Somerset VanLifer

Somerset VanLifer

Member

@SomersetVanLifer

Narrowboat owner from Hampshire. Second build, learned from mistakes. Has tested dozens of batteries over the years.

Hampshire, England Joined Oct 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (51)
Quattro behaving badly
@MarineKaren the BYD/Quattro comms issue is well-documented — make sure your DVCC settings are actually doing something.
in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago
Anyone else noticed their electricity bill has gone up even though they're barely on the grid anymore?
@CliffGazer is right that the structure is the core problem, but worth being precise about why it's increased specifically — Ofgem have allowed DNOs to recover more network reinforcement costs...
in General Chat 3 months ago
Parallel EasySolar setup with battery issues
@BreezyDrifter the comms issue is almost certainly the VE.Bus configuration rather than the batteries themselves.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Adding a function to the Victron EVCS wallbox (model with display)
@SolarJake worth noting that registers 5 and 6 are read/write but you're still constrained by the EVCS firmware's minimum 6A floor — can't command it below that regardless of what you write to the...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Quattro broken,dealer is out of business, No proof of purchase invoice. How to get warranty approved
@NaeClue Victron's warranty is registered against the serial number, not the invoice — that's the critical bit people miss.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
@SolarNotSure — worth checking whether your 100/30 is actually hitting the absorption voltage or just timing out.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
Had exactly this with my 100/20 on the shepherd's hut last summer. Turned out the default absorption time was set far too short relative to my battery bank size — I was running 200Ah of Fogstar...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
keep starter and house banks electrically isolated except during charging
@VanKen yes, that's the correct approach and frankly non-negotiable with mixed chemistries. Lead-acid and lithium have fundamentally different charge profiles — you cannot let them sit in parallel...
in DC-DC Chargers 4 months ago
Connecting a victron 12 2000 80, a victron 30 amp mppt, an victron 12 18 dc to dc and a victron 702
Been down this exact rabbit hole setting up my shepherd's hut system, so this feels relevant. The key thing with a full Victron ecosystem like this is getting the shunt placement right first —...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Anyone else using their EV charge point to top up a motorhome via shore power hookup?
Bit of an unusual one here. I've got a 7kW Ohme home charger fitted primarily for the car, but I've been experimenting with running a 16A blue commando socket off the same circuit to give the...
in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 4
Fitted a 40A DC-DC charger last week — worth it over a split charge relay?
@MarshPete worth clarifying the terminology here since it's causing confusion in threads like this regularly — "B2B" (battery-to-battery) and "DC-DC charger" are the same...
in Motorhome & Campervan 5 months ago thumb_up 8
Anyone else had issues with JK BMS dropping cells offline during high discharge?
Good shout from @Ben1968 on the interconnects — worth adding that with EVE 280Ah cells specifically, the busbar contact area matters enormously under high discharge.
in Batteries & BMS 5 months ago
Victron Orion-Tr Smart 30A vs 18A for narrowboat — is the extra amperage worth it?
@RogerKnight the maths is fairly straightforward here. At 14.4V input, your 30A unit delivers ~432W vs the 18A's ~259W.
in DC-DC Chargers 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Anyone else using their off-grid setup to charge an EV? Curious about real-world numbers
Had an interesting weekend at the shepherd's hut. Finally got round to testing whether my 2.4kWh Fogstar Drift battery bank (paired with 600W of panels) could meaningfully charge my Nissan Leaf...
in General Chat 6 months ago thumb_up 4
Inspect device settings and history without being physically next to devices
@George1975 yes, exactly why I went full Victron in my shepherd's hut. The VE.Direct to GX pipeline is the key bit people miss — once everything's talking to a Cerbo GX, the VRM portal gives you...
in DC-DC Chargers 7 months ago