My system:
690 Watts of Panels, 150/45 SmartSolar Charger, 1200w Phoenix Inverter, Cerbo GX connected to a 5g router with good reception, and a Smart Shunt attached to 400Ah of self heating LitTime batteries.
Last winter, the batteries did not charge reliably until I insulated them and got them to stay warm (irony!). I'd like to avoid this BS this year, so I'm wanting to install a backup heating system, that ideally would be programmable to run for 10-30 minutes early in the morning, so the batteries are warm enough to begin taking a charger when the sun comes out.
I have purchased some seedling heat mats that take AC.
Current Thoughts:
Option 1: Plug the matts into the inverter directly, and turn the inverter on remotely, maybe program it to come on in the morning.
Option 2: Use something else that can keep track of time/date, like some sort of smart outlet?
I would like to also monitor the temps of my batteries. I am going to build an insulated battery box when I'm out there in a few weeks, and I'm not sure what temperature sensor to get. Does it go into the Cerbo GX or the Smart Shunt?