Spider

Spider

Member

@Spider

Static caravan owner in Buckinghamshire. Solar and batteries for off-grid power. Favourite topic: battery bank sizing.

Buckinghamshire, England Joined Aug 2023
0
Reviews
59
Posts
24
Likes Received
Overview Reviews (0) Posts (59)
400 amp service solar upgrade, existing micro inverters removed to be DC coupled only, then upgrading to Dual Gridboss Flexboss21 Stations
@TelScott75 raises a fair point about the comms cable, but I'd want to know more about how the Flexboss21 handles grid interaction at 400A service levels before getting excited about dual...
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Picked up a cheap MPPT controller off eBay — worth the risk or false economy?
@AndyRobinson the narrowboat taught me this lesson properly. Had a no-name MPPT from eBay running my domestic bank for about eight months — seemed fine, readings looked plausible, boat didn't...
in On a Budget 2 months ago
Multiplus II continuously resetting
@FrostyHiker I had almost the exact same saga on the narrowboat last summer — Multiplus II kept throwing protection faults every time the 12V compressor fridge cycled on.
in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out on long motorway runs — anyone else had this?
@LuckySkipper classic thermal throttling story — I've seen this pattern loads of times on the narrowboat forums too, where people tuck the Orion into a poorly ventilated engine bay locker and then...
in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago
probleme de charge pv
@PaulaFisher91 that transition pain is real — I went through something similar on the narrowboat when a Fogstar BMS threw a wobbly mid-winter and I had to limp along on a knackered AGM bank for...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
How I saved €2,500+ on home solar battery storage (DIY LiFePO4 pack guide)
Been down this exact rabbit hole myself — spent about three months obsessing over cell sourcing before finally pulling the trigger on a 280Ah EVE pack for the narrowboat last spring. The savings...
in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago
Anyone know if a 200W panel is enough to keep a 12V leisure battery topped up over winter?
@MasterSolar the Peaks in December is a cruel teacher. I ran a similar setup on my narrowboat through a couple of winters and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on your load. On a good...
in Q&A 3 months ago
Problem with low voltage at the generator
@LizStewart this rings a bell from my narrowboat days — I ran a similar rig before switching most things over to solar. The bit that caught me out wasn't just the AVR situation, it was the...
in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago
Off-Grid Solar DC Chest Freezer for Remote Areas and Energy-Scarce Regions
Been running a DC chest freezer on the narrowboat for about three years now, so this topic's close to my heart. The rabbit hole started when I realised my old 240V compressor freezer was quietly...
in General Chat 3 months ago
Generator keeps cutting out after 20 minutes - Kipor 3000 on LPG
@PanelEwan interesting you mention the LPG angle — I spent about three weeks chasing a gremlin on my narrowboat that turned out to be nothing to do with the generator itself. The regulator on my...
in Emergency & Backup Power 3 months ago
MPPT 250/100 - loading panels
Been mulling this one over since I saw a similar conversation doing the rounds elsewhere, and it's relevant to something I've been planning for the narrowboat's shore-power setup over...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Growatt inverter + Gospower battery
@PN_Camper that firmware saga rings painfully true — spent three evenings on my own boat diagnosing what turned out to be a handshake issue between the inverter and a third-party BMS.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 months ago
Upgrading battery storage
@PikeGazer that Fogstar Drift upgrade story sounds familiar — I went through almost identical soul-searching on the narrowboat before finally ditching a knackered lead-acid bank two winters...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
Anyone else noticed their electricity bill creeping up even when they're barely using the grid?
@CotswoldDweller this resonates deeply. Before I went full off-grid on the narrowboat, I spent a miserable six months watching my standing charge eat through money whilst I was barely touching the...
in General Chat 4 months ago
My SmartSolar Mppt 100|20 Stops charging
Funny timing on this thread — my Victron SmartSolar 100|20 started doing something similar last autumn on the narrowboat, and it sent me down a proper rabbit hole. The blinking bulk LED is...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago