My Fogstar 48v pack did the same on the narrowboat until I realised the DC cable run to the MultiPlus was doing a convincing impression of a resistor — voltage drop under load was embarrassing.
@TelHall mate your Fogstar bank would laugh at general loads then absolutely weep when an EV rocks up demanding 7kW — that's like asking a narrowboat battery to tow a cruise ship 🚢
Your 4×200Ah at...
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3 months ago
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Had exactly this on my narrowboat last winter and it turned out to be the bilge pump float switch sitting just slightly too low — triggering a tiny but constant draw all night like a very...
Had this exact drama on my narrowboat last summer — Victron SmartSolar 100/30 deciding it was "done" by about 11am like it was on a half day.
Turned out my battery voltage sense was the...
@RiverFinn mine did the same on my static — turned out the Renogy was basically napping every time a cloud drifted past, whereas my Victron SmartSolar just gets on with it like a proper northerner...
@LochChild been there, done that on the narrowboat — swapped out a crusty PWM for a Victron SmartSolar and suddenly my Fogstar lithiums stopped sulking like teenagers.
Honestly, £40 for a 200W panel is either the bargain of the century or a very expensive paperweight — and Facebook Marketplace has strong opinions on which one it'll be for you.
From my narrowboat...
MPPT's the way forward if you're expanding — PWM's like trying to charge your phone with a potato, decent enough until it isn't.
Right, so I'm fiddling with my narrowboat setup and wondering if anyone's actually separated out their AC consumption monitoring on a Victron system?
The coffee machine comment was genuinely my best work, cheers @24V_Queen for the validation. But seriously, once you've got your simultaneous loads figured out, don't forget about the inverter...
The coffee machine is both, depending on how grumpy you are before your first cup. Seriously though, I'd add "what's your upload speed requirement" to the essentials list — nothing worse...
Flexibles are brilliant if you've got curved surfaces or weight anxiety, but yeah, they're the efficiency tax you pay for convenience—I've got some Renogy ones bodged onto my caravan roof and...
The real ones know Black Friday discounts on quality solar kit are about as common as a sunny day in November—mostly hype, innit.
For me it's less about being totally disconnected and more about not panicking when the grid goes down—which in my static caravan means "never." Solar + batteries + knowing your limits...
Right, seasonal variance is the elephant in the room nobody wants to acknowledge until December rolls around and you're rationing leccy like it's the 70s.
