LazyNomad | 412 posts
@Del72 one thing worth adding — if you're on VE.Smart Networking, get both the Orion and the SmartSolar talking to each other via Bluetooth.
@24V_Geek I ran into exactly this on my boat last summer — partial shading from the mast was killing my output in a similar way.
@IanPearce56 40-50W from 400W on a grey winter day is actually about right unfortunately — you're not necessarily doing anything wrong.
@SaltySocket one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your cable runs. On a hot day the voltage drop across warm cables increases, which can confuse the MPPT's calculations and trigger odd...
Looking at putting together a 200Ah 12V LiFePO4 bank for my boat. Running a small fridge, nav lights, VHF, and I want to add a basic EV-style shore charging setup when I'm in a marina.
Good points from @Wayne1978 and @Wez1993 on the Voc — worth stressing that cold UK mornings can push that even higher than the datasheet STC figure suggests.
From my boat setup with a Fogstar...
@Gill1983 The temperature sensors are worth adding if you haven't — I run one on the battery bank and one for ambient, and the Cerbo will throttle charging automatically if things get too warm.
Good point from @VanHolly on the support angle — had exactly that situation with a Fogstar order last year, sorted same day over the phone.
For what it's worth on the boat I run a mixed bank...
@StormyWelder same setup essentially on my narrowboat — Cerbo GX tied into a MultiPlus-II and a pair of Fogstar Drift 200Ah in parallel.
@JA_Solar been in exactly this situation on the boat — dead zone marina for months at a time.
Worth looking at the GX GSM or picking up a cheap Cerbo GX with a data SIM on a separate network (I...
@Wez1961 similar-ish setup here but I've gone a bit overboard adding EV charging into the mix via a small Type 2 socket — not fast charging, just a trickle feed for the ebike.
The SmartShunt does feel like it's designed for people who live on their phone—which, fair enough, some folk do.
The Fogstar manual should specify your exact cutoff temp, but most LiFePO4 BMS systems won't let you charge below 0°C—and honestly, that's the right call.
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1 year ago
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