Everyone who's suggesting using 2 batteries in series doesn't understand a few things. First, it's far more expensive to buy 2 batteries instead of one. Second, it is more difficult to transport and still requires you to crimp and solder wires. And lastly and most importantly, it does not give you current-limiting functionality for safety purposes. So please, if you are wondering, I do NOT generally recommend connecting 2 batteries together instead of using a DC boost converter. You can do that if you want but just know that it is not a better solution for the purpose of this video.
I recently purchased an Anker C1000 with the expansion battery. I have several 12.8v 100ah batteries that I can attach if needed a pure sine wave inverter that I can pump up to 1300w or as low as 100w of power into my power station using the Anker app to adjust whatever wattage I want to charge with. My expansion problems are over with…With 3ea 200w solar panels I’m good to go. I’ve done all that small step up inverter work with the different adapters to my smaller power stations which are basically obsolete, but I wanted something out of the box I could just plug and play that would meet all my needs..Small, portable & powerful…
@@HebrewNomadOverlander good idea. If you increase the AH of the battery and just use a single battery, it seems like it should be the best answer for a cheaper alternative to use with a small home battery backup. Imagine using a 400ah battery.
@tonyinfinity it is never a good idea to connect batteries directly to each other without current limiting device in between. LOL! ROFL! But you do you bro.
This is exactly the video I've been looking for. I couldn't get my batteries that are charged with my solar panels to charge my Bluetti. The current just wouldn't flow. I thought that I was doing something wrong. Thank you thank you!
I'm getting my portable system delivered in a couple of days. In a power outage, I'd let the fridge go and use my solar/battery power on the freezer(s). I can eat the contents of the fridge in days but the freezer(s) are full of a years food from my garden. It's the thought of the loss of the WORK even more than the food its self that has lead me to get a back up system. I've lost entire freezers in the past but supermarket foods is just money lost. By the end of the summer I have two freezers on the go nowadays. I have other backup plans for cooking and lighting no need for a battery there.
Been doing this for years. Just be warned that those small DC to DC boost converters get very very HOT. Maybe enough to start a fire. Keep them on a non combustable surface. A better alternative is the Victron Orion 12-24 converter. Much bigger heatsink and runs much cooler.
Not this one. This is exactly why I opted for this 3A unit because relative to the 10A version the heatsink here is massive. I've been using this one for a long time and it never gets to hot to touch even after hours of use. Victron doesn't make a small 3A unit like this. 10A is the smallest and it's costs 10 times the price. But if you want to, you can and the idea is the same. Just be aware that 10A is too much current for some smaller power stations with a 120w input limit. Make sure it has a built-in current limiter.
Great video! Newby here. I have a Delta mini with 300 watt solar input. My question is why do you need a step up from 12 to 24 volts if the input goes in to 12 volt like solar? I can see why it would have to be regulated. I already have a 24volt to 12 volt 20 amp 240 watt step down converter. Would this work?
This was well presented and clearly explained. I think this is a good solution to use in an RV with a fixed LiFePO4 battery. Your solution provides 1280KwH of additional storage. The accessory battery is not cheap ($340). The accessories add another $25-40. External charger perhaps $50 for a total of $430. Correct me if my addition is off. Negatives - Moving a large battery around is awkward - no handle/no case. Maximum output wattage is still limited to the power supply circuits of your power station. Albeit half the capacity, a new EcoFlow 600 is $479. If you just need a moderate increase in storage a larger second unit would seem to be a better solution. Is the boost converter necessary with some units? The specs on my EcoFlow River 2 indicate it will accept 12-20 volts input for charging. It comes with a cigarette plug adapter to charge from your car which is12 volts. If this is correct, couldn’t I just hook the battery to the 12 volt charging plug? Does it already have internal circuitry to limit the current and adjust the voltage? I’d like to see this solution adapted to use with batteries we all might already have on hand (i.e. power tools, drones, external battery chargers for cell phones). It may be a small boost but often that’s all you need.
The cost comparison needs to be made with first party battery add ons like this 6kwh ecofow delta option. amzn.to/3UEKkoU This is over 5-10x the price at per Wh level. Generic LiFePo4 packs are always going to be the cheapest option for the amount of capacity that you get. Power tool batteries are far more expensive per Wh and the battery chemistry does not give it the cycle life as compared to these. it would be much more costly over time to use them. Boost converter serves as the equalizer to make this work with more types of power stations. While not needed for some, it can serve as a safety feature for all as it adds a cheap and easily replaceable current limiting feature. You can certainly buy smaller lifepo4 batteries to make it more portable and lower the cost significantly especially when compared to other options you mentioned. The prices have continued to fall. 100Ah lifepo4 packs are now easily below $200 and 50ah ones can be found for less than 100. amzn.to/49hjCqZ They are small and weigh as little as 12 lbs. That's half the weight of a case of beer which I know for a fact that people have no problems carry with them when they go camping 😉
I recommend you get a professional to make the pigtail cable, maybe even warrantied try a cellphone repair/ electronics repair and show them what you need. If you do this wrong you will regret it. That being said a newbie should be able to do it anyway. But it’s your money and battery….
Get your own PowerUrus battery here: freelyroaming.com/powerurus Parts shown in this video: 12v-24v Boost Converter: amzn.to/3A9STwW XT60 Connectors: amzn.to/3UwVt8h If you don't want to solder, you can get these pre-wired connectors for a tool-less build: Wired XT60 connectors: amzn.to/3NX2E7j Lever wire connectors: amzn.to/3Tyibvo
Good video. I use adjustable output boost converter for my Bluetti, and other Solar gen I have, it works great. Here are some of my suggestions to improve safety. 1) Put a fuse on the battery positive terminal so in case the Boost converter shorted out or accidentally short circuit the wiring. 2) Put a Female XT60 on the battery side instead of having exposed male pins as you have right now.
I've got a bag full of different soldered connectors I made to adapt whatever I need so I don't have to deal with making one-off adapters when I need to make something work. Some are for the explicit purpose of having an automotive blade fuse but I didn't feel the need to use it here. Plus these connectors aren't any more or less safe on the female or the male side by design. The male pins are not exposed. Plus just about every power station in the market today has reverse polarity and short circuit protection. Definitely every single one I showed here do. But sure I figured there is always gonna be some Safety Sallys piping up on every video.
@@freelyroaming How do you survive with such a thin skin? let me fix your snarky reply for you - "Ty, good idea. I don't need it for my purpose but others might benefit"
@@paulstaf you sound like someone who has zero practical experience. Just desperate commenting on other people's channels to find any shred of relevancy.
Great video production! We fuse our LFP's to protect the wire. LFP's, due to their very low internal resistance, can delivery more instantaneous joules of energy than AGM or FLA Batteries in the event of a short circuit. Nobody wants a fire, and most people on here don't have Electrical Engineering backgrounds.
You are converting the energy twice, resulting in lower efficiency and higher idle consumption. You can do it if you don’t mind the loss. Otherwise the boost converter is more efficient
Thanks, I was thinking of not buying a power station due to the high price, buy now I can get a smaller unit with a battery and use my small solar panel to charge the battery all the time, thanks so much!
Thanks for the video. Here's a less portable, more efficient option if you have 2 or more batteries: Hook your batteries in series to raise the voltage. No need for the boost converter's inefficiencies or need to cool it. (Mine gets very hot without a fan) Just make sure the batteries are within .1V of each other before connecting them in series. (You'll get a big rush of current if they aren't the same voltage.) Took my Delta 2 from 180ish charging watts with 1 battery to 365ish watts with 2 in series. (Your results may vary depending on the charging circuit of your power station.)
@@freelyroaming MPPT (or older PWM) DC/solar charger limits that for you on the generator side. None of these power generators connect you directly to the internal 36v or 48v storage cells. They all use their own DC charger/BMS.
Rely on that only if you are willing to constantly replace blown internal fuses. Just so you know, hooking up two 100Ah batteries in series and connecting them directly to the solar input port of your power station is the equivalent of connecting 2,500 watts of solar panels to that same port. If you think your power station is designed to handle that then go for it. Bottom line is every power station has a different charge controller. Some will definitely trip or blow a fuse as its internal protection method. So If you want to reliably use this method over a wide range of units, don't count on all of them to behave the same. A simple boost converter that you select, can control to behave the same across all units is much more reliable. Not only does simplifying make for a more reliable system, eliminating external variables is also a best practice. And yes, simply asking people to connect multiple batteries in series without making sure they know the risks of unbalanced packs is dangerous. Which is why this should not be recommended as a practice for all to follow. Not to mention the extra space, cost and cabling required. This video is showing a much simpler, cheaper and practical way of extending the capacity of a power station used in a mobile environment. Keep that in mind when you watch these videos. The channel is called 'Freely Roaming' because the audience is people who travel nomadically.
@@freelyroaming Man, you continue to ignore basic electronics and ohms law, but ok. This is your video and I'll respect that and go somewhere else. I was simply answering someone else's well placed question, and will warn folks that your answers are just blatantly wrong. A 100Ah battery doesn't just SHOVE that 100Ah into whatever you connect it to, it is merely a MAX rating. At 500W rated on a solar charger, a 50Ah battery would supply exactly the same power as a 100Ah does into one of these units (because the resistance is what sets current). The 100Ah isn't going to double that power. And the reason most of us get these power generators is because it converts and does all this for us. So, fine, for those of you that want, continue using a DC boost that costs more, adds complexity, limits your current and potentially can burn your house down (most of those cheap ones on Amazon can get to a Tcase of 85'C). But just know that IF you use the proper XT60i input to the solar plug (or whatever plug your charger has for it's solar input) and as long as you follow the voltage recommendations for that port (most even protect you if you are outside that range and just disable charging), you are going to be fine keeping with the simpler solution of just connecting up and not boosting it and wasting current on a HEATER as well as limiting your effective charge rate.
@@jeffmcclain don't play dumb and pretend to be 'just answering' someone's question. Just like your tone in this response, you know as well as I do that you deleted your own rude and ignorant post from yesterday that I called you out on and this is just your way of looking around trying to find someone to defend your poorly made suggestion. It's obvious that it doesn't just push all of the available power. Neither will a 2500 watt solar panel. But without the proper components in the circuit it will blow an internal fuse at the very least. Ohm's Law does not just magically save you when the circuit does not protect against over current. It will in fact work against you. Not all charge controllers are created equal. You are telling people to trust unknown circuitry inside a black box and recommending for people to ignore the possibility that some poorly designed power stations will cause more current to pass thru than it should unimpeded which is ignorant and irresponsible. At best you will blow the internal fuse and at worst cause injury and death. It's foolish and dangerous. I can't stress enough the fact what you are telling people can hurt them for the sake of your own injured pride on this topic.12-24v boost converters are used everyday, everywhere. Especially the low current 6A unit I recoomended in this video. From a pure safety standpoint it is much safer than telling a layperson to mess with 2 100Ah 4S LiFePO4 batteries in series. Even if they are able to choose the proper cables, lugs, crimp and connect them safely and properly, you can have further implications in potentially damaging the batteries with over charging/discharging if the capacities are unbalanced. it is just a terrible idea altogether to recommend it without further explanation. I hope your employer/clients see these comments and finds the flaw in your argument that you would trust an entire category of unnamed components in products without prejudice because of what they "should" be able to do. This is entirely poor judgment for someone who proclaims to be a professional... Let me see, you think I should run 4 USB 5V cables in series instead of using a single USB-PD to charge my macbook? Much more efficient, right? 🤦♀
Pretty SUS. Losses from charging compared to just ganging the batteries together and letting them draw down together. Maybe, just maybe you can get 87% efficiency charging from your extra battery.
That was an impressive demonstration 😎 Two Thumbs-up!! 👍👍 I've been trying to figure out how to do that with my new Delta 2 and watched a few other videos with very poor results. Great job!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ YES I did. 😎 Considering the limited "D/C input" and limited additional capacity available for the *Delta 2 ( @500-watts / with any combination of volts up to 60 volts), I decided to take a completely different approach by using the "A/C input" of the *Delta 2 which has a fantastic input spec for its size and capacity of 1,200-watts (120-volt x 10-amp = 1,200 watts). My theory (untested at the moment)) is to use a 12/24 D/C volt to 120 A/C volt inverter and connect multiple 12 or 24 volt LifePo4 batteries, using the inverters A/C outlet to recharge the *Delta 2 A/C input. For example one 12.8 volt x 100ah battery = 1,280 watts, exceeding the original capacity of the *Delta 2 with one $300 battery and the cost of the inverter (minus the power loss for the inverter). Now imagine the potential storage capacity of a larger battery bank stacked with either 12-volt or 24-volt LifePo4 batteries. Then add a solar power charge controller and recharge your battery bank during the day with any sized solar array that matches your daily usage. Remember, the D/C to A/C inverter only needs to be running when recharging the *Delta 2. The same inverter can also be used to supply power for other items in the home as needed. The right solar panel array should be designed to recharge your battery bank.
@@royrobinson4636 nice! It’s funny you mentioned that theory as I was looking at inverters today. It seems easier to keep it to AC charging even with the lose. The input any other way stepping up is too slow. I appreciate the input and insight. Just needs to make sure is pure sine wave. I actually snagged a fuel fuel genny over the holidays for backup to is. Works great!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ I retired 5 years early (7 years ago) as an engineer and own a ranch in a very rural area. "Self-reliance" has been my goal for the past 5-6 years, it's also become a lifestyle. A backup generator system with manual switchgear was one of my first goals. I use two (2) 2500-watt Champion dual-fuel inverter generators connected to the low-pressure side of my 250-gal bulk propane tank. I can run both in series or parallel or independently using a parallel box to feed my 240volt / 200 amp distribution panel. Both generators are de-rated to 1750 watts using propane and another minus 50+ watts for high altitude, together they can produce about 3400 watts, which is more than enough for my critical needs. Both are still light enough (40 lbs each) and quiet enough (53 dB) and are fitted with quick disconnects, making them portable enough to grab and toss in my truck with a couple of 20lb propane tanks and take that power anywhere. I use the *Delta 2 specifically for my home office and Starlink internet. I have both Residential and Starlink R/V systems. 🤠
I also bought Delta2 (Ecoflow), and noted that the back of it is a male XT-60i which has a gold middle pin (data pin). Cannot buy Xt-60i female anywhere, so used regular xt-60 female with 48 volt DC LRS-600-48 Mean Well P.S. It works but the current is limited to 8 Amp only, so, the charge was 429 watts with 54.5V and 7.8A. Yes, you have to adjust the output voltage at P.S. to Max. Of 54.5V. 2 nd method I used the DC to DC booster set at 60V and 8 A the output is 481 Watts but when measured the MPPT inside Delta2 adjusted to 41.7V and 11.46A which surprised me because my XT-60 was not Ecoflow XT-60i to MC4 cable (yes, you have to pay extra, not come with Delta2). But still under 15 A maximum.
I connect directly to a cig lighter with a cheap wattmeter to a compact 3s 3.7v lithium pack from 10.5v it fast charges at 10 to 11 amp. Then later boost to lifepo4 battery. Great for no sun in December and January
I really enjoyed your video and it was very informative so it’s utilizing a boost converter you are getting a stable wattage for them to accept solar connection via XT60 connector.
I personally have a foxnov 384W, and 2 Allpowers S2000 1500W units. I’m planning on adding batteries instead of buying other units until I have enough for a large scale unit that can output 8000-10,000W as I’m looking for a whole home power station solution
If you want to make a lot of money, build a "capacity booster" that will auto-sense both input and output, allowing you to connect to any source (12/24/36/48) and safely charge any power station, regardless of what it draws. You could include a heat sensor and cooling fan. (Some boost converters come with a fan attached.)
They already make auto detecting chargers, I use four them to charge my LifePO4, 12v or 24v. If you really want to make some money, make a 120amp all in one unit. Only one on the market and it has Brazilian plugs. I have to rig four chargers together to achieve my charge rate goal on generator power. I have reduced Generator Charging from Over 24 hours to 3 hours. I wonder how much energy i save..... lol
They make voltage regulators, for what it’s worth. They are used where shore power or generator power lags or fluctuates. It outputs constant 120 or 220 AC.
Thank you such an informative and grounded video. I have been searching for ways to expand the capacity of my Oupes 1200 power station. Todd Parker has a video where he uses the Oupes supplied car charging cable and then attaches a female cigarette adapter to the lithium battery. I tried it just now, as you this may not work with all batteries and power stations. It works fine and I am charging at about 97 watts from my 200 amp hr Ampere Time battery.
This is how you would normally charge it but it require more equipment and is slightly less efficient. You are inverting the DC source first to AC and converting it back again to DC. Each one of those jumps create inefficiency. Using the method shown eliminates one of those conversion steps which creates more efficiency.
I started out with the solar generator. And after buying the panels for it to charge it up I started getting more panels and batteries. So now I got both backup for the backup 😁
@@TravelwithDaySack I too have a (pair of) Delta 2 and 220w bifacial panels as well as a 230ah 12v LiFePO4 battery to expand the wh capacity for camping trips. I recently picked up a 12v-24v 15amp boost converter to expand the charging rate compared to the standard 12v cigarette lighter vehicle port to xt60 input port on the D2. The input using that connection is limited to 8amp when charging from a vehicle or 15amp with solar panels. With just the battery, I was able to charge at about 102w (12.8v x 8 amps). With a standard xt60i plug and the boost converter the charge rate approximately doubled to about 192w (indicating I was now getting 24v x 8amp =192w). So, the cord appeared to be limiting the input amperage and the car charging icon was indicated on the D2 display. I then attempted the test using Ecoflow's xt60i plug (the third pin is wired opposite polarity to the standard xt60i plug) and the charge rate increased to about 348w (24v x 15amp = 360w minus some efficiency due to heat generation) with the display indicating solar rather than vehicle input. The problem was that with the latter setup, the boost converter became dangerously too hot to touch where using the other method that limited input to 8amps, the boost converter only warmed very slightly. With the Ecoflow plug and converter, when the converter kept increasing in temperature and could not be held, I stopped the test and let every cool down again, then reverted to the standard xt60i plug to finish charging at 24v 8amps. After discussing the situation with another DIYer, we decided that using a boost converter to charge power stations from a battery works OK and appears safe in terms of heat generation (though continued monitoring is probably wise) when the converter is operating at about half its amp rating. Mine was rated to 15amps maximum and worked fine running at 8 amps though that charge rate was slower. The boost converters come in various flavors: 12v to 24v at 3amp, 5 amp, 10amp, 15amp and 20amp, etc. To be safe, limit the charging rate to about half the amp rating of the particular converter you purchase. Finally, it is probably better and more efficient to just charge the power station using a 24v battery instead of a boost converter.
Thank you, Sir. Great hack. I think I'll be leaning towards the pre-soldered wires that is being offered. And good tip on the 24v pass-thru. I think my Bluetti has that...hmm. I was going to go with a different battery, 230wh, but I really like this battery and all of its protective safety features. Thank you! Great hack!
Great idea Greetings from Western Australia I see two positive wires and two Negative wires from the lithium battery to the connector why’s that ? thank you I’ll watch again in case I missed something Best wishes and thank you
Very easy to understand. Thanks for your clear explanation , especially the universal examples. I have a Anker Solix F1500 that I wanted to connect my ebike batteries to for extra capacity. I’ll have to determine the voltage DC input on the station and decide from there if I need a step down or step up to satisfy the input range. I think the power station DC input range is 11V-60V. I have lithium ion batteries (that I can make use of) ranging from 36-72V. There are now anti-spark and battery blender devices that can be used with batteries of same voltage, but differing Ah capacities. I’ve used these successfully on my e-bike projects. I’ll have to read more from the comments, but connecting a adjustable low voltage cutoff device from the feeder battery would be good. The BMS isn’t always so great, especially under load.
Great way to extend the run time of any power station. My only concern is the voltage converter gets hot during its operation telling me there is a significant conversion loss associated with them.
The performance you are getting from that tiny boost converter you can get she same by just wiring a xt60i connector that has its activation pin linked to the negative then connect it straight to the battery no converter needed it will charge at the current limit of the mppt
Unless explicitly stated, power stations do not support XT60i connectors and will not have the ability to read the data stream. The third pin will do nothing. None of the ones I showed here do. That means they will not charge from the native battery voltage. Generic MPPT charge controllers will simply ignore the lower than sufficient voltage and do nothing. However, all charge controllers will charge from 24vdc as it mimics a solar panel which they are all designed to be used with. The point here is to find a way that works with the widest range of power stations out there. Not only the ones that might work with it.
Many power stations mppt allows much faster charging when using two 12v batteries in series. For instance the aferiy 210 will accept ~100 Watts with one 12v 100ah battery but using two batteries in series the charge rate goes up to about 500w. If your power station supports this it is absolutely worth connecting this way if you have two batteries
Thank you so much, I really need to get over my timid nature, when it comes to this topic, mainly because of diy wires, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and I would have saved hundreds vs the AC70 that I may be returning, still in my hallway unopened, since I don’t have the certainty of being able to pay it off! A bit of confidence and caution and I wouldn’t be wrestling buyers remorse! Although I am new to this, and watched a different tutorial were the boost converter had the caveat of running a bit too hot, the circumstances may have been different in key ways during that TH-camr’s tutorial, I just don’t remember why, but all this just to say thank you 🙏
Good solution, as a powerbank appeals to do the grunt work in a camper van, but I'm worried that its less easy to expand than a full system. (Trying to think of a way to recharge the extra battery on the road too, perhaps swapping over the DC charger or EHU in, but then you're needing extra kit...)
It would definitely extend the time you can be out. Depending on the solar panel you use, as long as it has an inline charge controller, you can definitely use it to top off the battery pack while it charges the power station.
@@freelyroaming Are you able to do a followup instruction to show how to solar charge the expansion battery? In this scenario, would you be able to use solar to first charge the expansion battery, which will simultaneously charge the powerstation, which will simultaneously charge your devices?
@@shane.diesel @Freely Roaming I would really like to see how to charge via solar panels too. I have two Ecoflow R600 pro that can be linked. It also had this special option too add an extra battery via a special plug, but it is not available any more :/ I charge them with my Ecoflow solar panels, though at bit slow.
I do this with my River 3. Just use the cable that came with my battery charger and fortunately had the xt60 cable with the alligator clamps and works well in the solar input so a 100ish watts input from a 100ah lifepo4. I am currently trying too ind out what I would need to buy for the Bluetti AC180 to do the same thing cause it uses some other input connector for solar I think the MC4
Great video. Am I able to charge the 12v battery and also discharge the battery while connecting to the portable power station at the same time? Will it harm the battery by doing so?
My project is to use this hack combined with a dollar regulator to charge a 100mA battery during the time I'm out of my country house. I can have this extra energy fully charged once I arrive on Friday with my Delta 2 fully charged too. And I can keep a little fridge working too
LifeP04 battery charger for home power or panes a charge controller. Or hell I guess if you wanted to the panels to your solar generator a plug a lifep04 charger to the solar generator. Won’t be very efficient for sure but it can be done a number of ways
Great video. I would attempt to source a battery thats 24v to do this if your power station requires it. Those cheap 12-24v dc converters are considerably inefficient. Thats why they get so hot over time. Great option if you already have the 12 battery laying around.
I'm an admitted idiot with DC power. How would the 24 v battery hook up work? Can it directly feed the 12 v power station without modification? Also, if using an alternator to charge these, which battery would you use? Thanks for any ideas.
Stumbled upon your channel great content !! Is there away to charge the lifePo battery from vehicle starter battery or alternator and charge while driving ? Thank you 😊
Interesting concept. So I had to try it on my Jackery 300 without the converter. It charges at 78 watts through the cigarette lighter plug, which is about all the flimsy barrel connector can handle without overheating. Works like a champ.
Usually those connectors and cigarette lighter plugs have a 10A rating. That is also why using a 24v boost converter is best because it will allow it to handle more watts without increasing the current.
@@donbrloks3959 the jackery 300 has a 90w max charge rate with a 12-30v input limit. At 12v you would charge at a max of around 7a. 24v would half that. That unit is one of the smallest power stations and would take over 3 hours to charge it. there are many more modern options like the ecoflow river 2 that will charge at a much faster rate.
The bad thing is that step up boost converter has no current limiter so one needs to be careful it does not over heat, catch fire and burn your house down. There have been other videos mentioning this. One is better off spending a little more one one that has built in current regulation.
Question? Why is their double red and double black wires coming off the battery instead of just a single wire of each? And how are you connecting them in terms of "double" to one side of the wire on the xt60? Thank you
I have the Ecoflow River without the extra battery. I want to be able to extend it's battery life by tying into the pair of deep cycle lead acid batteries that I have. The voltage of two fully charged 12 V batts will exceed the River's charge limits I believe. What sort of current limiter should I use. I also wonder how much power I can take from my Nissan Leaf traction battery. DC-DC converter puts out 1000 watts @12v.power.
Could you charge the battery from the generator while it's charging with a solar panel via the charger you showed? I have an Anker Solex c-1000 and I want to expand the capacity. They make an expansion battery, but that would only be good with the Anker. Your method would give me more versatility, it seems, when I want to build a system from scratch, wouldn't it? Do you have step by step instructions on how to do this somewhere? Thank you - my brain is balking at learning all this electricity stuff, but it's seeping in a little at a time.
This is so helpful, thank you! I have a Bluetti EB70s (716 Wh) and want to connect a 12v 100Ah LifePO4 battery with the boost converter as you have demonstrated in order to run a portable refrigerator 24/7. I also have a 200 watt portable solar panel. My question is how to get solar power into the system. Do I connect my solar panel to the external 100 Ah LifePO4, from the battery run wires to the boost converter, and from boost converter run wires into the Bluetti? If I do this, it seems that the 100Ah external battery will be charging (from solar) and discharging to the Bluetti at the same time, and I don't know if a 12v 100Ah LifePO4 battery is capable of doing that. Is the right way to do it and will I need anything else to make this work?
? Does the length of a pigtail make any difference on charging or delivery/"flow" rate? ? Does each use the same gauge wire or are all of them different - and can a wire be too heavy?
Hi I thought this was a great idea so I gave it a go it worked for about 3 minutes then the Step Up converter stopped working I'm hoping it's the converter and nothing else as the Delta 2 is brand new but it did work when it worked
It's possible that you just got a bad boost converter. However I don't have any experience with the Delta 2 but all of the other Ecoflow units have worked for me.
Thumbs up and subscribed! I have a Bluetti ac200 max. Do you think I can make my diy expansion battery with eve prismatic cells/bms? There's a lot of loss with the step up/down converter plus more crap to break/carry/lose .
You can use a diy battery pack if it's got a BMS. But I like having a boost converter especially with Bluettis since they need higher solar input voltage. Also it acts as a current limiter.
Very nice presentation. I've saved it for reference. I too need written directions on how to make pigtail cables. I've got a booklet by Will Prowse which I hope will explain for novices how this set up safely increases the generator capacity.
How would you be able to connect the battery to a battery expansion port found on EcoFlow solar generators allowing the EcoFlow to take and charge the battery from solar or shore power?
Hi Dan, thank you for making this video. Quick question- I have a 24v day solar system with 4 100ah batteries. Already having 24v at my disposal, is there a device that protects a power station from over voltage during charging from a battery bank? I realize most power stations have built in protection but I want redundancy in protection. Thank you.
Great video, I was wondering if anyone has tried putting 2x12V in series so as to make it a 24V cluster.. I guess that should work and doesn't need a step up 12to24V converter since those things are getting pretty hot and couldn't leave them unattended...
But the concept is misplaced by using batteries in series. The idea around the boost converter is that it enables the system, charging from a variable voltage source (of 12v requirements), to increase power (watts) with reduced current (amps) due to boost voltage.
Also an important safety precaution is having a current limiter in place. 2 batteries in series has the potentialif delivering current at dangerous levels.
One of the safety precautions you will want is some sort of current limiter. Connecting to batteries in series directly won't give you that protection. Although your power station might already have it but it's not guaranteed
So without the cheap 12 to 24v converter you can do the same as 12v to 12v using the barrel to cigarette lighter female and connect a cigarette male to battery clamps end and connect to the battery, correct? Slower but still moves the watts over.
Great review. Was wondering if there's a possibility of connecting an external battery (not Ecoflow battery pack) via the expansion battery port by the side of delta 2 unit, instead of connecting it via the XT60i port? Reason for this is so the external battery can be permanently connected to the power station for continuous charge & discharge
The connector is not the only limitation. You'll need to change the wire gauge, and the DC converter. Simply swapping the connector won't change anything. The difference with the XT60i isn't that it carries more power but that it adds a data sensing lead for devices that support them. In this case, that data lead won't be doing anything.
i have a EB3A bluetti plus a ac180 power stations the ac 180 can take up to max 60v. i also perchased the ac70 bluetti waiting for the delivery. it can take up to 58volts 60 max but it is written 58v. I will perchase a first 24 v 100ah battery to charge them up. the ac180 and the ac70 not the EB3A i have a 12,8v 50ah for that one.
Everyone who's suggesting using 2 batteries in series doesn't understand a few things. First, it's far more expensive to buy 2 batteries instead of one. Second, it is more difficult to transport and still requires you to crimp and solder wires. And lastly and most importantly, it does not give you current-limiting functionality for safety purposes. So please, if you are wondering, I do NOT generally recommend connecting 2 batteries together instead of using a DC boost converter. You can do that if you want but just know that it is not a better solution for the purpose of this video.
Very true, there would be no need to purchase 2 batteries when you can simply purchase a 200ah battery, a all in one. Question?
I recently purchased an Anker C1000 with the expansion battery. I have several 12.8v 100ah batteries that I can attach if needed a pure sine wave inverter that I can pump up to 1300w or as low as 100w of power into my power station using the Anker app to adjust whatever wattage I want to charge with. My expansion problems are over with…With 3ea 200w solar panels I’m good to go. I’ve done all that small step up inverter work with the different adapters to my smaller power stations which are basically obsolete, but I wanted something out of the box I could just plug and play that would meet all my needs..Small, portable & powerful…
@@HebrewNomadOverlander good idea. If you increase the AH of the battery and just use a single battery, it seems like it should be the best answer for a cheaper alternative to use with a small home battery backup. Imagine using a 400ah battery.
They make 24v lifepo4 batteries right on Amazon. No need to series 2 12v together.
@tonyinfinity it is never a good idea to connect batteries directly to each other without current limiting device in between. LOL! ROFL! But you do you bro.
I was about to just connect my LifePO4 battery to the charge port.
Glad I saw this. Thanks, man.
i was about to plug it in my jigawatt capacitor
@@donaldotrumpriguez2024 you need a 3 jigawatt flux capacitor if you expect to do any time traveling.
Knowledge is power and this is pure gold sir. Great video content. Very needy info. Thank you!
This is exactly the video I've been looking for. I couldn't get my batteries that are charged with my solar panels to charge my Bluetti. The current just wouldn't flow. I thought that I was doing something wrong. Thank you thank you!
That's a great hack. Thanks. Great to have in a power failure to keep the fridge and freezer running longer.
I'm getting my portable system delivered in a couple of days. In a power outage, I'd let the fridge go and use my solar/battery power on the freezer(s). I can eat the contents of the fridge in days but the freezer(s) are full of a years food from my garden. It's the thought of the loss of the WORK even more than the food its self that has lead me to get a back up system. I've lost entire freezers in the past but supermarket foods is just money lost. By the end of the summer I have two freezers on the go nowadays. I have other backup plans for cooking and lighting no need for a battery there.
Been doing this for years. Just be warned that those small DC to DC boost converters get very very HOT. Maybe enough to start a fire. Keep them on a non combustable surface. A better alternative is the Victron Orion 12-24 converter. Much bigger heatsink and runs much cooler.
Not this one. This is exactly why I opted for this 3A unit because relative to the 10A version the heatsink here is massive. I've been using this one for a long time and it never gets to hot to touch even after hours of use. Victron doesn't make a small 3A unit like this. 10A is the smallest and it's costs 10 times the price. But if you want to, you can and the idea is the same. Just be aware that 10A is too much current for some smaller power stations with a 120w input limit. Make sure it has a built-in current limiter.
@john doeYes you can. It's limited to 8.2A though so you'll charge at about 100W. You can upconvert it similiar to the video to 24v for 200w
Great video! Newby here. I have a Delta mini with 300 watt solar input. My question is why do you need a step up from 12 to 24 volts if the input goes in to 12 volt like solar? I can see why it would have to be regulated. I already have a 24volt to 12 volt 20 amp 240 watt step down converter. Would this work?
@@bulldogs131 is there a video of a 24v charging
Can I charge my marine lifepo4 battery directly from my ecoflow max?
Amazing video for using my 100Ah lithium battery to charge power stations. Explained many products and charging. A+ video.
This was well presented and clearly explained. I think this is a good solution to use in an RV with a fixed LiFePO4 battery. Your solution provides 1280KwH of additional storage. The accessory battery is not cheap ($340). The accessories add another $25-40. External charger perhaps $50 for a total of $430. Correct me if my addition is off.
Negatives - Moving a large battery around is awkward - no handle/no case. Maximum output wattage is still limited to the power supply circuits of your power station. Albeit half the capacity, a new EcoFlow 600 is $479. If you just need a moderate increase in storage a larger second unit would seem to be a better solution. Is the boost converter necessary with some units? The specs on my EcoFlow River 2 indicate it will accept 12-20 volts input for charging. It comes with a cigarette plug adapter to charge from your car which is12 volts. If this is correct, couldn’t I just hook the battery to the 12 volt charging plug? Does it already have internal circuitry to limit the current and adjust the voltage?
I’d like to see this solution adapted to use with batteries we all might already have on hand (i.e. power tools, drones, external battery chargers for cell phones). It may be a small boost but often that’s all you need.
The cost comparison needs to be made with first party battery add ons like this 6kwh ecofow delta option.
amzn.to/3UEKkoU
This is over 5-10x the price at per Wh level. Generic LiFePo4 packs are always going to be the cheapest option for the amount of capacity that you get. Power tool batteries are far more expensive per Wh and the battery chemistry does not give it the cycle life as compared to these. it would be much more costly over time to use them.
Boost converter serves as the equalizer to make this work with more types of power stations. While not needed for some, it can serve as a safety feature for all as it adds a cheap and easily replaceable current limiting feature.
You can certainly buy smaller lifepo4 batteries to make it more portable and lower the cost significantly especially when compared to other options you mentioned. The prices have continued to fall. 100Ah lifepo4 packs are now easily below $200 and 50ah ones can be found for less than 100.
amzn.to/49hjCqZ
They are small and weigh as little as 12 lbs. That's half the weight of a case of beer which I know for a fact that people have no problems carry with them when they go camping 😉
Far cheaper than the extra Bluetti 230 battery at $999.00!
@@ralphbuoncristiani2941 a 12v battery won't charge a 12v battery. Your car's alternator puts out 13 or 14 volts to push current to your car's battery
I'm a newbie. It would be nice to have a video on how to build the pigtale cable coming off the battery.
Thanks for the feedback. I will try to find time to make some howto videos like that.
Look around for this model on TH-cam and there are quite a few videos that show how to make that wire
I recommend you get a professional to make the pigtail cable, maybe even warrantied try a cellphone repair/ electronics repair and show them what you need. If you do this wrong you will regret it.
That being said a newbie should be able to do it anyway. But it’s your money and battery….
@@freelyroamingplease send link if you made video
@@freelyroaming thank you for this video.. I am about to buy a first gen Prius... will this work to increase driving range?
Get your own PowerUrus battery here:
freelyroaming.com/powerurus
Parts shown in this video:
12v-24v Boost Converter: amzn.to/3A9STwW
XT60 Connectors: amzn.to/3UwVt8h
If you don't want to solder, you can get these pre-wired connectors for a tool-less build:
Wired XT60 connectors: amzn.to/3NX2E7j
Lever wire connectors: amzn.to/3Tyibvo
Awesome info! I was looking for an economical way to supplement my new EcoFlow Delta.Thanks!
Good video.
I use adjustable output boost converter for my Bluetti, and other Solar gen I have, it works great.
Here are some of my suggestions to improve safety.
1) Put a fuse on the battery positive terminal so in case the Boost converter shorted out or accidentally short circuit the wiring.
2) Put a Female XT60 on the battery side instead of having exposed male pins as you have right now.
I've got a bag full of different soldered connectors I made to adapt whatever I need so I don't have to deal with making one-off adapters when I need to make something work. Some are for the explicit purpose of having an automotive blade fuse but I didn't feel the need to use it here. Plus these connectors aren't any more or less safe on the female or the male side by design. The male pins are not exposed.
Plus just about every power station in the market today has reverse polarity and short circuit protection. Definitely every single one I showed here do. But sure I figured there is always gonna be some Safety Sallys piping up on every video.
@@freelyroaming How do you survive with such a thin skin? let me fix your snarky reply for you - "Ty, good idea. I don't need it for my purpose but others might benefit"
@@davidr9876 u r right david.. we have to be more "flexible" and open minded and have neoguh nerves to be stay calm and open for suggestions.
@@paulstaf you sound like someone who has zero practical experience. Just desperate commenting on other people's channels to find any shred of relevancy.
Great video production! We fuse our LFP's to protect the wire. LFP's, due to their very low internal resistance, can delivery more instantaneous joules of energy than AGM or FLA Batteries in the event of a short circuit. Nobody wants a fire, and most people on here don't have Electrical Engineering backgrounds.
I really like that idea for getting 4 to 5 times longer use and faster charge time is a game changer
That's a very smart solution. Never thought of that, thanks for sharing this idea.
Thanks! Glad you like it.
@@freelyroaming I really do. Btw, we based our LifePO4 conversion on your videos. One year ago now. I will do a capacity test video soon.
I use a pure Sine 12V to 220V 600W pure sinus inverter for my Bluetti 2400. Works as a charm. ( Europe has 220V )
You are converting the energy twice, resulting in lower efficiency and higher idle consumption. You can do it if you don’t mind the loss.
Otherwise the boost converter is more efficient
Thanks, I was thinking of not buying a power station due to the high price, buy now I can get a smaller unit with a battery and use my small solar panel to charge the battery all the time, thanks so much!
I enjoyed your video, I am still in the decision making process for my camper build electrical system, always appreciate new ideas, thanks.
I'm new to solar and solar powered generators and such, but this is exactly what I had in mind.
Xlnt! Thanks. Bought 2 12v 100amp lifepos (2yrs ago) for a solar project. This is perfect for how to double their use. Great tutorial!
You just saved me a lot of money. This concept definitely works for me. Thanks
Thanks for the video.
Here's a less portable, more efficient option if you have 2 or more batteries:
Hook your batteries in series to raise the voltage. No need for the boost converter's inefficiencies or need to cool it. (Mine gets very hot without a fan)
Just make sure the batteries are within .1V of each other before connecting them in series. (You'll get a big rush of current if they aren't the same voltage.)
Took my Delta 2 from 180ish charging watts with 1 battery to 365ish watts with 2 in series. (Your results may vary depending on the charging circuit of your power station.)
The problem with series connected battery is that there is no current limiter.
@@freelyroaming MPPT (or older PWM) DC/solar charger limits that for you on the generator side. None of these power generators connect you directly to the internal 36v or 48v storage cells. They all use their own DC charger/BMS.
Rely on that only if you are willing to constantly replace blown internal fuses.
Just so you know, hooking up two 100Ah batteries in series and connecting them directly to the solar input port of your power station is the equivalent of connecting 2,500 watts of solar panels to that same port. If you think your power station is designed to handle that then go for it.
Bottom line is every power station has a different charge controller. Some will definitely trip or blow a fuse as its internal protection method. So If you want to reliably use this method over a wide range of units, don't count on all of them to behave the same. A simple boost converter that you select, can control to behave the same across all units is much more reliable.
Not only does simplifying make for a more reliable system, eliminating external variables is also a best practice.
And yes, simply asking people to connect multiple batteries in series without making sure they know the risks of unbalanced packs is dangerous. Which is why this should not be recommended as a practice for all to follow. Not to mention the extra space, cost and cabling required.
This video is showing a much simpler, cheaper and practical way of extending the capacity of a power station used in a mobile environment. Keep that in mind when you watch these videos. The channel is called 'Freely Roaming' because the audience is people who travel nomadically.
@@freelyroaming Man, you continue to ignore basic electronics and ohms law, but ok. This is your video and I'll respect that and go somewhere else. I was simply answering someone else's well placed question, and will warn folks that your answers are just blatantly wrong. A 100Ah battery doesn't just SHOVE that 100Ah into whatever you connect it to, it is merely a MAX rating. At 500W rated on a solar charger, a 50Ah battery would supply exactly the same power as a 100Ah does into one of these units (because the resistance is what sets current). The 100Ah isn't going to double that power. And the reason most of us get these power generators is because it converts and does all this for us. So, fine, for those of you that want, continue using a DC boost that costs more, adds complexity, limits your current and potentially can burn your house down (most of those cheap ones on Amazon can get to a Tcase of 85'C). But just know that IF you use the proper XT60i input to the solar plug (or whatever plug your charger has for it's solar input) and as long as you follow the voltage recommendations for that port (most even protect you if you are outside that range and just disable charging), you are going to be fine keeping with the simpler solution of just connecting up and not boosting it and wasting current on a HEATER as well as limiting your effective charge rate.
@@jeffmcclain don't play dumb and pretend to be 'just answering' someone's question. Just like your tone in this response, you know as well as I do that you deleted your own rude and ignorant post from yesterday that I called you out on and this is just your way of looking around trying to find someone to defend your poorly made suggestion.
It's obvious that it doesn't just push all of the available power. Neither will a 2500 watt solar panel. But without the proper components in the circuit it will blow an internal fuse at the very least.
Ohm's Law does not just magically save you when the circuit does not protect against over current. It will in fact work against you.
Not all charge controllers are created equal. You are telling people to trust unknown circuitry inside a black box and recommending for people to ignore the possibility that some poorly designed power stations will cause more current to pass thru than it should unimpeded which is ignorant and irresponsible. At best you will blow the internal fuse and at worst cause injury and death. It's foolish and dangerous.
I can't stress enough the fact what you are telling people can hurt them for the sake of your own injured pride on this topic.12-24v boost converters are used everyday, everywhere. Especially the low current 6A unit I recoomended in this video.
From a pure safety standpoint it is much safer than telling a layperson to mess with 2 100Ah 4S LiFePO4 batteries in series. Even if they are able to choose the proper cables, lugs, crimp and connect them safely and properly, you can have further implications in potentially damaging the batteries with over charging/discharging if the capacities are unbalanced. it is just a terrible idea altogether to recommend it without further explanation.
I hope your employer/clients see these comments and finds the flaw in your argument that you would trust an entire category of unnamed components in products without prejudice because of what they "should" be able to do. This is entirely poor judgment for someone who proclaims to be a professional...
Let me see, you think I should run 4 USB 5V cables in series instead of using a single USB-PD to charge my macbook? Much more efficient, right? 🤦♀
Basically a battery charging a battery. GENUIS!!!!!!!
Pretty SUS. Losses from charging compared to just ganging the batteries together and letting them draw down together. Maybe, just maybe you can get 87% efficiency charging from your extra battery.
@@robertkubrick3738 If you have shore power why not charge the battery and power bank at the same time ?
That was an impressive demonstration 😎 Two Thumbs-up!! 👍👍 I've been trying to figure out how to do that with my new Delta 2 and watched a few other videos with very poor results. Great job!
Roy, been looking for the same thing for the Delta 2. Did you go with anything? Great video @Freely Roaming.
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ YES I did. 😎
Considering the limited "D/C input" and limited additional capacity available for the *Delta 2 ( @500-watts / with any combination of volts up to 60 volts), I decided to take a completely different approach by using the "A/C input" of the *Delta 2 which has a fantastic input spec for its size and capacity of 1,200-watts (120-volt x 10-amp = 1,200 watts).
My theory (untested at the moment)) is to use a 12/24 D/C volt to 120 A/C volt inverter and connect multiple 12 or 24 volt LifePo4 batteries, using the inverters A/C outlet to recharge the *Delta 2 A/C input. For example one 12.8 volt x 100ah battery = 1,280 watts, exceeding the original capacity of the *Delta 2 with one $300 battery and the cost of the inverter (minus the power loss for the inverter).
Now imagine the potential storage capacity of a larger battery bank stacked with either 12-volt or 24-volt LifePo4 batteries. Then add a solar power charge controller and recharge your battery bank during the day with any sized solar array that matches your daily usage.
Remember, the D/C to A/C inverter only needs to be running when recharging the *Delta 2. The same inverter can also be used to supply power for other items in the home as needed. The right solar panel array should be designed to recharge your battery bank.
@@royrobinson4636 nice! It’s funny you mentioned that theory as I was looking at inverters today. It seems easier to keep it to AC charging even with the lose. The input any other way stepping up is too slow. I appreciate the input and insight. Just needs to make sure is pure sine wave. I actually snagged a fuel fuel genny over the holidays for backup to is. Works great!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ I retired 5 years early (7 years ago) as an engineer and own a ranch in a very rural area. "Self-reliance" has been my goal for the past 5-6 years, it's also become a lifestyle. A backup generator system with manual switchgear was one of my first goals.
I use two (2) 2500-watt Champion dual-fuel inverter generators connected to the low-pressure side of my 250-gal bulk propane tank. I can run both in series or parallel or independently using a parallel box to feed my 240volt / 200 amp distribution panel. Both generators are de-rated to 1750 watts using propane and another minus 50+ watts for high altitude, together they can produce about 3400 watts, which is more than enough for my critical needs. Both are still light enough (40 lbs each) and quiet enough (53 dB) and are fitted with quick disconnects, making them portable enough to grab and toss in my truck with a couple of 20lb propane tanks and take that power anywhere. I use the *Delta 2 specifically for my home office and Starlink internet. I have both Residential and Starlink R/V systems. 🤠
I also bought Delta2 (Ecoflow), and noted that the back of it is a male XT-60i which has a gold middle pin (data pin). Cannot buy
Xt-60i female anywhere, so used regular xt-60 female with 48 volt DC LRS-600-48 Mean Well P.S.
It works but the current is limited to 8 Amp only, so, the charge was
429 watts with 54.5V and 7.8A. Yes, you have to adjust the output voltage at P.S. to Max. Of 54.5V.
2 nd method I used the DC to DC booster set at 60V and 8 A the output is 481 Watts but when measured the MPPT inside Delta2 adjusted to 41.7V and 11.46A which surprised me because my XT-60 was not Ecoflow XT-60i to MC4 cable (yes, you have to pay extra, not come with Delta2).
But still under 15 A maximum.
Perfect! I literally have been trying to figure this one out and wasn’t sure what to try. Thank you.
I connect directly to a cig lighter with a cheap wattmeter to a compact 3s 3.7v lithium pack from 10.5v it fast charges at 10 to 11 amp. Then later boost to lifepo4 battery. Great for no sun in December and January
I really enjoyed your video and it was very informative so it’s utilizing a boost converter you are getting a stable wattage for them to accept solar connection via XT60 connector.
I personally have a foxnov 384W, and 2 Allpowers S2000 1500W units. I’m planning on adding batteries instead of buying other units until I have enough for a large scale unit that can output 8000-10,000W as I’m looking for a whole home power station solution
This is amazing knowledge I have gained after watching your video. Thanks
You explain things in a way that allows me to understand easily. Thank you. Now, please excuse me while I go and hit that subscribe button!
Why not plug your battery directly into the solar panel connector. The internal controller should regulate the battery current.
He’s probably keeping it at a voltage range that spreads across dc voltage inputs of those devices. Makes sense, but so does your question lol.
I think that would work, I would propose throwing an inline fuse before the Andersen connection
What up Doe!?
Very nice Hack!!
Can't wait to try on our power station.
Great job 👍🏼
Great video just learning bout these ..very useful info
If you want to make a lot of money, build a "capacity booster" that will auto-sense both input and output, allowing you to connect to any source (12/24/36/48) and safely charge any power station, regardless of what it draws. You could include a heat sensor and cooling fan. (Some boost converters come with a fan attached.)
They already make auto detecting chargers, I use four them to charge my LifePO4, 12v or 24v. If you really want to make some money, make a 120amp all in one unit. Only one on the market and it has Brazilian plugs.
I have to rig four chargers together to achieve my charge rate goal on generator power. I have reduced Generator Charging from Over 24 hours to 3 hours. I wonder how much energy i save..... lol
They make voltage regulators, for what it’s worth. They are used where shore power or generator power lags or fluctuates. It outputs constant 120 or 220 AC.
@@Oblivionsurveyor why 120? Is it just an open market at that capacity? Pretty sure you could come up with something.
Thank you such an informative and grounded video. I have been searching for ways to expand the capacity of my Oupes 1200 power station. Todd Parker has a video where he uses the Oupes supplied car charging cable and then attaches a female cigarette adapter to the lithium battery. I tried it just now, as you this may not work with all batteries and power stations. It works fine and I am charging at about 97 watts from my 200 amp hr Ampere Time battery.
Can't I just hook up a power inverter to the battery and just plug in my solar inverter to that and charge it that way?
I need to know this as well! I have Delta 2 and a 220w solar panel and I want to expand the capacity this way..
This is how you would normally charge it but it require more equipment and is slightly less efficient. You are inverting the DC source first to AC and converting it back again to DC. Each one of those jumps create inefficiency. Using the method shown eliminates one of those conversion steps which creates more efficiency.
@@sopranosfan2 and at that point just use the battery and inverter and skip the power station altogether lol
I started out with the solar generator. And after buying the panels for it to charge it up I started getting more panels and batteries. So now I got both backup for the backup 😁
@@TravelwithDaySack I too have a (pair of) Delta 2 and 220w bifacial panels as well as a 230ah 12v LiFePO4 battery to expand the wh capacity for camping trips. I recently picked up a 12v-24v 15amp boost converter to expand the charging rate compared to the standard 12v cigarette lighter vehicle port to xt60 input port on the D2. The input using that connection is limited to 8amp when charging from a vehicle or 15amp with solar panels. With just the battery, I was able to charge at about 102w (12.8v x 8 amps). With a standard xt60i plug and the boost converter the charge rate approximately doubled to about 192w (indicating I was now getting 24v x 8amp =192w). So, the cord appeared to be limiting the input amperage and the car charging icon was indicated on the D2 display. I then attempted the test using Ecoflow's xt60i plug (the third pin is wired opposite polarity to the standard xt60i plug) and the charge rate increased to about 348w (24v x 15amp = 360w minus some efficiency due to heat generation) with the display indicating solar rather than vehicle input. The problem was that with the latter setup, the boost converter became dangerously too hot to touch where using the other method that limited input to 8amps, the boost converter only warmed very slightly. With the Ecoflow plug and converter, when the converter kept increasing in temperature and could not be held, I stopped the test and let every cool down again, then reverted to the standard xt60i plug to finish charging at 24v 8amps.
After discussing the situation with another DIYer, we decided that using a boost converter to charge power stations from a battery works OK and appears safe in terms of heat generation (though continued monitoring is probably wise) when the converter is operating at about half its amp rating. Mine was rated to 15amps maximum and worked fine running at 8 amps though that charge rate was slower. The boost converters come in various flavors: 12v to 24v at 3amp, 5 amp, 10amp, 15amp and 20amp, etc. To be safe, limit the charging rate to about half the amp rating of the particular converter you purchase.
Finally, it is probably better and more efficient to just charge the power station using a 24v battery instead of a boost converter.
Thank you, Sir. Great hack. I think I'll be leaning towards the pre-soldered wires that is being offered. And good tip on the 24v pass-thru. I think my Bluetti has that...hmm. I was going to go with a different battery, 230wh, but I really like this battery and all of its protective safety features. Thank you! Great hack!
Any video on how to do this and add a solar panel to show all three units working together?
Great idea Greetings from Western Australia
I see two positive wires and two Negative wires from the lithium battery to the connector why’s that ? thank you
I’ll watch again in case I missed something
Best wishes and thank you
@@Max46423 I noticed that too. Can you explain why?
Because I needed heavier gauge wires that I didn't have at the time.
@freelyroaming OH, I was thinking that was the reason. Thank you.
What are you using to charge back up the spare 100Ah LifePO4 battery after it runs down?
I was wondering the same thing
This is what I'd like to know. Can it go both ways can I solar charge the battery with any of these stations?
I guess none of you guys made it to 14:42 in this video?
Very easy to understand. Thanks for your clear explanation , especially the universal examples. I have a Anker Solix F1500 that I wanted to connect my ebike batteries to for extra capacity. I’ll have to determine the voltage DC input on the station and decide from there if I need a step down or step up to satisfy the input range. I think the power station DC input range is 11V-60V. I have lithium ion batteries (that I can make use of) ranging from 36-72V.
There are now anti-spark and battery blender devices that can be used with batteries of same voltage, but differing Ah capacities. I’ve used these successfully on my e-bike projects. I’ll have to read more from the comments, but connecting a adjustable low voltage cutoff device from the feeder battery would be good. The BMS isn’t always so great, especially under load.
Great way to extend the run time of any power station. My only concern is the voltage converter gets hot during its operation telling me there is a significant conversion loss associated with them.
The performance you are getting from that tiny boost converter you can get she same by just wiring a xt60i connector that has its activation pin linked to the negative then connect it straight to the battery no converter needed it will charge at the current limit of the mppt
Unless explicitly stated, power stations do not support XT60i connectors and will not have the ability to read the data stream. The third pin will do nothing. None of the ones I showed here do. That means they will not charge from the native battery voltage. Generic MPPT charge controllers will simply ignore the lower than sufficient voltage and do nothing. However, all charge controllers will charge from 24vdc as it mimics a solar panel which they are all designed to be used with. The point here is to find a way that works with the widest range of power stations out there. Not only the ones that might work with it.
Many power stations mppt allows much faster charging when using two 12v batteries in series. For instance the aferiy 210 will accept ~100 Watts with one 12v 100ah battery but using two batteries in series the charge rate goes up to about 500w. If your power station supports this it is absolutely worth connecting this way if you have two batteries
i really appreciate your input, you really don't need the converter just another battery problem solved.
Thank you so much, I really need to get over my timid nature, when it comes to this topic, mainly because of diy wires, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and I would have saved hundreds vs the AC70 that I may be returning, still in my hallway unopened, since I don’t have the certainty of being able to pay it off! A bit of confidence and caution and I wouldn’t be wrestling buyers remorse! Although I am new to this, and watched a different tutorial were the boost converter had the caveat of running a bit too hot, the circumstances may have been different in key ways during that TH-camr’s tutorial, I just don’t remember why, but all this just to say thank you 🙏
I just did this hack..thank you so much this idea
Happy to help
Good solution, as a powerbank appeals to do the grunt work in a camper van, but I'm worried that its less easy to expand than a full system.
(Trying to think of a way to recharge the extra battery on the road too, perhaps swapping over the DC charger or EHU in, but then you're needing extra kit...)
Excellent demo for what I need. 👍🏽👏🏽 I hv Ecoflow 882wh mini delta & 1000 Jackery & need extended power. I'll need to make some pigtails connectors.
Great video,I do thank you for the information.😊
This additional capacity could get thru several days of clouds then solar could recharge both batteries! Thanks for the info !:- )
It would definitely extend the time you can be out. Depending on the solar panel you use, as long as it has an inline charge controller, you can definitely use it to top off the battery pack while it charges the power station.
@@freelyroaming Are you able to do a followup instruction to show how to solar charge the expansion battery? In this scenario, would you be able to use solar to first charge the expansion battery, which will simultaneously charge the powerstation, which will simultaneously charge your devices?
@@shane.diesel @Freely Roaming I would really like to see how to charge via solar panels too.
I have two Ecoflow R600 pro that can be linked. It also had this special option too add an extra battery via a special plug, but it is not available any more :/
I charge them with my Ecoflow solar panels, though at bit slow.
You and everyone else that's into that power station stuff
I do this with my River 3. Just use the cable that came with my battery charger and fortunately had the xt60 cable with the alligator clamps and works well in the solar input so a 100ish watts input from a 100ah lifepo4. I am currently trying too ind out what I would need to buy for the Bluetti AC180 to do the same thing cause it uses some other input connector for solar I think the MC4
Can I use the battery with a power inverter instead of a power station? Also how long will that battery run a 300watt power station ?
Great video. Am I able to charge the 12v battery and also discharge the battery while connecting to the portable power station at the same time? Will it harm the battery by doing so?
@@07kevlar no you can use the power station as usual while charging. It's the same as if you were connected to solar panels
Well-done. Very well articulated.
My project is to use this hack combined with a dollar regulator to charge a 100mA battery during the time I'm out of my country house. I can have this extra energy fully charged once I arrive on Friday with my Delta 2 fully charged too. And I can keep a little fridge working too
That’s a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
That’s good to know but how did you charge the 100ah battery?
I need to know this too
It was in the video.
LifeP04 battery charger for home power or panes a charge controller. Or hell I guess if you wanted to the panels to your solar generator a plug a lifep04 charger to the solar generator. Won’t be very efficient for sure but it can be done a number of ways
A few channels screamed not to use that boost converter because most stations far exceed the amperage and will melt that
Tiny units ok, but not larger
The power stations do not dictate how much power is supplied. The boost converter does.
Great video. I would attempt to source a battery thats 24v to do this if your power station requires it. Those cheap 12-24v dc converters are considerably inefficient. Thats why they get so hot over time. Great option if you already have the 12 battery laying around.
I'm an admitted idiot with DC power. How would the 24 v battery hook up work? Can it directly feed the 12 v power station without modification? Also, if using an alternator to charge these, which battery would you use? Thanks for any ideas.
Can I connect the device in ur video to my 12 volt solar array (instead of a battery) to charge Ecoflow River Pro ?
That is the way it is designed to work. 12v solar panels output anywhere between 18-24v
Very cool! Never thought of this before! :-)
can i connect these ectra batteries and retain solar charging? i have an eco flow river 2
Stumbled upon your channel great content !!
Is there away to charge the lifePo battery from vehicle starter battery or alternator and charge while driving ?
Thank you 😊
Yes 12v lighter socket or direct wire to battery with fuse on pos. Side of course
Interesting concept. So I had to try it on my Jackery 300 without the converter. It charges at 78 watts through the cigarette lighter plug, which is about all the flimsy barrel connector can handle without overheating. Works like a champ.
Usually those connectors and cigarette lighter plugs have a 10A rating. That is also why using a 24v boost converter is best because it will allow it to handle more watts without increasing the current.
Would be for a larger power station. Max the Jackery 300 can take is 6 amps, so cig plug works very well.
@@donbrloks3959 6A at what voltage? Because if you can take in 6A at 24v then you can charge at double the rate as 6A at 12v.
@@freelyroaming 12 v. The Jackery limits incoming charge no matter how much you make available
@@donbrloks3959 the jackery 300 has a 90w max charge rate with a 12-30v input limit. At 12v you would charge at a max of around 7a. 24v would half that. That unit is one of the smallest power stations and would take over 3 hours to charge it. there are many more modern options like the ecoflow river 2 that will charge at a much faster rate.
The bad thing is that step up boost converter has no current limiter so one needs to be careful it does not over heat, catch fire and burn your house down. There have been other videos mentioning this. One is better off spending a little more one one that has built in current regulation.
Question? Why is their double red and double black wires coming off the battery instead of just a single wire of each? And how are you connecting them in terms of "double" to one side of the wire on the xt60? Thank you
I have the Ecoflow River without the extra battery. I want to be able to extend it's battery life by tying into the pair of deep cycle lead acid batteries that I have. The voltage of two fully charged 12 V batts will exceed the River's charge limits I believe. What sort of current limiter should I use. I also wonder how much power I can take from my Nissan Leaf traction battery. DC-DC converter puts out 1000 watts @12v.power.
Could you charge the battery from the generator while it's charging with a solar panel via the charger you showed? I have an Anker Solex c-1000 and I want to expand the capacity. They make an expansion battery, but that would only be good with the Anker. Your method would give me more versatility, it seems, when I want to build a system from scratch, wouldn't it? Do you have step by step instructions on how to do this somewhere? Thank you - my brain is balking at learning all this electricity stuff, but it's seeping in a little at a time.
This is so helpful, thank you! I have a Bluetti EB70s (716 Wh) and want to connect a 12v 100Ah LifePO4 battery with the boost converter as you have demonstrated in order to run a portable refrigerator 24/7. I also have a 200 watt portable solar panel. My question is how to get solar power into the system. Do I connect my solar panel to the external 100 Ah LifePO4, from the battery run wires to the boost converter, and from boost converter run wires into the Bluetti? If I do this, it seems that the 100Ah external battery will be charging (from solar) and discharging to the Bluetti at the same time, and I don't know if a 12v 100Ah LifePO4 battery is capable of doing that. Is the right way to do it and will I need anything else to make this work?
Great video. Thanks for sharing. 😊
Great video, where do you get those battery compactly test unit from? How many watts are they?
From here
amzn.to/3DpHT02
They have a max draw of 150 watts.
Good stuff ‼️ Thanks for sharing.
? Does the length of a pigtail make any difference on charging or delivery/"flow" rate?
? Does each use the same gauge wire or are all of them different - and can a wire be too heavy?
The heat is finally gone
This thing is waterproof I put it in a glass with Ice and problem solved
For better safety I only use a couple of Ice cubes
Hi I thought this was a great idea so I gave it a go it worked for about 3 minutes then the Step Up converter stopped working I'm hoping it's the converter and nothing else as the Delta 2 is brand new but it did work when it worked
It's possible that you just got a bad boost converter. However I don't have any experience with the Delta 2 but all of the other Ecoflow units have worked for me.
Can this be done to a bluetti EB3A?
Great video, thanks for making it. Can you charge the lifep04 battery with solar panels?
Yes, as long as you are using a charger controller.
Do you have a video on how you would recharge that extended battery, while on the road?
Nice way to Expand Eco Flow Delta EF3 Pro 1300 and River 2 Pro
Wouldn’t work better to use two 50Ah lithium batteries wired in series to boost up to 24v?
Not really. More wires and no current limiter.
Thumbs up and subscribed! I have a Bluetti ac200 max. Do you think I can make my diy expansion battery with eve prismatic cells/bms? There's a lot of loss with the step up/down converter plus more crap to break/carry/lose .
You can use a diy battery pack if it's got a BMS. But I like having a boost converter especially with Bluettis since they need higher solar input voltage. Also it acts as a current limiter.
Very nice presentation. I've saved it for reference. I too need written directions on how to make pigtail cables. I've got a booklet by Will Prowse which I hope will explain for novices how this set up safely increases the generator capacity.
How would you be able to connect the battery to a battery expansion port found on EcoFlow solar generators allowing the EcoFlow to take and charge the battery from solar or shore power?
you have to buy ecoflow's proprietary battery for that.
Hi Dan, thank you for making this video. Quick question- I have a 24v day solar system with 4 100ah batteries. Already having 24v at my disposal, is there a device that protects a power station from over voltage during charging from a battery bank? I realize most power stations have built in protection but I want redundancy in protection. Thank you.
This converter gives 24volt. Can i plug this into the powerstation port 12volt? Thanks for this good video.😊
I just got the Bluetti ac180. It doesn’t have the xt60 type port, so I’m trying to piece together what I need to plug into it
@@meg01968 looks like it uses the DC8mm plug like this:
amzn.to/3YsXtBH
Great video, I was wondering if anyone has tried putting 2x12V in series so as to make it a 24V cluster.. I guess that should work and doesn't need a step up 12to24V converter since those things are getting pretty hot and couldn't leave them unattended...
Yup. This is how most of the power walls function.
But the concept is misplaced by using batteries in series. The idea around the boost converter is that it enables the system, charging from a variable voltage source (of 12v requirements), to increase power (watts) with reduced current (amps) due to boost voltage.
Also an important safety precaution is having a current limiter in place. 2 batteries in series has the potentialif delivering current at dangerous levels.
is that "converter" also called as Rectifier just like for those motorcycle parts?
@@mikescanale no it does not rectify (AC to DC)
I LOVE this!!!! Thank you!!!!!! 🥰🥰
Could you use two 50 ah 12 v lifepo4 batteries hooked together in series to make the 24 v so not to need a voltage converter?
One of the safety precautions you will want is some sort of current limiter. Connecting to batteries in series directly won't give you that protection. Although your power station might already have it but it's not guaranteed
Oh really simple solution
Thank you very good information.
Could you achieve the same result by using a 24v server rack battery directly wired to the solar generator?
Yes or better.
So without the cheap 12 to 24v converter you can do the same as 12v to 12v using the barrel to cigarette lighter female and connect a cigarette male to battery clamps end and connect to the battery, correct? Slower but still moves the watts over.
Great review. Was wondering if there's a possibility of connecting an external battery (not Ecoflow battery pack) via the expansion battery port by the side of delta 2 unit, instead of connecting it via the XT60i port? Reason for this is so the external battery can be permanently connected to the power station for continuous charge & discharge
@@Dre-e7k not unless you find or make your own plug that fits the proprietary port.
Switch the xt60 to xt60i for more charging wattage. It eliminates the restriction coming in for ecoflow
The connector is not the only limitation. You'll need to change the wire gauge, and the DC converter. Simply swapping the connector won't change anything. The difference with the XT60i isn't that it carries more power but that it adds a data sensing lead for devices that support them. In this case, that data lead won't be doing anything.
Im looking to buid a full DYI station but would like to be able to recharge the batteries without solar in the event i need to recharge at night
Any fuse needed for this setup?
You protect the boost converter it wouldn't hurt to have a 15A inline fuse between the battery and the converter.
@@freelyroaming thanks. Possible video idea? A version 2? Thanks for the vids. Been learning a lot
i have a EB3A bluetti plus a ac180 power stations the ac 180 can take up to max 60v. i also perchased the ac70 bluetti waiting for the delivery. it can take up to 58volts 60 max but it is written 58v.
I will perchase a first 24 v 100ah battery to charge them up. the ac180 and the ac70 not the EB3A i have a 12,8v 50ah for that one.
I got the EB3A and charge with cigerette outlet.
bonjour super, es que sa fonctionne sur une batterie fossibot f1200 w j’ai le port xt60 merci
Very good review enjoyed it !