Running 200Ah myself in the shepherds hut and it's been solid through winter. Worth checking if your actual draw justifies it though — I sized mine on worst-case December usage.
The real question is what you're running through those winter months. 500W on a boat in December is actually not terrible if you're managing loads properly — I've seen folk with twice your panel...
Sticking with your Fogstars is definitely the right call here. The real issue isn't just the BMS disagreeing — it's that you lose any warranty support the moment you mix brands.
Real world - that 200Ah won't get you as far as the specs suggest. Friidge draw varies wildly depending on ambient temp, insulation, and how often the compressor cycles.
I've got a similar Fogstar...
The reality is it works brilliantly for some families and absolutely doesn't for others — there's no middle ground, really.
What I've found with my shepherds hut setup is that it's sustainable if...
Voltage drop's the real culprit nobody talks about until it's too late. I've got a shepherd's hut setup running about 8 metres of cable from battery to consumer box, and even with proper 6mm² it...
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