Wow, this video is an eye opener and you've helped a lot. Starting comments from viewers who also have a lot of important information. So you get by with one Lithium battery which is great to know too as they cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for this mate. 👍
Good video! Heat is the enemy for any electronic or electrical device. Some of the biggest aftermarket 4x4 stores still recommend under bonnet installations, then scratch their heads when they under perform or one or more components fail.
I was told from dealer not to put under bonnet. Really not sure why you put yours there .Also had about 2 years mostly in the Kimberley. Has worked perfectly. Use 40 amp BCDC . I would prefer lithium but even though there has been a massive drop in price of raw material the prices are still horrendous. Love your videos keep up the great work 👍
I was advised by the dealer and by betta Batteries that the battery under-bonnet would be fine, the BCDC was also installed by a "good auto electrician" supposedly no issue. Mind you it's no issue if you do highway or fire trail driving or even in Tassy it was ok but idling along at 25-35kmph in the desert is a different thing.
yes I agree, I believe Betta Batteries has discontinued trading in Australia, not a bad battery but pretty much just a good AGM and a bit overpriced for what it is. LiFePo4 all the way.
Recently went through the same process with my Prado. After many years with AGM and normal Lead batteries, decided to go lithium after a couple of years research. Yes they are expensive and that is something you have to take into account over the life of what you are currently using. Slightly different to your setup, i replaced both start and auxiliary batteries under the bonnet with Lithium and dont run a BCDC. The batteries are warranted under the bonnet and with the in built battery management setup, dont requires BCDC. I looked at my current system and what to replace it with, weighed up staying with what i had, lead crystal and lithium. Obviously finished going with Lithium. I looked at what would be required moving from my current setup with normal start battery and AGM to Lead Crystal. Was going to cost quite a bit with the requirement of BCDC and i had my doubts about going this way for reasons i cant explain and absolutely with no weight saving. Finished up going with 2 x 75 amp/h Lithium batteries from Deep Cycle Systems (www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/ultimate-dcs-12v-150ah-dual-battery-setup-lithium/). Had quite a few calls with them and all question were more than adequately answered so i decided to invest in their batteries. Was a very simple swap over, saved 35kg in weight and now have more than double the available amp hours of my old 100 amp/h deep cycle. Have i made the perfect choice, i dont know and only time will tell. If my new setup all lives up to what has been promised, I will have it working as it is now for many years to come. If not, thats life and we try something different again but so far, very happy and will get to give them a proper test in a few weeks :) Hopefully this is useful information and contributes to the discussion on using Lithium.
as I understand it, it's still highly advisable to run a DCDC charger with Lithium profile beside every LiFePO4 having a build-in BMS. Which starter battery did you go with is it LiFePo4 as well?
@@AlloffroadAu Both batteries, Start & Aux are lithium. Not sure what youtube did to the link, copy this - www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/ultimate-dcs-12v-150ah-dual-battery-setup-lithium/ As i mentioned, i did quite a few phone calls with DCS and had many questions before deciding on doing this. I read a much as could through forums and trying to filter what was valid information wasnt easy. Time will tell if i got it right.
I watched the Video, Interesting I also did quite a bit of research and that are the first people selling LiFePo4 and say no issues under the bonnet and no need for DCDC. I'm keen to hear how you go in a year or two please keep me posted.
I've been looking at this system for 6 months for my new Prado. Can you share some pics of the setup? Your right, the DCS seems to go against most other brands but for some reason I trust them! Also no need for dcdc charger. Fantastic.
Thank you for your video, which my husband and I enjoyed. We have had our own lead crystal batteries for over 5 years, but on a recent camping trip, found our fridge wasn't being powered sufficiently when stopped overnight, and which we are currently testing our system to identify the problem (fridge, wiring, dc to dc charger or batteries (have two 100 amp lead crystals in back of car!), but after watching even likes of your presentation, deem potentially we could have a battery issue (still testing!), but am contemplating upgrading batteries noting the weight advantages of lithium seems highly attractive for obvious reasons if for touring purposes. We have looked at 'Enerdrive' brand, and others, including 'Revolution'. To be honest, there can be a huge price variation across all lithium batteries on offer, but note brands as mentioned, incl. 'Redarc', though these brands cost wise more expensive, stand out as deemed quality units. We have an Enerdrive 40amp DC to DC charger, (I think costing us about $450 purchased not that long ago. One of the problems in changing battery setups (say lead crystal to lithium, as in case you show), it appears 'Revolution' brand will only further recognise two battery charger makers (redarc and Vitron), so spending more money on their recommended battery charger, on top of a battery charger, so as to avoid warranty problems, another thing to consider for us, although I still might check with Revolution if Enerdrive could still be okay. I note with the Enerdrive branded B-tec range batteries (with internal Battery Mang systems), that if you buy an 100 amp/hr, you can only parallel with another 100 amp/hr same battery, thus no more batteries; and additionally cannot use an inverter more than 1000 watt. They also have the 200 amp hr which again can only be matched with the 200, thus a user cannot use an inverter more than a 2000 watt inverter whether using one or two batteries. One TH-cam business that sets up caravans etc professionally using say the Enerdrive, I noticed was using a larger inverter for this setup 2600 watts than the 2000 watt recommended. I guess what I am saying in all of this, the difficulty very ordinary people as myself can have in trying to do things as cost effectively as one can, all the while trying to ensure a good quality reliable system, that meets all the manufacturers demands. I have read good things about the Revolution batteries, but the idea (in my case), that I may also an alternative battery charger is something to consider. (Indeed always so much to consider lol!) Out of interest Stephan, do Revolution batteries limit 'banking/paralleling' batteries to two of same as Enerdrive do? Also, on your 100amps/hrs which you have the two, do you run an inverter? Cheers, and happy travelling anyway!
check out my Lithium Videos th-cam.com/video/FbStDC-7Q9E/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/jKg8wxDUBV0/w-d-xo.html I would never go back to anything but Lithium...
i have basically the same setup as you had (i think) however i have a dual cab and have my 100amp/hr lead crystal in the tub charging via my Redarc bcdc 1250. i personally can not fault my set up. during a stint up work (fifo) i had forgot to turn off my fridge while away (stupid mistake, no safety voltage shutoff in place)and the vehicle was left with no sunlight for the solar and i came home to what i thought would be a damaged battery due to discharge. Im pretty happy to say that it has recovered fully and is just like new. i am very watchful still as my wife has the lead crystal in her engine bay with her Redarc 1225 so will be keeping an eye on that. Personally i think the combination of heat and placement of your BCDC may have been the issue? not sure on this but i think the redarcs shutoff at around 88*C?. i think your same setup would have been fine in the back of your cruiser same as with the lithium and no problem would have occurred. Anyhows, just sharing my experiences with what i have seen, i love your channel. keep up the good work. happy days
Not many people spend days at high temperatures in the Desert and reach engine temps I reach. Main reason for change where weight, the voltage issue for my Drones and now I have double of usable capacity. So far I could not be happier
@@AlloffroadAu I assume that you're using a 12v charger for the drones instead of a 240v inverter? Which in my view is logical (I don't understand why so many people use inverters to power 240v power packs which step down to 12v) however had your main concern not been related to weight, the voltage drop could have been addressed by an inverter. I'm sure you know this so my statement is aimed at those who are unclear on the situation. Thank you for your on going content!
@@AlloffroadAu No mate thank you its hard to get good info without the bullshit and you do it in a great format thats enjoyable to watch so thank you mate 👍
Hi! Very interesting video. We are from Switzerland and recently visited Australia last winter and bought a redarc bcdc 1240D for our camper in Switzerland. I saw in the video you are using a model I don't know the bcdc 1250D. I didn't see this model from redarc 8 month ago when I was in Australia. Do you think that the bcdc 1240D will make the job for a lithium battery setup like your? Best regards
have you had a different or similar experience with Lead Crystal, let me know in the comment section. Do you have a LiFePo4? Please let me know which brand and how long you have it for. I should state that the cause for overheating of the BCDC was the location wedged in behind the headlights and in front of the aux battery. Hot Desert weather, tail wind combined with low range crawling did not provide sufficient airflow. I relocated the BCDC in Alice springs in front of the Radiator and the overheating issue was solved.
Stephen this is a great piece and explains fully your switch, and I follow your logic. I am running two batteries under bonnet in my 200 Series, one lead acid cranking battery and one AGM accessory battery charged via a BCDC 1240. I love the charging characteristics of the lithium and would like to replace my AGM BUT am restricted to an under bonnet installation. I know your application is in the cab now but have you any information or can you point me to an information source regarding under bonnet installation of lithium? All the information I have heard has been “no, it is not advised”. Can I assume you received the same advise given you did not go with an under bonnet installation like your lead crystal was? Cheers Terry
Hi Terry, LiFePo4 like any other Lithium definitely not under the bonnet. When I had the issues I measured engine bay temps in the Desert and after prolonged slow driving and outside temps of close to 40° I now better understand why batteries and BCDC charger should not be under the bonnet as it can easy get 70-80° and more. LiFePo4 you can get in a few different shapes so I think it's pretty easy to find a place somewhere in the cabin
this is supposedly suited for under bonnet application www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/12v-80ah-extreme-battery/ but never tried it so can't comment.
It is referring to a charge rate of 0.3 x the capacity of the battery at the 10hr rate ie what the capacity of the battery would be if it were completely discharged in 10hrs.
@@AlloffroadAu I found out in 2014- slow hot outback driving towing- fortunately I noticed it and had a bypass switch so at least some charge was going in, Redarc just forgot to mention it and the specs did not say. The specs clarify it nowadays. Sorry I did not tell you :-(
Good piece mate. I can't speak for lead crystal. AGMs take a long charge and are heavy. Lithiums like a charge, the last 10% is difficult. Lithiums don't like being exercised to 100%, so it's best to store them at 60-80%. That said, sometimes they need to be disconnected from the alternator and PVS for a day or two.
Firstly, great real world review. Excellent but I do have questions regarding the original Lead Crystal battery setup. Your desert expeditions is the ultimate heat torture test.OK...watched video again and answered most questions.. Did you have the storage battery located in the back of the vehicle the same as the Lithium battery? A,. No. Was the the charging system for the Lead Crystal battery adequate? A. No. Couldn't handle under the bonnet. I am wondering if the issues cause by heat lead you to reconfigure the design when you went for the lithium? A. Yes. Did the other components handle the heat properly and charge the Lead Crystal batteries properly? No. Was the lead Crystal batteries being charged properly? A. No. I would have expected a Lead Crystal battery to be able to charge a drone battery? Would this have charged the drone if the Lead Crystal battery was charged properly? A. This could be tested on a table with a charged battery. Useable power and weight were the big factors in changing to Lithium. It is great when things just work!
to answer your questions, the charging was sufficient and correctly set up however the BCDC at the position under the bonnet was not ideal but all of that did not have anything to do with the battery bulging. Better Batteries advised that under bonnet application was not an issue. If you watch their charging video you will see it contradicts their own data sheet and why I ultimately changed. I now have a dual DCS 100ah LifePO4 set up under the bonnet, I know that will reduce the lifespan like with any other battery but expect to get 5-7 years out of it, time will tell. Check out my LiFePO4 video if you haven't th-cam.com/video/jKg8wxDUBV0/w-d-xo.html. As far as I know Betta Batteries withdrew from the Australian market. I'm not saying Crystal Lead is bad but in my opinion no different then a good AGM like the North Star which I had afterwards as a starter battery und made the same promises as Chrystal Lead without all the charging difficulties.
@@AlloffroadAu We need reviews like yours. I watched your first review when it was installed. We need to know if a system can handle that extreme desert punishment! lol. I did laugh when I saw you cooling the system with a spray bottle. You may have reached the upper limit of the Lead Crystal in your desert duel! The Lithium has a higher temp tolerance. The bulging is not good. But I do think it was more normal for that battery chemistry. I was reading the marketing also. I was trying to work out if the BCDC on the market could charge this properly? Even the Redarc...which is a quality unit. I am more inclined to think the BCDC do not work properly located under the bonnet...and that failed the relevant torture test also in combination. Betta certainly made some bold claims! This is classic Lab result vs Real world. :)
yes Betta Batteries also said bulging is normal,after I relocated BCDC charger in front of Radiator I had no overheating issues anymore so to choose a good spot especially under the bonnet is very important. There was still no charger with a Crystal Lead profile available, charging routine was inconclusive for me,I had no weight savings, still only 50% DOD usable if I don't want life cycle to shorten substantially and my Drones would not charge unless battery was very recently fully charged. LiFePO4 sorts all this for me so I'm very glad I changed.
Ok nice explenation. But and there is a but my nephew has a towing servixe. We have in winter time a lot of problems here in Belgium (wich is not a cold climate. Than in norway they drop verry quick in the cold. I load my drones with no problem (with a pure sinus inverter) that was in a friends car in my own car I use a agm spiral battery. I think a bettary you use must be choosen dependening where and in wich klimate .(this is my personal opinion i studied electro-mechanics automachinacs and informatics I am not an expert but think I have a good back ground)
yes I agree we don't have that often below 0, however, we had a few instances around or just below 0 and I have so far not seen any problems. In Germany we sometimes had a few weeks well below -10 not sure how LiFePo4 would go there but here in Australia, I don't think it will cause issues.
I’ve have a Landcruiser 105 petrol from new . When the original alternator went it created a dead short that fried 2 perfectly good Optima yellow tops. The highest capacity replacement alternator I could fit puts out 120 amps. Could you please tell me how much grunt your SBC alternator puts out.
@@AlloffroadAu So you would say it is a happy medium between an AGM and a Lithium battery? I am doing a van conversion with a tight budget and I wanted to do as much research as I could
no I would say a Crystal Lead is just a good AGM but with more difficult charging requirements, I would rather look at say a Odysee or NorthStar AGM over a Lead Crystal.
3:53 There is an error in the chart: LiFePO4 is not specified for -40 degrees C. -20 C is the correct value. Also, I have been using SiO2 batteries for more than 2 years now (static installation), and I noticed the voltage drops while drawing amps, but it will go back to a higher value after a while; they do deliver the specified amps capacity.
The Lead Crystal is the safest battery for indore use. All other batteries emit gases and are not safe for indore use. That's why I prefer the safest Lead Crystal battery.
I purchased a crystal lead about a year ago, I've been happy with it but I was under the impression deep discharge didn't have any adverse affects? Does this make them no better then an AGM?
personally, I think my AGM starter (USA NorthStar Pure Lead AGM ) has pretty simar characteristics like a Lead Crystal. I don't think Lead Crystal is bad but I also don't think it's any better than a good AGM.
Lead crystal batterries are a complete scam,when I heard that theyhad to be charged at 2/3 capacity that told me what a usless battery they are. Mine lasted 4 years they vare in perfect physical condition, but have lost capacity . My old flooded lead acid batteries 48 v 200 amp hour got to a state where i had to add 30 litres of water but thet sort of out recovered. Stick nwith lithium fe phosphate for t hhe time being
Why don't people put the price of the item when they review it? You might get it cheap to plug it, so be it, but tell us what it's worth as well. Great video as always!!
I don't think you would have had the same result if you would have installed the BCDC and the Lead Crystal battery in the back instead of under the bonnet
the main reasons to change where the unclear charging, the weight, not enough usable amperage for my needs and the issues with my DJI drones charging. Non of them would have been solved by moving the battery and BCDC in the back.
@@AlloffroadAu It doesn't sound right.You say in your video it wasn;t charging properly the battery properly when it was under the bonnet. You needed to fix the issue of the charging problem. Instead, you reconfigured the Lithium system. location was clearly the main issue due to heat. Otherwise, you would have placed the Lithium Battery under the bonnet also!
You revolution battery specs"..........-40 to +80 degC would probably be more correct.....edit, check and double check your facts before posting. Other than that good job.
Real battery experts (rare) will tell you Lead crystal is pure marketing BS with no real world track record, complete utter gimmick, just a tweaked AGM. Revolution Lifepo4 batteries are overpriced as they are in bed with Redarc. All lithium batteries are the same, there is no such thing as reserve, you can discharge them right down to 100%DoD/empty, 12V underload is about the lowest you wanna go which by that point you have 1-3% capacity left, far above cut off & still enough to run bms. You can take them down to 90%DoD (~12.7-12.8V) for a good balance of cycle life & capacity, 90%DoD should give you around 100AH in a 100AH battery. Lifepo4 capacity is actually more than sticker capacity by roughly 10%, a trick the cell manufacturer does so in 5yrs time when you do a capacity test you say " I'm still getting 100AH, my battery is as good as the day I brought it"
I am not so sure about all your statements. Technology has evolved and more battery research is needed to improve battery performance. This means a battery expert from the old technology may not be the expert for the new technology.eg. Silicon use in batteries. I would love to know more from real world Lead Crystal installations. I got the impression it wasn't setup properly as he didn't understand the Lead Crystal datasheet. Also, his use was at the temperature limits for Lead Crystal. I would like to know more from his torture test actually. Not all of us are driving through deserts. Great review but left me with more questions.
I watched the video again. Its apples against oranges for the battery comparison. Put the lithium under the bonnet and it will die an early death from that heat also. He even says the BCDC battery charger(under the bonnet) wasn't charging the Lead Crystal battery and is spraying it with water.! Sounds more like the BCDC battery charger and location was the real issue.
Wow, this video is an eye opener and you've helped a lot. Starting comments from viewers who also have a lot of important information. So you get by with one Lithium battery which is great to know too as they cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for this mate. 👍
Good video! Heat is the enemy for any electronic or electrical device. Some of the biggest aftermarket 4x4 stores still recommend under bonnet installations, then scratch their heads when they under perform or one or more components fail.
I was told from dealer not to put under bonnet. Really not sure why you put yours there .Also had about 2 years mostly in the Kimberley. Has worked perfectly. Use 40 amp
BCDC . I would prefer lithium but even though there has been a massive drop in price of raw material the prices are still horrendous. Love your videos keep up the great work 👍
I was advised by the dealer and by betta Batteries that the battery under-bonnet would be fine, the BCDC was also installed by a "good auto electrician" supposedly no issue. Mind you it's no issue if you do highway or fire trail driving or even in Tassy it was ok but idling along at 25-35kmph in the desert is a different thing.
thank you for this video, in the past 10 years I've seen alot of miracoulous technology going out of market and disapeared the way they came...
yes I agree, I believe Betta Batteries has discontinued trading in Australia, not a bad battery but pretty much just a good AGM and a bit overpriced for what it is. LiFePo4 all the way.
Recently went through the same process with my Prado. After many years with AGM and normal Lead batteries, decided to go lithium after a couple of years research.
Yes they are expensive and that is something you have to take into account over the life of what you are currently using.
Slightly different to your setup, i replaced both start and auxiliary batteries under the bonnet with Lithium and dont run a BCDC. The batteries are warranted under the bonnet and with the in built battery management setup, dont requires BCDC.
I looked at my current system and what to replace it with, weighed up staying with what i had, lead crystal and lithium. Obviously finished going with Lithium.
I looked at what would be required moving from my current setup with normal start battery and AGM to Lead Crystal. Was going to cost quite a bit with the requirement of BCDC and i had my doubts about going this way for reasons i cant explain and absolutely with no weight saving.
Finished up going with 2 x 75 amp/h Lithium batteries from Deep Cycle Systems (www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/ultimate-dcs-12v-150ah-dual-battery-setup-lithium/). Had quite a few calls with them and all question were more than adequately answered so i decided to invest in their batteries. Was a very simple swap over, saved 35kg in weight and now have more than double the available amp hours of my old 100 amp/h deep cycle.
Have i made the perfect choice, i dont know and only time will tell. If my new setup all lives up to what has been promised, I will have it working as it is now for many years to come.
If not, thats life and we try something different again but so far, very happy and will get to give them a proper test in a few weeks :)
Hopefully this is useful information and contributes to the discussion on using Lithium.
as I understand it, it's still highly advisable to run a DCDC charger with Lithium profile beside every LiFePO4 having a build-in BMS. Which starter battery did you go with is it LiFePo4 as well?
@@AlloffroadAu Both batteries, Start & Aux are lithium. Not sure what youtube did to the link, copy this - www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/ultimate-dcs-12v-150ah-dual-battery-setup-lithium/
As i mentioned, i did quite a few phone calls with DCS and had many questions before deciding on doing this. I read a much as could through forums and trying to filter what was valid information wasnt easy. Time will tell if i got it right.
I watched the Video, Interesting I also did quite a bit of research and that are the first people selling LiFePo4 and say no issues under the bonnet and no need for DCDC. I'm keen to hear how you go in a year or two please keep me posted.
I've been looking at this system for 6 months for my new Prado. Can you share some pics of the setup? Your right, the DCS seems to go against most other brands but for some reason I trust them! Also no need for dcdc charger. Fantastic.
I just had a long chat with DCS and I agree it makes sense what they say. Stay tuned seems like I will be testing some of their gear very soon..
Thank you for your video, which my husband and I enjoyed. We have had our own lead crystal batteries for over 5 years, but on a recent camping trip, found our fridge wasn't being powered sufficiently when stopped overnight, and which we are currently testing our system to identify the problem (fridge, wiring, dc to dc charger or batteries (have two 100 amp lead crystals in back of car!), but after watching even likes of your presentation, deem potentially we could have a battery issue (still testing!), but am contemplating upgrading batteries noting the weight advantages of lithium seems highly attractive for obvious reasons if for touring purposes. We have looked at 'Enerdrive' brand, and others, including 'Revolution'. To be honest, there can be a huge price variation across all lithium batteries on offer, but note brands as mentioned, incl. 'Redarc', though these brands cost wise more expensive, stand out as deemed quality units. We have an Enerdrive 40amp DC to DC charger, (I think costing us about $450 purchased not that long ago. One of the problems in changing battery setups (say lead crystal to lithium, as in case you show), it appears 'Revolution' brand will only further recognise two battery charger makers (redarc and Vitron), so spending more money on their recommended battery charger, on top of a battery charger, so as to avoid warranty problems, another thing to consider for us, although I still might check with Revolution if Enerdrive could still be okay. I note with the Enerdrive branded B-tec range batteries (with internal Battery Mang systems), that if you buy an 100 amp/hr, you can only parallel with another 100 amp/hr same battery, thus no more batteries; and additionally cannot use an inverter more than 1000 watt. They also have the 200 amp hr which again can only be matched with the 200, thus a user cannot use an inverter more than a 2000 watt inverter whether using one or two batteries. One TH-cam business that sets up caravans etc professionally using say the Enerdrive, I noticed was using a larger inverter for this setup 2600 watts than the 2000 watt recommended. I guess what I am saying in all of this, the difficulty very ordinary people as myself can have in trying to do things as cost effectively as one can, all the while trying to ensure a good quality reliable system, that meets all the manufacturers demands. I have read good things about the Revolution batteries, but the idea (in my case), that I may also an alternative battery charger is something to consider. (Indeed always so much to consider lol!) Out of interest Stephan, do Revolution batteries limit 'banking/paralleling' batteries to two of same as Enerdrive do? Also, on your 100amps/hrs which you have the two, do you run an inverter? Cheers, and happy travelling anyway!
check out my Lithium Videos th-cam.com/video/FbStDC-7Q9E/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/jKg8wxDUBV0/w-d-xo.html I would never go back to anything but Lithium...
i have basically the same setup as you had (i think) however i have a dual cab and have my 100amp/hr lead crystal in the tub charging via my Redarc bcdc 1250. i personally can not fault my set up. during a stint up work (fifo) i had forgot to turn off my fridge while away (stupid mistake, no safety voltage shutoff in place)and the vehicle was left with no sunlight for the solar and i came home to what i thought would be a damaged battery due to discharge. Im pretty happy to say that it has recovered fully and is just like new. i am very watchful still as my wife has the lead crystal in her engine bay with her Redarc 1225 so will be keeping an eye on that. Personally i think the combination of heat and placement of your BCDC may have been the issue? not sure on this but i think the redarcs shutoff at around 88*C?. i think your same setup would have been fine in the back of your cruiser same as with the lithium and no problem would have occurred. Anyhows, just sharing my experiences with what i have seen, i love your channel. keep up the good work. happy days
Not many people spend days at high temperatures in the Desert and reach engine temps I reach. Main reason for change where weight, the voltage issue for my Drones and now I have double of usable capacity. So far I could not be happier
@@AlloffroadAu I assume that you're using a 12v charger for the drones instead of a 240v inverter? Which in my view is logical (I don't understand why so many people use inverters to power 240v power packs which step down to 12v) however had your main concern not been related to weight, the voltage drop could have been addressed by an inverter. I'm sure you know this so my statement is aimed at those who are unclear on the situation. Thank you for your on going content!
just noticed your reply to EMU4WD. doh!
Another good vid and ya handled that fly like an Aussie should well done keep up you're great work 😎
Thank you very much....
@@AlloffroadAu No mate thank you its hard to get good info without the bullshit and you do it in a great format thats enjoyable to watch so thank you mate 👍
I didn't realize that SBC was still producing that high amp alternator. Neat!
they sure do, it's great
@@AlloffroadAu I just looked up the prices though. It BETTER be great at that price. man alive.
@@PatrickRich yes not cheap but genuine Denso aren't cheap either, weak Aussi $ and shipping makes it a bit more expensive for us here
Thanks for another comprehensive product review. Very helpful.
Hi! Very interesting video. We are from Switzerland and recently visited Australia last winter and bought a redarc bcdc 1240D for our camper in Switzerland. I saw in the video you are using a model I don't know the bcdc 1250D. I didn't see this model from redarc 8 month ago when I was in Australia. Do you think that the bcdc 1240D will make the job for a lithium battery setup like your? Best regards
Yes the BCDC1250 is fairly new your 1240 is fine as well just charges a little slower
@@AlloffroadAu Nice. Thanks for your answer!
got a like as soon as that fly came along
lol thanks mate
have you had a different or similar experience with Lead Crystal, let me know in the comment section. Do you have a LiFePo4? Please let me know which brand and how long you have it for.
I should state that the cause for overheating of the BCDC was the location wedged in behind the headlights and in front of the aux battery. Hot Desert weather, tail wind combined with low range crawling did not provide sufficient airflow. I relocated the BCDC in Alice springs in front of the Radiator and the overheating issue was solved.
Stephen this is a great piece and explains fully your switch, and I follow your logic. I am running two batteries under bonnet in my 200 Series, one lead acid cranking battery and one AGM accessory battery charged via a BCDC 1240. I love the charging characteristics of the lithium and would like to replace my AGM BUT am restricted to an under bonnet installation. I know your application is in the cab now but have you any information or can you point me to an information source regarding under bonnet installation of lithium? All the information I have heard has been “no, it is not advised”. Can I assume you received the same advise given you did not go with an under bonnet installation like your lead crystal was?
Cheers
Terry
Hi Terry, LiFePo4 like any other Lithium definitely not under the bonnet. When I had the issues I measured engine bay temps in the Desert and after prolonged slow driving and outside temps of close to 40° I now better understand why batteries and BCDC charger should not be under the bonnet as it can easy get 70-80° and more. LiFePo4 you can get in a few different shapes so I think it's pretty easy to find a place somewhere in the cabin
AllOffroad 4x4 Adventures TV thanks Stephen, interesting to know the actual under bonnet temperatures, thanks for sharing.
Go well.
this is supposedly suited for under bonnet application www.deepcyclesystems.com.au/product/12v-80ah-extreme-battery/ but never tried it so can't comment.
@@AlloffroadAu not only that. It has a three year under bonnet warranty. You'd be lucky to get another brand to give you 24 months with a wet cell!
It is referring to a charge rate of 0.3 x the capacity of the battery at the 10hr rate ie what the capacity of the battery would be if it were completely discharged in 10hrs.
Out back cough - love it never thought that heat would impeded the dc to dc, but it makes sense
Yea me neither before this
@@AlloffroadAu I found out in 2014- slow hot outback driving towing- fortunately I noticed it and had a bypass switch so at least some charge was going in, Redarc just forgot to mention it and the specs did not say. The specs clarify it nowadays. Sorry I did not tell you :-(
Good piece mate. I can't speak for lead crystal.
AGMs take a long charge and are heavy.
Lithiums like a charge, the last 10% is difficult.
Lithiums don't like being exercised to 100%, so it's best to store them at 60-80%.
That said, sometimes they need to be disconnected from the alternator and PVS for a day or two.
I hardly ever run my LifePo4 below 70% and given the very quick recharge time it works great for me.
You could always use a step up converter for the drone charging like they do for the 12v ovens
yea to much effort Lithium does the trick
Lithium 100ah
In the rear draws
Redarc 1240D
All in the rear .. nice and 😎 real cool
Second lead battery $104 under the bonnet for cranking 👌🏽
good set up what LiFePo4 did you go for?
Firstly, great real world review. Excellent but I do have questions regarding the original Lead Crystal battery setup. Your desert expeditions is the ultimate heat torture test.OK...watched video again and answered most questions.. Did you have the storage battery located in the back of the vehicle the same as the Lithium battery? A,. No. Was the the charging system for the Lead Crystal battery adequate? A. No. Couldn't handle under the bonnet. I am wondering if the issues cause by heat lead you to reconfigure the design when you went for the lithium? A. Yes. Did the other components handle the heat properly and charge the Lead Crystal batteries properly? No. Was the lead Crystal batteries being charged properly? A. No. I would have expected a Lead Crystal battery to be able to charge a drone battery? Would this have charged the drone if the Lead Crystal battery was charged properly? A. This could be tested on a table with a charged battery. Useable power and weight were the big factors in changing to Lithium. It is great when things just work!
to answer your questions, the charging was sufficient and correctly set up however the BCDC at the position under the bonnet was not ideal but all of that did not have anything to do with the battery bulging. Better Batteries advised that under bonnet application was not an issue. If you watch their charging video you will see it contradicts their own data sheet and why I ultimately changed. I now have a dual DCS 100ah LifePO4 set up under the bonnet, I know that will reduce the lifespan like with any other battery but expect to get 5-7 years out of it, time will tell. Check out my LiFePO4 video if you haven't th-cam.com/video/jKg8wxDUBV0/w-d-xo.html. As far as I know Betta Batteries withdrew from the Australian market. I'm not saying Crystal Lead is bad but in my opinion no different then a good AGM like the North Star which I had afterwards as a starter battery und made the same promises as Chrystal Lead without all the charging difficulties.
@@AlloffroadAu We need reviews like yours. I watched your first review when it was installed. We need to know if a system can handle that extreme desert punishment! lol. I did laugh when I saw you cooling the system with a spray bottle. You may have reached the upper limit of the Lead Crystal in your desert duel! The Lithium has a higher temp tolerance. The bulging is not good. But I do think it was more normal for that battery chemistry. I was reading the marketing also. I was trying to work out if the BCDC on the market could charge this properly? Even the Redarc...which is a quality unit. I am more inclined to think the BCDC do not work properly located under the bonnet...and that failed the relevant torture test also in combination. Betta certainly made some bold claims! This is classic Lab result vs Real world. :)
yes Betta Batteries also said bulging is normal,after I relocated BCDC charger in front of Radiator I had no overheating issues anymore so to choose a good spot especially under the bonnet is very important. There was still no charger with a Crystal Lead profile available, charging routine was inconclusive for me,I had no weight savings, still only 50% DOD usable if I don't want life cycle to shorten substantially and my Drones would not charge unless battery was very recently fully charged. LiFePO4 sorts all this for me so I'm very glad I changed.
Ok nice explenation. But and there is a but my nephew has a towing servixe. We have in winter time a lot of problems here in Belgium (wich is not a cold climate. Than in norway they drop verry quick in the cold. I load my drones with no problem (with a pure sinus inverter) that was in a friends car in my own car I use a agm spiral battery. I think a bettary you use must be choosen dependening where and in wich klimate .(this is my personal opinion i studied electro-mechanics automachinacs and informatics I am not an expert but think I have a good back ground)
yes I agree we don't have that often below 0, however, we had a few instances around or just below 0 and I have so far not seen any problems. In Germany we sometimes had a few weeks well below -10 not sure how LiFePo4 would go there but here in Australia, I don't think it will cause issues.
Great review I liked it 👍 and I am subscribing
Thanks and welcome
I’ve have a Landcruiser 105 petrol from new . When the original alternator went it created a dead short that fried 2 perfectly good Optima yellow tops. The highest capacity replacement alternator I could fit puts out 120 amps. Could you please tell me how much grunt your SBC alternator puts out.
They have a few version my one 200amps idle and 270 max running.
You can have your factory
Genuine alternator rebuilt
Or same thing is but a rebuilt genuine denso unit.
Nice video, informative as always, just have to wait for the few years until they drop in price.
What about a review on your slinky suspension?
I had to many issues with Distributer of Suspension so won’t do a follow up as I could not recommend it because of that
So the Lead Crystal (Silicone Dioxide) batteries cannot be discharged at full percentage like a Lithium Phosphate battery???
ideally not will reduce lifespan
@@AlloffroadAu So you would say it is a happy medium between an AGM and a Lithium battery? I am doing a van conversion with a tight budget and I wanted to do as much research as I could
no I would say a Crystal Lead is just a good AGM but with more difficult charging requirements, I would rather look at say a Odysee or NorthStar AGM over a Lead Crystal.
Hey Stefan, how are you? Do you still rate the DCS lithiums?
Yes mate sure do
Awesome mate 👍
When do we get to see the new play truck ?
ahh thats still work in progress hopefully and of October
3:53 There is an error in the chart: LiFePO4 is not specified for -40 degrees C. -20 C is the correct value. Also, I have been using SiO2 batteries for more than 2 years now (static installation), and I noticed the voltage drops while drawing amps, but it will go back to a higher value after a while; they do deliver the specified amps capacity.
the DCS Cells are, mind you we will never get below -10°c in Australia so should be no issue.
The Lead Crystal is the safest battery for indore use. All other batteries emit gases and are not safe for indore use. That's why I prefer the safest Lead Crystal battery.
I purchased a crystal lead about a year ago, I've been happy with it but I was under the impression deep discharge didn't have any adverse affects? Does this make them no better then an AGM?
personally, I think my AGM starter (USA NorthStar Pure Lead AGM ) has pretty simar characteristics like a Lead Crystal. I don't think Lead Crystal is bad but I also don't think it's any better than a good AGM.
Lead crystal batterries are a complete scam,when I heard that theyhad to be charged at 2/3 capacity that told me what a usless battery they are. Mine lasted 4 years they vare in perfect physical condition, but have lost capacity . My old flooded lead acid batteries 48 v 200 amp hour got to a state where i had to add 30 litres of water but thet sort of out recovered. Stick nwith lithium fe phosphate for t hhe time being
Why don't people put the price of the item when they review it? You might get it cheap to plug it, so be it, but tell us what it's worth as well. Great video as always!!
fair call, from memory, the RRP is around $1900 for the 100Ah battery
🤯🤯🤯🤯
good bit of information mate
Thanks a lot mate your feedback is greatly appreciated
Do you have any Aux battery under the bonnet now?
no not as this stage..
Your mobile battery is far more dangerous so happy days 🤗
THANK YOU FOR VIDEO
I don't think you would have had the same result if you would have installed the BCDC and the Lead Crystal battery in the back instead of under the bonnet
the main reasons to change where the unclear charging, the weight, not enough usable amperage for my needs and the issues with my DJI drones charging. Non of them would have been solved by moving the battery and BCDC in the back.
@@AlloffroadAu It doesn't sound right.You say in your video it wasn;t charging properly the battery properly when it was under the bonnet. You needed to fix the issue of the charging problem. Instead, you reconfigured the Lithium system. location was clearly the main issue due to heat. Otherwise, you would have placed the Lithium Battery under the bonnet also!
Understood re lithium so the market for all intents and purposes is hybrid vehicles
no it's anyone who needs a auxiliary battery
You revolution battery specs"..........-40 to +80 degC would probably be more correct.....edit, check and double check your facts before posting. Other than that good job.
Pretty sure the facts were copied straight from Revolution web site
Real battery experts (rare) will tell you Lead crystal is pure marketing BS with no real world track record, complete utter gimmick, just a tweaked AGM. Revolution Lifepo4 batteries are overpriced as they are in bed with Redarc.
All lithium batteries are the same, there is no such thing as reserve, you can discharge them right down to 100%DoD/empty, 12V underload is about the lowest you wanna go which by that point you have 1-3% capacity left, far above cut off & still enough to run bms. You can take them down to 90%DoD (~12.7-12.8V) for a good balance of cycle life & capacity, 90%DoD should give you around 100AH in a 100AH battery. Lifepo4 capacity is actually more than sticker capacity by roughly 10%, a trick the cell manufacturer does so in 5yrs time when you do a capacity test you say " I'm still getting 100AH, my battery is as good as the day I brought it"
I am not so sure about all your statements. Technology has evolved and more battery research is needed to improve battery performance. This means a battery expert from the old technology may not be the expert for the new technology.eg. Silicon use in batteries. I would love to know more from real world Lead Crystal installations. I got the impression it wasn't setup properly as he didn't understand the Lead Crystal datasheet. Also, his use was at the temperature limits for Lead Crystal. I would like to know more from his torture test actually. Not all of us are driving through deserts. Great review but left me with more questions.
I watched the video again. Its apples against oranges for the battery comparison. Put the lithium under the bonnet and it will die an early death from that heat also. He even says the BCDC battery charger(under the bonnet) wasn't charging the Lead Crystal battery and is spraying it with water.! Sounds more like the BCDC battery charger and location was the real issue.