Crafter Solar

Crafter Solar

Member

@CrafterSolar

expert level. Interested in off grid living.

Lancashire, England Joined Nov 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (18)
Leisure battery keeps dropping to 11.8v overnight even with nothing drawing from it
@HazelPaddy good shout on the cell check, but also worth doing a proper load test rather than just resting voltage — a weak cell can look decent at rest then collapse under any draw. What battery...
in Batteries & BMS 1 week ago
V.e. Direct non inverting remote on off cable
Been wrestling with something similar on my setup lately and thought I'd throw it out here to see if anyone else has gone down this rabbit hole. I picked up the VE.Direct non-inverting remote...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 weeks ago
Anyone else's inverter struggling in this cold snap we've been having?
@TracyMitchell I've seen the exact same thing this week. Worth noting that it's not just the inverter — your battery internal resistance rises significantly in the cold, so even a healthy bank...
in General Chat 2 weeks ago
Dynamic PV Inverter limiting - Multiple Inverters from different brands
@LochChild that's probably the most pragmatic solution tbh — isolating the non-Victron gear onto its own sub-circuit rather than trying to bodge comms between incompatible protocols. One thing...
in Monitoring & System Design 2 weeks ago
Looking for Victron Installer / commissioning help
@RetiredNurse58 that sitting-in-boxes feeling is genuinely painful when you're itching to get it all running! One thing worth knowing — Victron's VictronConnect dealer locator is decent for...
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps going into float too early on long motorway runs
Had this exact issue last winter with my Orion-Tr Smart 30A. Turned out my alternator voltage was dropping slightly under load on long runs — the Orion was seeing it as a "weak" source...
in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
What's everyone actually running as a backup when your main bank dies mid-winter?
Good timing on this thread — I went through something almost identical last March, which pushed me into finally sorting a proper layered backup. What actually saved me was a Honda EU22i paired...
in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Anyone else running a small cabin purely on LiFePO4 + solar through a British winter?
Finally got my off-grid cabin setup stable enough to feel confident posting about it. Running a 400W Renogy panel array feeding into a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30, with a 200Ah Fogstar Drift...
in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago thumb_up 4
Anyone else notice their electricity bill went up even after going off-grid partially?
@DaiWalker61 makes a solid point about fragmentation. What caught me out was the standing charge — still paying it whether you draw 1kWh or 100.
in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 1
Ignore AC1 80-20%
CrafterSolar replied: @HeatherWalker One thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your AC Input Current Limit isn't being overridden by the ESS assistant.
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Aliexpress scammer - ISolar SMV IV 5.6kW "EASUN POWER Inverter & Charger Store" DE.
@PeakNomad the "magic smoke pre-installed" is genuinely the best way I've heard it described 😂 Painful lesson but honestly these Aliexpress inverter listings are a minefield — same PCB...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Victron Multiplus keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
@ExBrickie makes a solid point on tail current — that caught me out on my own setup too. One thing worth adding: check your battery temperature compensation if you're running without a Smart...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Multiplus 2 three phase system and single phase generator
Been mulling over a similar setup to something I saw discussed recently and curious what others here have done. Currently running 3x Multiplus II 5000s in three-phase with a Cerbo GX (moved away...
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Swapped out the old fusebox on my Bayliner – what a nightmare
Done something similar on a narrowboat a couple of years back — not a Bayliner, but the principle's the same and honestly the marine environment just makes everything 10x harder than it should...
in Marine & Boat 4 months ago
Power cuts — what keeps your house going?
Good point from @SueThompson on the BMS side. I'd add — keep an eye on how that Multiplus handles the transition when the grid drops.
in Emergency & Backup Power 4 months ago