Engineering Notes
Latest Post
Technical analysis from the field — marine solar, CAN bus, and embedded systems engineering.
What We're Building — IP67 MPPT Solar Charger for Marine and Dock Installations
There is no IP67-sealed, Bluetooth-equipped, display-equipped MPPT solar charge controller under $450 NZD on the NZ market. We're building one. Here's where we are and why.
Modbus TCP Without the $250 Gateway
Every marina operator who wants to read solar charge state in their building management system faces the same answer from Victron: buy a Cerbo GX for $250 USD. Before you touch the controller.
Fanless by Design: The Thermal Model for a Sealed 250W MPPT Enclosure
You cannot backfit IP67 onto a controller designed for convective cooling. Here's the thermal budget for a sealed fanless 250W MPPT, and the margin call that drives the enclosure geometry.
The Victron SmartSolar Bluetooth Failure Pattern
Marine solar installers deal with Victron Bluetooth failures more than Victron acknowledges. Five independent forum threads document the same failure mode after Android OS updates — and it matters more than it looks.
Salt Air Corrodes Electronics — and IP43 Has No Defence Against It
At 18 months in a marina environment, salt air reaches the PCB of every IP43-rated controller. It's not a defect. It's the rating doing exactly what it says.
Project Launch: IP67 Marine MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Building a solar charge controller for the position no mid-market controller can actually go — a dock-mounted, salt air-exposed, fanless IP67 MPPT with phone monitoring built in. Why this exists, and why it doesn't already.