Saw this floating around and it got me thinking — there's a real lack of decent, technically accurate content out there specifically for UK off-grid users when it comes to home battery...
From what I've seen with my own setup, Solar Assistant can pull data from certain BMS units via Bluetooth, but it's very much dependent on which BMS you're running.
Been running a Victron ESS setup with a Fronius Symo on AC Out for about 18 months now and this is something that's genuinely been bugging me.
Been through something similar on a static setup rather than a narrowboat, but the principle's the same — older Victron MPPTs are solid but the newer SmartSolar range with proper Bluetooth...
Been running a Pi 4 with Venus OS for a couple of years now and honestly it's been rock solid. Basically turns it into a proper GX device for a fraction of the cost of a Cerbo GX — though the...
Chalky12 | 312 posts | Member
@SparkyHiker to put some rough numbers on it — in the UK, winter sun peaks around 15-20° elevation in the south.
in Q&A
4 months ago
thumb_up 3
@RussMartin worth checking the overvoltage protection threshold in the JK app. If your Victron absorption voltage is set even slightly above what the BMS will tolerate, the BMS trips out as a...
@WillStevens The wiring side is the main faff on a bilge keeler — awkward battery compartments and getting proper cable runs sorted.
Worth mentioning the battery chemistry side of things — if you're running a standard lead-acid leisure battery, that PWM + split-charge setup is actually a reasonable match since PWM suits...
Chalky12 | 134 posts
@Ian1968 worth checking the firmware version on that JK — there was a batch shipped around Q4 last year with dodgy BT stack behaviour specifically during active balancing...
Interesting to see how these cells are performing across different setups. I've been watching the Fogstar Drift range for a while — currently running Victron-based system with older LiFePO4 cells...
The battery sizing is the real killer here. I'm running 15kWh usable across LiFePO₄, and even that feels tight when I try to charge the car on cloudy days.
in Q&A
7 months ago
thumb_up 2
Had the same issue with mine in the shed. @LutonAdventure's spot on about dust — I pulled the fan shroud off and it was absolutely rammed with cobwebs and debris.
