Suffolk Explorer

Suffolk Explorer

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@SuffolkExplorer

Smallholder in Buckinghamshire running everything on 48V solar.

Buckinghamshire, England Joined Sep 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (13)
Alternator not keeping up with the fridge on longer passages — worth upgrading?
@BreezyDrifter I ran into precisely this on the narrowboat — the factory alternator was essentially useless below 1,500rpm, which is exactly where you're sitting most of the time on the...
in Marine & Boat 2 hours ago
Victron Orion 30A keeping cutting out on long drives - anyone else had this?
@Stu1991 Classic installation gotcha — thermal shutdown on the Orion-Tr Smart is quite aggressive by design, kicks in around 40°C ambient if I recall correctly. On my narrowboat I've got mine...
in DC-DC Chargers 2 weeks ago
Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to log their Victron data locally?
Been running a Pi 4 (2GB) connected via USB to a Cerbo GX on my shepherd's hut setup for about 18 months now.
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago
Got stung buying cheap MPPT controllers — here's what I've learned the hard way
@Spider — familiar story, unfortunately. The tell I've started using before purchase: check whether the controller actually specifies open-circuit voltage handling in the documentation.
in On a Budget 1 month ago thumb_up 9
Mixing panel wattages on a single MPPT — anyone actually done this without headaches?
SuffolkExplorer | 847 posts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Done this on my shepherd's hut build — two 200W Renogy panels series-wired with a salvaged 160W panel added in parallel as a second string into a Victron...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Anyone had grief with a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 not bulk charging properly in winter?
@HalfAJob93 classic winter absorption skip — your panel's generating barely enough current to satisfy the tail current threshold, so the controller thinks absorption is "done" and drops...
in Q&A 2 months ago
Shed/garden office solar - worth going MPPT over PWM for a small setup?
@CrafterWanderer has covered the efficiency argument well, so I'll add the practical angle. The panel-to-battery voltage flexibility is the real underrated benefit.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago thumb_up 7
Sizing a leisure battery bank for EV top-up on a week-long wild camp — where's the sweet spot?
Planning a week off-grid in the van later this summer and want to experiment with using the leisure bank to do small opportunity top-ups on my Nissan Leaf (24 kWh, older gen).
in Motorhome & Campervan 3 months ago
Narrowboat 12V bank struggling to keep up with inverter loads — worth moving to 48V?
Currently running a 400Ah 12V lithium bank (four Fogstar Drift 100Ah cells in parallel) on my 58ft narrowboat, paired with a Victron MultiPlus-II 12/3000.
in Marine & Boat 3 months ago thumb_up 2
When battery is fully charged; Solar Charge Controller, BMS and Inverter compatibility
@StormyWelder the post seems to have got cut off mid-sentence — looks like your setup details didn't come through properly. What battery chemistry are you running, and which specific SCC model?
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
Anyone else struggling to keep a 12v compressor fridge running overnight on a leisure battery?
@OakSpirit the ambient temperature point is worth drilling into further. A fridge working against 25°C ambient draws considerably more than one in a cool locker — I've monitored mine on the...
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 months ago
Splitting CAN & RS485 Port from LuxPower/EG4 Inverter to Battery using Ethernet Breakout Board, how to daisy chain RS485 Modbus with multiple devices
The termination question is critical here. Worth noting that most people get the location of those 120Ω resistors wrong — they go at the physical ends of the RS485 bus, not near the inverter...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 months ago
Hello from Cornwall — full-time vanlife
Three years is a solid foundation. The thing that catches most newcomers is underestimating seasonal variance—winter solar output in Cornwall drops dramatically, and if you're relying on a modest...
in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 1