seant
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seant got a reaction from RaeesD in Started with my installation - Lessons learnedAnother thing if you're connecting with the VRM portal try and put your Internet router on a converter supplied from the solar batteries. I was messing around today and I was out and the Mrs was home so I thought I'd do a quick demo for her on what load shedding looks and feels like so I remotely turned the inverter off. Only glitch was my router is powered off the inverter so I couldn't turn it back on........ I had to come home to a not so happy lady.
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seant got a reaction from WJP in Victron Install thanks TTT for the helpSo being on the back of the toilet , one could say it was nearly crap install
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seant got a reaction from Cyon in Victron Install thanks TTT for the helpSo being on the back of the toilet , one could say it was nearly crap install
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seant got a reaction from RikH in Greetings from Germany with DIY Solar and 18650 Li-Ion batteryThe Victron inverters work well with Fornius inverters , instead of replacing the Fornius I'd look at getting a Multiplus II , maybe a 5Kva which you can parallel up or with 3 units configure into a 3phase connection. And some very knowledgeable Victron people here.
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seant got a reaction from Youda in DIY Powerwall with 18650 batteriesThe start of the pack resting on top of my old set of traction batteries. And then the box all closed up.
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seant got a reaction from Youda in DIY Powerwall with 18650 batteriesHere are a few photos of my diy powerwall.
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seant got a reaction from ___ in Power outagesWell when the lights go out, sods law has it at about meal time. If you want to mitigate the hunger of load shedding put a gas stove in . Get a few rechargeable lanterns, at least then you can read a book after a hot meal.
Or get some earplugs and a generator, possibly a good short term solution on a budget. Even those aren't cheap
But if you miss things like WIFI and a TV maybe a hairdryer, then dig deep it could cost a heap of cash to go solar. If off grid is what's required then that's a whole different budget which will have an on going cost. Certainly the DIY part can save you a fair bit assuming you are willing and able. Don't forget the school fees, cause mistakes are costly. This forum is a fantastic source for information.
So " I just want to have a few lights and maybe the tv too" is a tricky thing to put a price on
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seant got a reaction from jasonvanwyk in FibreglassingI'd look at dropping probably 2/3 of the height of the tank below the ground it will make it easier for the return of the water from your grow beds.
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seant got a reaction from Richard Mackay in Power outagesWell when the lights go out, sods law has it at about meal time. If you want to mitigate the hunger of load shedding put a gas stove in . Get a few rechargeable lanterns, at least then you can read a book after a hot meal.
Or get some earplugs and a generator, possibly a good short term solution on a budget. Even those aren't cheap
But if you miss things like WIFI and a TV maybe a hairdryer, then dig deep it could cost a heap of cash to go solar. If off grid is what's required then that's a whole different budget which will have an on going cost. Certainly the DIY part can save you a fair bit assuming you are willing and able. Don't forget the school fees, cause mistakes are costly. This forum is a fantastic source for information.
So " I just want to have a few lights and maybe the tv too" is a tricky thing to put a price on
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seant got a reaction from Clint in Swop: Microcare 40A LCD MPPT for Victron 48V MPPTHey they are both blue so should be a good swop
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seant got a reaction from ibiza in can axpert 4kw charge 18650 bankIf your inverter can supply 58v and even a bit more (for a 14s) then you can but I'd recommend a BMS like batrium, Orion etc . In fact pretty much like the above post.
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seant reacted to Coulomb in can axpert 4kw charge 18650 bankYes. But depending on the type of cells (LFP or other lithium based chemistry) you should or should not use the LFP flavour of patched firmware. Only use the LFP flavour for LFP (LiFePO₄) cells (3.6 V max); other chemistries (usually 4.2 V max) should use the LC (Lead aCid and Lithium Cobalt) flavour (which presumably you're using now). The reason for the difference is that only LFP cells have the very flat voltage versus SOC curve; other chemistries, including laptop-like cells, have a wider voltage range.
There is no patched firmware for PylonTech batteries, at least so far. PylonTech batteries come with their own BMS that that certain inverter models can talk to. Since you are building your own power wall, you'll be providing your own BMS. If your cells are LFP, then you should have a current measuring shunt and something to count coulombs or amp·hours, so you have an accurate idea of the state of charge. That could be a BMV or your own small computer. It's not necessary to have the inverter aware of the true state of charge of the battery; just ignore the SOC readings from the inverter. If you are using laptop cells, or any other lithium chemistry than LFP, then battery voltage is a reasonable (though not brilliant) measure of SOC, and you could get away without the current shunt and computer/BMV.
Make sure that you don't have too high a battery voltage. For some reason, the temptation to go 15S of 4.2 V max cells is very strong, but that's 63 V max, and most inverters can't handle that. 14S is still 58.8 V, and most inverters will stop at 58.4 V (so that's 4.17 VPC, and many users don't want to go above 4.10 VPC anyway to improve longevity).
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seant got a reaction from Mark in Swop: Microcare 40A LCD MPPT for Victron 48V MPPTHey they are both blue so should be a good swop
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seant got a reaction from ___ in Replacing an old DBWot no separate holes for the neutrals.. looks neat ,like the idea of hinges.
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seant reacted to Jaco De Jongh in Replacing an old DB(As An Option) These works well, most electrical wholesalers sells them, The loose part on the right is to cover the openings below your breakers.
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seant got a reaction from Youda in Youda's off-grid LABI'm with you get a yacht
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seant reacted to ___ in Solis 4G 3.0kw dual mppt - zero feedbackSometimes the Vogon's can be quite efficient at achieving their goals. Sometimes it takes a while. But in the end, they blow up the planet in all possible universes.
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seant reacted to ClintonDBN in Off-grid lifeThanks to this forum I've already been successfully assisted twice with my solar set up, so I thought it only polite that I introduce myself.
We have a small, and I mean small (not sure how familiar everyone is with the "tiny house" and minimalist movements), place up in the Upper Highway area of KZN. The intention is to try and reduce our impact on the environment (and reduce costs!). We'll never eliminate the negative impact but we can try to reduce it.
We are not connected to municipal services at all. Rain water is harvested and filtered for all our water needs. Power is provided by solar and supplemented by gas for hot water and cooking. Waste is dealt with via a septic tank. We are also getting a veggie garden going but we'll need to build an enclosure before we get fully into that (vervet monkeys!). We have also planted a number of fruit trees with more to come. In the garden we are looking to be very water wise so succulents and a bunch of spekboom.
Anyway, that is us. Look forward to learning more from this forum. This last year has taught me plenty but there is a lot more to learn.
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seant got a reaction from TheoG in Heatpump + LP Solar GeyserLike Jaco said most heat pumps circulate water , so the short answer is yes . Check for a spare a way to plug in the temperature probe and if there is a port to circulate the water(I doubt there is) or see how you can adapt the plumbing to do so. You can T into the cold water inlet and find a way to return the water apart from the hot water supply outlet, maybe a T on the expansion side or banjo valve to replace the TP valve .
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The function of government is not to facilitate, it is to obstruct and obfuscate, obscure, confuse, blur, muddle, jumble, complicate, garble, cloud, befog and generally muddy the waters..
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seant got a reaction from ___ in MORE ESKOM WOES... is that possible?Central and south America is worth considering if you're looking for a bolt hole without too many serious problems. At the moment it's still relatively cheap and easy to get residency
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seant got a reaction from ___ in forklift motors and speed controllersGood day all. I have two forklift motors and 200A controllers off a working 48V electric forklift. I also have the controll box although no wiring. (Before it was scrapped/traded in) I was intending to make an electric . Both are three phase controllers and the one larger motor main drive/lift (5.5kw I think) is a 3phase motor and the smaller motor (steering ) is a straight DC 0.4kW motor.
I would like R2500 for the lot.
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seant reacted to ___ in MORE ESKOM WOES... is that possible?It's a very difficult subject. I have always preferred to keep things as pluralistic as possible, because I have always felt that a strict secular approach is not really neutral, but conversely I have also cringed inwardly when things got a bit on the nose (we all have our limits). Nevertheless, after the incident, I was actually a little p*ssed off for a few days (that was the real reason I went awol for a week), but in the end I agreed with the rules of the forum, and as such I can complain as much as I want, but I have no leg to stand on. All that remains is that I must remain consistent, and hence... I really think we ought to keep these discussions to the OT part of the site (which is there precisely for blabbermouths like myself).
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seant got a reaction from Youda in Appliances and power useAdjusting the charging point or the amount supplied by the grid or when and how long the geyser comes on for and so on and so on, seem to be the joys of being able to monitor your system . Trying to squeeze every last bit out of the system in order to get away from Eskom without breaking the bank.
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seant got a reaction from isimobile in Victron Install thanks TTT for the helpSo being on the back of the toilet , one could say it was nearly crap install