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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Yep I believe I’m right, yet you dismiss how BB had pre-programmed my Victron, though I hadn’t requested it (great customer service!!)…I only took my limited time to write to help lead you outta an apparent chosen state of purgatory… My solution is Victron’s solution and is your EASY solution…
3 tons
Well you were wrong and it is now all fixed!
Happy trails :)
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campermama
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04/13/23 05:49pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Trust that whatever they suggest in writing (?? - link doesn’t work) is entirely superfluous to me, as I don’t lend it any more credibility than that which Victron recommends, and as I stated (consider re-reading?…), BB had opened the box and pre-programmed the charge controller for the LiFePo4 algorithm - per Victron’s manual and handed it to me…This was a physical ‘in store’ transaction, and I’ve had a grand total of ZERO issues, so do whatever you like, but it’ll never work properly until you realize that Victron knows their product and they state that the rotary selector needs to be on #7…
BTW, there’s nothing special about BB’s or anyone else’s lithium LFP chemistry (Lithium is what it is, period…), the primary difference is in cell grade quality, cell type ( pouch, prismatic, or cylindrical…), warranty (you get what your willing to pay $$ for…), and assemblage technique, while BMS’s all do about the same thing (i.e. catastrophe avoidance)…Trust, that there’s no ‘magic secret sauce’ involved…
3 tons
Wow! Everybody has their own opinion! And apparently your is the right one (so you believe). I am in contact with both Victron and BB so we'll see what they say.
Meanwhile...I was just basically looking for maybe ideas what could be the problem, I'm not an expert at this but I do feel I have a good understanding of this stuff, pretty good for being female and fixing all my own stuff.
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campermama
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04/13/23 11:00am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Well I find that rather odd since I live near by and was at BattkeBorn when they handed me my victron charge controller and they’d advance pre-programmed it for exactly what the Victron user manual called for, and mine works perfectly - it must depend on which day of the week you speak to the BB fella’s - I donno?…
3 tons
Here it is...
=https://battlebornbatteries.com/programming-a-victron-smartsolar-charge-controller
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campermama
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04/12/23 10:27pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Don't have a clamp on meter, mppt programmed to BB recommendationsThat's too bad. It's very hard to properly troubleshoot a system like yours without a DC clamp-on ammeter. Good luck.
Sorry I don't have the right tools for you to help me. I will purchase one when I am somewhere where I can get one. I'm currently on the road. Thanks anyway.
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campermama
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04/12/23 06:36pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Just looking for any ideas you guys may have as to what could possibly cause my issue.
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campermama
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04/12/23 06:08pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Don't have a clamp on meter, mppt programmed to BB recommendations
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campermama
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04/12/23 05:34pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Make sure the rotary selector switch on your charge controller set to position #7…
3 tons
Not using rotary switch, the setting are not what BB recommends so using user settings
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campermama
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04/12/23 04:38pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
That's what i am looking at at night, a shunt monitor. I don't need/want to calculate SOC based on V. I'm just looking at what the monitor is telling me and trying to figure out why it's reading 13.2v instead of 13.3 or 13.4 after charging all day.
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campermama
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04/12/23 04:37pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
I have a renogy monitor - yes it shows - amps
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campermama
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04/12/23 04:15pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
I have 3 go power panels in parallel, batteries are connected as you stated above.
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campermama
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04/12/23 03:35pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Meanwhile, mppt just went to float 13.6v, monitor says 13.4v and ~+4.5 amps, it will stay like this all day, I'm at a loss.
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campermama
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04/12/23 03:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
Many 12v lifepo4 voltage/SOC charts show 13.20v (resting voltage) as equivalent to 70% SOC. The key here is "resting voltage".
Ok so the 13.2 is not really "resting", then would the actual "resting" voltage show a higher voltage or less?
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campermama
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04/12/23 01:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
13.3 to 13.4 is 100%, so I guess 13.2 could be 70%, but that does surprise me.
Yup, can't figure out why it's that low!
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campermama
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04/12/23 01:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
The 1.8 amps sounds more like the 120v side. 13.2 is more than 70% on any chart I've seen. I did not know any Li battery needed absorption.
Can you please post a chart that shows 13.2v is not 70% for Lithium batteries? If it's not 70% what is it?
See my post above this one, I found/fixed an issue that should fix the amps issue.
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campermama
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04/12/23 11:44am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Need Solar Guru Help!
So there was one connection wrong that was affecting the amps reading....the Neg of the inverter was not on the shunt! I have now switched them.
Now it's just the charge issue, I think.
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campermama
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04/12/23 11:41am |
Tech Issues
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Need Solar Guru Help!
This is my system...
570w solar panels (parallel)
?2 100ah BB lithium (parallel) (12v)
Victron smartsar 100/50 controller
Renogy battery monitor
Renogy 2000w inverter
Victron goes through bulk mode until it reaches absorption V, then goes to absorption mode for 1 hr (recommended by BB), (highest V I have seen on the monitor during absorption mode is 13.5, while mppt reads 14.4)then it goes to float (mppt reads 13.6v, monitor reads 13.4v), the amps never go down to 0, it sticks around at 2-4 amps. So to me it seems batteries are never "fully" charged?
V always drops to 13.2(something) v when it gets dark. According to charts I have seen that is only 70%!
ALSO, discharging amps at night seem really low....TV, inverter on, led lights on, it shows - 1.8 amps, how can that be?
Here is a "drawing" of my set up....
My 12v System
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campermama
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04/12/23 10:14am |
Tech Issues
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New Orleans
I am thinking about hanging out near New Orleans from June to mid August. Has anybody done this? Is the weather unbearable?
Also, where did you stay?
Thanks!!!
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campermama
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01/30/23 08:55am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Tire/Axle Question
My travel trailer has Dexter tandem axles. I noticed both tires on the front axle have slight cupping on the outside of the tires.
My fresh water tank is just behind that front axle and over the rear axle.
My question is could having more weight on the rear axle and less on the front axle be causing this?
I don't travel with a full tank but I do have 1/3 - 2/3 filled sometimes since I only boondock.
Everything on or around the axle looks fine otherwise.
The added weight of fresh water normally does not create outside tire wear, but axle or wheel alignment can. A pure weight overload more often points to inside tire wear due to loss of correct wheel camber assuming nothing else is messed up.
It would help to know a few things to better understand your tire wear. Here are a few items.
1. How old is the camper?
2. How many approx. miles are on the tires with the wear you now have since the tires were new? (if you know, or how many miles have you put on if you bought the camper used?)
3. Does the camper have leaf spring axles or a torsion axles?
4. Can you post some pics of the thread wear across the face of the tire in clear focus and lighting on all 4 tires? And which pic goes with which wheel location for front or rear tire and left or right tire. And yes, the rear tires help add to the story even if the wear is not as gross amount like the front.
Tire wear (assuming the the tires have not being rotated since new) help tell a story on wheel alignment.
Trailer running gear alignment issues comes from many places. Starting with the hangers welded on wrong on day 1 from the factory, axles being made wrong, worn suspension parts, loose wheel bearings, overloading of the axles, and wheel alignment damage from hitting curbs, pot holes or any other kind of bump at speed to name a few of the common issues.
Sadly, tire wear on campers is common when the wheel alignment is out of tolerance. And it happens somewhat frequently. When the wheels are in proper alignment and the axles not in overload, you will get even wear on the tire face for the life of the tire, other then minor normal outside tire turning wear which is not cupping. When they are out of alignment, the tires scrub the road wearing wrong rather then roll straight ahead.
Hope this helps,
John
PS. There are ways to correct the problems, but it helps first to know what the issue may be to tell you what to correct short of a quick answer, just take it to a RV dealer and let them deal with it. Not all RV dealers can handle trailer axle alignment, the shop needs to know and have the equipment for measuring all aspects of wheel alignment and later correcting the root cause of what is wrong.
I am not talking about it being overweight. I'm saying ALL the weight of the fresh water tank is on the REAR axle. So I am wondering if the FRONT axle with the cupping tire wear, doesn't have enough weight on it??
The trailer is a 2020, I bought it new. Tires are goodyear endurance, probably have about 10k miles on them. Trailer has leaf springs.Just noticed the cupping after the last 2k trip in which I carried more fresh water than usual. The "issue" is only on the front axle tires. Rear axle tires are fine! I'll try to get pictures today.
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campermama
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08/26/22 08:11am |
Tech Issues
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Tire/Axle Question
My travel trailer has Dexter tandem axles. I noticed both tires on the front axle have slight cupping on the outside of the tires.
My fresh water tank is just behind that front axle and over the rear axle.
My question is could having more weight on the rear axle and less on the front axle be causing this?
I don't travel with a full tank but I do have 1/3 - 2/3 filled sometimes since I only boondock.
Everything on or around the axle looks fine otherwise.
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campermama
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08/25/22 06:25pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Does Anybody??
Seems like I will be able to do this, especially since I want a small one.....now the BIG question is.......which one!
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campermama
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08/14/22 11:00am |
Technology Corner
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