Re: Cabin 48V system — overkill or future-proof?
Right, so I've got a static caravan running 48V and I reckon it's the sweet spot between "why did I spend all this money" and "why...
@MarshLover mate, your 150/60 is doing exactly what it's rated to do — it's the MPPT equivalent of trying to fit a garden hose through a drinking straw.
in Q&A
6 months ago
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Working backwards is sound advice, though I'd add: don't just calculate your average—build in a proper buffer for those grim January mornings when the panels are basically decorative and you're...
Sold industrial safety equipment for a decade—turns out all that PPE knowledge translates perfectly to not electrocuting yourself when your Victron system's having a mood.
The US3000C is basically a box that sits there judging your old lead-acid while quietly delivering 48V perfection to your Multiplus — honestly if your cabin's got decent sun exposure, you'll...
Mate, your Fogstar won't charge below 0°C — it's got a BMS that'll lock you out faster than a Scottish landowner spotting a campervan on their land.
Need to keep that 200Ah warm somehow.
in Q&A
1 year ago
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Mate, I've got a Fogstar 5.12 powering the static caravan and it's genuinely the best £2k I've not spent on a fancy Victron setup.
Mate, if you're running solar only like you say, you don't even need a relay — just parallel the batteries with a decent diode isolator or go full Victron Orion-Tr like @BatteryAlan suggests if...
in Q&A
1 year ago
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Got caught out buying a "genuine" Renogy panel off Amazon that turned out to be a dodgy grey import — seller disappeared faster than my battery state of charge in winter.
Right, after botching my first attempt and nearly setting the garage on fire, here's what actually works:
The Setup
Get yourself a proper MC4 crimper — none of that adjustable wrench nonsense.
Splitting arrays in the Highlands is the way — one facing south for winter grind, the other chasing whatever rays sneak through the cloud cover like a solar panel playing hide-and-seek.
4kW sounds...
My static caravan's solar setup has more drama than this thread and that's saying something.
Why did the inverter apply for a job in HR?
Mate, the alternator controller is where your money actually goes, not the alternator itself. You'll be looking at Victron or Redarc kit to manage the charge curve properly, at which point you...
in Q&A
2 years ago
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Grabbed a bundle of knackered-looking 250W Canadas myself for the static caravan last year — seller swore blind they were "just dusty" and he wasn't wrong.
Mate, the real kicker is that modern fridges pull a nasty inrush current when the compressor kicks in — you'll need roughly double what the nameplate says just for startup.
