Brucey
Solar Wizard
I think the UL listed ones have a taller wire box to give you more room. But then it's bigger overall and you are trying to be compact.
Portable Victron Power Station operational
- Thread starter JJJJ
- Start date
So I still need to wire them into the breaker box but have a promising location for my two outlets. They are both on hooks and can be placed on the ground if needed. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082SF9B1P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
In my opinion Victron took a giant step backwards when they opted for the flexible input wire covers on the Multiplus II. They are flimsy and easily move out of place unless placed just right. The original Multiplus had a screw down version which in my personal opinion was much better designed.
Current Connected provides very easy to work with wire and UL rated lugs. I substituted in some red shrink wrap since they included black. Still very nice. Thank you @HighTechLab
With this build there will only be one battery and one Multiplus. It is commonly recommended to use a precharge resistor to allow the capacitors on the Multiplus to fill, avoiding strain on the Multiplus and battery BMS.
For this build I will be using an approach demonstrated by Current Connected. Very simple and reduces the chance of a mistake:
For this build I will be using an approach demonstrated by Current Connected. Very simple and reduces the chance of a mistake:
Brucey
Solar Wizard
Looking good. Is your inlet just a standard 15A?
Yes. Each are ETL rated breakers on a 15 amp breaker in the panel. Redundancy in motion
Brucey
Solar Wizard
Sorry I meant the grid input to the mp2, on the other side with the extension cord?
Brucey
Solar Wizard
You could put it to work running a window air conditioner unit or resistance heater or something between real tasks.
Looking forward to some field testing.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
Alright NOW I have to ask cause it is pretty much all built. Have you put that Beast on a scale ? I am curious what that whole kit weighs all said & done, other have to be curious as well, I'm sure. Also I have to point out to other readers to have a Close Look at this setup, everything is so well covered to prevent accidental "contact" and the "little details" that can save one a lot of "pains". That really says a lot.
Almost afraid to. I will be assembling a list of pros and cons with this project. Weight was a potential con at the design stage. That is the primary reason I chose this model of dolly.
Thank you very much. Very much appreciated!
Here are some rough numbers.
Multiple position dolly 37 pounds
8s 304 cells. 97 pounds
Multiplus II. 42 pounds
Charge controller 6.5 pounds
Distribution box plus breakers 2 pounds
Assorted kiln dried lumber and 1/4 inch hardiboard. ??? Pounds
Battery case ??? Pounds
BMS, bus bars and assorted wires
Two outlets
Extension cord
Partimewages
Solar Addict
HEAVY!
Reason I chose the multi position dolly. A milk crate system would be much lighter.
This build met several objectives. A redundant Multiplus for my existing system. A plug compatible battery pack for my existing system. The ability to tie into my portable solar panel, BMS consistent with future plans, a generous supply of power for inside and outside the home and of course same voltage as my existing system.
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I think at the end of the day one considers their needs and chooses the technologies which best serve this purpose.
I have really enjoyed this project and sharing it with others. If there are any ideas which others find helpful then I am grateful. There are multiple battery and power systems which are more than capable of filling this niche.
I enjoy the creative process and found it rewarding that what was once an idea has actually been possible.
I encourage interested members to study the various approaches out there. There are excellent examples which have been shared by others. @timselectric just posted a neat approach in his build thread.
I have really enjoyed this project and sharing it with others. If there are any ideas which others find helpful then I am grateful. There are multiple battery and power systems which are more than capable of filling this niche.
I enjoy the creative process and found it rewarding that what was once an idea has actually been possible.
I encourage interested members to study the various approaches out there. There are excellent examples which have been shared by others. @timselectric just posted a neat approach in his build thread.
HarryN
Solar Enthusiast
Very nice work. This weight is pretty typical of a viable portable power system of this power class.
I am not sure if it would work with your solar charge controller or not, but I built a small test system to show another path toward pre-charging the inverter input caps. The basic idea is to use solar to charge up the system before turning on the battery pack. Some solar charge controllers will do this, and some will only turn on if they detect an "in range" battery voltage.
diysolarforum.com
I am not sure if it would work with your solar charge controller or not, but I built a small test system to show another path toward pre-charging the inverter input caps. The basic idea is to use solar to charge up the system before turning on the battery pack. Some solar charge controllers will do this, and some will only turn on if they detect an "in range" battery voltage.
Small test fixture
Sometimes it is easier to show people things in photos than to describe them. So I made a little test fixture from left over parts, nothing fancy. In this case, some people asked about methods of dealing with pre-charging the capacitors on the input stage of inverters, and I had suggested that...
diysolarforum.com
