My solar node keeps going offline
Systematic diagnosis in order of likelihood:
- Undersized battery or panel. Goes offline at night or on cloudy days? Review the Solar System Sizing Guide and resize.
- Panel obstruction. Bird droppings, snow, or vegetation growth. Verify the panel is clean with clear sky access.
- Charge controller LVD setting. If the low-voltage disconnect threshold is too high, the controller cuts power while charge remains. For LiFePO4: LVD = 3.0V/cell (12.0V for 12V system).
- Water ingress. Goes offline after rain = water ingress. Inspect all cable glands, connector weatherproofing, and enclosure seals.
- Thermal shutdown. Sealed enclosures in direct sun reach 70-80 degrees C. Add venting, shading, or a radiation shield.
- Firmware hang. Check for firmware updates. Enable hardware watchdog if supported.
- Remote monitoring. Watch battery voltage trend via Meshtastic telemetry. Declining trend = insufficient harvest. Sudden drop to zero = hardware failure.
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