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  1. rin67630

    Home Brew Victron Logger, Universal Smart Shunt, Remote display

    I have rebuilt my Home Brew Victron Logger, to be less clumsy, it also accepts an optional OLED display: The project is discussed here. The material required is very limited: A micro DC-DC converter An ESP8266 microcontroller: e.g. Wemos D1 Mini A JST 2mm pigtail A screw terminal Optional...
  2. rin67630

    DIY Vendor agnostic low-cost Smart Shunt and much more

    My project Victron_VE_on_Steroids gets more and more functions. It started as an alternative logger for the Victron VE interface (MPPT Chargers and Smart Shunts) It can now be configured as a very low-cost vendor agnostic Smart Shunt. The Smart-Shunt hardware is extremely limited: - a shunt...
  3. rin67630

    Heating with solar panels instead of infrared radiants...

    The idea may sound crazy, but I think, it is very serious: Using solar panels to occasionally heat a home / tinkering barn. It is known, that solar cells are basically LEDs. These LEDs emit light in the infrared spectrum when provided with enough forward current. Infrared radiants are efficent...
  4. rin67630

    Home Brew Victron logger based on ESP microcontrollers

    Hi, There are a few projects on github to read the values from the EV port of Victron devices using an ESP microcontroller. I forked that project: https://github.com/datjan/esp8266-victron-mppt-solarchargecontroller which uses (as almost all similar projects) the SoftwareSerial library to...
  5. rin67630

    DIY Vendor agnostic Smart Shunt & Victron Smart Solar MPPT data logger based on ESP8266

    (Original old post replaced with something more representative of the current situation of my project) I will maintain that first post current to give a first impression of the project at a glance. My project Victron_VE_on_Steroids gets more and more functions. It started an alternative logger...
  6. rin67630

    Low voltage 12V -> 12V ~30W inverter

    Does someone know a low voltage 12V -> 12V inverter? The purpose should be to run a 12V 30W AC pump from a solar panel. Inverting to 220V just to transform it down to 12V again with a transformator is kind of stupid. Imho a controlled H bridge could do the job better. Does something exist on the...
  7. rin67630

    Don't put a load to the input of a BMS circuit.

    Some LiIon protective circuits have separate input leads and output leads. They have however no backfeed protection so if you put a full load to the inputs leads you get a backflow current (this current flows through the built in protection diodes of the FET switches and easily burn through. Not...
  8. rin67630

    Hybrid power Solar/Plug 12V

    Hi, I am powering a network relay that draws 100W from a 300W panel and a 200Ah 12V gel battery Since the panel/battery are too weak to provide 24/24h operation, i have a plug backup that takes over when the battery falls below 11.6V. With this installation on 100% sunny high summer days, i get...
  9. rin67630

    What ist your span between buying and selling electrical power?

    Here in Germany Northrhine-Westphalia, electrical power is sold to 0.33 € per KWh and bought back to only 0,07€ per KWh. All are fixed prices, not load or time dependent. I find the huge span to be a bit abusive isn't it? Because my exported power will be immediately fed to my neighbours, who...
  10. rin67630

    Drok-Juntek-on-steroids now PCBs available.

    The PCBs now arrived and i love them: much easier to build than the proto-boards. https://github.com/rin67630/Drok-Juntek-on-steroids/blob/main/Hardware/ReadMe.md If If you are interested in getting some of the bare PCBs, send me an eMail to lazlo.lebrun<you know what to insert>gmail.com with...
  11. rin67630

    Drok-Juntek-on-Steroids now with PCB.

    My project Drok-Juntek-on-steroids to dramatically improve comercial DC-DC converters to provide networked functionalty now comes with a PCB. I finally dug into KiCAD and learned to use it within 1 week.
  12. rin67630

    The red indicator glows on my BMS, what does that mean?

    Does someone know what that red indicator means, it's not described in the manual:
  13. rin67630

    This panel revolutionizes physics...

    How do you measure the open circuit current of a panel? ?
  14. rin67630

    MPPT on small solar panels, an interesting concept The MingHe MPPT solar charge controller

    I have already explained a couple of times here, why one should NOT use an MPPT controller between a nominal 12V solar panel (Voc~17-18V) and a 12V battery. MPPT controllers need a good voltage difference to be able to find the right MPPT value under all weather conditions. Nominal 12V solar...
  15. rin67630

    You should not invest in solar technology.

    The sun is badly ill. I have heard, it has got Corona.
  16. rin67630

    Just heard on the radio: community microgrid of interconnected solar users...

    I just heard on the radio about a community microgrid of solar power users on a small French island. It looks quite interesting: About 100 solar houses got interconnected and are able to provide much more instantaneous power to users by sharing the overall power capacity. This looks like quite...
  17. rin67630

    Its hot outside, boost your solar panel harvesting...

    ...time to clean your panels with an irrigation can or sprinkler (and not too cold water) That will cool down the panels and push the output power up to 25%. Seen on my power meter.
  18. rin67630

    Practical implementation of a MPPT algorithm

    Hi, the Perturb and Observe MPPT algorithm is well known and mainly works OOB. I think a very few people did really really test how their implementation works under every possible situation. I am looking to share experience about how to implement it to be as efficient as possible. - How...
  19. rin67630

    Just open the tap...

    Isn't that easier? :p
  20. rin67630

    DIY passive Solar SPA heater

    Here is an easy hack to add solar heating to an Intex SPA. It does not need any pump, but just derives a part of the filter water stream into a loop of electrical corrugated conduit that runs through a greenhouse box. And it works quite well: The spa heats up twice as fast and can be heated...
  21. rin67630

    For the wives of cabineers...

    If your man says you should believe him. There is no reason to remind him of that, every two years...
  22. rin67630

    Does the Victron MPPT 75 15 provide the panel voltage / current over its VEdirect interface?

    All is in the title. Thank you for giving an answer.
  23. rin67630

    Optimizing MPPT controllers for fast recovery from collapses

    Hi, did someone fine tune the PID parameters of the MPTT controller, trying to tease the best out of it? I am currently experimenting with it. I can get recovery from a collapse in 20 seconds, it works well with the panel completely cloud shaded at 10% Pmax and with the panel fully irradiated...
  24. rin67630

    Fooling a grid-tie inverter to provide power without grid.

    Did someone manage to fool grid-tie inverters to provide power without grid with a small inverter? If yes, what must be considered? I have noticed a pure sine inverter claiming "omnidirectional stability", is that what is required not to burn through if the grid-tie converter feeds-back?
  25. rin67630

    My personal experience with small 18V class panels, MPPT and 12V batteries.

    Hi folks, I have been for a while experimenting with different panels and used a DIY SCC that reports in detail its operation and for which I can change the mode of operation between MPPT and quasi-shunt operation where the panel is constrained close to battery voltage. What I found out: Under...
  26. rin67630

    What REALLY requires a pure sine inverter?

    Pure sine inverters are expensive, but for which usage are they REALLY required? Some will say: for powering sensitive electronics... Did you really consider what mainly happens in >95% of today's electronics? The AC input signal is rectified to DC before going to a DC-DC converter. So it...
  27. rin67630

    Looking for a couple of 48-60 cell panels references (around 180-250W).

    Hi, am am looking for some references of 48 to 60 cell panels. The usual 72 cell panels' Voc exceeds 40v, which is not compatible with most DC-DC converters that i am using in my designs. Who could recommend some brands and references to seek for? Thank you.
  28. rin67630

    Fuel cells for individuals

    Hi does someone know where individuals can procure fuel cells? Ideally these working with standard fuels like methanol.
  29. rin67630

    Dramatically improve a DC-DC converter: Add WiFi and color display:

    A buck-boost converter is really a nice thing to have, when you have a solar battery bank. With such a device you can load secondary batteries e.g. from tools, laptops, eBikes, even with different voltages: lower or higher. That Chinese 38V/6A DC-DC buck-boost converter is well manufactured and...
  30. rin67630

    Networked DC-DC power supply

    You have a gorgeous solar system and a battery bank to make Elon Musk jealous. Well! You can do better with your battery than feeding an inverter. DC/DC is always more efficient than DC/AC/DC to carge a quantity of devices: your eBike, vacuum cleaner, computer, tablet and so on. There are a...
  31. rin67630

    Since i was in mood...

    I decided to declutter my workspace: I love to tinker and had many devices and instruments, that I needed to fetch from my drawer, and connect them individually whenever I needed them, ending up with a really messy workspace full of power adapters and wires running everywhere. So I decided to...
  32. rin67630

    My new DIY bench power supply: 0..48V 0..20A (max power 500W)

    Build from - 4x surplus computer mains adapters 24v / 5A and a DPS 5020 + USB communication module The 4 mains adapters are connected in a 2P-2S configuration to provide 48V-10A power to the programmable power supply. This one, being a buck converter, can provide more than 10A at lower voltages...
  33. rin67630

    Does a passive load balancer designed for 3.7V work for LiFePo as well?

    I have ordered a passive load balancer for 4xLiFePo cells. I got a passive load balancer with "4x 3.7V" on the silk layer delivered. Does it work at the reduced LiFePo voltage as well? Just wondering, if they balance also at a deeper voltage, shouldn't they?
  34. rin67630

    SoftPower: Universal Version for Panels <21W and panels <300W.

    I think this will probably be the last hardware iteration of my SoftPower project: This final version is built around a three channel power measurement module INA3221. I managed to get everything into a rather lean schematic diagram...
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