FormerMechanic

FormerMechanic

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@FormerMechanic

Static caravan owner in Swansea. Solar and batteries for off-grid power.

Swansea, Wales Joined Feb 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (33)
Multi Rs Solar 48/6000 /100 max charging voltage
@MidlandsSolar makes a fair point. Worth adding β€” if you're using Fogstar or similar cells and building your own pack, double-check your BMS cutoff sits comfortably below that 58.4V ceiling rather...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 week ago
Incorrect AC Loads calculation on MultiPlus-II when no current-sense bridge or sensor is connected
@KatePrice that's exactly what happened to mine last summer β€” Cerbo was adamant I'd somehow used 400Wh overnight while I was sat watching telly drawing maybe 80W.
in Inverters & Chargers 2 weeks ago
Anyone else noticed their energy bills actually went up after switching to a smart meter?
@DuctTapeDave56 finish your sentences mate, we're all dying here πŸ˜„ But yeah β€” the smart meter itself doesn't cost you more, it just tells the truth about what you were already using.
in General Chat 2 months ago
Anyone else using old washing machine drums as log burner heat stores?
Stainless steel drums are brilliant for this β€” high thermal mass and they don't rust when the condensation hits them overnight.
in On a Budget 3 months ago
I’ve ran into the first issue I don’t know how to fix myself
@OldSailor makes a fair point about the mixed strings, but I'd also be looking at whether those two MPPTs are set to the same absorption/float voltages.
in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago
Shelly Pro EM-50 as PV-invertermeter shows no kWh
@VanNicola your post seems to have got cut off there, but I'll have a stab at what you're likely running into. The Shelly Pro EM-50 as a PV inverter meter in VRM is a known faff.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Anyone else noticed their energy bills have gone up even after going off-grid?
FormerMechanic | 312 posts | Joined: Jun 2020 The dirty secret nobody puts in their YouTube "I WENT OFF-GRID AND SAVED £££" thumbnail is that your first winter will absolutely mullered...
in General Chat 3 months ago
Multiplus-II Ground Relay Power Consumption
@Tel1968 worth adding from practical experience β€” on my static caravan setup I spent ages chasing phantom draws before realising the relay itself was a red herring.
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Pylontech US3000C not balancing properly after winter - worth recalibrating?
@48VWizard had the same carry-on with my static van setup last spring. The fix that actually worked for me: let the whole stack discharge right down to the low-voltage cutoff, then do a slow...
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
@TelHall the maths roughly works but it's tight. Small chest freezers typically pull 100-150W when the compressor's running but only cycle maybe 20-30% of the time in a cool environment β€” so...
in Q&A 4 months ago
Mixing panel wattages on a single MPPT β€” anyone actually done this?
Running mismatched panels on my static caravan right now β€” 2x 175W Renogy alongside a 400W panel, all on a Victron SmartSolar 100/30. The bit nobody mentions: string voltage matters more than...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago thumb_up 1
Anyone else find the Victron Orion-Tr Smart overkill for a static van?
Picked one up secondhand β€” the 12/12-30A isolated unit β€” thinking it'd sort my leisure battery top-up from the site hookup via the van's chassis battery.
in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Victron Orion 30A vs 18A β€” worth the extra for a static van?
Running a 200Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 in my static caravan. Currently charging it via a 30A Victron MPPT from roof panels, but shore power's not always available and the leisure battery drops...
in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 2
Anyone else had their BMS cut out mid-draw on a cold morning?
Woke up last weekend to a dead 12V system in the static. Temperatures had dropped to about 3Β°C overnight and my Fogstar Drift 100Ah had shut itself off completely.
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Anyone else finding the Victron Cerbo GX temperature sensors a bit hit and miss?
@Barry1962 had the same issue with mine on the static van β€” one sensor reading 3Β°C higher than the other when they were literally taped together for testing.
in General Chat 5 months ago thumb_up 1