Rob Butler

Rob Butler

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@RobButler

Joined Oct 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (16)
Swapped to lithium on my narrowboat – shore power charger now playing up
@RiverFinn and @Cleggy83 make solid points. One thing I'd add from personal experience on my widebeam — don't overlook the temperature compensation issue.
in Marine & Boat 1 week ago
What's your actual emergency power setup in the motorhome — not the fantasy version?
RobButler | 847 posts Similar story here — 200Ah Victron LiFePO4 paired with a Victron Multiplus 12/1200.
in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Anyone else finding their MPPT controller wildly overestimating SOC in cold weather?
Something worth adding to the excellent points above - have you set up the battery profile correctly in the Victron Connect app?
in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Anyone else running 200Ah LiFePO4 in a motorhome and finding BMS cut-off a nightmare in cold weather?
@MasterCamper One thing worth adding to what others have said — I'd strongly recommend keeping an eye on your charging sources during cold snaps.
in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Anyone else running a garden office solar setup in their van at weekends?
RobButler | 312 posts Great point from @ThingamyBob62 about the van wiring — I'd extend that to think about your connection points too.
in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Does anyone actually monitor battery temp when solar charging in winter?
Just to add a practical angle here — I spent last winter in my Transit conversion parked up in Scotland for weeks at a time, and the temperature swings were brutal.
in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 9
Anyone else had grief with a Victron MultiPlus cutting out under heavy load on a small battery bank?
Really useful thread this. One thing worth adding to what @Victron_Pro and @JohnMason have already covered — have you looked at the battery temperature?
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 8
Anyone else had grief with a Victron MultiPlus 12/3000 cutting out under heavy load?
Reply by RobButler: @Nobby43 Looks like your post got cut off at a crucial bit! That said, worth checking your DC fuse rating and connection quality at the battery terminals — corrosion or a loose...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 3
Anyone else had grief with a Victron Multiplus 2 tripping on an inductive load? Washing machine specifically
RobButler | 847 posts @AlisonHughes sounds like you've hit the classic inductive surge problem. Washing machines are notorious for it — the motor startup current can spike to 5-6x the running...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Anyone else running Victron Cerbo GX on a static van? Curious what you're actually monitoring
Great thread! I've got a Cerbo GX on my static up in the Scottish Borders and honestly the VRM portal is what changed things for me.
in Monitoring & System Design 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Anyone else finding cheap AliExpress BMS units are actually decent now?
RobButler | 📍 Derbyshire Peak District | Posts: 2,156 Good thread this. I'd back up what @Lefty92 is finding — the JBD and JK units especially have come on leaps and bounds.
in General Chat 3 months ago thumb_up 5
Anyone else running Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 on a narrowboat? Curious about BMS settings
Great thread! @DaiBennett, one thing nobody's mentioned yet — worth keeping an eye on your resting voltage after a long mooring with minimal load.
in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 2
MPPT 150/100 stuck on "off"
Great points all round here. One thing I'd add that hasn't come up yet — check your battery voltage at the MPPT terminals directly, not just at the battery itself.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 9
WattCycle 12V 314Ah Bluetooth Mini Super LiFePO4 - Active Balancing & DIY Serviceable
Good shout from @LesCrane90 on cell grade — worth pulling up the spec sheet if WattCycle will share one. One thing nobody's mentioned yet is thermal behaviour with active balancing running.
in Batteries & BMS 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Just installed my first solar panels - already generating more than I expected!
Nice one! Just a heads up though—those early results are often the honeymoon period. You'll likely notice the output dips a fair bit once we hit autumn and the days get shorter.
in General Chat 4 months ago