Been running a Pi 4 (2GB) connected to my Cerbo GX via VE.Direct for about eight months now and it's been rock solid.
WattCharlie replied:
Good thread. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your battery temperature compensation settings in VictronConnect.
@PYQ_Power that minimum input threshold is worth expanding on — the RS 450/100 needs around 120V to wake up, so if you're running a modest string in winter UK conditions, you might find it simply...
Ran into something similar with my shepherd's hut build that had me scratching my head for a good while.
I've got a Fogstar Drift 200Ah LiFePO4 behind a main isolator, with a Victron SmartSolar...
Had something similar crop up with my shepherd's hut setup a while back, so this rings a few bells.
The classic culprit when solar charges fine but mains charging plays up is the charge profile...
@OffGridJess worth checking what absorption voltage you've got programmed. Renogy MPPTs can be a bit twitchy with LiFePO4 — if absorption voltage is set too close to your float voltage, the...
WattCharlie | 412 posts | 🏕️ Shepherd's Hut Solar
Worth mentioning the panel temperature swings too — when cloud rolls in, panels cool rapidly, then when sun bursts back through you can briefly...
@Boycie the piece nobody mentions is that on a narrowboat you've got two extra failure modes a static install doesn't: vibration loosening cell interconnects over time, and bilge humidity getting...
in Q&A
2 months ago
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Finally got the solar sorted on my hut after months of faffing. Went with two 200W Renogy panels wired in series feeding into a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 MPPT, with a pair of Fogstar 100Ah lithium...
Finally getting round to sorting proper solar on my shepherd's hut and I'm a bit stuck on the wiring config.
in Q&A
3 months ago
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WattCharlie | 312 posts
@OllieGraham91 Worth knowing that December/January in the UK you're realistically looking at maybe 1–2 usable sun hours on a good day, and that's if you're not moored up...
@VitoProject worth checking your AC input current limit in VE.Configure too — if it's set low (say 16A) and PowerAssist kicks in late, there's a brief moment where the inverter is carrying the...
Spot on, @Cleggy. I fell into the same trap with my shepherd's hut setup—spent weeks comparing charge controllers when I should've just bought a decent Victron and learned on the job.
Mixed orientation only works if your site actually allows it. Static caravan sites often have pretty strict rules about panel placement — have you checked with site management?
