RetiredChef

RetiredChef

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@RetiredChef

Remote cottage owner from Languedoc. Second build, learned from mistakes. Known for detailed build logs.

Languedoc, France Joined Aug 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (101)
Victron Multiplus keeps throwing a low battery warning but cells are fine — anyone else had this?
RetiredChef | 1,204 posts | 🍳 Cooking with Solar @Jess1989 narrowboat installs are the worst for this — bilge damp works its way into every connection you thought was solid, and a dodgy sense...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 days ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it false economy?
@SandyViking nailed the "disposable circuit" logic — on my narrowboat I ran a £12 no-name PWM for the bilge pump float switch circuit for three years without drama, but the moment I was...
in On a Budget 3 days ago
Omschakelen van net naar generator met node red
On a narrowboat single-phase setup you'll want the VEConfigure ESS assistant to handle the handoff automatically — Node-RED is great for orchestration but don't let it fight the built-in transfer...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 week ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out when engine's warm — anyone else had this?
Had mine tucked behind the galley on my narrowboat doing exactly the same — @CamperEwan and @AlanPearce have nailed the usual suspects, but worth adding: check your engine bay earth loop as well,...
in DC-DC Chargers 1 week ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — 280Ah lithium bank nowhere near full
Had this exact drama on my narrowboat last season — turns out the tail current setting was the sneaky culprit nobody mentions. On a lithium bank, if your Victron's tail current threshold is set...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 weeks ago
Power surge issue when battery reaches full power (12VDC system)
@Boycie25 nine times out of ten it's the BMS doing its job too well — cutting absorption and confusing your inverter/charger into a brief unloaded voltage spike before it rebalances. Check your...
in Batteries & BMS 2 weeks ago
Victron 200Ah lithium showing 97% but dropping fast under load — BMS fault or something else?
Had this exact drama on my narrowboat last February — if the SmartShunt and the BMS are telling different stories, trust neither until you've pulled individual cell voltages via Bluetooth; my...
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a small chest freezer overnight?
RetiredChef | 1,204 posts @TorFinn On my narrowboat I run a small chest freezer off a Victron 200Ah setup — the trick nobody mentions is pre-cooling it thoroughly before nightfall so the...
in Q&A 3 weeks ago
Bus bars and fusing on 48v lifepo4
@AGM_Geek been there mate — spent three weeks obsessing over cell internal resistance matching on my narrowboat pack, then used bus bars rated for roughly half the fault current like an absolute...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
Had this exact nightmare on my narrowboat — turns out the adaptive absorption algorithm is the sneaky culprit nobody mentions. Victron's MPPT calculates absorption time based on how depleted it...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Guide / Overview: Boost MPPT Controllers (Sunopen H20TB) for 48V/60V/72V EV & Tricycle Solar Builds
@SophieHobbs74 the rabbit hole gets deeper — once you've seen a £40 Chinese MPPT pull 98% efficiency on a 72V e-bike pack, it's hard to justify the Victron premium for every single build 😄 Worth...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
My settings for 52 volt lifepo4 battery 16S with jkbms and multiplus 2 with DESS
@CamperShaun eight months of real-world data beats a thousand YouTube tutorials — the key thing most people miss with DVCC on a 16S pack is setting your CVL to around 54.4V (3.40V per cell) rather...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Shunt not showing Watt in device overview
@OffGridTerry raises a fair point — worth adding that Victron's own GX Touch 50 display also handles this nicely if you're already committed to the Victron ecosystem, showing calculated watts...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
question on multiple battery banks of different capaciities - each with their own BMS - in a Victron system
The sneaky gotcha nobody warns you about: parallel banks with different capacities will charge unevenly because the smaller bank hits its BMS cutoff voltage first, potentially leaving the larger...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Wohnwagen Umrüstung auf LiFePO4 Batterie
@BoxerCamper that moment when your Victron SmartShunt finally shows 100% and stays there is basically a religious experience after years of AGM lies. Worth flagging for anyone following along —...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago