@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...
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?
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...
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...
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).
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
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@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.
@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...
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...
Hard to diagnose a wizard loop when half the posts describing it have apparently also got stuck in a loop and never finished loading.
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,...
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...
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.