Good question @Tel1968 - the ground relay itself consumes negligible power, it's essentially just a contactor that's either open or closed.
So I've been running a 280Ah LiFePO4 pack I built myself earlier this year, and after frying a £12 no-name BMS in the first month I bit the bullet and grabbed a Daly 100A smart BMS off AliExpress...
Davo2 | 847 posts
@DorsetSolar completely agree on the cable losses front - the physics just don't lie once you're pushing serious current.
Davo2 | 847 posts
@WildWanderer Yes, absolutely viable but the UK weather is your friend here more than you'd think - compressor fridges actually work harder in heat, so our grey summers help...
Good thread. @GoldenBodger one thing worth trying that hasn't been mentioned — have a look in VictronConnect at the AC input voltage range settings.
Finally got round to upgrading the van's charging setup last week. Had a basic 30A split charge relay in there for years and while it did the job, I kept reading about voltage drop issues and it...
Picked up a Honda EU22i a few months back as a winter fallback when the panels just aren't pulling enough.
Davo2 | 📍 East Midlands | ⚡ Garden Office & Workshop
Worth adding that the Multiplus-II 48V also gives you a much cleaner upgrade path if you ever want to expand battery capacity down the...
@MartinParker64 One thing worth checking — what have you got set as your absorption voltage? If it's set a touch low (say 13.8V or thereabouts), a nearly-full lithium can hold the battery at that...
Adding to what @LazySparky was getting at — the reduced charge acceptance in the cold isn't just a capacity issue, it's worth watching your actual charge rate carefully.
Great thread. Just to add a practical note — if you go the DC-DC route as @WattTony and @Compo_7207 suggest, make sure you're sizing it sensibly for your actual starter battery maintenance needs.
Good points from @Compo, @Spider12 and @SaltyMaker — covering the chemistry and temperature issues well.
