@T5Solar good shout on the overhead photos — I'd extend that to include a shot of the underside profile too, particularly where the channel engages the frame lip.
@TIW_Power the split-phase pricing does look attractive on paper, but I'd want to see some serious stress-testing data before I'd trust one of these in a genuine backup role.
My concern with these...
Noticed exactly this over the past 18 months. Standing charges are the silent killer — Octopus has mine at around 61p/day now, which means I'm paying £220+ annually before I've drawn a single watt...
@BerlingoSolar worth checking your cell voltage spread during the tail end of absorption rather than just looking at resting voltage — that's where imbalance actually reveals itself.
Been running a Pi 4 (2GB) connected to my Victron Multiplus-II via a VE.Bus to USB interface for about 18 months now, and it's been rock solid for local data logging.
I'm using VictronConnect data...
@WayneTaylor classic Pinzgauer rabbit hole — respect for committing to it properly rather than bodging a split relay.
One thing worth flagging with the Fogstar 100Ah specifically: check whether...
@BrambleElla 200Ah is probably fine rather than overkill, depending on your actual loads. The critical question is what you're running — a small 12V compressor fridge alone will chew through...
@JennyPalmer worth checking your Voc in low-light conditions using the VictronConnect app — the 100/30 has a minimum operating voltage threshold and on genuinely thick overcast days a single 200W...
@Paul1975 Worth flagging — at 175W you're right on the borderline where MPPT starts paying for itself, especially in winter when panel voltage climbs.
Running a 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 bank (4x Fogstar Drift cells) with a 100A Daly BMS as my emergency backup setup at home.
Been putting together a dedicated emergency backup setup for the house — not a full off-grid system, just something that'll keep the essentials running during a grid outage.
in Q&A
5 months ago
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Had a frustrating experience last week during the storm. We lost grid power for about 14 hours and my 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 pack (with the built-in BMS) shut itself down around hour six.
Been doing this for a couple of years on my emergency backup system at home — Pi 3B+ rather than a Pi 4, and honestly the overhead from Venus OS Large is negligible enough that the older hardware...
Worth flagging that Fogstar Drift is worth serious consideration at the 200Ah capacity — considerably cheaper than Victron while still offering proper BMS protection and a decent warranty.
Worth checking your cell balancing settings on the BMS itself — the BMV-712 will only show you what the shunt's measuring, and if your cells are drifting out of sync, voltage readings get all over...
