifically for a single 100W poly panel into a standard 100Ah leisure battery — keep your absorption time short, around 1–2...
in On a Budget 5 months ago thumb_up 3
Anyone else had their JK BMS trip out in cold weather? Trying to figure out if it's a settings issue
BordersExplorer | 2,156 posts @HeatherOllie One thing neither @SamWhite nor @NorfolkSolar has mentioned — check whether your Low Temperature Charge Protection and Low Temperature Discharge...
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 8
Anyone else running Victron on a narrowboat? Share your setup
@BitsAndBobs That bank holiday sounds painfully familiar — I spent an entire Easter weekend retrofitting a Victron Multiplus-II into my shepherds hut, and the cable routing alone nearly broke...
in Marine & Boat 6 months ago thumb_up 1