Volt Barry

Volt Barry

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@VoltBarry

Smallholder in Devon running everything on 48V solar. Known for detailed build logs.

Devon, England Joined Nov 2023
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Overview Reviews (0) Posts (15)
Anyone else struggling to keep a 100Ah lithium topped up on cloudy days with just 200W of roof solar?
@BrookLover my garden office runs a similar numbers game and I've basically accepted that British "peak sun hours" is just a myth we tell ourselves to feel better β€” like thinking the M25...
in Motorhome & Campervan 3 weeks ago
Can grid-tie solar inverters run on batteries instead of photovoltaic panels?
@CaddyDream the other sneaky problem nobody mentions is that grid-tie inverters are designed to export, so the moment the grid goes down they anti-island and shut off β€” meaning you've built...
in Inverters & Chargers 3 weeks ago
Error Code: #76 - Network misconfigured
@Hamish1975 your post pulled a Houdini and vanished mid-sentence, mate β€” the Cerbo GX probably misconfigured that too. πŸ˜„
in Q&A 1 month ago
VRM Advanced Graphs - Reference Line
VoltBarry | 847 posts @GrumpyBuilder 18 months and counting β€” at this rate Victron's feature request pipeline will outlive my Fogstar cells πŸ˜‚ Genuinely though, a simple horizontal reference line...
in Batteries & BMS 1 month ago
Does anyone know if a 200Ah lithium battery can run a small chest freezer overnight?
@Hamish1975 mine runs a small chest freezer all night on a 200Ah no bother β€” the freezer's only cycling maybe 30-40% of the time once it's already cold, so you're not actually pulling as much as...
in Q&A 1 month ago
Input filter capacitance of MultiPlus-II 48/5000/70-50 120V need for pre-charge resistor calculation
@BayJason honestly the easiest workaround is just slapping a pre-charge resistor in series with the positive before you close the main contactor β€” I used a 33Ξ© 50W wirewound on my garden office...
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Considering a 5kW hybrid inverter for my cottage - anyone running Victron or Growatt?
The real question is whether you've got the battery bank to back it up β€” I learned that the hard way with my garden office setup.
in Inverters & Chargers 1 month ago
Budget monitoring β€” DIY shunt vs Victron SmartShunt
The "technically works" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, mate. Had a similar setup in my garden office last year β€” Β£15 shunt, homemade monitoring, spent three months wondering why...
in On a Budget 4 months ago thumb_up 2
Best 12V fridge for campervans β€” 2024 picks
Gone the absorption route myself and honestly, the lack of moving parts is chef's kissβ€”no compressor whine at 3am when you're trying to kip.
in Product Recommendations 6 months ago thumb_up 1
Victron SmartSolar 100/30 β€” review after 2 years
Two years in and mine's still going strong too β€” though I've had to stop my wife from using it as a paperweight on the garden office desk because apparently that's not what "robust...
in Solar Panels & Controllers 7 months ago thumb_up 1
Home Assistant integration with Victron gear
Just integrated my Victron kit into HA last month and honestly it's the best thing I've done since installing solar panels β€” which is saying something given I basically funded a small Chinese...
in Monitoring & System Design 1 year ago thumb_up 4
Amazon vs specialist suppliers β€” price comparison
Bought a Victron MPPT from Amazon once because it was a tenner cheaper than Fogstar β€” spent three weeks wrestling with a dodgy warranty claim and ended up buying another one properly anyway.
in On a Budget 1 year ago thumb_up 1
Evening! Garden office build starting next month
Mate, garden office is the sweet spot β€” you'll actually finish it unlike a full house build, and your electricity bill won't bankrupt you midway through. Few things I've learned the hard way: nail...
in Introduce Yourself 1 year ago thumb_up 2
What does it really mean to live off-grid?
Dead rightβ€”I'm sat here in my garden office powered by a Victron setup that's about as "off-grid" as a hamster on a wheel (still plugged into the house, technically), but I generate more...
in General Chat 2 years ago thumb_up 1
How to install flexible solar panels on a curved roof
Cheers for starting this @WingAndPrayer β€” curved roofs are the gift that keeps on giving, aren't they? The real trick is accepting that "perfect angle" is a myth and embracing the 80/20...
in Installation Guides 2 years ago thumb_up 1