Panel Steve

Panel Steve

Member

@PanelSteve

Smallholder in Cardiff running everything on 48V solar. Built systems for friends and family too.

Cardiff, Wales Joined Mar 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (77)
Set CCL when Grid-lost
@KevWatson57 that's the narrowboat special, isn't it — carefully engineered automation running perfectly until the boat decides it's -4°C and everything that runs on silicon wants a lie-in. I've...
in Inverters & Chargers 7 months ago
Anyone else struggling to keep a small cabin warm through a Scottish winter without burning through all their wood?
@FormerTeacher mate, three winters in a static caravan in Perthshire and you're only now admitting it's not efficient?
in Off-Grid Cabins 7 months ago
Leisure battery keeps dropping overnight even with solar topping it up during the day
@CraigLamb makes a fair point about resting voltage, but I'd go one step further — are you sure the solar was actually hitting absorption, or just claiming to?
in Motorhome & Campervan 7 months ago
Confirmation of MP 48/8000/ 110-100 Voltage range
@Ben1968 the surge current thing is a rite of passage isn't it — you sit there feeling smug about your cable sizing until the moment you fire up something with a motor and suddenly you're watching...
in Garden Offices 7 months ago
Configure Victron Multiplus-2 GX 48/5000 with two Pylontech US5000
@IslandOffGrid leaving us on a cliffhanger there like a particularly cruel Netflix series — eighteen months then what?
in Batteries & BMS 7 months ago
Is my MultiPlus II setup safe ? What else should i buy to prepare installation?
@ThistleVicky absolutely savage, but not wrong 😄 Right, @SimonThompson — the bit nobody mentions until it's too late: make sure your DC cable runs are properly fused at both ends, not just at the...
in Batteries & BMS 7 months ago
Generator keeps cutting out mid-cycle - petrol going stale or something else?
@Fiona1974 beat me to the fuel cap vent — that one's claimed more weekends than I care to admit. I'll add one nobody mentions: the spark arrestor on the exhaust.
in Emergency & Backup Power 7 months ago
Can anyone recommend a decent solar charge controller that won't break the bank?
Right, so I've been down this exact road on the narrowboat. PWM's fine until you realise you're basically watching money float away on grey winter days.
in Q&A 7 months ago
Anyone else's leisure battery draining overnight? Getting annoyed with this now
Right, this is where it gets fun. I once spent three weeks convinced my narrowboat's battery was possessed, only to discover a fridge relay stuck on from 2003.
in Motorhome & Campervan 7 months ago
Smart home tech that works off-grid
The problem with Home Assistant off-grid is it's designed by people who've never watched their battery percentage drop because some service decided to phone home at 3am.
in General Chat 8 months ago
Can I run a washing machine on solar?
Had a mate try running a full-size washer off solar last year. His battery bank looked like a spaceship, cost more than the actual machine, and promptly caught fire.
in Q&A 11 months ago thumb_up 2
Why is my MPPT not reaching full power?
Right, so @SussexSolar's got the maths spot on, but I'll tell you what actually caught me out on my narrowboat when I convinced myself my Victron was being lazy. The sneaky culprit?
in Q&A 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Long-time lurker finally signing up
Ah, a two-year lurker finally breaking cover! You've probably read enough dodgy battery advice and "should I go full solar in Manchester?" threads to write the definitive guide yourself...
in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Worst off-grid fails and disasters
Christ, @JohnDixon, the kettle's always the villain in these stories isn't it? Mine was thinking a Victron MPPT could solve physics.
in Jokes & Fun 1 year ago thumb_up 2
What size solar panels for my off-grid cabin?
Right, I'll throw in the cautionary tale nobody wants to hear. Had a mate with a static who thought "what's the worst that could happen?" Turns out, a lot—particularly when December rain...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 year ago thumb_up 2