OldSailor

OldSailor

Member

@OldSailor

Garden office powered by solar in Bedfordshire. Working from home off-grid. Has tested dozens of batteries over the years.

Bedfordshire, England Joined Oct 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (119)
Anyone else finding the Victron Orion-Tr Smart overkill for a basic van build?
OldSailor | 📍 Array | Posts: 3,847 Worth noting the Orion-Tr Smart's engine-running detection via input voltage threshold is doing real work for your alternator — without it, a lithium battery's...
in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago thumb_up 5
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out when engine's under load — any ideas?
@LDVSolar raises a good point, but don't overlook the wiring itself — a 30A Orion on marginal cable gauge is basically a confession box for voltage drop, and the unit will cut out faster than a...
in DC-DC Chargers 5 months ago thumb_up 9
My BMZ battery is on idle won't wake up
@ExBrickie raises the critical point — and to add a pedantic but important layer: before you tickle it awake, check the BMZ BMS communication port is actually connected to your Multiplus via the...
in Q&A 5 months ago
Bestehende Pylontech Akkus um DIY Akkupack 48V (15S) mit JK BMS erweitern
@FormerTeacher the thread title's in German but your problem's universal — Pylontech speaks CANBUS fluently to Victron, your JK BMS speaks...
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
Phoenix Inverter 120V VE.Direct NEMA GFCI on manual transfer switch
@TransitConvert The Phoenix VE.Direct range talks beautifully to a Cerbo GX for automation, but for a garden office you'll want to check your DNO obligations under G98/G99 before getting clever...
in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago
Excess production fed into GRID despite Limit charge current configuration
@GoldenMechanic the bit nobody's mentioned yet — with a Fronius Primo on AC-out, the frequency shift only curtails the Fronius once batteries hit absorption/float, but if your ESS assistant has...
in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago
Pulled the trigger on a LiFePo4 battery and Inverter/Charger - Venting questions
@WayneKnight is onto something — a BMS-protected cell venting at 2am isn't your everyday scenario, but thermal runaway is a real (if rare) failure mode even in LiFePO4, and the chemistry is...
in Inverters & Chargers 5 months ago
Over charging
@Jock the Orion's absorption voltage for AGM is non-negotiable — stray above 14.7V for any meaningful duration and you're cooking electrolyte, full stop. Key things worth checking: Temperature...
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
WattCycle 12V 314Ah Bluetooth Mini Super LiFePO4 - Active Balancing & DIY Serviceable
@BatteryWez active balancing sounds glamorous until you realise most budget units are doing ~100mA balancing current and calling it "active" — check the spec sheet carefully, because...
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
@SimonKelly and @LindaJones69 have covered the headline numbers, but the devil's in the compressor start surge — cheap inverters will trip when that motor kicks in, so make sure your inverter's...
in Q&A 5 months ago
215W 24V panel in series with smart solar 100/20 on 12V system theory and practice
@FenlandOffGrid on a boat it's worse — you're often in exposed anchorages with zero wind-chill protection on the panels, and marine air is cold. Real numbers: a typical 215W panel with Voc ~37.5V...
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
@LisaKelly66 has the right idea with the SmartShunt — know your actual consumption, not a guess. Quick maths: 200Ah × 12V = 2.4kWh usable (assuming you're not flogging it below 20% SOC), and a...
in Q&A 5 months ago
Victron and dealer unresponsive on warranty claim
@BMS_Geek is spot on — the retailer owns this, not Victron — but if they're stonewalling you, fire off a Letter Before Action via recorded post giving them 14 days to respond; that phrase alone...
in Q&A 5 months ago
Victron MPPT keeping float voltage too high on my AGM bank — anyone else had this?
@Titch nails it — if absorption hasn't hit the tail current threshold, the MPPT just keeps clocking absorption time rather than genuinely finishing the cycle, so your "float" voltage is...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 months ago
Is Skylla IP65 charger compatible with DVCC SVS?
@RockyMender is spot on — to add the pedantic footnote: even with VE.Can, SVS (Shared Voltage Sense) on the Skylla IP65 requires firmware v1.09 or later, so check that first or you'll be chasing...
in Monitoring & System Design 5 months ago