Just realized that the distributor on AliExpress that sold me these cells is new. I had no idea. I just added ten or so listings and bought the cheapest one. AliExpress return policy seems good (correct me if I'm wrong), so I will buy them from whoever. So far I am pleased, but if one of my viewers buys these battery kits and it looks different than what I got, let me know. I have never been contacted by the company or distributor. I just wanted to test the cheapest cells I could find. I have A TON of other battery orders coming this month. Including lto cells, so hold tight. Also, used LiFePO4 cell sources are getting crazy cheap. Will make more videos on that. If you are a beginner, please watch my other videos!! I do not want to reinvent the wheel in every video, so please watch the other videos I post to understand what's going on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
@@Neilukuk yes, all product links on my websites and videos are affiliate links. eBay, Amazon, AliExpress. Pretty much everyone at this point. That's how I can pay for videos without corporate sponsorship
Honestly, I never get tired of how excited you are about this stuff. You're like that awesome teacher in high school who was so into the subject, you'd have to actively try to not learn something. I love it! And these cells seem like an incredible value!
I have jus been watchin solar battery ideas for 2yrs and can’t believe how much lithium has gone down in price and up in quality! Thank Will! Always so professional and correct!
I've been using the Calb 180ah cells since 2015 in an off-grid setup. I have 16 of them for a "48 volt" system. When new the cells were around 185ah. Now after 4 years of daily cycling them, they still test out at 176ah. I run them with NO BMS, just a low voltage and high voltage cut-out and they stay balanced on their own (within a few 10ths of a volt). Once per year I dismantle the pack and balance them just for good measure, but they don't really need it. These are awesome cells!
M R I will take some pictures and post a google drive link. My setup is 10,000wh and 7.1kw of solar off-grid. My heat is propane, but everything else is electric. The system works so well that I don’t even have to think about, just like being connected to the grid. The house has 4 DVRs running 24/7, 4 55-65 inch flat screens, huge double door fridge, laundry, everything and these batteries and my inverter run it all 24/7 no problems. In the summer it runs my 30,000 btu central ac too.
@@jetfu400 Everything is still running awesomely. A little over a year ago I added 16 280ah Eve cells to the system. I just put one 280 in parallel with one 180 Calb cell and each "double" is in series. It has been working fantastically for over a year now even mixed with the 7 year old cells. My low voltage cut out is just the settings in the inverters which I set to cut out at 47 volts (2.94 volts per cell). I never reach that level since I have so much storage. Even with the air conditioning on all night, I'm only ever down to 30-ish percent by morning. My high voltage protection is just the settings on my Midnite Solar charge controllers (57 volts or 3.56v per cell). That's all I've ever had on them for nearly 7 years now. Except for one day that I had a Daly BMS. It died after only one day and I went back to no BMS.
What works great for testing is those large quick-clamps (like what people use for glueing wood together) Just clamp them together and lock them to your bench at the same time, and release them easy when you're done.
LiFePO4 is solid state tech. I’ve used it for large motorbike starters. It does not have the energy density of Li-Ion but is massively better than lead acid. it is more tolerant of over charging than wet cell Li-Ion so ideal for engine starter replacements. Fit warming pads between cells and they’ll work fine in sub zero temperatures.
I bought 16 of the 180ah version of these and the best value I could find by a mile. It still cost me a lot of money but it should be enough for me to never need the grid for the next 5 to 10 years. I pay the highest rates in the entire world for electricity so they can pay for themselves in 3 years and the entire solar system in 5 years, less if you include the fact they are being used on a truck so I'm not paying rent anymore either :)
@@anomikak1062 I just checked, its 40c now, I guess it depends on the other fees as well. for example a house of 3 is paying about $270 a month. Not dirt cheap in my books..
@@WillProwse I lost your channel for a bit...just found you again. You amaze me...you are a very intelligent man. And, you share so much freely...all one has to do is listen. I see you are out of the motor home and into an apartment. I hope you are doing well...you were so I'll at one time. I understand that completely...I had SEPSIS in 2017, was in a Coma for 6 days, and struggle to this day. I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge...even if someone isn't doing the solar thing, the entire process is fascinating. And, not being inappropriate, you are a real sweetheart...someone who would treat people with respect...until you were given a reason not to be. Take care, Will...you're one of the good ones.
Adam I just got a bunch of these given to me and not sure what to do with them. He told me they need to be brought back slowly. Would you be will to talk them over with me?
I could understand what you wee doing right up to the point where you took them out of the box. I have NO IDEA about electronics but enjoyed the video. Thank you.
Hey Cody, I was just given 25 of the 180Ah ones and I don’t know much about them. He said they need to be brought back slowly. Would you be up for chatting about them a bit?
I have a local guy selling these and I got this from them: "I highly do not recommend any bms for them. Over the last decade I have seen them do more harm then good. Over time they galvanically corrode inside the pcb and take down cells, under discharging them leading to cell bloat and failure. I highly recommend a LV cutoff to protect them. Bottom balancing the cells once every 400 cycles, once a year or so keeps them happy." Thoughts?
I used to work at a batteryfactory where we produced similar batteries, and then even bigger, multicelled ones, they were made out of Lithium and Cadmium and I find this very interesting to watch :) The factory name was SAFT, located in Sweden.
@@kitehman oh yeah it was Ni and not Li.... its been a while... saft batteries are also used for cargo ferries aswell, worlds largest powerbank is located in fairbanks alaska and saft helped making it
Great review. Those are some great cells. There are some al cased cells that are cheaper but the CALBs are proven and durable. Perfect for a stationary solar bank.
Hey Will, I have an idea for a video series. I'm loving your videos and it's going to take a while to watch them all. I'd really like to see a series for DIY solar on a budget, the budget being the focus as it is for most everyone considering this DIY project. I'd like to see a video with you showing what you'd recommend for someone looking to spend $2k, $4k, $6k, etc. Maybe a video covering each budget and mention how much value, such as expandability, one might get by spending a little more money. Include everything needed, which battery, panels, bms, etc. There's a video by a prepper that shows something similar on a low budget, built on a hand cart, that was very helpful but someone with a larger budget might have to do days of research just to find out where to spend their extra cash. Thanks for all your instructional videos and reviews. Much appreciated. Oh, and welcome to the Tesla owners club. ;-)
I’ve been given a free sailboat with no engine and have watched too many of your videos over the years. I’m now considering going fully electric with lifepo4 battery bank!
As a long time sailor.... This is a serious mistake. All the YT electric sailboats end up with a generator to power the main electrical motor. A small diesel.... Marinized by you.... Is by far the best value. And the most reliable. Look at the site, the rigging doctor... Who put his electric boat on the beach and it cost 6000$ to pull off. Electric boats are disasters.
@@sails3538 Electric is cool. Even if you add a Generator you are free of the gears and engine lineup and position. You can use a tiny generator and maneuver with Battery and Generator power combined. For cruising you need only a fraction of the power. I could use a 20 kw genset and two 15kw saildrives. Much cheaper then a new 110hp diesel, more efficient, and for a good sailor, regeneration will power your induction cooktop and microwave. It is a run for ever machine... I want it :-)
We just built our own battery bank on our sailboat (we liveaboard) using 180 amp hour, 3.6-volt CALB cells, and a DALY BMS, wiring the cells in a 4s2p orientation. So stoked on the upgrade! We charge our lithiums in 2 different ways. We send the power from our 120 amp Balmar alternator on our engine to our 100 amp-hour sealed lead-acid starter battery. From there a Renogy 60 amp DC-DC charger takes the load from the alternator and puts it in a lithium profile and in turn charges the lithium batteries. It was a fun build!
Thanks Will. This is really great info, for those of us, that live in countries, with currency that is a lot weaker than the US$. Knowing there is a good product at such great price, helps us , big time!
Using good quality copper pipe is a really good source to make some bus bars to connect batteries. you can get 1/2" to 3" pipe (of varying thickness) and you can either cut it down the side (angle grinder with thin cut-off wheel, dremel w/ cut-off wheel or even thin snips will work) and then flatten it out - using a vice works well or even a hammer - don't hit it hard, just lots of light taps until flat. You can also just flatten the pipe/tubing and you will get 2x the thickness if you need a lot of current, but a single thickness of almost all pipe is more than enogh for most projects. Drilling the holes is easy and you can get those "stepped" drill bits, shaped kind of like a cone/triangle - these are the best for drilling holes in the copper. I've also used some older computer cases that have thick aluminum sheets (from 1/16" up to 1/4" thick for front doors) and they worked great for high current (400-800A) loads, using the 3/8"-1/4" thick sheets. also if you need some end lugs (battery terminal connectors) for thick wire, you can make them from copper tubing - find tubing the inner diameter of the bare wire and cut a piece about 2x longer than the stripped wire end. Then crush about 1/2 of that cut copper tube to make a flat end and drill the proper size hole. Then you can either crimp the wire into the other side or solder it - if you solder - drill a small hole towards the hole you drilled so you can feed solder into the end, and not have to feed it in the end close to the insulation - you'll get a MUCH better looking connection w/o singed/melted insulation. These cost about 3-5% what normal copper lugs/connectors cost and work just as well. Good luck!
I love watching your videos, you get so excited about opening a new box, like a kid at Christmas, it's obvious you are very passionate about this stuff. 👍👍👌👌
Thanks for all the power advice. You’ve helped me source and build my small off grid power system, which is in use everyday and now in a -30C environment.
I have 90 of these in my truck conversion. I don't have a BMS or any way to mechanically hold them together. Under normal use (don't over charge, don't over discharge) they do not expand and contract. After bottom balancing them 2 years ago, their voltages have not fluctuated at all. These are the most stable, safest and durable cells on the market.
In the four years since my conversion, I've only lost 2 cells because I over discharged the pack. I have over 30k miles on my truck and do not detect any reduction in capacity. CALB CA cells are exceptionally good.
Will, thanks for the Battle Born blemished battery sale notice. I got the battery yesterday and what a great battery and darn if I can find any blemish. Its smaller, lite and 50 times better compared to my Vmaxtanks Vmaxslr125 AGM Deep Cycle. Love your channel.
@Mykel Hardin maybe. he said his age a few times. I thought it was almost 40 but it could have been almost 30. either way he is way older then he looks.
I used to hate goodie Goods that have never done drugs smoke drink or raised hell like this kid on here but now that I'm older have kids of my own I really respect them he seems like a very good young man good role model for my boys I hope thay are goodie Goods like him keep up the good work very smart and entertaining
Once again - EXCELLENT video - and nothing caught fire ... As a sidenote you can get 4 x 200aH for about 650 delivered - but they are from China ...and not name brand ... off of Alibaba ... NOW -- ITS TIME FOR YOU TO START FOCUSING ON BMS'S ...
Excellent to finally see a decent and honest battery with these specs that isn't so $$$. I'm still going BB myself, possible in a matter of a month. House probably on the market in a month, then purchase RV, BB's Victron,PV's and GO!!! My head is spinning. I hope to see you soon Henderson/Vegas for coffee and a tour of my new toy. Thanks for continuing to inspire me my friend, you are one of the main reasons I have the guts and knowledge now to do this. YeeHaa !
Thanks for this dude. I´ve been looking for some good alternatives. Bought a LiFePO4 for my bike a few years ago and worked 2,5 years flawlessly in the middle of the sun and resisting the tropical sauna-like weather my country has. Keep uploading!
I just started watching your videos....love your enthusiasm and information....and your sense of discovery! I'll back pedal thru your older postings to get up to speed on pertinent knowledge--eventually would like to have a small solar system to boost my truck camper batteries. The rig currently uses two 6 volt golf cart batteries [new 12/19]. As the price of LiFePO batteries comes down, I'll switch out to them. Thanks!!
Calculate your Cost vs Usage vs Regular Acid Lead Battery, 400CA is expensive for the price. Imagine paying for $450.00 for a 12V Battery with 400CA vs $75.00 Acid Lead. For $450+, I can buy 6 of them, even if "half" failed, I'm still good!
Is the order of connection important? What order do you connect the following; C-, P-,B- and finally balance lead connection? Is the order in which the connections are made important?
Purchased the same CALB CA100 cells two months ago from Alibaba for about $57 delivered. The reason they were cheaper was they had been sitting in storage for a year. Came in manufacturer original packaging. All were in good shape and voltage, but I have not had a chance to capacity test all of them.
Glad it came in early. Now I just have to check the size of them versus my box. And probably more questions on the forum. Thank you for the video will you're quite informative.
TMoD7007 well if you are really smart it may be easy for you to calculate, but folks like me who are new to this would like to know how the calculation works
You don't have to be really smart to be able to do it. Not criticising you because you don't know - we all have to learn - but it's something very easy and a quick Google will tell you the answer. Just take the capacity measurement shown in the video and compare it to what a Powerwall is. The units are the same so it's no different to the old problem "if I can fit 10 apples in a box and I have 50 apples, how many boxes will I need" - if you have X kilowatt-hours in this device and a Powerwall is Y kilowatt-hours, how many of these does it take to match a Powerwall?
I expect identical internal resistance from a "matched" pack. That's necessary to have close aging characteristics and to be able to do parallel layouts. Do these cells meet this requirement?
Someone gave me their home solar kit. Full house system just ripped off their roof. I gonna see if I can make a few generators for home. I'm looking forward to using this channel. Very interesting.
re: the packaging you get lighter shipping charges if plastic-wrapped and individual cardboard box - cheaper packaging changes the dangerous goods classification so you don't gain anything (requires different permits, load specifications and TDG certified personnel) because we want to avoid stray electrical charges running around in the event of an accident and possible leaks of combustibles
@@WillProwse I just went back to the Lifepo4 battery warehouse Alie site and I don't see your feedback or any for that matter. Did you not get a chance or do they play games with feedback??? Price is now $449.28
Hi, If this brand is authentic, you got a smoking deal on them. The brand name "中航" is one of the leading aerospace technology manufacturers in China. Their's products ranging from batteries to rocket/missiles.
Since I'm looking to switch off of lead acid in my RV and have considered the BattleBorn but this is exciting. As far as size goes, these look to be about the same size as the BattleBorn battery so it's not going to be an issue.
"Extra bus bar?" looks like it's just one per battery which seems both very nice and sensible. :-) - oh, I see it was a kit of four batteries - I guess it was "extra" :-)
Size and weight is a concern for us, but price comes first! Being how we are switching our electric sailboat from lead acid, anything is smaller and lighter than what we currently have!
My camper battery bank has lost capacity and I want to replace with lithium because it is a truck camper and weight is critical. Right now I have 2 Trojan T5 6V batteries now at 120 lbs! I'm hoping they come out with a low temp cutoff BMS and the cells get cheaper before I have to buy.
I got four 180Ah CALB cells for my RV for around $700 delivered, a couple of years back. Held together only with big cable ties and braided busbars. But charged only with solar at 0.1C, so cell swelling is not a concern. You can email CALB USA with the serial numbers and get the initial capacity and internal resistance stats for each cell. I use a custom programmed microcontroller as a charger/monitor and they've stayed balanced.
I commented on one of your other videos regarding my experience with the MIADY Batteries. It would be SOOOOO nice if companies could just be HONEST. THIS is why I DON'T buy anything made in China if I can avoid it!
@@SystemsPlanet ... Which has nothing to do with the question asked. And is incomplete at best, or flat wrong at worst. Affordability is not the same as best value. I'd love a sweet LiFePo4 installation in my RV but the popularity for the moment puts them out of my budget. Lead acid is far more affordable... to get installed... but not in replacement costs, useability or flat out capability in the long term. "Value" is a relative determination. So yes... leads (good 6v if I can swing it) for now. But I'm not happy about it.
So is 400$+ cheap? I have the 180AH version of those exact same batteries. It cost me about half that for 4x 3.2v cells about a year ago. I'm in Taiwan... but still, it shouldn't add an extra 250$ in shipping.
Excellent info. Thankyou, a question though, do you think cells like these would be ok for car audio power? I have bout 700 farads of ultra caps and new agm batteries. Always looking for more power though.
Nice video, what do you think is the best way to keep your Lifpo4 capacity. I have one in the boat and the boat stands sometime 2 month’s outside. I have Victron blue smart charger with a maintenance mode. Some people say it’s not good for the battery to be alltime fully charged. What do you say? Andy
I did not read all the comments, probably it was mentioned before: the one thing that you forgot to mention when summing up for the price variations, is almost the most important one: C rate of a cell, for a home ess it is not so important, but for a ev it is
Calculate your Cost vs Usage vs Regular Acid Lead Battery, 400CA is expensive for the price. Imagine paying for $450.00 for a 12V Battery with 400CA vs $75.00 Acid Lead. For $450+, I can buy 6 of them, even if "half" failed, I'm still good!
You mention clamping them tight to avoid damage to bus bars from expansion, but would spacing them be a viable option? I was thinking the width of a piece of corrugated cardboard between cells to allow for expansion and ventilation. Is there a safety reason for tightly packing the cells together?
I used Winston 400ah cells x 8 for a 24v system in my RV. I used ZEVA BMS so I could fine tune the min max balance settings for Winston cells (not profile factory suggested but what marine electrical that had been using and testing the cells for years recommended 3.45VPC) it also has a nice display and Ah SOC display. Temperature high low cut off. Please review the zeva it's a small company drop the owner an email. Allows dual relay output one for load and one for charging so you can implement a dual bus architecture.
I am looking at getting the 24v 100ah pack what is a good bms with low temp cut off? This is my first time doing this and your channel as really made me more knowledgeable thanks for all you do man
I want to encourage all new technology, but I STILL like my 24V 5.2kW Tesla battery for about $1200. I have high and low temp protection and high and low voltage protection. Am I missing anything?? Hey, Will, please check out the recent "ultracapacitor" craze. Thanks!
A balancing BMS is not necessary with LiFePO4 type battery. This is because they do not have any self discharge. An initial balance either top or bottom (top is easiest and adequate for home power type applications) is all that is necessary. The addition of a balancing BMS is actually a detriment to the cells because unless it engineered not to do so the BMS is the device that unbalances the pack. This is because of unequal loads on the sense wires. A difference of even a few microamps will over time unbalance the pack. A BMS for this type of battery needs only a temperature (low and high) disconnect. Additionally the charger needs to limit charge current at low temps. If you want really long life out of these cells treat the 100AH cells as 60 AH and only charge to a max of 80% SOC (State Of Charge) and never let them go below 20% SOC. The greatest wear on the cells is from taking them to the limits. Keeping the cells in this range will increase the cycle life about 3 to 4 times or going from 1000 cycles to between 3000 and 4000 cycles. A balancing BMS is a catch 22 situation. You only need one if you have one. Best Wishes!
Go Will! But you didn't check matching - how do you know these 4 cells were matched in capacity? Or even internal resistance? This is a most important question that I was hoping you would answer.
Hi, great video! What do you think how many 4 piece sets could be connected in parallel? And do you have a link for the BMS you mentioned? I am thinking putting them into my boat...
for comparison, a single, 225ah (6 volt) deep cycle industrial battery (FLA)for $175 USD has same watt hours as that pack and will out cycle it also. Unless its going into a drone or a phone choose something else.
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [1/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vLGjxFL6U_I/mqdefault.jpg)
Just realized that the distributor on AliExpress that sold me these cells is new. I had no idea. I just added ten or so listings and bought the cheapest one. AliExpress return policy seems good (correct me if I'm wrong), so I will buy them from whoever. So far I am pleased, but if one of my viewers buys these battery kits and it looks different than what I got, let me know. I have never been contacted by the company or distributor. I just wanted to test the cheapest cells I could find. I have A TON of other battery orders coming this month. Including lto cells, so hold tight. Also, used LiFePO4 cell sources are getting crazy cheap. Will make more videos on that.
If you are a beginner, please watch my other videos!! I do not want to reinvent the wheel in every video, so please watch the other videos I post to understand what's going on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Guess Vmware are sponsor :)
I bought that shirt at goodwill for a dollar, without knowing who they were haha 😂
@@WillProwseDo you have a aliexpress affiliate account?
@@Neilukuk yes, all product links on my websites and videos are affiliate links. eBay, Amazon, AliExpress. Pretty much everyone at this point. That's how I can pay for videos without corporate sponsorship
@@Neilukuk and how I avoid corporate contracts
Honestly, I never get tired of how excited you are about this stuff. You're like that awesome teacher in high school who was so into the subject, you'd have to actively try to not learn something. I love it!
And these cells seem like an incredible value!
I have jus been watchin solar battery ideas for 2yrs and can’t believe how much lithium has gone down in price and up in quality! Thank Will! Always so professional and correct!
I've been using the Calb 180ah cells since 2015 in an off-grid setup. I have 16 of them for a "48 volt" system. When new the cells were around 185ah. Now after 4 years of daily cycling them, they still test out at 176ah. I run them with NO BMS, just a low voltage and high voltage cut-out and they stay balanced on their own (within a few 10ths of a volt). Once per year I dismantle the pack and balance them just for good measure, but they don't really need it. These are awesome cells!
M R I will take some pictures and post a google drive link. My setup is 10,000wh and 7.1kw of solar off-grid. My heat is propane, but everything else is electric. The system works so well that I don’t even have to think about, just like being connected to the grid. The house has 4 DVRs running 24/7, 4 55-65 inch flat screens, huge double door fridge, laundry, everything and these batteries and my inverter run it all 24/7 no problems. In the summer it runs my 30,000 btu central ac too.
Could you post it on our show and tell section of the forum? diysolarforum.com/forums/show-and-tell.3/
I want to see it too :D
@@WillProwse Absolutely! I will try to do it by tomorrow. Right now the weather is a bit crappy here in New York. Lol
Any update to your build? May i also ask what is the tool for your low voltage and high voltage cut off?
@@jetfu400 Everything is still running awesomely. A little over a year ago I added 16 280ah Eve cells to the system. I just put one 280 in parallel with one 180 Calb cell and each "double" is in series. It has been working fantastically for over a year now even mixed with the 7 year old cells.
My low voltage cut out is just the settings in the inverters which I set to cut out at 47 volts (2.94 volts per cell). I never reach that level since I have so much storage. Even with the air conditioning on all night, I'm only ever down to 30-ish percent by morning.
My high voltage protection is just the settings on my Midnite Solar charge controllers (57 volts or 3.56v per cell).
That's all I've ever had on them for nearly 7 years now. Except for one day that I had a Daly BMS. It died after only one day and I went back to no BMS.
What works great for testing is those large quick-clamps (like what people use for glueing wood together) Just clamp them together and lock them to your bench at the same time, and release them easy when you're done.
LiFePO4 is solid state tech. I’ve used it for large motorbike starters. It does not have the energy density of Li-Ion but is massively better than lead acid.
it is more tolerant of over charging than wet cell Li-Ion so ideal for engine starter replacements.
Fit warming pads between cells and they’ll work fine in sub zero temperatures.
I bought 16 of the 180ah version of these and the best value I could find by a mile. It still cost me a lot of money but it should be enough for me to never need the grid for the next 5 to 10 years. I pay the highest rates in the entire world for electricity so they can pay for themselves in 3 years and the entire solar system in 5 years, less if you include the fact they are being used on a truck so I'm not paying rent anymore either :)
what's your grid rate?
@@anomikak1062 33c per last I checked
@@anomikak1062 current exchange rate shows like 76 cents USD to one CAD
@@anomikak1062 I thought 12 pence was a lot for my electric but i guess it's pretty cheap.
@@anomikak1062 I just checked, its 40c now, I guess it depends on the other fees as well. for example a house of 3 is paying about $270 a month. Not dirt cheap in my books..
I've been using CALB in my RV for 4 years fulltime. I have a 360 aH setup. After 4 years they have lost 3 percent of their capacity.
Nice!! What bms are you using? That is awesome!
@@WillProwse I lost your channel for a bit...just found you again. You amaze me...you are a very intelligent man. And, you share so much freely...all one has to do is listen. I see you are out of the motor home and into an apartment. I hope you are doing well...you were so I'll at one time. I understand that completely...I had SEPSIS in 2017, was in a Coma for 6 days, and struggle to this day. I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge...even if someone isn't doing the solar thing, the entire process is fascinating. And, not being inappropriate, you are a real sweetheart...someone who would treat people with respect...until you were given a reason not to be. Take care, Will...you're one of the good ones.
good to know. thanks. Bms?
Wow
That is awesome.
CALB cells are wonderful! My personal favorite is the CALB CA180:) high quality and so powerful!
Adam I just got a bunch of these given to me and not sure what to do with them. He told me they need to be brought back slowly. Would you be will to talk them over with me?
Your enthusiasm is contagious!
Big and heavy is not per se a disadvantage.
I could understand what you wee doing right up to the point where you took them out of the box. I have NO IDEA about electronics but enjoyed the video. Thank you.
I bought these exact cells through a different source for only about $75 a piece. These are working very well in my skoolie build so far.
Hey Cody, I was just given 25 of the 180Ah ones and I don’t know much about them. He said they need to be brought back slowly. Would you be up for chatting about them a bit?
I have a local guy selling these and I got this from them:
"I highly do not recommend any bms for them. Over the last decade I have seen them do more harm then good. Over time they galvanically corrode inside the pcb and take down cells, under discharging them leading to cell bloat and failure. I highly recommend a LV cutoff to protect them. Bottom balancing the cells once every 400 cycles, once a year or so keeps them happy."
Thoughts?
I used to work at a batteryfactory where we produced similar batteries, and then even bigger, multicelled ones, they were made out of Lithium and Cadmium and I find this very interesting to watch :) The factory name was SAFT, located in Sweden.
And we had customers that wanted large powerbanks for airplanes, especially Norway is keen on going fossil-free commercial airlines
SAFT make the NiCad starter batteries for the areospatial AS350 helicopters
@@kitehman oh yeah it was Ni and not Li.... its been a while... saft batteries are also used for cargo ferries aswell, worlds largest powerbank is located in fairbanks alaska and saft helped making it
Great review. Those are some great cells. There are some al cased cells that are cheaper but the CALBs are proven and durable. Perfect for a stationary solar bank.
Time will tell...
Hey Will, I have an idea for a video series. I'm loving your videos and it's going to take a while to watch them all. I'd really like to see a series for DIY solar on a budget, the budget being the focus as it is for most everyone considering this DIY project. I'd like to see a video with you showing what you'd recommend for someone looking to spend $2k, $4k, $6k, etc. Maybe a video covering each budget and mention how much value, such as expandability, one might get by spending a little more money. Include everything needed, which battery, panels, bms, etc. There's a video by a prepper that shows something similar on a low budget, built on a hand cart, that was very helpful but someone with a larger budget might have to do days of research just to find out where to spend their extra cash. Thanks for all your instructional videos and reviews. Much appreciated. Oh, and welcome to the Tesla owners club. ;-)
Check out his book with sample systems. While not broken down by dollar amounts they are by size and that ends up being a dollar amount.
@@Bruce-ub8dv thanks!
I’ve been given a free sailboat with no engine and have watched too many of your videos over the years. I’m now considering going fully electric with lifepo4 battery bank!
As a long time sailor.... This is a serious mistake. All the YT electric sailboats end up with a generator to power the main electrical motor.
A small diesel.... Marinized by you.... Is by far the best value. And the most reliable.
Look at the site, the rigging doctor... Who put his electric boat on the beach and it cost 6000$ to pull off. Electric boats are disasters.
@@sails3538 Electric is cool. Even if you add a Generator you are free of the gears and engine lineup and position. You can use a tiny generator and maneuver with Battery and Generator power combined. For cruising you need only a fraction of the power. I could use a 20 kw genset and two 15kw saildrives. Much cheaper then a new 110hp diesel, more efficient, and for a good sailor, regeneration will power your induction cooktop and microwave. It is a run for ever machine... I want it :-)
We just built our own battery bank on our sailboat (we liveaboard) using 180 amp hour, 3.6-volt CALB cells, and a DALY BMS, wiring the cells in a 4s2p orientation. So stoked on the upgrade! We charge our lithiums in 2 different ways. We send the power from our 120 amp Balmar alternator on our engine to our 100 amp-hour sealed lead-acid starter battery. From there a Renogy 60 amp DC-DC charger takes the load from the alternator and puts it in a lithium profile and in turn charges the lithium batteries. It was a fun build!
EVTV resells these and has done a significant amount of testing on them.
The old evtv episodes are good level info
Thanks Will. This is really great info, for those of us, that live in countries, with currency that is a lot weaker than the US$. Knowing there is a good product at such great price, helps us , big time!
I have found similar, aluminum cased ones. They work great. Have had a few orders from Ali Express and have been pleasantly surprised lately.
did you say BMS WITH LOW TEMP CUTOFF??!!!!!!! I have been waiting for one!!!
Using good quality copper pipe is a really good source to make some bus bars to connect batteries. you can get 1/2" to 3" pipe (of varying thickness) and you can either cut it down the side (angle grinder with thin cut-off wheel, dremel w/ cut-off wheel or even thin snips will work) and then flatten it out - using a vice works well or even a hammer - don't hit it hard, just lots of light taps until flat.
You can also just flatten the pipe/tubing and you will get 2x the thickness if you need a lot of current, but a single thickness of almost all pipe is more than enogh for most projects. Drilling the holes is easy and you can get those "stepped" drill bits, shaped kind of like a cone/triangle - these are the best for drilling holes in the copper.
I've also used some older computer cases that have thick aluminum sheets (from 1/16" up to 1/4" thick for front doors) and they worked great for high current (400-800A) loads, using the 3/8"-1/4" thick sheets.
also if you need some end lugs (battery terminal connectors) for thick wire, you can make them from copper tubing - find tubing the inner diameter of the bare wire and cut a piece about 2x longer than the stripped wire end. Then crush about 1/2 of that cut copper tube to make a flat end and drill the proper size hole. Then you can either crimp the wire into the other side or solder it - if you solder - drill a small hole towards the hole you drilled so you can feed solder into the end, and not have to feed it in the end close to the insulation - you'll get a MUCH better looking connection w/o singed/melted insulation. These cost about 3-5% what normal copper lugs/connectors cost and work just as well. Good luck!
I love watching your videos, you get so excited about opening a new box, like a kid at Christmas, it's obvious you are very passionate about this stuff. 👍👍👌👌
Happy first Holidays in your new abode!
Thanks for all the power advice. You’ve helped me source and build my small off grid power system, which is in use everyday and now in a -30C environment.
i have been telling you for 3 years about Calb cells-
but U just blew me off - mine used daily 4 yrs and cost $525
from electric car parts
I didnt blow you off. I know what calb cells are but I havent seen them this cheap before
Thank you Will. I was just looking at those batteries and the price compared to the rest of them was so low I was afraid to order them.
I have 90 of these in my truck conversion. I don't have a BMS or any way to mechanically hold them together. Under normal use (don't over charge, don't over discharge) they do not expand and contract. After bottom balancing them 2 years ago, their voltages have not fluctuated at all. These are the most stable, safest and durable cells on the market.
In the four years since my conversion, I've only lost 2 cells because I over discharged the pack. I have over 30k miles on my truck and do not detect any reduction in capacity. CALB CA cells are exceptionally good.
29kWh, nice!
Will, thanks for the Battle Born blemished battery sale notice. I got the battery yesterday and what a great battery and darn if I can find any blemish. Its smaller, lite and 50 times better compared to my Vmaxtanks Vmaxslr125 AGM Deep Cycle. Love your channel.
@@Kevin-oz9fw THAT'S an interesting name...a mouthful for sure. (Bad choice of words, but correct)
Thanks for doing all of the experiments that I can’t afford to do!
I can't wait to see the videos Will is going to make after he graduates from high school!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
he only looks young. I think he's just shy of 40.
@@anomikak1062 Yes, I was joking. He is a young looking dude. Lol.
@Mykel Hardin maybe. he said his age a few times. I thought it was almost 40 but it could have been almost 30. either way he is way older then he looks.
I used to hate goodie Goods that have never done drugs smoke drink or raised hell like this kid on here but now that I'm older have kids of my own I really respect them he seems like a very good young man good role model for my boys I hope thay are goodie Goods like him keep up the good work very smart and entertaining
Once again - EXCELLENT video - and nothing caught fire ... As a sidenote you can get 4 x 200aH for about 650 delivered - but they are from China ...and not name brand ... off of Alibaba ... NOW -- ITS TIME FOR YOU TO START FOCUSING ON BMS'S ...
Yes, BMS time. Waiting for the packages to arrive. So many to test!
CALB is a name brand, in China. Been making them for many years, reliably
You need to put this 4-pack setup next to a Battleborn battery so we can compare size. Comparing their weights would be helpful too.
Excellent to finally see a decent and honest battery with these specs that isn't so $$$. I'm still going BB myself, possible in a matter of a month. House probably on the market in a month, then purchase RV, BB's Victron,PV's and GO!!! My head is spinning. I hope to see you soon Henderson/Vegas for coffee and a tour of my new toy. Thanks for continuing to inspire me my friend, you are one of the main reasons I have the guts and knowledge now to do this. YeeHaa !
Thanks for this dude. I´ve been looking for some good alternatives. Bought a LiFePO4 for my bike a few years ago and worked 2,5 years flawlessly in the middle of the sun and resisting the tropical sauna-like weather my country has.
Keep uploading!
just took a gander (followed the link) and the prices have actually increased by 50%.
Black gorrila tape, would last the life of the battery. You do great vids, thanks little brother 🌹
I just started watching your videos....love your enthusiasm and information....and your sense of discovery! I'll back pedal thru your older postings to get up to speed on pertinent knowledge--eventually would like to have a small solar system to boost my truck camper batteries. The rig currently uses two 6 volt golf cart batteries [new 12/19]. As the price of LiFePO batteries comes down, I'll switch out to them. Thanks!!
Now that's more like it; a great battery, great quality, and at a great price.
My CALB cells came with a data sheet that gives the actual tested capacity of each cell. All were over 116ah-118 ah per cell. They have been great.
are they still great? (just out of curiosity)
I've been thinking of buying these cells as well a few years back, those voltages were almost spot on the same four times!
Calculate your Cost vs Usage vs Regular Acid Lead Battery, 400CA is expensive for the price. Imagine paying for $450.00 for a 12V Battery with 400CA vs $75.00 Acid Lead. For $450+, I can buy 6 of them, even if "half" failed, I'm still good!
Is the order of connection important? What order do you connect the following; C-, P-,B- and finally balance lead connection? Is the order in which the connections are made important?
It would be fun to take all these videos, put them together, and build a $6700 Powerwall equivalent system for the lowest price with equivalent specs.
WOW!!! Imagine getting what you pay for! What a concept. Looking forward to see how well they perform.
I just love your enthusiasm...
Purchased the same CALB CA100 cells two months ago from Alibaba for about $57 delivered. The reason they were cheaper was they had been sitting in storage for a year. Came in manufacturer original packaging. All were in good shape and voltage, but I have not had a chance to capacity test all of them.
Thanks so much for all of your videos, they have really helped me in designing and building a system for my container home
"This is not a bomb, I promise." lol Thanks Will for all you teach us ... and make us chuckle at the same time.
Glad it came in early.
Now I just have to check the size of them versus my box.
And probably more questions on the forum.
Thank you for the video will you're quite informative.
I would use the super strong 3m mounting tape. It would allow an air gap between cells. Clamping them together will retain heat and effect performance
CALB is one of the top 3 largest cell manufacturers in China by my research, so I would readily order these.
CALB is a major player in lithium battery production. In LFP they are either 3rd or 4th globally behind only BYD and CATL.
A good question would be how many of these would we need to equate the power of a Tesla power wall ? Cost and size ?
TMoD7007 well if you are really smart it may be easy for you to calculate, but folks like me who are new to this would like to know how the calculation works
You don't have to be really smart to be able to do it. Not criticising you because you don't know - we all have to learn - but it's something very easy and a quick Google will tell you the answer. Just take the capacity measurement shown in the video and compare it to what a Powerwall is. The units are the same so it's no different to the old problem "if I can fit 10 apples in a box and I have 50 apples, how many boxes will I need" - if you have X kilowatt-hours in this device and a Powerwall is Y kilowatt-hours, how many of these does it take to match a Powerwall?
TMoD7007 maybe I didn’t go to high school , anyway thanks for all your help
I expect identical internal resistance from a "matched" pack. That's necessary to have close aging characteristics and to be able to do parallel layouts. Do these cells meet this requirement?
Someone gave me their home solar kit. Full house system just ripped off their roof. I gonna see if I can make a few generators for home. I'm looking forward to using this channel. Very interesting.
re: the packaging you get lighter shipping charges if plastic-wrapped and individual cardboard box - cheaper packaging changes the dangerous goods classification so you don't gain anything (requires different permits, load specifications and TDG certified personnel) because we want to avoid stray electrical charges running around in the event of an accident and possible leaks of combustibles
When will you open one up?
Did you really buy these cells from a seller with 0.0% feedback... If so you should leave feedback that's was amazing packing and speedy postage
Yeah I'll do that tonight. Good point
@@WillProwse I just went back to the Lifepo4 battery warehouse Alie site and I don't see your feedback or any for that matter. Did you not get a chance or do they play games with feedback??? Price is now $449.28
@@chuckger1625 haven't yet but will soon. I am crazy busy
@@chuckger1625 yeah price has increased. What a bummer. Great batteries though. Glad I got them before price increase
@@WillProwse what do you recommend now?
Great things for a number of household uses.. top show
Hi, If this brand is authentic, you got a smoking deal on them. The brand name "中航" is one of the leading aerospace technology manufacturers in China. Their's products ranging from batteries to rocket/missiles.
Thanks Will for doing this for everyone I have been contemplating buying the same ones.
Enjoying your videos very much, they are very instructive. I am a newbie and what does CALB means and what are the other alternatives called?
Arne Carlsson CALB = a Chinese brand, well known. Similar Alternates are Winston, Sinopoly.
In my country, get 4 , only need about $150,i will try when I have time.
Since I'm looking to switch off of lead acid in my RV and have considered the BattleBorn but this is exciting. As far as size goes, these look to be about the same size as the BattleBorn battery so it's not going to be an issue.
"Extra bus bar?" looks like it's just one per battery which seems both very nice and sensible. :-) - oh, I see it was a kit of four batteries - I guess it was "extra" :-)
Size and weight is a concern for us, but price comes first!
Being how we are switching our electric sailboat from lead acid, anything is smaller and lighter than what we currently have!
My camper battery bank has lost capacity and I want to replace with lithium because it is a truck camper and weight is critical. Right now I have 2 Trojan T5 6V batteries now at 120 lbs! I'm hoping they come out with a low temp cutoff BMS and the cells get cheaper before I have to buy.
Like the VM Ware shirt, using VM Ware to go anywhere on the web without fears from viruses can be fun.
I got four 180Ah CALB cells for my RV for around $700 delivered, a couple of years back. Held together only with big cable ties and braided busbars. But charged only with solar at 0.1C, so cell swelling is not a concern.
You can email CALB USA with the serial numbers and get the initial capacity and internal resistance stats for each cell. I use a custom programmed microcontroller as a charger/monitor and they've stayed balanced.
Really appreciate your vids. Great work in making us all much smarter.
I have been pondering those batteries. Now I know..... I will get them.
Just pulled the trigger.thanks will.
That is SOO cheap! If they're like wi ston cells I'm sure I'll be happy with them. Used Winston's for a car audio project beg of last yr. Good cells
Very nice ! I'm very interested in these. Would be using them for ham radio field ops. Thanks for the post !
If you're going to draw high currents or charge at high rates then you should leave space between the batteries for air flow to allow cooling.
I commented on one of your other videos regarding my experience with the MIADY Batteries.
It would be SOOOOO nice if companies could just be HONEST. THIS is why I DON'T buy anything made in China if I can avoid it!
Would you trust your home with this product, for off grid living?
Nope! Too expensive!
Yes. I run li-ion and li-poly and have been for years without issue. These are much safer than mine.
@@SystemsPlanet ... Which has nothing to do with the question asked.
And is incomplete at best, or flat wrong at worst.
Affordability is not the same as best value. I'd love a sweet LiFePo4 installation in my RV but the popularity for the moment puts them out of my budget. Lead acid is far more affordable... to get installed... but not in replacement costs, useability or flat out capability in the long term.
"Value" is a relative determination.
So yes... leads (good 6v if I can swing it) for now. But I'm not happy about it.
Would these work in a tiny Travel trailer like a teardrop trailer? Why not?
Sooo coool. I love the enthusiastic way you do your videos!!
So is 400$+ cheap? I have the 180AH version of those exact same batteries. It cost me about half that for 4x 3.2v cells about a year ago. I'm in Taiwan... but still, it shouldn't add an extra 250$ in shipping.
Well the price has not gone down. Up to $576.90 USD with bus bars if it ships from USA. From China, it is $489.60
Would do a build and breakdown of a headway bank for car audio .. the way you explain is much easier to understand
Excellent info. Thankyou, a question though, do you think cells like these would be ok for car audio power? I have bout 700 farads of ultra caps and new agm batteries. Always looking for more power though.
@diy solar power Great videos. Are these made of cylindrical cells also?
Excellent video Will. My wallet was screaming take my money through the whole thing 👍
Nice video, what do you think is the best way to keep your Lifpo4 capacity. I have one in the boat and the boat stands sometime 2 month’s outside. I have Victron blue smart charger with a maintenance mode. Some people say it’s not good for the battery to be alltime fully charged. What do you say? Andy
Neat! But after watching your Tesla battery video all I think about is watts per dollars! Right now the Tesla battery costs less than this setup :o
I did not read all the comments, probably it was mentioned before: the one thing that you forgot to mention when summing up for the price variations, is almost the most important one: C rate of a cell, for a home ess it is not so important, but for a ev it is
How quality has changed through the years. When you pay money, you should get what you paid for. There should be NO question.
I have had several bad experiences with aliexpress, from them selling very low quality items to also selling used broken items as new
Calculate your Cost vs Usage vs Regular Acid Lead Battery, 400CA is expensive for the price. Imagine paying for $450.00 for a 12V Battery with 400CA vs $75.00 Acid Lead. For $450+, I can buy 6 of them, even if "half" failed, I'm still good!
@@JodBronson and your capacity would be?
"YOU ARE VERY GOOD SALES MAN OF THIS CO"..BEST OF LUCK"
You mention clamping them tight to avoid damage to bus bars from expansion, but would spacing them be a viable option? I was thinking the width of a piece of corrugated cardboard between cells to allow for expansion and ventilation. Is there a safety reason for tightly packing the cells together?
I used Winston 400ah cells x 8 for a 24v system in my RV.
I used ZEVA BMS so I could fine tune the min max balance settings for Winston cells (not profile factory suggested but what marine electrical that had been using and testing the cells for years recommended 3.45VPC) it also has a nice display and Ah SOC display. Temperature high low cut off.
Please review the zeva it's a small company drop the owner an email.
Allows dual relay output one for load and one for charging so you can implement a dual bus architecture.
I am looking at getting the 24v 100ah pack what is a good bms with low temp cut off? This is my first time doing this and your channel as really made me more knowledgeable thanks for all you do man
I want to encourage all new technology, but
I STILL like my 24V 5.2kW Tesla battery for about $1200. I have high and low temp protection and high and low voltage protection. Am I missing anything??
Hey, Will, please check out the recent "ultracapacitor" craze. Thanks!
A balancing BMS is not necessary with LiFePO4 type battery. This is because they do not have any self discharge. An initial balance either top or bottom (top is easiest and adequate for home power type applications) is all that is necessary. The addition of a balancing BMS is actually a detriment to the cells because unless it engineered not to do so the BMS is the device that unbalances the pack. This is because of unequal loads on the sense wires. A difference of even a few microamps will over time unbalance the pack.
A BMS for this type of battery needs only a temperature (low and high) disconnect. Additionally the charger needs to limit charge current at low temps.
If you want really long life out of these cells treat the 100AH cells as 60 AH and only charge to a max of 80% SOC (State Of Charge) and never let them go below 20% SOC. The greatest wear on the cells is from taking them to the limits. Keeping the cells in this range will increase the cycle life about 3 to 4 times or going from 1000 cycles to between 3000 and 4000 cycles.
A balancing BMS is a catch 22 situation. You only need one if you have one.
Best Wishes!
Yes agreed. I have a few other videos that cover this in great detail for beginners wanting to learn this.
Go Will! But you didn't check matching - how do you know these 4 cells were matched in capacity? Or even internal resistance? This is a most important question that I was hoping you would answer.
Hi, great video! What do you think how many 4 piece sets could be connected in parallel? And do you have a link for the BMS you mentioned? I am thinking putting them into my boat...
Do a video ripping one of the batteries apart! 😁
I just received these today. They are labelled Li-Ion....help the great unwashed....Are these actually LiFePO4?
for comparison, a single, 225ah (6 volt) deep cycle industrial battery (FLA)for $175 USD has same watt hours as that pack and will out cycle it also. Unless its going into a drone or a phone choose something else.