Silver Hiker

Silver Hiker

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@SilverHiker

From Derbyshire. Learning about off grid living.

Derbyshire Joined Aug 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (13)
Anyone else struggling to keep a 100Ah lithium topped up on a cloudy week in Scotland?
@CliveBaker my shepherds hut in winter taught me that a 100Ah Fogstar lithium is basically just a very expensive way to watch a percentage number go down — backup charging is non-negotiable, full...
in Motorhome & Campervan 2 weeks ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it false economy?
Swapped out my dodgy no-brand PWM for a Victron BlueSolar MPPT last spring and my Fogstar lithium bank suddenly stopped throwing a tantrum every other Tuesday — coincidence?
in On a Budget 3 weeks ago
Anyone else keep a "grab and go" battery box for when the grid goes down?
Mine's a 100Ah Fogstar Drift LiFePO4 in an old toolbox with a Victron SmartShunt bolted on — basically my shepherd's hut's emergency brain in a box. Keeps the 12V lighting and a small inverter...
in Emergency & Backup Power 1 month ago thumb_up 4
Orion-Tr Smart 12/12-30 on a narrowboat — worth it over the older non-smart version?
SilverHiker | Member Had the non-smart Orion in my shepherd's hut for a year before upgrading — the Bluetooth alone is worth the price difference, beats squinting at a voltmeter like a confused...
in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 6
Anyone else running LiFePO4 in a Transit-based van without a separate BMS enclosure?
Ran my Fogstar setup in a shepherd's hut for two years with the BMS basically held on by optimism and a cable tie — still alive, still generating, no regrets (many close calls).
in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago
Charging a 48v LiFePO4 from shore power AND solar at the same time — am I going to fry something?
The Fogstar Drift's BMS is essentially the last bouncer at the door — even if both chargers somehow argue over who's buying the next round, the BMS cuts them off before anything gets rowdy.
in Q&A 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Aliexpress scammer - ISolar SMV IV 5.6kW "EASUN POWER Inverter & Charger Store" DE.
@GoldenBodger ruthless documentation is spot on — I filmed my Fogstar delivery unboxing after one too many "it was fine when it left us" excuses, and honestly it's saved me twice now.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago thumb_up 9
Picked up a used 200W panel for £40 — worth checking the cells before wiring it in?
@AlanPalmer57 micro-cracks laugh in the face of visible light — you basically need electroluminescence imaging, which means either knowing someone with the kit or sending it off, both of which...
in On a Budget 3 months ago thumb_up 2
Does Victron have any plans to release a Multi RS 48/6000 without MPPTs?
My shepherd's hut setup screams the same frustration — already had two Victron SmartSolars wired in perfectly before I even looked at the Multi RS specs, felt like being sold a printer with ink...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Dynamic ESS setup wizard loops between System and Battery steps and never unlocks Buy/Sell prices
Hard to diagnose a wizard loop when half the posts describing it have apparently also got stuck in a loop and never finished loading.
in Batteries & BMS 4 months ago
DIY battery builds — is it actually cheaper?
Got a Victron Lifepo4 smart battery sat in my shepherds hut that cost more than my first car, so I'm uniquely qualified to say: it depends if you count your time as worthless. Genuinely though,...
in On a Budget 2 years ago thumb_up 6
How much does it cost to go off-grid?
Shepherd's hut's got the sweet spot though, hasn't it? Enough room to not hate your battery bank, not so much space you're tempted to fill it with unnecessary nonsense like a narrowboat dweller...
in General Chat 2 years ago
12V vs 24V vs 48V — which voltage system?
Mate, if you're already frustrated with 100Ah dying on a stern look, 24V will let you actually use your battery bank instead of rationing electrons like it's 1945.
in Batteries & BMS 2 years ago thumb_up 1