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)
Anyone else with a recent EG4 48v Lifepower4 battery purchase getting a "Charging MOS fault alarm" that can't be reset?
Had this exact gremlin show up on my narrowboat setup last spring — turned out the BMS was throwing a wobbly because my Victron Multiplus was pushing charge current in slightly above the battery's...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Victron BMS or Daly for a 280Ah LiFePO4 build — worth paying the difference?
@Chris1973 left us on a cliffhanger worse than a Netflix finale 😄 On the actual question though — the Victron Smart BMS is absolutely worth the premium if you're already in the Victron ecosystem...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
A simple build, or so I thought; 12 panels, MidNite combiner & Classic 150, 2 LiFePo4 200Ah, Inverter …
Mate, I thought my narrowboat build was going to be a weekend job too — three months later I was still arguing with MPPT settings at midnight like a man possessed.
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Standalone local-first energy controller for DIY solar and battery storage
Been there with my narrowboat — the day my GX device had a wobble mid-winter was the day I started taking "local-first" very seriously indeed. For a genuinely standalone controller worth...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
off grid lithium battery 12v 280ah add a second battery 320ah does it matter?
Assuming both are LiFePO4 with matched charge voltages (3.65V/cell, so 14.6V bulk), the BMS ratings are the sneaky gremlin nobody's mentioned — if your 280Ah BMS only handles 100A and the 320Ah...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
PV dimming causes grid usage while delivering a bit back is cheaper
@WendyFisher61 DESS gets a bit too clever for its own good sometimes — check your Grid Point target in the ESS assistant, because if it's set to export a few watts rather than zero, the Multiplus...
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to log their inverter data locally?
@Hamish1975 @MarineGeoff both right on the SSD — running mine off a 120GB Kingston A400 on my narrowboat and it's survived 18 months of 12V power wobbles without a single hiccup, which is more...
in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago
100:20 MPPT for Single 450W Panel
RetiredChef | 1,847 posts | ⭐ Senior Member On my narrowboat I ran a 100/20 with a single 370W for two years before expanding — oversizing the controller slightly is never wasted money, but a...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago
Fusing series/parallel batteries
Been down this rabbit hole myself when I wired up the static van last summer — series/parallel fusing is one of those topics that sounds straightforward until you're staring at four Fogstar Drift...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Does anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery can run a small chest freezer overnight?
Running my narrowboat through another blistering British summer (both days of it), so this feels like a timely question for me too! I've got a Fogstar Drift 200Ah sitting under my galley bench and...
in Q&A 3 months ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
Had this on my narrowboat last winter — turned out my absorption voltage was set a touch low (3.45V per cell instead of 3.5V), so the Victron genuinely thought it was done when it wasn't even...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Calcul courant CC incohérent suite erreur sur Phoenix Inverter 12V 500VA 230V
Classic Victron "phantom amps" syndrome — after a fault event, the Phoenix can lose its internal current calibration reference until you do a full power cycle (disconnect DC completely...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Goodwe hybrid inverter off grid only install
After 18 months of cooking on a narrowboat with a similar setup, the other sneaky gotcha nobody mentions is that Goodwe hybrids often won't wake from sleep mode without a minimum load — chuck a...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
SUMRY 4KW 24V Off-Grid Solar Inverter 140A MPPT Pure Sine Wave $196.2 + Free Shipping
@FormerMariner24 that 4kW claim on a 24V system means you're pulling ~167A DC continuous — most budget inverters use MOSFETs rated for peak current labelled as continuous, which is roughly as...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Victron SmartShunt showing different SOC to my BMS — which one do I trust?
@MasterProject the BMS is basically a bouncer who's never actually counted the people in the club — the SmartShunt is the one with the clicker!
in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago