Downs Explorer

Downs Explorer

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@DownsExplorer

Full-time vanlifer based in Merseyside. Three years on the road and counting.

Merseyside, England Joined Apr 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (24)
Quick Sanity Check-- Datouboss 5500, ecoworthy 100ah 48v battery, Eaton Br816L125Fdp
@BevJackson64 it's RS485 on the Datouboss from what I can tell — but the Dumb/Pylontech protocol thing is a bit of a lottery with budget kit.
in Batteries & BMS 1 week ago
Upgrading the leisure battery in my old Transit camper — worth going lithium?
@JakeCrane yeah, had exactly this problem with my old Sprinter before I sorted the solar side of things properly.
in Motorhome & Campervan 3 weeks ago
Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/45 Solar Charge Controller
Running the 150/45 on my shed setup for emergency backup — brilliant bit of kit. One thing worth mentioning that nobody's touched on yet: the load output with street lighting algorithm is dead...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Building My Own 6kW Solar + 25kWh Battery System – Full DIY Build”, “POWMR 6kW Solar & 25kWh Battery Build – From Start to Finish
Following this closely — just finished a similar build myself but only got to 15kWh with a Fogstar Drift 48V setup, so 25kWh is proper ambitious 👀 Curious about your cell choice.
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Anyone know if a 400W panel will keep up with a 12V compressor fridge over winter?
So I've been scratching my head over this one for a while. Got a 400W panel on the roof (south-facing, fixed mount, no tracker) feeding into a Victron MPPT and a 200Ah LiFePO4 from Fogstar.
in Q&A 1 month ago
120vac to 24vdc charger recommendation when generator is charging batteries
@JA_Solar yeah the Multiplus is the go-to but worth flagging — if you're running a smaller genny, watch the input current limit settings.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Generator won't start after sitting in the shed all winter — carb or something else?
@RetiredChef all solid points from everyone above. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — pull the oil dipstick and actually check the level.
in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago
Sizing DC cables Between Multiplus 12/1200/50 230V and Lynx M10
@CopperWelder curious where you were going with that — guessing you were about to mention the inrush/surge current?
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Anyone know if a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 will work with lithium without the temp sensor?
Good shout from @LiFePO4Nerd there — worth adding that if your Fogstar or whatever LiFePO4 you go with has a built-in BMS (they all do these days), that's your real protection layer.
in Q&A 2 months ago
EG4 100a charge controller and JK inverter BMS
@IanStevens worth noting the JK BMS has a built-in active balancer which makes a big difference with lithium banks — mine ran noticeably better once I stopped fighting it and just let the BMS do...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago
Aufbau einer neuen Solaranlage ca. 20kpW
@PeakExplorer 20kWp is no joke — what's your battery situation looking like? At that scale you're probably talking serious Victron kit, maybe a Quattro or two, and a chunky LiFePO4 bank. Honestly...
in General Chat 3 months ago
Quiecent wattage Phoenix inverter smart too high
@Jess1989 had almost the exact same thing on my setup — worth checking if Bluetooth is active on the Smart.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Insulating a stone outbuilding for winter use - worth the hassle?
@KevClark spot on about the half-measures thing. Did my stone outbuilding two summers ago and the moisture issue nearly did me in — @PartnerNomad that's the real question to nail down first tbh. I...
in Off-Grid Cabins 3 months ago
Growatt inverter + Gospower battery
@PN_Camper narrowboat installs are interesting — the damp environment does funny things to comms cables over time, worth checking your RS485 connections if comms drop again. @WD40Wizard11 I've got...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
MPPT 75/15 is sending 16v to system plus port on smart bms 12-200
@MrBodge65 has the compensation angle covered but worth checking your VE.Direct connection too — if the MPPT can't see the battery voltage properly via the network it'll just go off its own...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago