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Yes, that is a good point. It's not as much fun, but more practical. ;-)

I have a 100W portable panel that it would be nice to use to charge a 24V battery. The panel Voc is 22.6V which isn't high enough to charge it. I was wondering if putting the boost on the PV output would give the MPPT enough voltage to work. Ya, I know it's not very efficient, just thinking...

I already have the Victron 100/20 MPPT, hate to buy another charge controller. What about something like this to boost the PV voltage? https://www.amazon.com/Converter-DROK-Numerical-Adjustable-Regulator/dp/B08PV5YY55

Sadly many Li Time batteries don't have low temp protection.

So I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this works. In the case of the SBS, it communicates directly with the MPPT to shut down the charging when the temp is too low. For the wired temperature sensor, this connects to the Smartshunt in my case. I'm assuming that the Smartshunt then...

Ok looking closer at the wired temperature sensor I see that it works with the smartshunt as well. So let me modify the question a little. That silly little wire with temp sensors costs $32 and the bluetooth smart sensor is $40. Is there an advantage to getting the bluetooth sensor? I feel...

I'm putting together my vehicle mounted system and want to make sure I buy the right accessories. I'm using a Victron 100/20 MPPT and a 500A bluetooth Smartshunt. Both are located with the batteries (LiFePO4 from Li Time). My question is, what is the best/cheapest/simplest way to add a low...

Yes, this is what I've always seen before. Seems less complex and if it accomplishes the same result then KISS.

I just bought a Li Time 24V 100Ah battery to power my car detailing setup. I will probably buy a second one next year to increase the total Wh of the system. In the Li Time manual they have an interesting recommendation for connecting the two batteries in parallel (attached). I don't think...

I like "inside vehicle" just not sure how you got that from the graphic. I keep staring at it waiting for something to click. Oh and I though it was "don't spray farmers" and "don't spray doberman dogs".

I need some ideas on interpreting this warning sticker on a pressure washer. I get the top and bottom images but the middle image has me really stumped!

I am also in the process of getting a 24V inverter. I tried the low ball LCYMW 3000W 24V inverter ($259.99) and of course you get what you pay for. Supposedly it has a 6000W surge but it still couldn't start my pressure washer which has a 4,800W surge on startup (runs at 1,800W). You may not...

Returning to the 48V or 24V question that started this thread. I think I'm limited to a 24V system (which isn't a bad thing) based on the roof area on the pickup. I can comfortably get 3x100W panels on my shell which equates to about 66V open circuit. The Growatt 24V has a 30VDC MPPT minimum...

What I find interesting is that my Firman "inverter generator" is rated at 3,200 running and 4,000 peak watts. It seems to have no problems with large loads and costs less than a high end inverter. So you get the inverter and the gas/propane engine to run it for less than the cost of a mid to...

I run it from a generator or if the customer has an outlet I'll use that. However, I have found that if I use an extension cord (12ga) sometimes the washer has problems starting up. I would hope a decent 3kW inverter should be able to handle it.

AR-630 https://arblueclean.com/ar-blue-clean-ar630-advanced-pressure-washer/ It is a beast.

You obviously haven't seen Will's F-150 Lightning video... ;-)

Yes, I've already emailed Signature Solar with questions about their 3kW all-in-one. That is one of my biggest concerns, will it run my pressure washer which is rated at 20A/120V? Now it just has a regular NEMA plug (not the 20A plug) and runs fine on a 15A circuit but the last thing I want to...

No offense but you sound like my wife! ;-) Ya I have a generator now but I like to tinker and I don't like the noise. To me, using a generator is like a cop out - anybody can do that. Why use a $600 generator when I can spend over $2k for a solar solution? Looking at 300W of solar on the...

Very good point about the solar voltage requirements. I'm having a hard time fitting enough panels on the truck shell to get a respectable number of watts. I will probably have to put all of them in series anyway and a 48V MPPT might still not have enough voltage. I expect the solar will just...

Yes, there are definitely more 48V options. Since this would be my first venture past 12V I was a little hesitant to go all the way to 48. But once you go over 12 I guess there's no reason not to go all the way.

Yes, I did notice that and ordered the Chtaixi DC Disconnect Switch C50. Thanks again!

I just looked at those DIN mount circuit breakers. I've never tried them before but that looks like a really good option. Thanks!

Looking at a solar/LiFePO4 solution for my mobile detailing. Right now I'm leaning towards the Growatt 3kV system with a server rack or stand-alone battery storage. I could go with either 24 or 48V. I suppose the advantage of 48V is you can use a smaller gauge wire. That's about the only...

That's a good idea, however again all I can find on Amazon is panel mount circuit breakers. All the surface mount ones are just single circuit. I think perhaps putting two of these side-by-side is about the best option so far. Thanks!

Looking for some thoughts on a battery disconnect arrangement for an RV mounted solar system. What I'm trying to address is the guidance that you should not connect your solar panels to your charge controller without the battery connected. I've done that accidentally once or twice and haven't...

Cool thanks, ya it's a WFCO. That charge cycle is what their docs say. The converter is only about 8-10 feet from the battery so it's closer than being back in the middle of the trailer. Thanks for the help, gives me more options.

According to the manual. Bulk mode 14.4V for 4 hours or until current draw drops below 5A (whichever comes first) Absorption mode 13.6V for 48 hours (not clear if there is some other criteria other than the 48 hrs) Float at 13.2V after that. I've asked the manuf if float can be disabled...

I've built a couple of LiFePO4 batteries over the years but now it seems like the price of the cheap "drop in replacements" has dropped so it's hardly worth making your own anymore. Along that line I'm wondering what the ramifications are for using a Lead Acid charging profile on one of these...

BMS is from Gridvision.net which is apparently defunct so I don't have any specs on the particular model. It looks like a Daly BMS and they say they don't start balancing until one cell gets to 3.6V. This one is probably similar which means I am probably expecting too much from this BMS. I'll...

After the top balance then reassembling the pack and doing a capacity test, upon charging the pack again I found that 3 out of 4 pairs were at 3.33V and one pair is at 3.48V. Leaving the pack sitting overnight the voltages are the same in the morning. Is it too much to expect the BMS to bring...

Ya, that's a good point. The buddy cell was low too but I don't think it was as low. I probably should have been more scientific in my measurements. Top balanced them and the first capacity test is a lot closer to what I would expect. I'll charge them up and then do some more cell testing...

I recently noticed that a 4s battery I built with 8 Headway cells was not performing near capacity. I disassembled and found that one cell was about a volt low after the pack had fully charged. I built it using a Daly 60A BMS from eBay. I suspect that the answer is replacing the bad cell but...

+1 to Github for code sharing Something else you might try is using the WiFiManager library. It includes a web UI for setting the AP SSID and password so there's no need to put them in your sketch. If I had a dollar for every time I uploaded a file to Github with a password or API key in...

This is "49 Strand Stainless Steel Black Vinyl Coated Cable" from Amazon. Just found the nearest sturdy thing which looked like the TV antenna. On another trailer I ran the cable around the air conditioner. Each 100W panel has 8 screws holding it on and I inspect them every trip. I seriously...