Correction to this video: Unfortunately, I was correct about questioning the low temp charging protection on the powerblock 170Ah.The BMS was not programmed correctly, and now it is. The low temp cut off works at 0 degrees C. Video table of contents: 3:58 Setup for capacity test for SOK battery 4:41 Capacity test results for 206Ah SOK battery 5:09 Setup for capacity test for Power Block 6:51 Capacity test results for 170Ah PowerBlock Battery Teardowns: SOK Battery: 7:12 Powerblock: 10:23 SOK VS Powerblock Conclusion: 16:24 Verus Budget DIY: 17:02 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first): 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes: -Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp -Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 -AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek -Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out: shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p -Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 10% off code: diysolar -Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA: watts247.com/?wpam_id=3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information: I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers: Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Another great, informative video young man. I'm 53 years old and a full time RV dweller. I've learned everything I now know about solar from you and your videos. I built my little 112 ah ,lithium iron phosphate system ,step by step from your videos. Lithium has changed my life! Lol. Thank you Will....
I just built a 400Ah 24v pack for about $.19/watt. It was not a trivial effort and took a very long time to arrive. The end result is great and the monetary cost was low - my time on the other hand was serious. Since I was in no hurry and wanted to learn - it was a good path to take.
1st time that I have viewed your presentation and I've got to say you really know your stuff. I spent most of my life in sales and presentations and you are at the top of your game. Oh and my experience is froms 6 years with Snap On and 20yrs with Mac Tools and I have not seen anyone as good as you and I'm 69 and retired. Keep it up and you will end up very well off.
I'm nearly 50 years old and that one battery is more money than I get in a month, I'm still trying to build my 32700 pack for my solar and wind turbine one cell at a time, should be done in a year i reckon, keep up the good work Will love your vids
Yeah batteries are silly expensive. But the price for diy or recycled batteries is promising. Soon enough we will have cheap batteries for everyone. It's really cool that you build drones. I miss drone racing and building long range hexacopters. I need to get back to building those. Such a fun hobby
Yes I do love my drones they are great fun just a bit weather dependent because of my location, not been able to fly lately because the winds have been way to high and probably wont get to fly much now till next year, winter on the outer hebrides is a bit harsh
A good off-grid battery bank is an investment made over years. One saving grace is you can start small, and add additional capacity over the years as you can afford it. Jack Rickard used to talk about how, as the national grid becomes less reliable a considerable part of the overall cost of your home, will become your powerwall. I think he was very prescient in this belief.
@@InnovativeSustainableSolutions yeah our grid is always unreliable because I live on a small island and we can lose power 4 or 5 times a day, sometimes we are without mains power for days and weeks which is why I built the off grid backup in the first place and started off with lead acid but getting big batteries delivered here is a logistical nightmare because none of the couriers want to carry them so that's why I'm in the process of switching to lifepo4 which can be delivered by normal post, and also because the lifepo4 will last so much longer I wont have to be replacing them as often and as you said i will keep adding capacity as i go
@Drones UK 2020 - Like Will mentioned, the trick to buying these batteries at the best possible price, is to buy them in bulk quantities. If that’s not possible for you to do on your own, then the next best thing would be to find people in your area who are interested in pooling their money and willing to join in on a large bulk purchase. All the best!
This is what many of us have been waiting for. A quality LFP battery in the 200AH range is a very sweet spot for RV applications. These are 1/3-1/2 the cost of the best brand name LFP batteries.
I would not assign the term "the best" to many of the batteries that RV users have installed in their rigs. I shall not mention the brand, instead just say they are simply the most popular due to all the TH-cam creators that received free batteries to review. I have two BigBattery A123 packs (early powerblocks?) from 2018 or so and as good as they are, the build quality of the SOG battery pack shown here looks far better. I assume the latest powerblocks from BigBattery must be built better than mine so they would likely be a good way to go also.
I called BB today , they pick up my phone right away. They build the battery in California, provide me a lots of the tech details. I think their battery quality is best I have ever seen so far .. Thank you , Will !!
Thanks for the reviews and info Will! I built up a Fortune battery for my Overlanding rig early this year. This past summer I traveled thousands of miles on road, and hundreds on trails, forest access roads and the like. I can run my fridge for days with no sun, and the solar panels on the roof can charge it up in just a few hours. Electric chainsaw, lights, air compressor and more all charge their packs off this main battery pack. If it wasn't for this channel I would not have known about these cells! Thanks Will!
@@toyotadirtdevil My last reply did not post properly so I will try again :) I do not have an instagram account. I used a Pelican case that I had laying around. I put the battery, main fuses, distribution block, DC to DC charger, and multiple USB and 12v sockets all in the Pelican case.
I love your attitude, honesty, genuineness, knowledge and smiles! Definitely as many gave already said, "A pleasure to watch and learn." I'm a 62 year old single woman doing my own DIY Campervan while working full time as A Registered Nurse. Money is so tight its no lie to honestly say I am in debt. Retirement is something still in the distant future for me. That being said, Is there any chance you would do another budget battery bank video now that a year has gone by? I'm trying to figure out the best bang for my buck with the whole system. Solar panels, batteries, inverter, mppt, all of it. Thank you for all you've done, and all you do! ❤️
Hopefully prices will become even better as we all know supply and demand will effect that. I am seriously looking at converting my sailing fleet to electric. Been watching you for some time now and love that your doing well. My hope is that your life is long and prosperous and your troubles are few and small. Thanks for giving us so much.
Holy crap, SOK ship to Australia for free. I can actually buy something you've reviewed that'll work here without paying hundreds of dollars of shipping.
I really love what you’ve done. 😭 your work has made my life so much easier. Making my ability to live affordably but still have a quality life with the energy consumers I need in my van. Thank you so much 😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. I couldn’t afford the ones out there. But now I think I can.
Great video. I really like the build quality of those batteries. I'd love to see a video of how to build a protective (more enclosed) case for something like your Fortune cells. I like the taped up method for testing, but I'd like to see a setup that would be protected from dust a debris, or ideally protected from rain too. A setup that you could throw in the garage and not worry mice could get into. Just a suggestion. Again, great videos!
Dude, listening to you is like my first day in my first Physics class= Mind Blown. Holy fuck.....this was informative, interesting, and fucking entertaining; I say that despite having an electrical engineer as a brother in law for the past 40 years. And he's none of those things!
Hey, Will! Good to see you post another vid. It's been a while so I've been going back to see older vids to keep up my knowledge and honestly, it's just fun hanging out with you. You're just good peeps. I'm sure everyone else will agree. We need our fix of Will Prowse videos. Thanks for sharing again.
So funny, Will! I just convinced LithiumSolar to test those 280AH aluminum clad cells to validate value. He agrees- prices are CHEAP!!! The Big Battery 175AH battery is very interesting in many ways for us RVers....Hmmm, exciting times!!!
Hello Will, 10 years ago I (I'm now 56) I went back to school for High School upgrading with plans to attend a Technical College for their 2 year Renewable Energy Technologies course. Since finding your channel recently You have inspired me to finish my HS upgrading this coming Fall. College comes after that. Yes I know I'm 56. Right now I own my own Mobile Auto Detailing Business in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Recently I built my own van mounted machine where I have to Plug my powerful machine into my customer's home. Currently my machine uses Two 15 amp circuits, but what I really want is another 15 Amp circuit and this is too challenging to get Three 15 Amp circuits from a customer's home, So... my current solution is to mostly power my machine with a Battery Bank. Thanks for the inspiration.
Ok Ok Ok.... Will? SOK vs BBB? Your content and your class is 2nd to none! Very classy channel and we can't ask for more. Thank you for educating us and keeping us spending our money at the stand up companies. You go!
So glad you are back posting, you videos are always so informative. I am trying to build a system for off grid living and working in my cabin. The way you explain everything is so clear and even I in my late 50s understand it. Keep up the great work as well as enjoying your well deserved home. So good to see you succeed.
We just installed 2x100ah SOK batteries and I am very happy to see your "thumbs Up". Living in Canada add 35% to any lithium batteries and while I did the research having you affirm my choice was fantastic thank you
Great video! Glad to see you posting again with a new workshop! Lithium batteries are always evolving and you do a great job keeping your viewers up to date!
@@lewis6962 We make solutions for a wide variety of applications! The most popular uses are for golf carts, RVs, boats, forklifts, boats, EV charging, home solar setups, and general power storage. We have our website organized according to these applications but all the specs and modules are available for any DIY projects or unique uses you might have in mind!
I got my first set of SOK 100Ah LiFePo batteries in September to use with my MPP 2424LV-MSD. I got tremendous results from them and purchased two more to get 200Ah @24V. My goal was to be able to run my cargo trailer camper overnight in campgrounds with no power, but with a quiet hour where you cannot run a generator after 10 or 11 PM. I recently took a two week camping trip and one night turned my generator off at 9 PM. The SOK batteries were almost, but not quite fully charged. I ran my lights, fan, A/C, music and, in the morning, my coffee maker. Left around 11:30 AM without ever cranking the generator up or bothering to put out my solar panels. The batteries were still at 25.9V when I left! When I received the first set of batteries I had a concern (that turned out to be my own ignorance) and emailed Min at SOK. Five minutes later my phone rang and I checked the screen because I usually don't answer if it is not someone I can identify, but the call was from China, so I answered. It was Min. He got me straight on what I should do and the rest of the battery setup went smooth. Since I have been in contact for a few other things, not problems, and he has been very quick to respond. In case you can't tell, I am satisfied with both product and service. I am embarrassingly amateurish when compared to Will and some of the other TH-camrs, but I put a video on with my setup if you'd like to check it out. I am enjoying learning from you guys and hopefully I can share an experience or two that will also be helpful to the community.
I really admire you and what you have accomplished. Do you have a video where your explain you whole story? The nerve disease you have, how you treated it, how you went from homelessness to TH-cam electric stardom? ✌️🙏 Oh and what happened to the rv?
An inexpensive and easy way to test low temp battery disconnect is to use dry ice. Careful when handling, and don't put it in glass as it could crack. Thank you so much for making these videos!!!!! Really appreciate it.
Realizing you have your own specific reasons for selecting components for testing, I had inquired to you about SOK a while back. Thanks for the review!
just ran across your channel as I'm looking into solar for my old Airstream I'm restoring. I am astonished at your ambition and skills. I'm an older dude and l enjoy seeing young talent and the excitement it brings to you. Thank for sharing bro.
here are some options to get lower bath temperatures for cutoff testing ice and salt water -10C ice and acetone -15C (caution flammable liquid/vapour) dry ice and acetone < -70C (caution flammable liquid/vapour) dry ice and isopropyl < -70C (safest/cheapest option) dry ice and ethanol < -70C (substitute with vodka (30% and you can get to < -20C)) i would use isopropyl alcohol. the 99% variety is the cheapest choice and easy to get at a drug store. it is also reusable if you use dry ice. if you use water ice, it will dilute whatever liquid you use, making it less useful for subsequent uses or use frozen water in plastic cubes. small amounts of dry ice might be available at ice cream stores, but definitely at most gas supply stores. love the vids, glad to see you back.
@@WillProwse i was hoping you would try to use the dump power for something useful. i was thinking heating your hot water tank, but charging another battery is perfect.
Hey Will, you should make a video putting the BigBattery in a cooler with ice freezing it, then charge and dis-charge while it is frozen to see if it lives up to the manufactures claims and or how it preforms. Perhaps in a fire safe place, with a proper rated fire extinguisher nearby just in case. Do these batteries have a freeze fire hazard when charged or dis-charged?
I told you about the 240ah battery I built in early 2019. I bought the (4) 240ah cells from Carl Wu at Shenzen RJ Energy. The cells were delivered on time and he kept me informed, but the shipping box was bashed and I wasn't home when they were delivered by FedEx. 2 of the cells were dented but the voltage checked out and all 4 cells were perfectly balanced. I sent him photos immediately. His shipping box was made with soft, weak cardboard though the cells were well wrapped in foam. The shipping box itself is very inadequate. Because of the damage, it was obvilously not packaged well enough. I wanted to get replacement cells that were not dented, but Carl would not honor any warranty for damaged delivery so I was up a creek. He said he would pursue damages from the shipping companies (China Air from Shenzen to LA and FedEx from LA to Spokane WA), but he didn't do anything to try to recover damages. My guess is he blew it off. I decided to build the battery with the 2 dented cells anyway. I bought a 200a BMS from him for $100 and it works perfectly. I built an insulated box for the battery and added a silicone heating pad inside the box mounted on a small aluminum finned heat diffuser to distribute heat with a STC1000 thermostat to keep the box heated to no less than 5 degrees C. That works perfectly. The problem I have with the cells is the terminals are aluminum and very soft aluminum at that. The tapped threads are not well done (off center and messy) and only a couple of threads actually grip the cells. I had one strip out and had to retap it for a larger screw. That was pretty distressing. I have an EPever solar controller with ( 2) 200w pv's on the roof of my RV. I wasn't sure the parameter figures to program the controller and it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of Carl. After months of asking he finally sent me a list of parameters for the EPever controller. I had the 240ah battery and BMS in my trailer now for 2 full years and have never run out of power on weeks-long boondocking trips. Its a good system, but its also a high vibration environment so I worry how long its going to last. I was not happy with Shenzen RJ and Carl. I say buy elsewhere. Before the sale he was very nice and helpful. After the sale he was almost hostile and uncooperative. The entire cost of the 4 cells, materials for the box, BMS, polyisocyanurate insulation, and misc stuff came to about 1000 dollars. Excellent price. We'll see how long it lasts.
Would be interesting to see the review of the battery from Chinese brand Meritsun (probably not the original manufacturer). The one for cold conditions, with heating and Bluetooth. They say that the battery can be charged during -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit). The name of the company that sells it on Alibaba - Guangzhou Meritech Power Co., Ltd. These batteries being sold in Europe (especially in Norway) under other names.
I have been waiting for a battery that I could charge in cold weather applications. The best I have seen from any company is with the use of a warming mechanism of some sort. This battery is a totally different "animal" than anything I have seen in regard to low temperature charging. I think you need to confirm their claims. If they are true, this is a game changer. Do you believe their claims?
Actually, LTO (lithium titanate oxide) batteries have been around for years. They can be charged down to-20F up to +165F for up to 20,000 cycles without dropping below 80% capacity. I am currently using some that originally came from a Honda Fit for my battery bank.
Great video. I used your book to build my solar system. and it works great. Now, I have a new issue with my DIY battery upgrade project. I had my order ready for two 100AH BattleBorns and a new PD9160ALV converter/charger....Now there is SOX. For the same setup it is $600 difference. The batteries have to go in an outside bay, They must (together) be able to discharge at least 150 amps for my 2000W inverter. I sure could use that $600 on other projects however, I sure can't buy them twice. because I wanted to save a buck or 6oo. Thanks for all your help, Richard
Finally, we are seeing lithium batteries that are reaching a price range to make it worth taking the leap in buying a bank of them. Not to mention the idea that the end user can easily replace a dead cell without having to ship them back to the manufacturer, or worse, having to suffer with less stored power for the duration of the remaining battery's life span after warranty. Great presentation Will!
@@DIY_versus delivery definitely took more than 30 days, with the pandemic to blame; shipping was $394 but that may not be relevant for you, since I live in Europe. My advice, get in touch with different suppliers, check how many transactions they have and if their surveys are positive, and see what fits your bill. One observation: in terms of shipping, all the suppliers I talked to came up with almost exactly the same cost.
Hi, you can swap the temp sensor with an adjustable potentiometer, as it's probably a thermistor, and dial down/up the resistance to simulate a low temperature condition
I use those valence batteries in my solar car and LOVE em. The video you made on them was what helped guide me to what wound up being the perfect battery for the project. Thanks Will!
Something I’ve been struggling with, and can’t seem to find any information for online, is the possibility of using diversion to send excess power to a water heater, or if this is even possible
@@TamponTea You probably have an answer by now but if not, yes you can divert easily. Micro hydro loads must be diverted to a dump load unlike PV. I use a Morningstar TS 45 to dump a small ES&D Watter buddy hydro generator load.
Will I don't know why I started watching your videos but I just can't get enough your enthusiasm is addictive. I am planning a solar system because my shed/cabin has plenty of electricity but it is 3 phase high leg that I can't figure out how to get a little 110 out of. So I have now figured I will just make a small solar system for the little electricity I need in the summer for a tv or my lap top or a light. From your videos I will either get the aluminum case at probably the calb cells.hopefully by April. Thanks
Will, welcome back.... I'm so happy that you did this. I'm a novice and your videos are very easy to follow. I will be copying this build for use in my tiny home. Thank you💫👏👏👏👏💫
I would go for the SOK cause here in Ireland it never goes below -6 and I like the terminals. Maybe you mean the price will go up! Yes I think it will now.
I've seen it through the years of watching TH-cam videos of how the creators have a great deal in influencing the change of pricing on products and it's not just the price changing on products but it's also the changing of how things we take for granted in our every day to day lifestyles. It would be nice for the creators to maybe take the time to create their videos so it doesn't inhibit these changes because it actually ruins it for everyone!
Can you test the big battery again with dry ice to see if it will shut off at -20 I want to buy either the SOK or the big battery after seeing these videos battleborn is only 100 amp hour they don't make a 200 amp hour and I want to have something close to the 200 half hour so if you get some dry ice you should be able to test the low temperature cut off
I couldn't buy the SOK fast enough...I was one of those that watched your vid a year ago and was totally dismayed when the prices went through the ceiling for that green battery! So...I almost gave in and bought a BattleBorn 100AH for $975...then you pop up this video! AWESOME!! I totally trust your reviews and assessment...I zoomed to the SOK website and bought the 200AH battery so fast, I didn't even finish the video - I just hit pause! LOL! Didn't want the same thing to happen to this battery as it did with the green one! Thank you for your assistance and guidance for those of us (ME)...who need it! I hope this battery will be enough for my 300 watt solar panels (I'm such a solar noob...! But, I'm trying!). Thanks. BTW...it's better to buy this direct as for some reason, it's over $100 more on Amazon, and its comes from SOK! Also, they would've charged me tax where the SOK site does not.
Just popped in to see if there was anything new. Ended up being pleasantly surprised by the latest advancement in batteries. Your very good at getting a point across.
I was planning on buying the renogy batteries but changed my mind due to your recommendation and modular design of the Sok. Just bought two 100ah SOK batteries to be shipped to the Netherlands (EU). First time I can actually buy your recommended products to be shipped to EU. Let you know the experience.
A dry ice - alcohol bath or acetone bath can get you well below -20c. Dry ice is sold in some grocery stores. I have some 202AH Lishen cells with the welded on screw terminals. I posted about them on your diysolarforum. I built an 8S 24V 202AH battery system inside an ice chest cooler.
I really like that you kept being impressed with what you found. I enjoy your positivity more than your disappointment. Thanks for another great, informative video!
Will, most Safeway's have DryIce (solid Co2) You can get it and use it for your low temperature test. it will go to -109F. put it in a glass thermos and it can keep for many hours. I put it in a small coleman 6pack lunch cooler. I sandwich it between cardboard to insulate it a bit. Always seperate it from food with cardboard so it doesn't burn sensitive food. I bet the same will work for you low bms test where you want to get to -10c.
Hi Will, If you have a can of compressed air kicking around you can turn it upside down and spray it on the sensor. Might be able to reach -20 degrees.
I'm Glad i watched this video before buying. I was looking at these 3.2v 25ah LiFePo4 lithium iron phosphate batteries on eBay and the price made me question the quality. After seeing this, i realize more than ever that NOT ALL BATTERIES ARE MADE THE SAME. Thanks
Very well done. It makes me wonder about the cost & quality of batteries in the next year or two. This is the exact reason I did not buy any LiFePO4 four years ago when they were running ~$1500.
Hi Will.. I'm a novice at this and I've learned so much from you.. You are truly an inspiration & we are so blessed by ur knowledge & gifts.. Thank you for all that you do & may God continue to bless you.
Thanks so much for this information. After doing some checking & ciphering I decided to go with the (4) SOK's to power my sailboat. I had to call Bigbattery to find their warranty because all that I could find on the website was the 30 day return policy. Turns out that is the warranty. They said that if the battery fails in the first year or two that they would work with the customer to resolve the issue but not having a concrete warranty doesn't give me a good feeling. SOK list's their warranty as 7 years. My comparison of the SOK 206Ah vs the DIY using Fortune 100Ah cells from Electriccarparts: SOK 206Ah with BMS $1029 w free shipping, x 4 = $4116, total 10,544wh or $ .39/wh Fortune 100Ah cells $115 (not including shipping) x 32 = $3680, total10,240wh or $ .359/wh Please let me know if my numbers don't add up but I'm thinking that it might not make sense to do a DIY since the cost of these pre-packaged batteries (with BMS) has come down so much.
Dude you trip me out. Half of the time i have no clue but enjoy the videos and your passion. Keep the videos coming and maybe one day i'll understand more. I did buy a Jackery and solar panels and give them high scores for what i need. Be safe and healthy
Excellent videos you pump out! I didn't know much about these batteries and now I am educated enough to make a wise decision on purchasing one. Thank you!
The SOK is not "drop-in" in the sense of the case having the same physical dimensions of a standard FLA battery. It's 8" wide and won't fit in the space provided for a Group 24, Group 27 or GC2, if that is a concern. This is not intended as a negative comment about quality or function.
Totally Awesome video. I am so glad you are back your in depth analysis is with no sugar coating is truly what the world needs more of. Long videos are all right also. Thanks again for the outstanding information.
Will can I add the SOK to my battery bank of Battel Born 100Ah or do I need to stay with just Battle Born ? You are a Great Teacher ! Blessings young Man,
Hi Will, Thank you for giving us all of this great info. on your channel! I also bought your book, which continues to prove itself to be a handy reference guide. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that’s not why I’m writing.... I ordered a SOK 12v 200ah Lithium battery through Amazon on the 16th of December, and it was scheduled to be delivered on February the 11th. Twelve days after submitting my order, I was messaged by SOK through Amazon, to tell me that they were having shipping difficulties with my order, and to ask me to cancel my order through Amazon and to re-order it directly through their website. When I asked SOK when I could expect to receive the battery if I did that, I was told that the problem would still be the same: their shipping containers were stuck in the port at Long Beach, and wouldn’t be released until mid January. I am not a stupid man; I know that I was asked to do that because Amazon won’t charge me until they confirm the shipment, and SOK wanted to get my money before they had ever even resolved their shipping issues, let alone actually having shipped my battery. I told them that I was uncomfortable with canceling my Amazon order (which is the seller’s responsibility if they’re unable to fulfill an order, not the buyer’s) and re-ordering directly from their website, but that I would keep my original order through Amazon, and their response was, “not a problem.” The other day, I received a message from Amazon saying that SOK had still not provided them with shipping information. I messaged SOK through Amazon for an update, but when I did not receive a response, I messaged them again on Amazon, as well as on Facebook and on their website, to inform them that there were three scenarios of how the situation was going to play out: 1. They’d contact me to tell me that my battery had been shipped, provide me with concrete shipping/tracking information, and I’d be a happy customer who leaves them a good review after I received my battery. 2. They were still unable to ship my battery, and would cancel my order on Amazon, with which I’d be disappointed, but would let it go without any further action. 3. They’d continue to ignore my messages, in which case I’d inform Amazon that SOK is breaking their agreement with them by contacting customers and asking them to pay them directly, that I’d contact TH-camr, DIY Solar with Will Prowse (who has hundreds of thousands of subscribers), to tell him that SOK was damaging his credibility by recommending their products, only to have them treat customers abhorrently, and that I’d leave a terrible review for their company on Amazon, Yelp, and anywhere else that I could post a detailed account of how they treat their customers. That got their attention, because I received a response within hours, but it did absolutely nothing to improve their abysmal customer, “service.” They told me that Amazon had cancelled my order, that most of the customers who had cancelled their Amazon orders and re-ordered directly from the SOK website had already received their batteries, and that I should join their Facebook group for testimonials on what a wonderful company they are....Amazon had NOT, in fact, cancelled my order; there’s not a doubt in my mind that their claim that customers who had ordered directly from their site had received their batteries was also a lie; and as I said, I’m not a stupid man, and I know full well that shady companies like SOK create dummy accounts to give themselves glowing reviews. I would of course be happy to provide you with screenshots of my interactions with SOK if you’d like to verify my accounting of their terrible service, and in the interest of protecting your own brand, I hope you’ll consider removing your recommendation of SOK from your channel, or at the very least, update it with the note that you have received reports of people having bad experiences with their company. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and thanks again for providing such invaluable information to all of us solar noobs!
Dude.. you rock. This is exactly the stuff I needed 2 years ago. I wish I had looked harder to find you!! I paid like 38k for 35 heliene 72m370's and solaredge inverters. Now i'm worried I wont be able to carry over the inverters to a battery setup :( I just noticed your bench. That thing was a screaming deal. I use mine for gunsmithing stuff.
Just ordered one of the Power Blocks. They are on backorder until mid February 2021. I probably could have gone with one of the SOK but several of my trusted TH-cam quality testers have shown the Big Batteries offering to be a good choice. EDIT: Just checked the link for the direct buy from SOK. They are 20-30 days out as well.
I finally gave in and ordered my first LiFePo4 from SOK....using your affiliate link of course 😁. Ive been pretty set on the benefits of SLAs under certain specific circumstances. However, the more of your videos that I watch the more benefits if Lithium seem to make sense in the long run. Even the properties of lithium have benefits when using with expensive equipment that “prefer” consistent dc power supply voltage. During emergency outages, my HAM radio equipment can certainly operate, but can have some obvious limitations when using lead acid batts. SOK seemed to offer a great value for a ready made drop in with warranty etc. Really wanted the Big Battery, as I love power pole connectors....thats all I use in my systems....but because they didnt have a 100ah battery it wasnt in my short term budget
Lotsa great details and updates. Liking the new bms being available! Great review as always. You’ve been instrumental in growing the functionality and efficiencies of manufactures. Thanks for keeping it honest.
Have you looked at Amped Outdoors? Many Kayakers swear by them for trolling motors and fish finders. I just bought the 60ah for $359. Also, I know you said the flexible solar panels are junk, but you should look at the Lensun and let us know what you think. They are expensive for flexible panels, but they are like a piece of solid fiberglass. I bought 2 50 watt panels for my boat and I think they are really nice. Only time will tell about lifespan.
Just ordered a SOK battery. Only thing I didn't like, was no Bluetooth BMS to gauge how much power is left. I was going to get a solar overkill BMS for $130 that you recommended. Now that's bringing up the cost to like $730 now total. (Battery was $600) I'm approaching the cost of other mainstream batteries, with higher end BMS' installed already with better warranties
8:14 “the balance leads are Crimped and soldered” - that means they were done incorrectly then, you never solder a crimp. Every single TH-camr gets this wrong. Go ask anyone who has worked in industry, or NASA for that matter. Those later hydraulic crimps, …perfect 👌 That was another great video, a really useful investigation, thanks 🙂
OK, just placed my order for the 280 amp hour component DIY battery. I went with a JK BMS. Will experiment with solar panels to find the best solution. Thanks for the great videos!!
Have you done a review of the 100aH SOK yet? They're selling it for only about $570 on their website with a 7 year warranty now? (thanks for all your hard review work)
Correction to this video:
Unfortunately, I was correct about questioning the low temp charging protection on the powerblock 170Ah.The BMS was not programmed correctly, and now it is. The low temp cut off works at 0 degrees C.
Video table of contents:
3:58 Setup for capacity test for SOK battery
4:41 Capacity test results for 206Ah SOK battery
5:09 Setup for capacity test for Power Block
6:51 Capacity test results for 170Ah PowerBlock
Battery Teardowns:
SOK Battery: 7:12
Powerblock: 10:23
SOK VS Powerblock Conclusion: 16:24
Verus Budget DIY: 17:02
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Does off-grid solar confuse you? Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com
Join our DIY solar community! #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com
Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link):
amzn.to/2Aj4dX4
If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Solar. Low prices and great warranty, and they can take your entire house offgrid with their new Powerwalls: ts.la/william57509
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My solar equipment recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):
12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html
Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html
Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html
DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar and Coupon Codes:
-Current Connected: SOK, Victron and High Quality Components. Best prices and warranty around: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
-Signature Solar: Cheap Server Rack Batteries and Large Solar Panels:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Ecoflow Delta Official Site: My favorite plug-n-play solar generator:
us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7
-AmpereTime: Cheapest 12V batteries around:
amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Rich Solar: Mega site and cheaper prices than renogy! Check them out:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
-Shop Solar Kits: Huge site with every solar kit you can imagine! Check it out:
shopsolarkits.com/?ref=will-p
-Battery Hookup: Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
10% off code: diysolar
-Watts 24/7: Best deals on all-in-one solar power systems, with customer support and distribution here in the USA:
watts247.com/?wpam_id=3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information:
I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com
Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar
FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:
Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :)
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Another great, informative video young man. I'm 53 years old and a full time RV dweller. I've learned everything I now know about solar from you and your videos. I built my little 112 ah ,lithium iron phosphate system ,step by step from your videos. Lithium has changed my life! Lol. Thank you Will....
Robbie Wright same story here !!
@@dolfscholte I can't believe the huge difference between lead acid batteries and lithium! Happy to hear the same from you. Peace!
I just built a 400Ah 24v pack for about $.19/watt. It was not a trivial effort and took a very long time to arrive. The end result is great and the monetary cost was low - my time on the other hand was serious.
Since I was in no hurry and wanted to learn - it was a good path to take.
The quality and reliability of your content is amazing. I love your passion for excellence
Agreed...! So passionate...thx..I’ve learned a lot.
I HEARD DAVIDPODS DOES BETTER VIDEOS BUT AM NOT SURE AM GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM VIDEOS
Dry ice at Walmart dude.
Literally the most thorough reviews on TH-cam. Keep it up man.
Thanks 😁👍
1st time that I have viewed your presentation and I've got to say you really know your stuff. I spent most of my life in sales and presentations and you are at the top of your game. Oh and my experience is froms 6 years with Snap On and 20yrs with Mac Tools and I have not seen anyone as good as you and I'm 69 and retired. Keep it up and you will end up very well off.
I'm nearly 50 years old and that one battery is more money than I get in a month, I'm still trying to build my 32700 pack for my solar and wind turbine one cell at a time, should be done in a year i reckon, keep up the good work Will love your vids
Yeah batteries are silly expensive. But the price for diy or recycled batteries is promising. Soon enough we will have cheap batteries for everyone.
It's really cool that you build drones. I miss drone racing and building long range hexacopters. I need to get back to building those. Such a fun hobby
Yes I do love my drones they are great fun just a bit weather dependent because of my location, not been able to fly lately because the winds have been way to high and probably wont get to fly much now till next year, winter on the outer hebrides is a bit harsh
A good off-grid battery bank is an investment made over years. One saving grace is you can start small, and add additional capacity over the years as you can afford it. Jack Rickard used to talk about how, as the national grid becomes less reliable a considerable part of the overall cost of your home, will become your powerwall. I think he was very prescient in this belief.
@@InnovativeSustainableSolutions yeah our grid is always unreliable because I live on a small island and we can lose power 4 or 5 times a day, sometimes we are without mains power for days and weeks which is why I built the off grid backup in the first place and started off with lead acid but getting big batteries delivered here is a logistical nightmare because none of the couriers want to carry them so that's why I'm in the process of switching to lifepo4 which can be delivered by normal post, and also because the lifepo4 will last so much longer I wont have to be replacing them as often and as you said i will keep adding capacity as i go
@Drones UK 2020 - Like Will mentioned, the trick to buying these batteries at the best possible price, is to buy them in bulk quantities. If that’s not possible for you to do on your own, then the next best thing would be to find people in your area who are interested in pooling their money and willing to join in on a large bulk purchase. All the best!
This is what many of us have been waiting for. A quality LFP battery in the 200AH range is a very sweet spot for RV applications. These are 1/3-1/2 the cost of the best brand name LFP batteries.
I would not assign the term "the best" to many of the batteries that RV users have installed in their rigs. I shall not mention the brand, instead just say they are simply the most popular due to all the TH-cam creators that received free batteries to review. I have two BigBattery A123 packs (early powerblocks?) from 2018 or so and as good as they are, the build quality of the SOG battery pack shown here looks far better. I assume the latest powerblocks from BigBattery must be built better than mine so they would likely be a good way to go also.
Will, as another poster has said love your enthusiasm “this thing is a beast”
I called BB today , they pick up my phone right away. They build the battery in California, provide me a lots of the tech details. I think their battery quality is best I have ever seen so far .. Thank you , Will !!
Thanks for the reviews and info Will!
I built up a Fortune battery for my Overlanding rig early this year. This past summer I traveled thousands of miles on road, and hundreds on trails, forest access roads and the like. I can run my fridge for days with no sun, and the solar panels on the roof can charge it up in just a few hours. Electric chainsaw, lights, air compressor and more all charge their packs off this main battery pack. If it wasn't for this channel I would not have known about these cells! Thanks Will!
Awesome!! Such great cells 👍😁 wow you are abusing those cells! Very nice
Do you have an Instagram account? What type of box did you use for your battery case?
@@toyotadirtdevil My last reply did not post properly so I will try again :) I do not have an instagram account. I used a Pelican case that I had laying around. I put the battery, main fuses, distribution block, DC to DC charger, and multiple USB and 12v sockets all in the Pelican case.
I love your attitude, honesty, genuineness, knowledge and smiles! Definitely as many gave already said, "A pleasure to watch and learn." I'm a 62 year old single woman doing my own DIY Campervan while working full time as A Registered Nurse. Money is so tight its no lie to honestly say I am in debt. Retirement is something still in the distant future for me. That being said, Is there any chance you would do another budget battery bank video now that a year has gone by? I'm trying to figure out the best bang for my buck with the whole system. Solar panels, batteries, inverter, mppt, all of it. Thank you for all you've done, and all you do! ❤️
Hopefully prices will become even better as we all know supply and demand will effect that.
I am seriously looking at converting my sailing fleet to electric. Been watching you for some time now and love that your doing well. My hope is that your life is long and prosperous and your troubles are few and small. Thanks for giving us so much.
You can put your temp sensor and thermometer onto a thick aluminum plate and lay it on top of dry ice to test the low temp sensor cut-off point
Holy crap, SOK ship to Australia for free. I can actually buy something you've reviewed that'll work here without paying hundreds of dollars of shipping.
Tantryl. I'm in Australia as well would you have an SOK link I could contact please?
Are you going to organize a bulk buy. I'd possibly be interested in 4 of the 206AH.
I have bought 8 cells from SOK via amazon AU, they have great service super quick and easily answer questions.
@@EmObReNdAnJaCkAsS I haven't actually made an order yet but it shows up as free shipping at checkout for me.
Yes, the same for me. Checkout shows $0.00 shipping to NSW Australia for 2 x 200AH units.
I really love what you’ve done. 😭 your work has made my life so much easier. Making my ability to live affordably but still have a quality life with the energy consumers I need in my van. Thank you so much 😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. I couldn’t afford the ones out there. But now I think I can.
Will, thank you for your enthusiasm, knowledge, honesty and thoroughness. You are becoming the consumer educator and lookout. Well done!
Great video. I really like the build quality of those batteries. I'd love to see a video of how to build a protective (more enclosed) case for something like your Fortune cells. I like the taped up method for testing, but I'd like to see a setup that would be protected from dust a debris, or ideally protected from rain too. A setup that you could throw in the garage and not worry mice could get into.
Just a suggestion. Again, great videos!
Good idea
Great review, I’ve been looking to buy the SOK 200ah and they are half the price of the battleborn. Your review was positive which is great.
Will, you really rock your new "Rockin Shop!" Great job with your new shop and even greater seeing you making new video content! Keep them coming!
Dude, listening to you is like my first day in my first Physics class= Mind Blown. Holy fuck.....this was informative, interesting, and fucking entertaining; I say that despite having an electrical engineer as a brother in law for the past 40 years. And he's none of those things!
Hey, Will! Good to see you post another vid. It's been a while so I've been going back to see older vids to keep up my knowledge and honestly, it's just fun hanging out with you. You're just good peeps. I'm sure everyone else will agree. We need our fix of Will Prowse videos. Thanks for sharing again.
Thanks Mike 😁👍
So funny, Will! I just convinced LithiumSolar to test those 280AH aluminum clad cells to validate value. He agrees- prices are CHEAP!!! The Big Battery 175AH battery is very interesting in many ways for us RVers....Hmmm, exciting times!!!
Hello Will, 10 years ago I (I'm now 56) I went back to school for High School upgrading with plans to attend a Technical College for their 2 year Renewable Energy Technologies course. Since finding your channel recently You have inspired me to finish my HS upgrading this coming Fall. College comes after that. Yes I know I'm 56.
Right now I own my own Mobile Auto Detailing Business in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Recently I built my own van mounted machine where I have to Plug my powerful machine into my customer's home. Currently my machine uses Two 15 amp circuits, but what I really want is another 15 Amp circuit and this is too challenging to get Three 15 Amp circuits from a customer's home, So... my current solution is to mostly power my machine with a Battery Bank.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Ok Ok Ok.... Will? SOK vs BBB? Your content and your class is 2nd to none! Very classy channel and we can't ask for more. Thank you for educating us and keeping us spending our money at the stand up companies. You go!
So glad you are back posting, you videos are always so informative. I am trying to build a system for off grid living and working in my cabin. The way you explain everything is so clear and even I in my late 50s understand it. Keep up the great work as well as enjoying your well deserved home. So good to see you succeed.
Hey Will. Take a cab of compressed air, turn it upside-down and spray the temp sensor. That should be cold enough
We just installed 2x100ah SOK batteries and I am very happy to see your "thumbs Up". Living in Canada add 35% to any lithium batteries and while I did the research having you affirm my choice was fantastic thank you
How are your batteries holding up?
I'm looking to go with the same batteries.
Great video! Glad to see you posting again with a new workshop! Lithium batteries are always evolving and you do a great job keeping your viewers up to date!
What can be used on your battery? What do your customers mostly use them for?
@@lewis6962 We make solutions for a wide variety of applications! The most popular uses are for golf carts, RVs, boats, forklifts, boats, EV charging, home solar setups, and general power storage. We have our website organized according to these applications but all the specs and modules are available for any DIY projects or unique uses you might have in mind!
I got my first set of SOK 100Ah LiFePo batteries in September to use with my MPP 2424LV-MSD. I got tremendous results from them and purchased two more to get 200Ah @24V. My goal was to be able to run my cargo trailer camper overnight in campgrounds with no power, but with a quiet hour where you cannot run a generator after 10 or 11 PM. I recently took a two week camping trip and one night turned my generator off at 9 PM. The SOK batteries were almost, but not quite fully charged. I ran my lights, fan, A/C, music and, in the morning, my coffee maker. Left around 11:30 AM without ever cranking the generator up or bothering to put out my solar panels. The batteries were still at 25.9V when I left! When I received the first set of batteries I had a concern (that turned out to be my own ignorance) and emailed Min at SOK. Five minutes later my phone rang and I checked the screen because I usually don't answer if it is not someone I can identify, but the call was from China, so I answered. It was Min. He got me straight on what I should do and the rest of the battery setup went smooth. Since I have been in contact for a few other things, not problems, and he has been very quick to respond. In case you can't tell, I am satisfied with both product and service. I am embarrassingly amateurish when compared to Will and some of the other TH-camrs, but I put a video on with my setup if you'd like to check it out. I am enjoying learning from you guys and hopefully I can share an experience or two that will also be helpful to the community.
Dude the work you put into you videos is really appreciated! I learn so much from you.
560Ah48V (32cells 280Ah 3,2V) from Basen (Alibaba) i payed only 3.000$ shipped in my door.
It's incredible: 28,6kWh storage for less than 3.000$!
can you please provide a link?
OMG---OMG---OMG----I NEED AT LEAST 10 OF THOSE!!!!!!!!
Yup, I got 48 that should show in the next week or so, $4443.85. about $103/kwh shipped.
With the brand change the price might be even lower now.
I really admire you and what you have accomplished. Do you have a video where your explain you whole story? The nerve disease you have, how you treated it, how you went from homelessness to TH-cam electric stardom? ✌️🙏
Oh and what happened to the rv?
@@MattBlank0 Do you know which video? I think I have seen the majority of them but I don't remember seeing it. Thanks Matt
@@SN-qu2gz go back a few years
An inexpensive and easy way to test low temp battery disconnect is to use dry ice. Careful when handling, and don't put it in glass as it could crack. Thank you so much for making these videos!!!!! Really appreciate it.
Realizing you have your own specific reasons for selecting components for testing, I had inquired to you about SOK a while back. Thanks for the review!
just ran across your channel as I'm looking into solar for my old Airstream I'm restoring.
I am astonished at your ambition and skills. I'm an older dude and l enjoy seeing young talent and the excitement it brings to you.
Thank for sharing bro.
Will's finally at it again! I thought... hmmm maybe he's slowing down, then BOOM!! Massive new workshop for awesome vids to come!
here are some options to get lower bath temperatures for cutoff testing
ice and salt water -10C
ice and acetone -15C (caution flammable liquid/vapour)
dry ice and acetone < -70C (caution flammable liquid/vapour)
dry ice and isopropyl < -70C (safest/cheapest option)
dry ice and ethanol < -70C (substitute with vodka (30% and you can get to < -20C))
i would use isopropyl alcohol. the 99% variety is the cheapest choice and easy to get at a drug store. it is also reusable if you use dry ice. if you use water ice, it will dilute whatever liquid you use, making it less useful for subsequent uses or use frozen water in plastic cubes. small amounts of dry ice might be available at ice cream stores, but definitely at most gas supply stores.
love the vids, glad to see you back.
Smart idea, thanks
Wow, you've changed man. I never thought I'd live to see you abandon the heat gun!
Haha! Not using the ol heat gun made me feel uncomfortable 😂
@@WillProwse i was hoping you would try to use the dump power for something useful. i was thinking heating your hot water tank, but charging another battery is perfect.
Nice seeing you back in front of the camera pumping our quality battery info. Thanks Will.
Hey Will, you should make a video putting the BigBattery in a cooler with ice freezing it, then charge and dis-charge while it is frozen to see if it lives up to the manufactures claims and or how it preforms. Perhaps in a fire safe place, with a proper rated fire extinguisher nearby just in case. Do these batteries have a freeze fire hazard when charged or dis-charged?
I told you about the 240ah battery I built in early 2019. I bought the (4) 240ah cells from Carl Wu at Shenzen RJ Energy. The cells were delivered on time and he kept me informed, but the shipping box was bashed and I wasn't home when they were delivered by FedEx. 2 of the cells were dented but the voltage checked out and all 4 cells were perfectly balanced. I sent him photos immediately. His shipping box was made with soft, weak cardboard though the cells were well wrapped in foam. The shipping box itself is very inadequate. Because of the damage, it was obvilously not packaged well enough. I wanted to get replacement cells that were not dented, but Carl would not honor any warranty for damaged delivery so I was up a creek. He said he would pursue damages from the shipping companies (China Air from Shenzen to LA and FedEx from LA to Spokane WA), but he didn't do anything to try to recover damages. My guess is he blew it off. I decided to build the battery with the 2 dented cells anyway. I bought a 200a BMS from him for $100 and it works perfectly. I built an insulated box for the battery and added a silicone heating pad inside the box mounted on a small aluminum finned heat diffuser to distribute heat with a STC1000 thermostat to keep the box heated to no less than 5 degrees C. That works perfectly. The problem I have with the cells is the terminals are aluminum and very soft aluminum at that. The tapped threads are not well done (off center and messy) and only a couple of threads actually grip the cells. I had one strip out and had to retap it for a larger screw. That was pretty distressing. I have an EPever solar controller with ( 2) 200w pv's on the roof of my RV. I wasn't sure the parameter figures to program the controller and it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of Carl. After months of asking he finally sent me a list of parameters for the EPever controller. I had the 240ah battery and BMS in my trailer now for 2 full years and have never run out of power on weeks-long boondocking trips. Its a good system, but its also a high vibration environment so I worry how long its going to last. I was not happy with Shenzen RJ and Carl. I say buy elsewhere. Before the sale he was very nice and helpful. After the sale he was almost hostile and uncooperative. The entire cost of the 4 cells, materials for the box, BMS, polyisocyanurate insulation, and misc stuff came to about 1000 dollars. Excellent price. We'll see how long it lasts.
BigBattery is getting things together and doing a really good job. I'm stoked!
NO idea what you were talking about. But LOVE the enthusiasm. 10/10
Would be interesting to see the review of the battery from Chinese brand Meritsun (probably not the original manufacturer). The one for cold conditions, with heating and Bluetooth. They say that the battery can be charged during -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit). The name of the company that sells it on Alibaba - Guangzhou Meritech Power Co., Ltd.
These batteries being sold in Europe (especially in Norway) under other names.
As usual...the WP effect kicks in instantly. Big Battery is already sold out. Thanks Will, really appreciate your work and enthusiasm.
Try the temperature sensor of the second battery with a freeze spray. It should give you up to -55 °C.
Or a can of compressed air held upside down. It will do the same thing, and is easier to find in staples or office depot.
Dude, you rock! Thank you for taking the time to experiment and share.
I have been waiting for a battery that I could charge in cold weather applications. The best I have seen from any company is with the use of a warming mechanism of some sort.
This battery is a totally different "animal" than anything I have seen in regard to low temperature charging.
I think you need to confirm their claims. If they are true, this is a game changer.
Do you believe their claims?
Actually, LTO (lithium titanate oxide) batteries have been around for years. They can be charged down to-20F up to +165F for up to 20,000 cycles without dropping below 80% capacity. I am currently using some that originally came from a Honda Fit for my battery bank.
look up LTO and LiFeYPO4 chemistries, can charge safely below 0°C
Great video. I used your book to build my solar system. and it works great. Now, I have a new issue with my DIY battery upgrade project. I had my order ready for two 100AH BattleBorns and a new PD9160ALV converter/charger....Now there is SOX. For the same setup it is $600 difference. The batteries have to go in an outside bay, They must (together) be able to discharge at least 150 amps for my 2000W inverter. I sure could use that $600 on other projects however, I sure can't buy them twice. because I wanted to save a buck or 6oo. Thanks for all your help, Richard
"That is a really nice crimp!" Love your commentary bro.
DEF need good connections for a lot of important reasons
Finally, we are seeing lithium batteries that are reaching a price range to make it worth taking the leap in buying a bank of them. Not to mention the idea that the end user can easily replace a dead cell without having to ship them back to the manufacturer, or worse, having to suffer with less stored power for the duration of the remaining battery's life span after warranty. Great presentation Will!
Hopefully in the next year or two, I can replace my VMAX tanks when I retire and can spend more time in my camper on the road!!
Got 20 285 A rated cells on Alibaba, delivered to my door with all taxes included under 2k USD. So far very impressed, may order some more.
I was looking at those as well which supplier did u use
@@DIY_versus I fired up a Request for Quotation and got a bunch of offers; ended up choosing Shenzen Basen.
@@DTXGaming thats the same supplier I was looking into as well. How much was the shipping cost and how long did it take to get your shipment?
@@DIY_versus delivery definitely took more than 30 days, with the pandemic to blame; shipping was $394 but that may not be relevant for you, since I live in Europe. My advice, get in touch with different suppliers, check how many transactions they have and if their surveys are positive, and see what fits your bill. One observation: in terms of shipping, all the suppliers I talked to came up with almost exactly the same cost.
@DTXGaming - By chance, were the cells you ordered the type/chemistry that can handle sub freezing temps, like the ones mentioned in Will’s video(?)
Hi, you can swap the temp sensor with an adjustable potentiometer, as it's probably a thermistor, and dial down/up the resistance to simulate a low temperature condition
Really appreciate your channel! Getting closer to my RV solar system install, got your book and enjoying doing my research! Thanks! :)
I use those valence batteries in my solar car and LOVE em. The video you made on them was what helped guide me to what wound up being the perfect battery for the project. Thanks Will!
do they cost a lot nowadays with still good capacity left in them ?
Something I’ve been struggling with, and can’t seem to find any information for online, is the possibility of using diversion to send excess power to a water heater, or if this is even possible
Will where are you!
@@TamponTea You probably have an answer by now but if not, yes you can divert easily. Micro hydro loads must be diverted to a dump load unlike PV. I use a Morningstar TS 45 to dump a small ES&D Watter buddy hydro generator load.
Man , you rock . You have really educated a lot of folks, me specifically. You maybe my go to video . Thanks so much.
Hi Will - is it possible to try the low temperature disconnect with dry ice?
Yes absolutely. I need some dry ice
@@WillProwse I think AirGas in Henderson sells it. Might check with them.
@@WillProwse you can get it at most walmarts or Safeway's. If you need good contact make a salt water bath to lower the freezing point.
Try an freezer spray can for testing the lowtemperture cutof. Such Spays reach down to -50 °C.
Could use canned air. Just tip it upside-down.
Will I don't know why I started watching your videos but I just can't get enough your enthusiasm is addictive. I am planning a solar system because my shed/cabin has plenty of electricity but it is 3 phase high leg that I can't figure out how to get a little 110 out of. So I have now figured I will just make a small solar system for the little electricity I need in the summer for a tv or my lap top or a light. From your videos I will either get the aluminum case at probably the calb cells.hopefully by April. Thanks
BTW.. How's the new housing coming along? Good I hope!
Will, welcome back.... I'm so happy that you did this. I'm a novice and your videos are very easy to follow. I will be copying this build for use in my tiny home. Thank you💫👏👏👏👏💫
Those white things are inflammable glass fiber sleeves.
Good to know. Thanks pepperidge
LOL Inflammable means are able to burn. You have to use nonflammable as both inflammable and flammable mean the same.
@@unheard128 ha, I've never understood why inflammable is even a word
The Bigbattery design is the best I ever saw. Plus, it does away with the myth that that you need to clamp the cells together.
Well, good luck getting the SOK after that review.
you can build 280AH for $500like he said or keep waiting for 208AH SOK for $1150 as of today 11/19/2020.
I would go for the SOK cause here in Ireland it never goes below -6 and I like the terminals. Maybe you mean the price will go up! Yes I think it will now.
I've seen it through the years of watching TH-cam videos of how the creators have a great deal in influencing the change of pricing on products and it's not just the price changing on products but it's also the changing of how things we take for granted in our every day to day lifestyles. It would be nice for the creators to maybe take the time to create their videos so it doesn't inhibit these changes because it actually ruins it for everyone!
"I stop making videos for a month and now everyone's trying to impress me with actually good designs." *HAHAHAHAHA*
was funny lol of coarse they wont send him a crap built unit.... needs to buy anon online
keep that ego in check.........lol
Can you test the big battery again with dry ice to see if it will shut off at -20 I want to buy either the SOK or the big battery after seeing these videos battleborn is only 100 amp hour they don't make a 200 amp hour and I want to have something close to the 200 half hour so if you get some dry ice you should be able to test the low temperature cut off
I have a mia solar gen whent down to zoe now wont turn on can you so me tear Dee o we n rebuild????????
@@zrokpeterson6989 can you so see n ER twon?
I couldn't buy the SOK fast enough...I was one of those that watched your vid a year ago and was totally dismayed when the prices went through the ceiling for that green battery! So...I almost gave in and bought a BattleBorn 100AH for $975...then you pop up this video! AWESOME!! I totally trust your reviews and assessment...I zoomed to the SOK website and bought the 200AH battery so fast, I didn't even finish the video - I just hit pause! LOL! Didn't want the same thing to happen to this battery as it did with the green one! Thank you for your assistance and guidance for those of us (ME)...who need it! I hope this battery will be enough for my 300 watt solar panels (I'm such a solar noob...! But, I'm trying!). Thanks. BTW...it's better to buy this direct as for some reason, it's over $100 more on Amazon, and its comes from SOK! Also, they would've charged me tax where the SOK site does not.
Just popped in to see if there was anything new. Ended up being pleasantly surprised by the latest advancement in batteries. Your very good at getting a point across.
I was planning on buying the renogy batteries but changed my mind due to your recommendation and modular design of the Sok. Just bought two 100ah SOK batteries to be shipped to the Netherlands (EU). First time I can actually buy your recommended products to be shipped to EU. Let you know the experience.
A dry ice - alcohol bath or acetone bath can get you well below -20c. Dry ice is sold in some grocery stores. I have some 202AH Lishen cells with the welded on screw terminals. I posted about them on your diysolarforum. I built an 8S 24V 202AH battery system inside an ice chest cooler.
I really like that you kept being impressed with what you found. I enjoy your positivity more than your disappointment.
Thanks for another great, informative video!
Missed your videos, glad to see you're back! Hope all is well with your family in the old house and your new place is working well for you!
Will, most Safeway's have DryIce (solid Co2) You can get it and use it for your low temperature test. it will go to -109F. put it in a glass thermos and it can keep for many hours. I put it in a small coleman 6pack lunch cooler. I sandwich it between cardboard to insulate it a bit. Always seperate it from food with cardboard so it doesn't burn sensitive food. I bet the same will work for you low bms test where you want to get to -10c.
Your Amazing man. I watch cheap RV living and Bob always says good things about you. Thanks for all the work you do for us ;)
Hi Will, If you have a can of compressed air kicking around you can turn it upside down and spray it on the sensor. Might be able to reach -20 degrees.
I'm Glad i watched this video before buying. I was looking at these 3.2v 25ah LiFePo4 lithium iron phosphate batteries on eBay and the price made me question the quality. After seeing this, i realize more than ever that NOT ALL BATTERIES ARE MADE THE SAME. Thanks
Thanks Will!! Glad to see you back!!
Very well done. It makes me wonder about the cost & quality of batteries in the next year or two. This is the exact reason I did not buy any LiFePO4 four years ago when they were running ~$1500.
Hi Will.. I'm a novice at this and I've learned so much from you.. You are truly an inspiration & we are so blessed by ur knowledge & gifts.. Thank you for all that you do & may God continue to bless you.
Thanks so much for this information.
After doing some checking & ciphering I decided to go with the (4) SOK's to power my sailboat. I had to call Bigbattery to find their warranty because all that I could find on the website was the 30 day return policy. Turns out that is the warranty. They said that if the battery fails in the first year or two that they would work with the customer to resolve the issue but not having a concrete warranty doesn't give me a good feeling. SOK list's their warranty as 7 years.
My comparison of the SOK 206Ah vs the DIY using Fortune 100Ah cells from Electriccarparts:
SOK 206Ah with BMS $1029 w free shipping, x 4 = $4116, total 10,544wh or $ .39/wh
Fortune 100Ah cells $115 (not including shipping) x 32 = $3680, total10,240wh or $ .359/wh
Please let me know if my numbers don't add up but I'm thinking that it might not make sense to do a DIY since the cost of these pre-packaged batteries (with BMS) has come down so much.
Dude you trip me out. Half of the time i have no clue but enjoy the videos and your passion. Keep the videos coming and maybe one day i'll understand more. I did buy a Jackery and solar panels and give them high scores for what i need. Be safe and healthy
Excellent videos you pump out! I didn't know much about these batteries and now I am educated enough to make a wise decision on purchasing one. Thank you!
The SOK is not "drop-in" in the sense of the case having the same physical dimensions of a standard FLA battery. It's 8" wide and won't fit in the space provided for a Group 24, Group 27 or GC2, if that is a concern. This is not intended as a negative comment about quality or function.
Totally Awesome video. I am so glad you are back your in depth analysis is with no sugar coating is truly what the world needs more of. Long videos are all right also. Thanks again for the outstanding information.
The insulating oversleeve is called Eisenglass tubing (may go by other names) and is a good high temperature insulator.
You have the best solar and battery videos hands down. Thank you 🦄
Will can I add the SOK to my battery bank of Battel Born 100Ah or do I need to stay with just Battle Born ? You are a Great Teacher ! Blessings young Man,
Hi Will,
Thank you for giving us all of this great info. on your channel! I also bought your book, which continues to prove itself to be a handy reference guide.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that’s not why I’m writing....
I ordered a SOK 12v 200ah Lithium battery through Amazon on the 16th of December, and it was scheduled to be delivered on February the 11th.
Twelve days after submitting my order, I was messaged by SOK through Amazon, to tell me that they were having shipping difficulties with my order, and to ask me to cancel my order through Amazon and to re-order it directly through their website.
When I asked SOK when I could expect to receive the battery if I did that, I was told that the problem would still be the same: their shipping containers were stuck in the port at Long Beach, and wouldn’t be released until mid January.
I am not a stupid man; I know that I was asked to do that because Amazon won’t charge me until they confirm the shipment, and SOK wanted to get my money before they had ever even resolved their shipping issues, let alone actually having shipped my battery. I told them that I was uncomfortable with canceling my Amazon order (which is the seller’s responsibility if they’re unable to fulfill an order, not the buyer’s) and re-ordering directly from their website, but that I would keep my original order through Amazon, and their response was, “not a problem.”
The other day, I received a message from Amazon saying that SOK had still not provided them with shipping information. I messaged SOK through Amazon for an update, but when I did not receive a response, I messaged them again on Amazon, as well as on Facebook and on their website, to inform them that there were three scenarios of how the situation was going to play out:
1. They’d contact me to tell me that my battery had been shipped, provide me with concrete shipping/tracking information, and I’d be a happy customer who leaves them a good review after I received my battery.
2. They were still unable to ship my battery, and would cancel my order on Amazon, with which I’d be disappointed, but would let it go without any further action.
3. They’d continue to ignore my messages, in which case I’d inform Amazon that SOK is breaking their agreement with them by contacting customers and asking them to pay them directly, that I’d contact TH-camr, DIY Solar with Will Prowse (who has hundreds of thousands of subscribers), to tell him that SOK was damaging his credibility by recommending their products, only to have them treat customers abhorrently, and that I’d leave a terrible review for their company on Amazon, Yelp, and anywhere else that I could post a detailed account of how they treat their customers.
That got their attention, because I received a response within hours, but it did absolutely nothing to improve their abysmal customer, “service.” They told me that Amazon had cancelled my order, that most of the customers who had cancelled their Amazon orders and re-ordered directly from the SOK website had already received their batteries, and that I should join their Facebook group for testimonials on what a wonderful company they are....Amazon had NOT, in fact, cancelled my order; there’s not a doubt in my mind that their claim that customers who had ordered directly from their site had received their batteries was also a lie; and as I said, I’m not a stupid man, and I know full well that shady companies like SOK create dummy accounts to give themselves glowing reviews.
I would of course be happy to provide you with screenshots of my interactions with SOK if you’d like to verify my accounting of their terrible service, and in the interest of protecting your own brand, I hope you’ll consider removing your recommendation of SOK from your channel, or at the very least, update it with the note that you have received reports of people having bad experiences with their company.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and thanks again for providing such invaluable information to all of us solar noobs!
Dude.. you rock. This is exactly the stuff I needed 2 years ago. I wish I had looked harder to find you!! I paid like 38k for 35 heliene 72m370's and solaredge inverters. Now i'm worried I wont be able to carry over the inverters to a battery setup :( I just noticed your bench. That thing was a screaming deal. I use mine for gunsmithing stuff.
Just ordered one of the Power Blocks. They are on backorder until mid February 2021. I probably could have gone with one of the SOK but several of my trusted TH-cam quality testers have shown the Big Batteries offering to be a good choice.
EDIT: Just checked the link for the direct buy from SOK. They are 20-30 days out as well.
I finally gave in and ordered my first LiFePo4 from SOK....using your affiliate link of course 😁.
Ive been pretty set on the benefits of SLAs under certain specific circumstances. However, the more of your videos that I watch the more benefits if Lithium seem to make sense in the long run. Even the properties of lithium have benefits when using with expensive equipment that “prefer” consistent dc power supply voltage. During emergency outages, my HAM radio equipment can certainly operate, but can have some obvious limitations when using lead acid batts.
SOK seemed to offer a great value for a ready made drop in with warranty etc. Really wanted the Big Battery, as I love power pole connectors....thats all I use in my systems....but because they didnt have a 100ah battery it wasnt in my short term budget
So much great information for DYI and turn-key amazing content as usual! love it!
Lotsa great details and updates. Liking the new bms being available! Great review as always. You’ve been instrumental in growing the functionality and efficiencies of manufactures. Thanks for keeping it honest.
Have you looked at Amped Outdoors? Many Kayakers swear by them for trolling motors and fish finders. I just bought the 60ah for $359. Also, I know you said the flexible solar panels are junk, but you should look at the Lensun and let us know what you think. They are expensive for flexible panels, but they are like a piece of solid fiberglass. I bought 2 50 watt panels for my boat and I think they are really nice. Only time will tell about lifespan.
Just ordered a SOK battery. Only thing I didn't like, was no Bluetooth BMS to gauge how much power is left. I was going to get a solar overkill BMS for $130 that you recommended.
Now that's bringing up the cost to like $730 now total. (Battery was $600)
I'm approaching the cost of other mainstream batteries, with higher end BMS' installed already with better warranties
Great to see you posting videos again!
8:14 “the balance leads are Crimped and soldered” - that means they were done incorrectly then, you never solder a crimp. Every single TH-camr gets this wrong. Go ask anyone who has worked in industry, or NASA for that matter. Those later hydraulic crimps, …perfect 👌
That was another great video, a really useful investigation, thanks 🙂
That's true. Crimp is superior.
OK, just placed my order for the 280 amp hour component DIY battery. I went with a JK BMS. Will experiment with solar panels to find the best solution. Thanks for the great videos!!
Have you done a review of the 100aH SOK yet? They're selling it for only about $570 on their website with a 7 year warranty now? (thanks for all your hard review work)