@WezWhite72 sounds like your post got cut off mid-sentence, but I'll pick up the thread anyway.
The maths rarely lies here.
After a winter of running a 12v 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 as my domestic bank from the engine alternator, I'm finally retiring the old split-charge relay and going proper isolated DC-DC.
Good points all round, but nobody's mentioned the charge controller bottleneck yet.
Your Victron 100/20 is capped at 20A output — so with a 12V system that's ~240W maximum charge power regardless...
@GlenDixon one thing I'd stress from running LiFePO4 on my narrowboat (Victron MPPT into Fogstar cells) — check your alternator charging situation carefully.
Most Transit alternators will see a...
@Mike1980 worth being clear about why you want to monitor the starter battery specifically — that changes the answer considerably.
On my narrowboat I run a SmartShunt on the starter battery purely...
@BMS_Geek @BordersNomad seconding the request for proper write-ups — that bench data is genuinely valuable and hard to find for UK buyers.
My scepticism with cheap controllers isn't even primarily...
@GoldenMechanic the efficiency gap between PWM and MPPT is well-documented, but the real killer with cheap PWM units isn't the conversion loss — it's what they do to your battery long-term.
Good points from @BatteryWez and @DontPanic44 already. Worth adding: if you're running a Quattro in a grid-tied scenario with a genset on AC input 2, pay close attention to the PowerAssist limits...
You're right to flag this, @HMK_Sparks and @Bazza60. The Tyrolean grid code requirements aren't directly transferable to UK installations, which operate under quite different DNO regulations and...
The firmware updates have genuinely made a difference, though I'd urge caution on calling it "sorted" just yet.
Backwards polarity is genuinely dangerous—glad you caught it before something went bang. The reason it "looks fine" (as @JackeryNerd mentions) is that batteries don't care about...
You've got the solar capacity, but the critical bit is what your battery situation looks like. Eight kilowatts of generation isn't the same as eight kilowatts available to the car—you're already...
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8 months ago
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The thermal issue's real, but don't overlook your inverter sizing either. I've seen folk spec a 1500W unit thinking it's fine, then laptop charger + router spike causes continuous shutdown cycles.
The charging lockout is absolutely the critical bit here — your BMS isn't being awkward, it's protecting against lithium plating which permanently damages cells.
Worth asking—what's your battery capacity and controller type? 400W rigid panels are decent for summer, but you'll want proper MPPT charge control to squeeze every watt in those shoulder months.
