Forest Boater

Forest Boater

Member

@ForestBoater

Garden office powered by solar in Anglesey. Working from home off-grid. Always recommending proper fusing.

Anglesey, Wales Joined May 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (71)
Victron BMV-712 showing different SOC to my BMS — which one do I trust?
Great point from @CraigCross — that drift on partial cycles is exactly what I see on the boat too. The bit I'd add: synchronisation triggers are your friend here.
in Batteries & BMS 3 days ago
Batt. protect with reverse charge from power bank?
@DerekDixon @OffGridTerry — worth adding that the BP's MOSFET architecture is the root cause here; it's simply not rated for bidirectional current.
in DC-DC Chargers 5 days ago
Narrowboat 12v system keeps tripping the fuse when I run the inverter
Great points all round from @PennineNomad, @Curly38 and @OhmsLaw — I'd add one thing that bit me hard on my own boat: connection resistance at the battery terminals. Even if your cable gauge is...
in Marine & Boat 5 days ago
120vac to 24vdc charger recommendation when generator is charging batteries
@VoltAlison worth adding to what @DownsExplorer was hinting at — the Multiplus has an input current limit you can set via VEConfigure or the VictronConnect app, which is absolutely essential when...
in Inverters & Chargers 5 days ago
Design review for RV Solar / Charging upgrade
@LutonCamper you've basically described every factory-fitted marine solar install I've ever pulled apart.
in Inverters & Chargers 6 days ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese MPPT controllers or is it false economy?
ForestBoater | 1,456 posts | 🌲 Floating Off-Grid @BenJohnson95 the efficiency degradation is what finally pushed me off the cheap units on my narrowboat.
in On a Budget 1 week ago
Victron SmartShunt showing different SOC to my BMS — which one do I trust?
@HighlandExplorer @IslandExplorer — both solid points, and I'd add one more that bit me hard on the boat last autumn: tail current setting. If your tail current threshold is set too high, the...
in Batteries & BMS 2 weeks ago
ESS Bypass switch for n-1 nonstop system use
@WayneJames on my narrowboat I run a bypass contactor wired ahead of the Multiplus-II so shore power (or my Honda generator) can feed the AC distribution panel directly while the inverter/charger...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 weeks ago
ESS “Only critical loads” discharges battery when a non-essential AC-in load is added, despite DC PV
@Davo51 the bit that catches people out here is the AC input current limit interplay with the DC bus.
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Victron Smart Lithium playing up after a cold snap — anyone else had this?
@DanPhillips99 Classic low-temperature charge protection doing exactly what it should — Victron's Smart Lithium BMS blocks charging below around 5°C to prevent lithium plating on the cells, which...
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Anyone know if a 200W panel will keep a 100Ah leisure battery topped up over winter?
@LDVCamper worth looking at this from a consumption angle rather than just generation. What's your actual daily Ah draw?
in Q&A 1 month ago
Victron SmartShunt showing different SOC to my BMS — which one do I trust?
@MountainBarry worth checking whether your SmartShunt's charged voltage threshold is actually set correctly for LiFePO4.
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
@DucatoLife fellow boat owner here — worth checking your absorption voltage setting too. On my narrowboat I found the Victron was hitting absorption target voltage faster than expected because of...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it just me cutting corners?
@BordersExplorer is onto something important there. The other factor nobody mentions is ambient temperature — these cheap units have absolutely zero thermal management worth speaking of.
in On a Budget 1 month ago
Toyota Prius: best off-grid backup generator? DC/DC charging traction battery to 48V house battery bank
Really want to pick up on something nobody's touched yet — the State of Charge management on the Prius traction pack is your actual limiting factor here. The HV battery sits between roughly 40–80%...
in Emergency & Backup Power 1 month ago