From your experience it sounds like I should do the math carefully before spending any money.
Have you had to replace your batteries yet? I’d assume batteries are a recurring (if with a long period) expense, while wire is a one-time cost. Does the downward trend in battery prices still kill any consideration in that direction?
I’m on my third set of lead acid batteries. I got 8 years out of the last ones and 7 from the first. This is on the long end of lead acid battery life. Capacity was down at the end for both, but I limped along. These are my last lead acid batteries. In 6 years I’m sure I will use something lithium based. The location is remote, requires small boats and hand carrying and the batteries are about 1000 pounds. A lithium replacement system will weigh a fraction of that, last longer, and won’t rupture and spill acid all over the place when I accidentally freeze them in the winter while the cabin is inaccessible and in telemetry only mode. (I’m two for two on this, both sets I’ve misjudged just how small their capacity had become and not gotten into emergency power conservation mode fast enough.)
Have you had to replace your batteries yet? I’d assume batteries are a recurring (if with a long period) expense, while wire is a one-time cost. Does the downward trend in battery prices still kill any consideration in that direction?