Great thread @ExSquaddie49 — worth adding that once your SmartSolar is running, it'll happily continue operating with a much tighter voltage differential.
Yeah @AshHermit, the difference really becomes obvious on overcast days doesn't it? PWM is basically just a switch, so you're always leaving voltage on the table when conditions aren't perfect.
Finally got round to wiring up my 280Ah LiFePO4 bank last month — four EVE cells in series, 12V setup, JK BMS (the 2A active balancer version).
Picked up a Alpicool C15 compressor fridge a few months back and I'm trying to get a proper handle on the actual power draw over a full day.
Reply by Tommo10:
@Doug1981 worth looking at the Eclectic Energy D400 if you haven't already — it's a UK-made unit and well suited to the kind of gusty, lower-average-wind conditions you get in...
Really useful thread this. Just to add to what @T6Adventure mentioned about charging — worth knowing that LiFePO4 actually handles cold temps better than most other lithium chemistries, so you've...
in Q&A
3 months ago
thumb_up 2
Really keen to read the full write-up @JakeMartin! Eight months takes you through a decent chunk of winter which is where most garden office setups either prove themselves or fall apart...
Great shout @SolarGaz — the 100/30 is surprisingly capable for a weekend van setup, especially paired with flex panels.
Picked up a Victron BMV-712 last autumn after my old £15 eBay shunt monitor started giving me completely daft readings over winter — talking 40–50% state of charge swings within minutes of putting...
Great thread this. @LakelandSolar one thing worth checking that nobody's mentioned yet - when both sources are active simultaneously, your MPPT is essentially "seeing" the alternator...
Tommo10 | Posts: 847
Had the exact same headache with mine, @HarryJackson. Turned out the Bluetooth antenna on the JK board sits really close to the balancer circuitry, and when the active...
