New system lasting less than an hour.

[Beavo]

One of these will take 18 hours to charge your 2x280Ah battery bank from 0% to 100%. But it’s better than what you have now, which is too little charging.

Yes, you can just hook it up to your bank. Positive wire to positive on battery one. Negative wire to negative on battery two.

You also will need some wire. 4mm^2 at a minimum, but thicker is better. Iirc, I used 8mm^2 for mine. You also need ring terminals that match your battery and the wire. The charger comes only with the cord to plug into an AC outlet.

Before then, you can download the Victron Connect app to your phone. It has a demo mode where you can see and adjust all the settings. If you want just plug and play, just pick the Lifepo4 preset, it will do fine to start with.

When you get the charger and hook it to your battery and plug it in to the outlet, you’ll then see it as an actual device when you open Victron Connect.

Thank you very much, I'll order it now.
Cheers

 

[Beavo]

You can run multiple chargers too if you need more power than what it puts out.

I'll get one of these and gradually add more panels to my system.
I'm also going to get the victron charge controller.
Not sure what the formula is for working out how many charge controllers I'll need as I expand the system though. (Or even how to connect multiple CCs for that matter)
I'll keep researching.
Cheers

 

[Partimewages]

I would start a new thread for that question.

 

[Beavo]

You also will need some wire. 4mm^2 at a minimum, but thicker is better. Iirc, I used 8mm^2 for mine.

I know you've said 8mm^2 but will this do?
Just ordered it so I can add a couple of 100w panels I had.


Cheers

 

[Tomthumb62]

I know you've said 8mm^2 but will this do?
Just ordered it so I can add a couple of 100w panels I had.
View attachment 192262

Cheers

That could probably "do" but it's not the best wire to use. PV wire like that is pretty stiff stuff. It will be difficult to manage and the thicker strands may not make the best contact when you clamp them down in the Victron IP22 charger. You want high-strand-count ultra-flexible "battery cables". I would NOT buy battery cables from Amazon (maybe Amazon UK is better than USA though) as most of it is junk. Perhaps one of the UK members here can help you find a quality seller for battery cables. In short...if it's inexpensive, it's probably not 100% real copper. Real copper cables are expensive. However, you probably don't need more than 3 feet of each red/black, which shouldn't be all that expensive.

 

[740GLE]

Thanks for reply.

1. I've never touched any of the settings so it's how it came out of the box.
There's no mention of lithium batteries in the instructions though.

2. I'm not sure how I'd tell what mode it's in.
The icons on the screen never seen to change much, other than showing it charging it not.

3. Rover? I assume you mean Epever.
I can plug a laptop into it and it shows more information. I've only ever done that once though and was too terrified to change anything.

Cheers

Sorry, yeah epever.

If they default to FLA it’s not ideal for lifepo, but sounds like they never seen high voltages nor any equalizing.

If you are adding that victron AC charger, that means you’ll be double stacking your terminals.

It might be best to pick up some bus bars and clean up some of the wiring.

 

[Hedges]

1. I've never touched any of the settings so it's how it came out of the box.
There's no mention of lithium batteries in the instructions though.

You need to go through its menu, determine what those default settings are, compare to what LiFePO4 needs, change settings to match. Could just be just needs to be set for about 14.2V absorption, 13.6V float, or something similar (check documentation for battery.)

 

[Beavo]

You need to go through its menu, determine what those default settings are, compare to what LiFePO4 needs, change settings to match. Could just be just needs to be set for about 14.2V absorption, 13.6V float, or something similar (check documentation for battery.)

Thanks for reply.
Just about to order the Victron 100|50 so I know it charges correctly.
Going to change everything to Victron gradually as it seems that it's easier to use and configure.
Cheers

 

[Tomthumb62]

Thanks for reply.
Just about to order the Victron 100|50 so I know it charges correctly.
Going to change everything to Victron gradually as it seems that it's easier to use and configure.
Cheers

Great choice. Wish I had started with Victron, it would have saved me both money and headache. The 100/50 unit (like many of their other charge controllers) is now about 30% cheaper (at least in the USA, but I believe the price change was worldwide) since October 2023 (or maybe it was November, can't recall.)

Some Victron items are ridiculously expensive, like their lithium batteries (which don't include the cost of a BMS), but the Victron 100/30 charge controller and IP22 AC charger I have bought have been excellent values.

Easy to setup up, TRUSTWORTHY and great design. Of all the solar-related smartphone apps I've used, the Victron Connect is heads and tails better and easier to use than anything else so far.

Once you get your Victron, start a new thread if you need any help setting it help, but it's pretty straightforward.

 

[Beavo]

Great choice. Wish I had started with Victron, it would have saved me both money and headache. The 100/50 unit (like many of their other charge controllers) is now about 30% cheaper (at least in the USA, but I believe the price change was worldwide) since October 2023 (or maybe it was November, can't recall.)

Some Victron items are ridiculously expensive, like their lithium batteries (which don't include the cost of a BMS), but the Victron 100/30 charge controller and IP22 AC charger I have bought have been excellent values.

Easy to setup up, TRUSTWORTHY and great design. Of all the solar-related smartphone apps I've used, the Victron Connect is heads and tails better and easier to use than anything else so far.

Once you get your Victron, start a new thread if you need any help setting it help, but it's pretty straightforward.

Wish I knew all this before I bought the Renogy inverter.
I only bought it because I blew my Victron phoenix inverter up by accidently mixing up the polarities whilst daydreaming.
Lesson learned though.
Cheers

 

[Tomthumb62]

Wish I knew all this before I bought the Renogy inverter.
I only bought it because I blew my Victron phoenix inverter up by accidently mixing up the polarities whilst daydreaming.
Lesson learned though.
Cheers

Ouch! Do you still have the Victron inverter? Maybe it was just the fuse that blew? I'm not entirely sure what happens if you hook it up reverse polarity...

And if the Victron inverter truly is toast, you can always sell the Renogy and buy another Victron.

 

[740GLE]

Thanks for reply.
Just about to order the Victron 100|50 so I know it charges correctly.
Going to change everything to Victron gradually as it seems that it's easier to use and configure.
Cheers

Just make sure you snag the smart Solar with Bluetooth.

You’ll still need to update the Victron unit settings for your batteries. It’s stupid simple via the app. Some find the default LiFePo settings to agressive but they are easy to update as you learn your systems capabilities.

 

[Beavo]

Ouch! Do you still have the Victron inverter? Maybe it was just the fuse that blew? I'm not entirely sure what happens if you hook it up reverse polarity...

And if the Victron inverter truly is toast, you can always sell the Renogy and buy another Victron.

Yes, I still have it. I did take it apart and replace a capacitor that looked a bit iffy.
Didn't work though.
The three 35 amp fuses seem to be soldered in.
Maybe there's another replaceable fuse that I didn't notice? I'll have another look tomorrow.

Not sure I'd trust it though, there was quite a bit of smoke.

Would be a bit embarrassing burning my garage to ground as I used to be a fireman.

I'll replace the Renogy one with a Victron soon but might just use it with my old batteries and charge controller to run Christmas lights in the garden.
Cheers

 

[Beavo]

Just make sure you snag the smart Solar with Bluetooth.

Snag? I'm guessing that's a typo but I can't think what it could be a typo of. hehe.
Cheers

 

[Hedges]

Not sure I'd trust it though, there was quite a bit of smoke.

Would be a bit embarrassing burning my garage to ground as I used to be a fireman.

Like the cobbler's children having no shoes.

Snag? I'm guessing that's a typo but I can't think what it could be a typo of. hehe.
Cheers

Bristol? Like the other side of the pond?

He did mean "snag", as in, catch, make a good buy or acquisition.

 

[Beavo]

Like the cobbler's children having no shoes.




Bristol? Like the other side of the pond?

He did mean "snag", as in, catch, make a good buy or acquisition.

Ahh, now I see. I should have thought of that.

Bristol, England.
Don't get much sun here.

Cheers

 

[Alarchist]

Yes, I still have it. I did take it apart and replace a capacitor that looked a bit iffy.
Didn't work though.
The three 35 amp fuses seem to be soldered in.
Maybe there's another replaceable fuse that I didn't notice? I'll have another look tomorrow.

Not sure I'd trust it though, there was quite a bit of smoke.

Would be a bit embarrassing burning my garage to ground as I used to be a fireman.

I'll replace the Renogy one with a Victron soon but might just use it with my old batteries and charge controller to run Christmas lights in the garden.
Cheers

I bought a blown up ebay 3k Multi many years ago, it was listed as working.. anyway called up Energy Solutions UK, sent it to them to repair, they said it was too far gone, but they are a big importer of Victron in the UK and they spoke to the Netherlands, and offered me a brand new Multi for less than trade price! - Zero VAT for me too as I'm on a barge.

Send your Pheonix to them, if they can't fix it, they'll give you a good price for something else.

 

[740GLE]

Snag? I'm guessing that's a typo but I can't think what it could be a typo of. hehe.
Cheers

Snag, score, buy, pick up, purchase.

I guess New England dialect has drifted a bit from its roots

 

[Beavo]

I bought a blown up ebay 3k Multi many years ago, it was listed as working.. anyway called up Energy Solutions UK, sent it to them to repair, they said it was too far gone, but they are a big importer of Victron in the UK and they spoke to the Netherlands, and offered me a brand new Multi for less than trade price! - Zero VAT for me too as I'm on a barge.

Send your Pheonix to them, if they can't fix it, they'll give you a good price for something else.

I was about to type that I'll give them a go but reality kicked in.
It will stay in a cupboard in my garage until the end of time, along with countless other things that I'll (never) fix one day.
Cheers

 

[Beavo]

Snag, score, buy, pick up, purchase.

I guess New England dialect has drifted a bit from its roots

Hehe, I did recognise the word once it was explained.
I'm pretty sure I might have even used it in that context once upon a time.
Cheers