Most reacted threads

This is my install of a custom set of battery warmers from Ultra Heat. I had contacted them through email asking about a warming profile for LiFePO4 batteries. They responded with a design to my specifications, including warming pads that fit my batteries exactly. While I initiated the...

I solar because I like to camp and one of my camping events is Elk Camp. I just spent 10 days up on the mountain in northern Colorado, chasing elk, but not getting a clear enough shot to bring one home. That's not a thunderstorm. It's the smoke cloud from the forest fire south of where my Elk...

The first iteration of my system used all 2/0 cabling between the big components such as between the battery and the shunt and fuse. I'm in the process of rearranging my system to make way for an inverter/charger upgrade. In doing so, I decided to ditch the 2/0 cable where I could and use...

There's milk crate builds and suitcase builds, mine is a board build. I'll be using this for remote tent camping - in places that I'm not willing to take my RV trailer - mostly for powering Starlink and my laptop so I can work remote if I have to. I'll test it at home to see if it will power a...

While researching another topic, I came across this webpage that covers how to connect bus bars. The key detail I took from the article is that the surface contact between two connecting bus bars needs to be five times the cross section of the bus bar...

This details the steps I went through for mounting my Mission Solar 320 watt panels to the roof of my RV trailer. While there are multiple methods to secure a panel to an RV roof, this focuses on using standard Z brackets. Other methods include DIY brackets, Unistrut, adhesive tape and all the...

Howdy from rainy Arizona. New tires were put on my truck this morning in Las Vegas. Discount Tire put on Goodyear Wrangler Adventurers (same as the OEM tire I had from the factory), replacing the Michelin LTX. It's a very different ride now. The truck behaves well and isn't all over the road...

Not an "up in smoke" result but I said "WTF?" a lot. In rewiring my system for a new Multiplus inverter/charger I managed to switch the positive and negative cables at the inverter. Beats my why I did that, it's clearly labeled. In my defense, it's clearly labeled until you put cables on the...

Signup for the altE 2022 Virtual Solar Conference can be found at the link below. I attended a few sessions last year and it was educational for me. The cost is FREE! https://alte-january-2022-virtual-solar-conference.heysummit.com/

I picked up four 280 watt Solar World panels from Marion on 08/27/2022. He operates out of an established warehouse/business building located near Smith and Monaco (north Denver). He isn't some guy that is peddling panels in a parking lot. I found him through a listing on Craig's List. He...

Within the context of this forum, I sure am thankful for all the helpful advice that was given to me this year as I went through the electrical/battery/solar upgrade in my RV trailer. I couldn't have done it without that help. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Not quite clickbait with the title, but it's an interesting issue that I ran into with an "Operator Error" solution. I have a Victron SmartSolar 100/20-48 MPPT and two Victron 100/50 SmartSolar 100/50 MPPT. All three were networked using my BMV-712. The two 100/50 were wired into the Cerbo...

First of all, this is not a complaint in relation to anything going on here. It's more of a future concern since we don't have threads old enough to be considered "old" or at the very least ancient history. A forums that closes threads that are older than X number of months, does, in my...

I looked around for a suitable manual tilt mechanism for a portable solar panel and didn't find anything suitable. Most of what I found was too small for my full size panels which weigh 44 lbs each, with dimensions of 66" L x 39" W x 1.5" D (1676mm x 1008mm x 40mm). Yes, these panels are far...

A few days ago I used my new Dewalt cordless heat gun. When I did my solar/battery install last fall in the RV trailer, the heat shrink tubing for the 2/0 cable was on backorder. This cleans up that install and puts it to bed. For those of us with an RV, we can't always work on them at home or...

I know there are a few forum members that have said they drive a Ford truck to pull an RV trailer or to haul a slide-in camper. Here's your chance to check in and post a picture.

There have been concerns posted on the forum about the charge profile used by the IOTA Engineering IQ4 LiFePO4 module. This is a plug-in module used in their DLS series converters that come in different amp ratings as well as different volt ratings. I sent questions to their Tech Support group...

For a little bit of extra protection against accidental contact, I drew up a bus bar cover and a friend of mine created it on his 3D printer. The covers were 12" long and I cut them to fit. He gave me three covers. Before installation of the covers. New covers installed. Here's what the...

Kind of a long article but reinforces to me that rolling your own solution is going to be a better way to go than having someone put in a turn key system. https://www.fairwarning.org/2020/04/major-player-in-solar-energy/ There's no excuse for not reading a contract, but it sounds like Vivint...

I'm looking for a new source for project metal, specifically aluminum. I was using OnlineMetals.com but their metal prices are high and their shipping is very uncompetitive. For one project I had to verify the shipping price with a customer service representative. It was so high I thought it...

I think I found Will's long lost brother. This guy has similar energy levels, but for food instead of DIY solar.

In 2020 I purchased four Mission Solar 320 watt panels over the phone, showed up 30 minutes later with my pickup and was gone five minutes after that. They loaded the panels into my truck on a pallet. It was a very easy transaction. I paid less - for the same panels - than another local...

Is it just me or have there been a ton of problems with Daly BMS lately? Problems with Electrodacus: Zero. But maybe the issues are being posted elsewhere? Problems with Overkill Solar BMS: Minimal. I separate out the OKS BMS from the JBD BMS because OKS carries a subset of what is available...

I have yet to connect the Multiplus Aux Charge port to my standalone 12v battery that is used to start the generator and run the tongue jack. Documentation on the Aux port is rather sparse. When does the Aux battery get charged? Is it only when the Multiplus would also be charging the main...

I have 6 AWG welding wire coming out of my solar component compartment in my trailer, joining up to 10 AWG on an SAE quick connect. The purpose of this thread is to show how I connected wires of dissimilar gauge using a butt connector. I cut the wire for the quick connect about half way. The...

I have well over 1000 square feet of rock gardens. The weeds have started taking over because so much dirt has accumulated in the rocks. Much of the dirt is from leaves, grass clippings and other stuff composting in the rocks. I'm in the process of removing the 1.5" to 2" river rock, cleaning...