Hillside Birchover

[Anakin]

I connected up the Victron MPPT solar controller today. I’m trying to get as much of the prewiring and installation done before fitting the solar panel. The MPPT now has an earth and “Battery” input is connected to the bottom terminal of the SPE unit. That seems to have worked and the MPPT controller is alive and I can see it on my phone in the Victron app. I can then just make the panel connections when it’s installed.

The Hillside battery meter shows as full, when I press the rocker switch, but is now illuminated constantly and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t doing that before. Is it normal to be lit up all the time?

 

[EAN]

I connected up the Victron MPPT solar controller today. I’m trying to get as much of the prewiring and installation done before fitting the solar panel. The MPPT now has an earth and “Battery” input is connected to the bottom terminal of the SPE unit. That seems to have worked and the MPPT controller is alive and I can see it on my phone in the Victron app. I can then just make the panel connections when it’s installed.

The Hillside battery meter shows as full, when I press the rocker switch, but is now illuminated constantly and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t doing that before. Is it normal to be lit up all the time?

Mine just displays the leisure battery voltage when the rocker switch is pressed, otherwise off: It's a momentary switch.

 

[Anakin]

Mine just displays the leisure battery voltage when the rocker switch is pressed, otherwise off: It's a momentary switch.

Yes, mine too. But the display was back-lit and stayed on, which I hadn’t ever noticed before. Happily when I looked 10 minutes later the backlight was off and has stayed off. It must have been triggered somehow by connecting the MPPT.

 

[Jamesie]

Just completed my leisure electrics install replacing the standard Birchover T6.1 setup. Fogstar 100Ah lithium. Victron XS 50A DC to DC, Victron Smartshunt and Victron IP67 AC charger. All seems to be working OK. Probably need to fully charge the battery and calibrate the Smartshunt.

 

[Anakin]

@Jamesie looking good there. Did you consider fitting an Ablemail for automatic topping up of the SN while you’re in there?

 

[Jamesie]

@Jamesie looking good there. Did you consider fitting an Ablemail for automatic topping up of the SN while you’re in there?

I considered it but to be honest I've never had a problem with the starter battery in over 3 years of ownership, and the van can quite regularly sit in the driveway untouched for 2 or 3 weeks and starts no problem every time. Hopefully that hasn't jinxed it. Our usage tends to be weekends away to big touring trips where we are driving most days so putting power back into the starter battery.