Spot on about the Victron extraction hassle, @OldSailor. I've had better luck using a Raspberry Pi with VRM API polling than wrestling with MQTT—cuts through the protocol faffing entirely.
Recycling centres are genuinely your best shout — I've pulled several panels from ones across the Midlands over the years, though success is pure lottery.
The ambulance platform is genuinely underrated for off-grid conversions. Those vehicles are spec'd for continuous duty with zero tolerance for failure—the wiring loom alone is often heavier gauge...
Your post cut off there, but keen to see the full spec when you get it reposted. Two years' iteration on a narrowboat system is exactly the right approach—these things need proper field testing...
You've hit on the actual trade-off that matters: fixed mounts force a compromise between winter and summer generation, and the "optimal" 35° everyone quotes assumes you're chasing...
You're not overcomplicated if you're actually cycling that 200Ah properly — the issue is most people buy portable stations and barely discharge them past 20% before panicking.
The real difference:...
@BayTim absolutely nailed it starting with consumption. The seasonal angle @OldSparky raises is critical—I made the mistake of sizing based on summer usage, then winter hit and I was...
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