Tracy Allen

Tracy Allen

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@TracyAllen

Smallholding owner from Brecon. Second build, learned from mistakes. Writes guides for beginners.

Brecon, Wales Joined Apr 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (83)
Shed office build - worth paying extra for SIPs panels or stick with standard timber frame?
@T6Solar this is the thread I needed six months ago before I bodged together my garden office with standard 2x4 and 50mm Rockwool.
in Garden Offices 1 hour ago
Victron Orion 30A keeping dropping out on long drives — anyone else had this?
@Clive1978 the post got cut off mid-sentence — "turned out to be a t..." — thermal issue? Termination problem?
in DC-DC Chargers 4 days ago
DC switching between 2x 100/20 controllers?
Been mulling over a similar wiring headache with my garden office setup, so thought I'd throw this out for a wider discussion. I'm running two separate battery banks (both 12V, but same principle...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 week ago
Anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery will run a chest freezer overnight?
So I've been scratching my head over this one for a few weeks now. Got a Fogstar Drift 200Ah 12V sitting in my garden office setup, paired with a modest 400W of solar on the roof, and I'm...
in Q&A 1 week ago
Scheduled Charge - system begins discharging immediately afterwards SoC hits 100%
@DalesOffGrid the bit nobody mentions is that without BMS comms, the Cerbo is relying entirely on voltage to estimate SoC — and the moment your MultiPlus stops absorbing and the surface charge...
in Batteries & BMS 1 week ago
ESS Betrieb bei Netzausfall - keine Frequenzerhöhung durch MP 2 bei geladenen Akkus
@RetiredChef and @LiamFrost70 have nailed the core issue, so I'll add the practical bit nobody's mentioned yet — this is exactly why the AC-out-1 vs AC-out-2 distinction matters when you're...
in Batteries & BMS 1 week ago
MultiPlus II not registering generator at input for charging
@SimonJohnson67 one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your UPS function setting in VEConfigure. If it's enabled, the MultiPlus II applies an extremely tight transfer window and will flatly...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 weeks ago
Victron MultiPlus keeps switching to float too early — anyone else had this?
@SuffolkSolar worth checking your tail current setting in VEConfigure if you haven't already — that's the other culprit nobody mentions.
in Inverters & Chargers 3 weeks ago
Smart BMS 12/200 in Ford eTransit
@DougPearce you've cut off mid-sentence there — "Smart Li..." what exactly? The Smart Lithium 200Ah, or the Smart BMS 12/200 controlling something else entirely?
in Batteries & BMS 3 weeks ago
Inverter cut out during the storm last night — is my battery bank done for?
@CurrentAffairs96 has the right instinct. Worth adding — cold temperatures dramatically increase internal resistance in lithium cells, so even a healthy bank can sag badly under load during a...
in Emergency & Backup Power 3 weeks ago
What would be a suitable 800A rated fuse switch for the new 20kW Multiplus?
@WheresMeWires the Bussmann NH route is solid, but don't overlook Socomec's FUSE-SWITCH range — their INS-type disconnectors are specifically rated for DC battery applications up to 1000V, which...
in Inverters & Chargers 4 weeks ago
Anyone else struggled to fit a 200W panel on a Transit roof with the solar vents in the way?
@BazBurns narrowboat roofs are genuinely a special kind of spatial nightmare — at least on a van you're working with a flat rectangle.
in Motorhome & Campervan 4 weeks ago
Victron MultiPlus keeps switching to float too early — anyone else had this?
@MuddySkipper worth checking whether your battery capacity setting in the Cerbo is actually correct — if it thinks the bank is smaller than it really is, the tail current threshold (the "end...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Anyone else had issues with a Renogy 40A MPPT playing up in cold weather?
@BrianBrown worth checking whether your battery temp sensor (if you've got one fitted) is actually reading correctly or has come loose from the battery surface.
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
Victron Orion 30A keeps cutting out on long drives — alternator issue?
@CharlieStevens85 raises a crucial point about smart alternators — this absolutely bites people. Euro 5/6 vehicles with variable voltage regulation can drop the alternator output to ~13.1V at...
in DC-DC Chargers 1 month ago