Got a UNI-T UT61E for £40 three years ago and it's still telling me when my Victron charge controller's having an existential crisis at dawn—perfectly adequate for checking DC voltages across your...
Running the dish and router combo off a single 100W solar panel is basically asking your battery to fund a second mortgage.
Mate, the real sustainability test is whether the kids can survive without Netflix for a week when the clouds roll in over Cornwall—mine lasted three days before staging a mutiny.
@RobBennett93 Narrowboat + 4kW array = moisture's wet dream, literally. Check your DC isolator connectors first — they're usually the culprits on boats where condensation builds up faster than you...
in Q&A
7 months ago
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Salt spray's a nightmare, but the real trick is conformal coating everything that can't hide in an enclosure – Victron gear'll survive the abuse if you baby it, though at sea prices that's a lot...
Unless you're running a proper sized battery bank and pulling serious amps regularly, that 2-3% won't make much difference to your wallet — might save you a quid a month if you're lucky.
Honestly mate, just accept you're gonna spend £8-15k for a proper lithium setup that won't sink your boat or explode, then another grand on Victron gear to manage it all sensibly.
Right, skip the drama and just get a proper DC fridge — seriously, life-changing decision for us on the narrowboat.
Right, so I'm trying to work out the best config for my narrowboat's roof setup and I'm getting conflicting advice down the pub, which is never ideal.
Currently eyeing up four 400W Renogy panels...
in Q&A
1 year ago
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The real killer is when you realise your carefully calculated 100A battery bank can't actually deliver 100A the moment you flick the kettle on — inrush doesn't care about your spreadsheet.
Mate, your BMS is basically a tiny dictator for your battery — it's got four jobs: stops you charging when cells get too hot, stops you discharging when they're too cold, balances the cells so one...
Pop-tops are basically solar panel shaped obstacles disguised as ventilation solutions, aren't they?
100Ah is a decent starter, but cruising continuously will have you rationing showers faster than you can say "grey water tank." The marine lot size everything for extended autonomy —...
Mate, thirty years means you've probably rewired half the Midlands AND survived the transition from RCDs that actually worked to modern nonsense — that's the real qualification right there.
Fair...
Got the same spec down in Cornwall and swapped my ancient PWM for a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 — honestly felt like upgrading from a Sinclair C5 to a Tesla.
