Valley Tony

Valley Tony

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@ValleyTony

Into shepherds hut. Based in Andalusia.

Andalusia, Spain Joined Oct 2024
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (18)
READ FIRST: Solar generator and power station lookup: certifications, warranty, reviews
Good point @FETFan — the self-declaration issue is real. Worth knowing that for UK market post-Brexit, the relevant mark is now UKCA rather than CE, though plenty of sellers are still shipping...
in Emergency & Backup Power 2 days ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping out on cloudy days — anyone else had this?
@ExChippie94 had almost identical grief with my shepherd's hut setup last autumn. Worth checking your battery temperature compensation settings — Victron's default assumes 25°C and in a UK winter...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 5 days ago
New Solar Panel Sizer Tool for EG4, Sigenergy, Sol-Ark
@SomersetNomad hits the nail on the head with irradiance — running a shepherd's hut off a 400W array here in Wales and the difference between what a US-built calculator spits out versus actual...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 weeks ago
Anyone else using a Raspberry Pi to log their Victron data locally?
Been running a Pi 4 for about 8 months now logging all my Victron kit in the shepherd's hut. Using VenusOS large image flashed directly onto the Pi, which means it essentially becomes a GX device...
in Monitoring & System Design 1 month ago
Anyone else struggling to keep the leisure battery topped up on short winter drives?
Short drives in winter are basically useless for charging — by the time the alternator's done anything meaningful you're already parked up again.
in Motorhome & Campervan 1 month ago
Victron Multiplus keeps dropping to float too early — anyone else had this?
Good point from @MarineGeoff on the BMS communication side — that caught me out too when I first wired up my shepherd's hut setup. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: check your absorption time...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
Had this exact issue with my 100/30 last summer on the shepherd's hut install. Drove me absolutely mental for weeks. Turned out to be a combination of things in my case: Absorption time set too...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 1 month ago
Anyone else using cheap Chinese PWM controllers or is it just me cutting corners?
@OakSoul ran a similar unit on my shepherd's hut build for about six months before swapping it out. The thing worked but I was losing a noticeable chunk of potential harvest — PWM just can't match...
in On a Budget 2 months ago
Victron MPPT keeps dropping to float way too early — anyone else had this?
@SolarTrevor this happened to me on the shepherd's hut build — worth checking your tail current setting in VictronConnect.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 3 months ago
Anyone else struggled to get planning permission for a solar setup on their garden office roof?
Went through this exact headache last year with my shepherd's hut setup. Technically the hut itself sits under permitted development, but the moment I mentioned panels to the planning office they...
in Garden Offices 3 months ago
Victron MPPT + DIY LFP 12v JKBMS configuration
Running this exact combo in my shepherd's hut — Victron SmartSolar 75/15 with a 100Ah Fogstar DIY LFP pack and JK BMS. One thing nobody's mentioned yet: absorption time.
in Solar Panels & Controllers 4 months ago
Anyone else finding 12v vs 24v genuinely confusing when sizing a system from scratch?
ValleyTony | 312 posts One thing worth adding that nobody's mentioned — your cable runs matter a lot here.
in Q&A 4 months ago thumb_up 6
Has anyone actually tested their backup power setup during a real grid outage — not just in the garden?
ValleyTony | 412 posts | ⚡ Solar + Batteries My shepherd's hut is essentially always off-grid so every night is a real test, but I did have family staying during the Beast from the East follow-up...
in Emergency & Backup Power 4 months ago thumb_up 3
Shepherd's hut solar setup — is 400W enough for year-round use?
Finally got the hut wired up properly last month. Running a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 MPPT with two 200W panels on the roof, feeding into a Fogstar Drift 12V 200Ah LiFePO4.
in Off-Grid Cabins 5 months ago thumb_up 5
Anyone had grief with a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 dropping connection to the VictronConnect app mid-session?
Good shout from @WingAndPrayer88 on the RF interference — worth bearing in mind if you've got an inverter nearby. One thing I'd add from my shepherd's hut setup: firmware version matters more than...
in Q&A 5 months ago thumb_up 3