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diy solar

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  • Post in thread: Victron is Over-priced Eurotrash. Why would anybody buy Victron over an AiO?

    For those familiar with my post-whoring ways, this subject line is likely quite shocking. Just trying to make a point... Seemed a good lead into the question. The answer? Because Victron is worth it. It's a small company run by people who give a shit and care about their product, its...
  • Post in thread: I'm the luckiest boy in the world!

    "You'll never see max power out of an array." I've said that dozens of times. Sometimes, my pants are on fire! AZ. Panels tilted at 29.5° at Azimuth 165° (peak solar is at about 11:30am). Only ~6 weeks out from the Winter solstice, which is the worst day of the year for solar. Here's what I...
  • Post in thread: CHINA kills all non Sol-Ark branded DEYE unit in the USA this morning.

    IMHO, the best course of action would be to hold Deye responsible, not the consumers. Dye should have to compensate Sol-Ark, not brick its customer's equipment.
  • Post in thread: NMC Bank, Bus Bars and Batrium Love

    It has been years in the making, but I finally have the NMC battery poised for deployment... (okay, only half, but still). Summary: 7X Ford Fusion/C-Max Energi PHEV batteries, 7.6kWh rated per pack. Each battery: 84S 25Ah 3.7V NMC cells. Four subpacks of 21S in series Packs have tested...
  • Post in thread: Be aware....Just tried to order $2000 worth of batteries from <vendor> and they rejected my C Card. That produced a Fraud alert and cancelled card.

    And there it is... This was your mistake. You should have said, "yes, I attempted to make that purchase." It didn't go through because your bank flagged it when the charge attempt was made.
  • Post in thread: Cloud edge effects... WOW!

    Many would regard watching their array output update every two seconds akin to watching paint dry... However... When you see your 2970W array output 3975W for a moment, it gives you the tinglies... I think I just smurfed myself...
  • Post in thread: Terrible Signature Solar / EG4 18Kpv Experience - Returning and Replaced with Sol-Ark 15k

    @SignatureSolarJames Hi. As a disinterested third party observer, in my opinion, your behavior in this thread is reflecting poorly on your organization. If it's a hot Sunday there in TX (is a cool 109°F in AZ right now), and you've had a few brews to cool off, I suggest you make sure you're...
  • Post in thread: Be aware....Just tried to order $2000 worth of batteries from <vendor> and they rejected my C Card. That produced a Fraud alert and cancelled card.

    5. Your bank called you to confirm. 6. You said you didn't make the purchase even though you did. 7. Bank concluded a fraudulent purchase attempt was made. 8. Bank cancelled your card.
  • Post in thread: MPPT maximum voltage - why no safety margin?

    Why does it matter? There probably is a little bit of a margin. Midnite has a "HyperVOC" mode where the chargers go dormant until they drop below safe Voc, but even the hyper mode has a never exceed limit. Yes. Most of them. A 500A shunt shouldn't even be run at 500A. 400A max continuous...
  • Post in thread: Which server rack battery has fewest issues: SOK, Trophy, or Jackiper?

    I'll take a moment to shit on Pylontech before they are mentioned. Stupid 15S batteries.
  • Post in thread: EG4 18KPV - What not to do in parallel

    Sorry. This really pisses me off. I'm calling bullshit on this dismissive comment. Shame on you. You're faulting an installer for a design flaw that can produce 400VAC where the unit is supposed to provide NO voltage to when grid is not present. Period. That's a UL requirement. It's not...
  • Post in thread: Be aware....Just tried to order $2000 worth of batteries from <vendor> and they rejected my C Card. That produced a Fraud alert and cancelled card.

    Chase flagged the purchase and refused to process it. Yes it is. Steps 1-4 often happen almost instantaneously. I have received MULTIPLE fraud calls from Chase. NEVER have they ever asked if I COMPLETED this purchase. They asked me "This is so-and-so with the Chase fraud divisions calling...
  • Post in thread: Post your Ground Mount Setup: No questions or comments on the setup. (pictures only)

    Late to this party... Not ground mount as installed, but would work on ground. No comments on my fancy method of getting the wires into the container... Wires pinched between stationary rubber and metal don't abrade, and squeezing them doesn't slow the juice... :p 1/8" angle iron. Ordered...
  • Post in thread: Normally, I stick with Dad jokes, but this one's too dirty...

    A young guy has a crippling stutter. He contacts a variety of people to see if they can help: A shaman. A psychiatrist. A rabbi. A priest, and a prostitute. The shaman, the psychiatrist, the rabbi and the priest give it their all, but his stutter doesn't improve. Finally the prostitute comes...
  • Post in thread: 280AH EVE CELL LASTED ONLY TWO YEARS

    Unfortunately, your clamping method may have contributed to failure, and if I was Xuba, I would claim that was the cause. You ensured the clamping force was concentrated at the edge of the cells. Had you simply placed plywood or some other rigid plate at each end of the battery, there would...
  • Post in thread: Victron is Over-priced Eurotrash. Why would anybody buy Victron over an AiO?

    I'll state explicitly. As the thread starter, and stats as "Papa Smurf"... I have never received a penny from anyone concerning Victron products. They have only cost me money and a tremendous amount of my time.
  • Post in thread: Is it possible to protect your Solar System against EMP?

    Is the thinking when your servers are in China, you're not worried about a cyber attack on North America? :P
  • Post in thread: HEY DUMMY (true confessions of stupidity concerning heightened generator elevation)!

    Dear Self, I regret to inform you that you are a dried up old turd. That engineering degree? The focus on aerodynamics/gas dynamics/thermodynamics, etc.??? Yeah. Dummy. You forgot a lot, dincha? I mean, it was 30 years ago, but... Oh... yeah... and that pilot's license? You know... where...
  • Post in thread: I'm the luckiest boy in the world!

    We're all card carrying members of Solarholics Anonymous.
  • Post in thread: Can you plug a power station into a wall to help power your home?

    Dear Mr. @timselectric, I feel you have failed to express the significance the situation adequately. I have revised the quoted text accordingly. Regards, Papa Smurf
  • Post in thread: DIY Transfer switch

    I don't care how much meth or crack you consume, you won't be able to do it fast enough.
  • Post in thread: EG4 18k or two 6000XP can't decide

    Wall of text. Good luck!
  • Post in thread: What Mini-Split did you use, and Why?

    I got my dad the 18000BTU MRCOOL DIY for his 2S2P garage (2 cars wide, 2 deep) so he and my brother could install it themselves. The only thing they didn't do was the electrical work. They weren't comfortable with it. He's thrilled with it. His only complaint is that the 4' CFL fixture near...
  • Post in thread: 18 month DIY project finally done: 39kW inverter power off grid system

    Overkill is underrated. 😁
  • Post in thread: Getting a refund, can’t use my 48 vdc windmill with EG4 system.

    You are being told incorrectly. @SignatureSolarJess said as much. There are likely MANY 12V LFP battery brands that are being used with EG4 hardware that hasn't been explicitly tested by EG4. Would those void the warranty? Only if they damage the equipment in some way. The ONLY way they...
  • Post in thread: Victron charge settings

    When will you be getting your Cerbo? That's when the real boners hit.
  • Post in thread: DIY Solar Forum Saves Christmas!

    Wife's enthusiasm for X-mas decorations is waning with age. She is within sight of my X-mas apathy... Her enthusiasm was somewhat renewed by the idea of a "popup" X-mas tree... Oh the glory... open the box, tree complete and decorated in 8 minutes! DISASSAPOINTMENT...
  • Post in thread: My build thread

    "further along"
  • Post in thread: Sinking in Regret

    Because it's full. The guide is very specific. You NEVER series cells unless you have the BMS installed. period. Good. Wish you had posted sooner. Zero surprise it happened again. Good. wish you had posted at this point. finally a touch of sanity. That's a lot. You're lucky. See...
  • Post in thread: Best LifePo4 charge controller settings known to man for Maximum Service life and Minimum battery stress!!! 5,000-10,000+ cycles?

    You can't do what the subject requests on a pure voltage basis. Here are your options: Fast charging to full: 3.55-3.65V/cell - 30 minute absorption time. Slow charging/longer cycle life (98%+ charge): 3.45V/cell - 4+ hour absorption time. Float (95%+): 3.4V/cell The slow charging method is...
  • Post in thread: Dad Jokes (let's hear your worst! ;-)

  • Post in thread: Trying to figure out why inverter won't power the AC unit(s)

    Mostly just guessing because you've not given meaningful inverter info. 73A * 24V = 1752W - how do you figure that this isn't possible? If anything, it's absurdly too low. RV A/C run about 1500W with a compressor surge of 4-5X that. Your inverter can't output it's maximum power on only one...
  • Post in thread: Lug holes too big

    No. Get smaller ring terminals. By sandwiching with washers, you increase the resistance with the washer between the terminals.
  • Post in thread: Horribly wasteful solar panels.

    Only if he's day drinking.
  • Post in thread: I'm DONE with MPP Solar

    Drop the politics
  • Post in thread: Problem with Solarcabin Channel - AIBU?

    I can be an arrogant ass, and I tend to be very blunt, but I generally recognize when I'm wrong, or when someone else has better information. I can also admit when I'm wrong when given objective data or new experience. He seems incapable of thinking he could possibly be wrong. He seems to feel...
  • Post in thread: What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

    Look at that roll... look at that smoke ring... look at that arterial plaque... nums.
  • Post in thread: All-In-One vs Victron Components for Motorhome

    Head smurf whore chiming in... UL458 is specifically for mobile installations. Few AiO have that rating. Some of the Victron do. Even those that don't have that rating are similarly built and likely meet most if not all requirements. In addition to potential vibration issues, most cheap...
  • Post in thread: Lifepo4 cells producing AC voltage

    I wish people would use measurement equipment properly. This happens often enough: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/induced-ac-on-lifepo4-battery-sungrow-sh5k-solar-hybrid.79011/#post-1013754 If you put an AC voltmeter on a DC source, you get a bad reading. PERIOD. Google this. You'll find...
  • Post in thread: got fined 1k for an off-grid, 500 dollar, 9 panel system i lay on the roof

    NFPA NEC 2017+ requires panel mounted on a roof to have module level disconnects, i.e., a disconnect at every panel. This is for the protection of fire fighters engaging in roof operations. Your panels, while not permanently mounted, were still present and represented a potential high voltage...
  • Post in thread: Victron MPPT over panelling

    HUH? You know I hate to argue with you, but I think we disagree here... They publish two rules, both values are published in the MPPT datasheets: Array must never exceed Voc (100V in this case) even in cold conditions. Array short circuit current, Isc, should not exceed PV input current...
  • Post in thread: 280AH EVE CELL LASTED ONLY TWO YEARS

    Having owned 5 RVs, I'm painfully aware of the shit wiring between the converter and the battery, and the resulting voltage drop. I'm also aware of just how fully you can charge a 4S LFP battery at only 13.6V. 13.6V is not a safe voltage. Your grade B cells could have been at substantially...
  • Post in thread: 2nd Buy from Amy Wan/Luyuan

    8X LF280K "EV, Grade A" cells, bus bars, cell dividers, JBD BMS + UART to USB interface. Order paid for on 1/18/2024 Order shipped 2/28/2024 (was supposed to ship before Chinese new year - about 3 week slip) Order received 3/25/2024 67 days to receive order. The snag was the JBD BMS I...
  • Post in thread: EG4 Chargeverter

    https://eg4electronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Chargeverter-5kW-Spec-Sheet_1.0.1.pdf Adjustable 43-57V charge voltage. 54V default. 57/16= 3.5625V/cell = more than enough to get fully charged Additionally, who wants to fully charge with generator anyway? You only want to run the...
  • Post in thread: What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

    I FIXED MUH DAYUM PICK-EM-UP TRUCK!!! https://photos.app.goo.gl/j3ymoHG6xyw59rJJ9 Had just pulled out of Circle K after topping off the 34 gallon tank with another 20 gallons... Couldn't remember if the radio worked. Hit the power button, and WHITESNAKE was playing! I remembered Tawny...
  • Post in thread: Disappointing EVE 280K Results

    These are grey market cells. They don't meet some requirement for use in EV. More often than not, it's capacity. It doesn't take much looking on this forum to find that this experience is the norm. We are not being sold premium EV cells that meet data sheets for a small fraction of what the...
  • Post in thread: Electric oven

    Based on this attitude, the answer is no.
  • Post in thread: Cheapest 48v 50ah battery I've found so far. $409.99 free shipping

    I have negative infinity need for this, but I want to buy it. What is wrong with me?
  • Post in thread: Victron is Over-priced Eurotrash. Why would anybody buy Victron over an AiO?

    Your inability to interpret basic information and simple arithmetic shouldn't be confused with me somehow being foggy. You know that solar flares aren't magic, right? It's just more sun. The only question is how much and for how long. Can you read or interpret technical data? Where do you...
  • Post in thread: Finesse or Brute force solar?

    Overkill is underrated. :)

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