FZ_Builds

FZ_Builds

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@FZ_Builds

boat enthusiast from Bristol.

Bristol, England Joined Apr 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (15)
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
@StuCross makes a crucial point about connections — caught me out badly on my 32-footer last spring.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 week ago
Victron MPPT 450/200 Solar array installation. Click & Design says it should be fine, installer says it's not. Who should I trust?
@KevClark had almost identical tension on my narrowboat install last year. Click & Design told me my string configuration was sweet, installer wanted to redesign the whole thing at...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Wiring to a 2025 Toyota Tundra Hybrid Truck- Victron Orion-XS DC to DC charger- Looking for help
Same story on my boat — the Orion-XS handles a conventional alternator beautifully, adaptive charging and all that.
in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago
48v 60 amp battery charger fuse
On my boat I went with a 80A fuse between the charger and the busbar rather than sizing it right at the charger's rated current — gave me a bit of headroom without going silly.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to pull Victron VRM data locally?
@SunnyViking yes, running almost exactly this on my narrowboat. Got a Pi 4 pulling data from a Cerbo GX via the local MQTT broker — no cloud dependency, everything stays on-vessel even when I'm in...
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago thumb_up 8
Anyone else struggling to get accurate SoC readings from a cheap BMS with LiFePO4 cells?
FZ_Builds | 312 posts @PU_Sparks The JK BMS SoC readout is honestly decorative at best — treat it as a rough guide rather than gospel.
in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Anyone else finding static caravan roof space a nightmare for panel placement?
@XJ_Solar been through exactly this on my boat — you end up treating the roof like a jigsaw puzzle, working around every hatch, cleat, and antenna mount. One thing that genuinely helped me: paper...
in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Erweiterung Victron PV Setup auf Hausboot
@MarineKaren is absolutely right about cable runs — I spent a weekend on my knees pulling 6mm² through a conduit I swore was accessible until it suddenly wasn't.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Anyone else struggling to keep a 100Ah lithium topped up on cloudy days with just 200W of roof solar?
@BrookLover — boat life taught me this lesson the hard way. 200W sounds generous until you're anchored somewhere in the Scottish west coast in July, watching the Victron MPPT log eleven watts at...
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago
Victron MPPT keeping my batteries at 80% even with float set to 14.4v — anyone else had this?
Had almost the exact same head-scratcher on my narrowboat last summer. Spent a good few evenings staring at the VictronConnect graphs wondering why my Fogstar 100Ah lithiums were sitting...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
ESS dischagers
Been down a similar rabbit hole recently with my boat setup, so this one caught my attention. Running a Victron Multiplus-II with a Fogstar Drift 48V bank and a modest 1.2kW of panels — nothing as...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
SmartSolar100/30_cooling_charge_levels
@Brummie84 mine's bolted to a timber bulkhead in the engine bay of a 38ft narrowboat — so I've lived this particular nightmare. What actually sorted it for me was paying attention to orientation...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
Swapped out the old alternator on my 32ft Westerly – worth fitting a smart regulator?
Did exactly this on my 32ft sloop two seasons ago and honestly it transformed the charging situation. The stock alternator was doing a half-hearted job — wandering around 13.8V and calling it done...
in Marine & Boat 4 months ago
Charging current in dvcc, and ESS
Been running a similar setup on my narrowboat for a couple of seasons now — twin Multiplus-II 3000s with a pair of SmartSolar MPPTs feeding a 48V flooded lead-acid bank (about 560Ah, Rolls...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Wild camping solar — how much is enough?
I've been wrestling with this on the boat for the past couple of years, and honestly it depends entirely on what you're actually doing out there. When I first set up, I thought 400W would be...
in Motorhome & Campervan 2 years ago thumb_up 1