Buy these batteries direct for faster shipping (affiliate links): Power Queen Store: ipowerqueen.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek Ampere Time Store: amperetime.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek Zooms batteries: zoomspower.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek CHINS Store: chins-battery.myshopify.com/collections/chins/products/12v-100ah-lithium-battery-built-in-100a-bms-2000-cycles-each-battery-can-support-1280w-power-output-perfect-for-rv-caravan-solar-marine-home-storage-and-off-grid?ref=h-cvbzfahsek How to add low temp charging protection: th-cam.com/video/XpO4s6Lrrmc/w-d-xo.html How to add low temp heater pads: th-cam.com/video/m1T7S1J-Zxs/w-d-xo.html *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 EnergyPal! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: energypal.com/diysolar/ *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 Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.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 *My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:* *Signature Solar* Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Current Connected* SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Ecoflow Delta* 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 *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx *Rich Solar* Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Battery Hookup* Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 5% off code: diysolar *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
Will Prouse, How often do you acquire batteries and other products you test, from sources other than the product manufacturers? Curious as to wether the any identical component happens to be superior in construction quality, from manufacturers, than same exact product from outlet sources Thank you for all the in depth information you present🎯😎☕
Power Queen contacted me after my battery shipped to let me know it was coming and to make sure I knew how to contact them if I had any issues. It arrived on time and we well packed. Don’t ever recall any other product company doing that?!
Thanks for the reviews Will! I'm biding my time for about another year before buying a 300 - 400 Ah LiFePo4 battery for my live-aboard sailboat. How cool is it that the prices keep coming down, quality is going up and capacity is increasing - all to the point where reviewing them gets "boring"! Your comment that they are "boring" is one of the most reassuring things I've heard! It indicates to me that this technology is maturing to the point where you don't have to be an electrical engineer to buy and use these batteries. Best regards from Key West Capt. Blackheart Charlie
Different chemistry. They use iron and phosphate. Way easier to get than cobalt or nickel that’s in the lithium ion batteries. They’ll get even cheaper.
You shouldn't keep waiting because if China ends up with Russia you can say goodbye to cheap chines Lifep04 batteries and cells. I just built a fully complete 3k watt continuous system with 1400 watts of solar and 24v 280ah battery bank for right around $2500 bucks for everything you need
cant be half bad if they are willing to send you them for free for a tear down and video. Must be confident in their build and quality. Pretty good review thanks.
Not boring, very informative. Also, "Yay Will!" proper air filter and eye protection. I know the 3M breathing system is heavy, but plastic offgassing is no joke.
Thanks, Will. I really appreciate your "tear down" videos. You are doing all of us a great service. Because of your many tear downs, I would feel comfortable buying cheap batteries like Ampere Time and Chins if/when I was looking at installing another battery bank. Keep up the fine work.
I bought two ampere time on your recommendation. Two 200ah batteries. I bought one in September, last year, and found it just wasn’t enough. So for Christmas, I did a deal with the warehouse and picked up another 200ah. Super fast shipping, since they have a warehouse in California. I am totally pleased with these batteries. Since we store them in the storage unit of our 5th wheel, they never get below freezing. We full time travel, so we also stay away from cold weather, That’s below 70’. I also have a Victron charge controller, and a battery Sence, so I keep a eye on the battery temp, and the charge controller is set not to charge below 38’ Thank you sooo much for your reviews. We really appreciate your work.
@@WillProwse Will, Ampere Time is selling a 300 ah they list as automotive grade cells with 4000 to 8000 charge cycles depending on which ad I see. I bought one. So are they lying about this and these are actually rated at 1500-2000 charge cycles? They say this> "4000+ Deep Cycles, FCC&UL Certificates." I certainly couldn`t afford BattleBorn.
@@baneverything5580 The wording is tricky. Power Queen also says >4000 cycle life--BUT that isn't the same as 4000 cycles until it reaches 80% capacity. It may very well die completely after 4000 cycles according to their wording. HOBOTECH even incorrectly said it is rated at 4000 cycles to 80%.
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse, Stop it! Your videos on battery break downs are not boring. I learn form you every time you do one. You are also giving us all the options so we have a better chance to get a battery that will suit or could afford!
I bought the Ampere Time 200ah plus model. The difference between it and the regular model was a 200a discharge instead of the 100a that the regular model offered. I just thought that I would share that.
I bought the power queen 100ah batteries about 5 months ago. I am running 2 in parallel. We live in a cold climate and I keep them Indoors. They perform exceptionally good. Not gonna pay double for not double perfoance in brands like SOC or battle born when these do such a good job.
Ampere/Litime customer service seems quite good. I've asked them about 20 questions and always get a fast response within 24 hours max. They will also offer you a further discount on their products if you negotiate and spend more! So far 10/10 service
so far so good after two months on our PowerQueen 12v 200ah. Working great as the single battery for a she-shed with a 20seer 9000btu Pioneer mini-split, and an Epever 8420AN charge controller pulling in 1200 watts of power from 4 used panels. About $2500 for the whole system, including the mini-split.
Can you tell me what the power draw is like in heating mode for the pioneer in around 40 to 60f weather? How many watts in heat mode, low fan? Is it a constant draw, or starts out high and then levels off lower, or cycles on and off?
@@jimbob3030 I tested my 12k pioneer mini split on the bluetti 200max and got about 6 hours off of it in heat mode, but not maxed out of course. Mine drew about 400watts average and went as high as 1000watts when really working to warm up quicker. Ac uses less than heat mode
Glad to here the powerqueen is working good, I purchased a stark power 12v 100ah back in 2014 and still works great in 2023 in a small travel trailer. I just purchased a 12v 200ah powerqueen and hope that I get the same great history the stark power one had. I have a 3000 watt inverter in the trailer (go power also purchased in 2014 and still going strong) and want the 12v 200ah battery to help extend the buffer for high power devices (TV, Microwave, Gas Heater, toaster, etc) I had 200 watt solar panels for the 12v 100ah stark since 2020, works great with the morning star mppt-25, but will be adding a 3rd panel for 300 watts on the 12v 200ah powerqueen. I'm so happy prices dropped, I paid $1100 for my stark power 12v 100ah back in 2014, but so worth the investment as I never had an issue as I did with the Lead Acid batteries originally on the trailer. Off grid Glamping has become very awesome with all this new tech!!!!
Love these tear down videos. They really shed light on the various batteries out there. Would be intrigued to see EnduroPower on one of these. Their claims of size and more importantly to me weight reductions seem off.
I got some 100ah ampere time after watching your tear downs for my boat. So far no issues, I charge in climate controlled environment so it’s never been an issue for me
High discharge rates open up a new world with things like microwaves and tankless electric water heaters. I would have ordered a server rack but they don’t make a server rack with a 200A discharge rating.
I was kind of freaked out when you started cutting into the side of the battery. Then I noticed the saw you had. Those little saws ,are great. Buy every blade. So easy to handle . But really loud. Ear plugs job for sure. Back in my younger days, I used the giant floor scrapper version. I made a LOT of money with that thing scraping up glued flooring. Before this high speed buzzing type. we used slow speed . they had a giant weight and took two guys [ or one huge dude], just to get the thing off the truck so heavy ,it had wheels. .lol. But it would also bash a wall right off the floor. yup that buzzing giant razor one was nice.
I bought a 200Ah AmpereTime last year. After a month, I noticed that the positive terminal was getting very hot (swapped wires and so on, 2ga, verified it wasn’t a bad crimp). I contacted them via Amazon. They wouldn’t cross-ship a replacement but were happy to pay for return shipping and give me a refund if I bought a new one. I opted for that and they gave me a refund as soon as tracking showed it picked up. The length of the warranties on these batteries are all longer than I am confident that the companies will be around for. I’d go with the company who I thought would be around the longest, for a small price premium. I’m reminded of a company years ago that made external lead acid batteries for early Apple PowerBook laptops. At one point they announced that they’d done something wrong with their charging circuitry (I think), that all the batteries they’d sold were defective and unsafe to use, they had nowhere near enough money to replace them all, and they were shutting down the company. Also - I wouldn’t go for anything physically larger than this pack. My RV has limited spaces for batteries and I’d like maximum flexibility. Also, I like being able to grab one battery and use it in my car or house for power outages and so on. The 200Ah is the largest I want to carry around. I might even get 100Ah for my next upgrades.
Good day Will. Another great video and definately not boring to your viewers. Been watching for years now and learned enough to power our entire property off grid from you and a few select others. Special request: please do a review / teardown of the new model EG4 "waterproof" battery. Weve been using them for a month now in our system and they've been performing perfectly. Capacity test and and internal cell balancing has been right on the money. Love them so far but it sure would be nice to see the internals and hear your detailed thoughts on the cells/BMS and overall build quality. Thanks for all youve done & continue to do.
I have contacted Ampere Time several times by E Mail. Each time, I had a response by early AM the next day. I deal with Shelly and she is a sweetheart to deal with. I now have 4 300 amp batteries from them and will add more as my system grows.
I have 4 x 200 ampere time on my catamaran. They work well, and it's so nice to have so much capacity. They charge really fast, and I'm using a xantrex 3000 inverter. Runs all my 110 appliances air fryer, induction stove etc no problem. Highly recommend these batteries.
i got two Btrpower 12v 200ah batteries for my RV last months, fast shipping, received them within 4 days when i ordered. so far they are good performance, real capacity,i have test them. highly recommend BTRPOWER
Battery banks off solar in every home is the best future, a national security issue perhaps. Good to hear technology and economics are getting closer. I loved your explanation of electricity in previous video. That should be taught in grade school. Keep up the good work!
Apartments and high-rise condo owners cannot do solar, however, they can recharge them off the grid at night when rates are cheaper and use them during the daytime/evening.
I know it's an old video but. I bought two Ampere Time 200AH batteries almost two years ago now. They have been flawless in daily use on our live aboard sailboat. There was a hiccup. I purchased the remanufactured ones to save a few dollars and one was doa. Their customer service quickly responded by sending a new one and paid for the return shipping. I can recommend Ampere Time and their customer service.
I have the 200ah plus model of this brand on my boat. It's charged by a 700 watt solar array linked to a victron solar charge controller. It's a great battery. Powers everything on the boat without any issues. This includes a deep freezer, lights, fans, a small inverter, and a water pump. The low temperature cutoff really is no issue on the boat as I live in Florida and the battery sits below the waterline. Even if the outside temperature drops below freezing the warmth of the water still keeps the battery space above freezing. For boat owners this is a factor to consider
ive been very happy with my 2 100A 12v PQ. in my camper after 3 months they charge quick & give me good power all night small rooftop solar 120-140w on roof & all I can saw now is if I could fit 1 400A & maybe 1 190A wow what a life off grid, i'm 2/h years in my camper now & glad i held out because BB are just way way to expensive, i'm kinda crazy on trying to live on the smallest amount of carbon & elec I actually lived on 1 BB lith batt for 7 months I returned that & got a new 1 sold it on CL for $650 & bought 2 PQ's, I had LedAc most of the other months, I love the PQ batts! Glad I held out for a time & watched these vids from DIY & Lithium Solar he does a good tear down as well. You can't beat the price of the newer ChInA batts huge improvements from 2 -3 years ago! Thank you & God bless you!
I contacted Ampere time customer service because I had accidentally shorted the battery when connecting it for the first time (I am an idiot). They responded pretty fast and sent out info to help me see if I had lost capacity. I believe we emailed a few times over a period of 2 weeks. Seemed to be good service.
another great video Will. As always just the right balance of data and facts mixed in with your well informed opinion and pleasant personality. Also loved your comment at the end about Chinese companies just sending their stuff out without follow up and the American companies doing the opposite.
I bought three 200AH Ampere Times and they didn’t work correctly. During the early morning I could make coffee (1400w keurig) just fine. After the Sun came up the wife would try to make a cup and it would trip the BMS. That’s with 200W of solar going in. I sent them back and got two 300AH lifeblue. Couldn’t be happier.
Will I've watched so many of your videos and really enjoy them. More importantly as a non tech head, your easy explanations are so valuable. Many thanks
Thanks. I choose Power Queen. Tested as best I could. 208 amp hrs. Stopped at 10.8 volts. Two of these out perform 8 100 hr AGM. Add these 2 to lv2424 from Sun power, powers whole house with just 1440 watts of Santan solar. Only thing not cared for is 240 split phase load of deep well pump. Will not bore you with list of appliances, just to say it is long. Thanks for all the open-minded testing.
I like in the end you compare how Chinese company and American company handle TH-camr differently that very interesting and thank you for you honest review
Hi Will FYI the plus on an ampere time battery or now Li time indicates that the BMS is the 200 amp not the 100 amp standard, They also double the BMS heat sinks
Thanks a lot Will. I live in the caribbean, so no need for low temp charging protection here. I've learnt so much from you since following you about a year now. Looking to build my own solar system with a VERY limited budget, so I'm of starting small, like a system that can power even just my 18k btu ac and a 22 cu. Ft. Inverter fridge for now. I like these batteries as they seem more affordable at this time compare to the server rack options. Over time, i will upgrade, but just looking to start somewhere and grow from there. Awesome work man, keep churning out these videos. Much appreciated.
@@WillProwse okay will do. Have you covered used panels before? Don't recall seeing a video from you about. Would welcome your expert opinion on these.
@@WillProwse has any manufacturer ever sent you a test item that is built to better quality than the same exact item sold through a secondary source? Or, have the products always been equal quality, for 🎯 same make/model/series, no matter the source? . p.s. I would hope they ( any manufacturer) would always be respectable in their business practices🎯
Glad Will pushing servicability for years resulted in SOK building an outstanding battey line. Their 200 amp hr is small enough to fit FOUR on their side, (800amphrs!) on top of my rear wheel wells (two on each well) on my Vanlife converson van. But still underneath my low bed frame, which is just outstanding. Battleborn has some serious competition.
Thank you sir for all your hard work and dedication I have learned so much from your videos. I will be building a tiny house in my backyard soon and it will be completely powered by solar as I live in SC. Thanks again
Not boring! It's always nice and cool see you take apart the batteries! :) Keep up the good work! I see so many LiFEPO4 batteries on the market, but I like enjoybot so far. I want to make sure my next batteries is a clone of it. So, knowing which brand uses the same components/build qualities is good! I can buy the cheaper version and not worried getting a crappy build brand that is not a clone of amphere, chins or enjoybot. I've been looking for another 12.8V 200Ah to upgrade my 12.8V 100Ah Enjoybot. So, I love your videos on taking them apart so I don't have to spend money and regret buying!!! :)
Side Note: I wonder how far are we from Homes being equipped with whole home backup systems built around All-in-one charge controllers and these types of batteries (or the Rack mounted ones) as a standard. Meaning, You buy a house and it comes with in home energy storage system (Solar cells on the roof or not) same as you an HVAC or Water heater system? Home backup systems like that can become standard on homes in places like California where power black and brown outs are becoming more frequent.
California and New York are outlier regions in term of economic system among all free countries. The US is at the bottom among free countries economically, and these two states are at the bottom of the list among all US states free rank. Able to survive only because many megacorporation still headquartered in California (they are in progress moving to other states along with smaller size business) and New York as hub for international trade, having money the amount US GDP flow through New York every couple of days. Energy problem only common for them because of these outliers economic system.
California has black outs and brown outs because they govern themselves like a banana republic. There's no market supply/demand reason in the absence of Sacremento insanity why they have these issues but by their own doing. Bandaiding their fixes doesn't actually solve the problem of being governed by Venezuelan-tier intellectuals.
In Calgary, Alberta Canada, one builder is advertising “Net Zero” home builds. They are equipped with a solar set up I haven’t researched yet, but they claim you will be able to operate the home at Net Zero. Time will tell on those builds. Financially it will be a question mark if the added cost will be worth it, technically, it will be beneficial environmentally.
I have 4 300ah chins in series on my off grid tiny home and have worked super well so far besides a little hard to understand them on customer service at times but that was expected when buying a cheap China based company battery. only pulling 275ah after 7 months but I believe that is due to having 2ft cables to connect them into series instead of buss bars due to space constraints. need to take them apart and re balance them again I assume to pull full capacity again according to chins
Power Queen and Ampere Time, all these use prismatic LiFePO4 cells. It is very convenient for assemble, however, there two issues, one point is heat dispassion won't be good, another point is the capacity, once one cell failed to work, that the capacity will drop significantly.
I have a 300ah chins and now adding a 100ah power queen and they have already contacted me thanking me for my purchase and asking me to contact them if I have any questions or problems when I get it. I ordered it Friday morning should have it by Tuesday
Question, but first I have to say I love the content, and one day I will go off grid (I live close to SignatureSolar so picking up parts will be easy). My question is RV related, maybe a stupid question, my RV nearly got hit by lightening 18 months ago and it fried my Xantrex freedom 458 2000W inverter/charger and transfer switch and back then I just replaced it. Now my 4 6v lead golf cart batteries went dead and I decided to go lithium and just bought the AmpereTime 12V 200ah Plus. The Freedom 458 IC is ideally not designed for lithium, but I set it on AGM mode, it seems to be working. But I wonder if once battery gets to a rest state of 13.6V, should I push the charger off switch on the Xantrex remote panel to stop charging and wait for when battery is low to temporarily turn back on the charging feature? The RV mostly sits on the property as a remote office. I saw your video on the RV step. been there done that too. I'd like to get the AmpereTIme to last as long as possible, but surely it will last longer than the lead batteries, and I'd hate to buy another $900 new Xantrex XC inverter as I just bought the Freedom.
200ah Power Queen arrived in 3 days, they responded to my question the next morning China time. The packaging was excellent and came with extra set of insulating caps and terminal screws. $358 with shipping
I was getting ready to buy the Big Batter HSKY Elite 24V-234aH and I said let me check and see if you have any revies on clones, I believe now I might go with the Chins 2 in series., thanks Will ! I love your "I refuse to be controlled" reviews.
Too expensive for me I thank you for turning me on to Docan Power I bought 16 LF280K LiPos4 for $2200 and they are so awesome thanks for all you do for our community regards, rick
Thank you Will for another battery video, I appreciate the always current info on DIY battery prices, and the precise approach you bring to cutting them open to show us what's inside them. At $1040, the 300ah Ampere time is now on my list to buy in September. With the lengthening days, my present 200ah at 12 volt system is normally full by sunset, but come midwinter the extra will make a huge difference. (2004 Toyota sienna)
I am looking to take our grid-connected solar system and build it into a battery system that pulls from Grid only if needed. I'm also looking to put 30 panels on our roof which faces southwest and the current 27 which sits on our flat roof.. that should keep us off-grid quite a bit.
I would love to know how you build a solar battery system that only pulls from grid when needed. (i'm sure its possible, I just don't have the knowledge or aware of the equipment that takes to do that)
@@HeadCannonPrime I have two MPP Solar off grid inverters that are configured to do this. The are connected to the grid, but only use grid power when necessary. In the charge parameters they are set to Solar only. So batteries are only charged if there is sun. In the 'power section' the following sequence is set Sun, battery, grid. So during the day power is provided by sun, if not enough sun is available (due to large loads) it uses some from the batteries. At night it uses the batteries and if the batteries are below a defined voltage, it switches to the grid. One inverter never goes to grid. The one connected to the ac in bedroom sometimes switches to grid early in the morning, until enough sun is available. I have 16 agm batteries (full river 400ah), but they just are not enough and degrade pretty fast. Will replace them by LifePo serverrack batteries soon.
dude, that was a great review! You were shy early on in your channel but now your presentation is A+++. I wish I could get over my on camera shyness like you have! You stuck with it and I guess the old saying is relevant, practice makes perfect, LOL Please keep us up to date on those "beginner" kits. I know they keep getting better and cheaper and no one can spot the best ones better than you.
Will, the cost difference from 300ah to 400 ah is huge. Over $700 for the additional amp hours. It may be more cost effective and send just a bit more and buy 8 300ah instead of the 4 400ah. Thanks for the info. I do enjoy the tear down videos. It helps to understand the technology and build designs that are used.
I HATE when pricing runs like that. It's like when the 44oz ketchup bottle is more per oz than the 12oz one. Makes you feel like they're trying to trick you. In this battery case, it's SERIOUS money. I suppose it's all rooted in scale and manufacturing simplicity--making the smaller size more cost efficient. Still....
Hey Will! First and foremost, great Altras! Superior 4? I’m about to retire my last pair of lone peak 4. So sad. Thanks for the great video. Living in a 6b climate zone, whatever I grab for batteries, I will need low temp. I know you can add it but I’d rather have it be built in. Be well and thanks again 🙏
I think for RV people, 2000 cycles is more than enough. Unless you live full time in your RV for a decade, then maybe it really matters. Great review Will!
Will I love the way you do your short teardown montage. Makes me laugh. And everything you put your hand on becomes interested even though you might call it boring lol
The plus model, in my experience, is a higher max amp draw. I have one of the 300Ah Plus and it has 200Amp max draw. I have had a few interactions with their customer service and they seem very responsive. I inquired about getting a second one and if I need to do it very soon and they basically told me the pros and cons of waiting to get the second one. And they offered me a discount code if I wanted to get the second one directly from their site rather than Amazon. Overall, I'm very happy with it so far but have not had it in regular use just yet.
You said these are all you really need if you were living in warm climate what about if you’re building a van and living in cold climate what do you recommend as for a good battery?
I've been using 2 12v 200 ah amperetime batteries over the last year. I have them wired to 24v, and have had no issues with them, as of yet. They haven't been exposed to any kind of cold, so the no cold-temp thing hasn't been an issue, yet
@@jmr8111 going well but I'm drawing it down quite a bit. Have a 36 ft class A with two rv 30k btu furnaces at 25 degrees for a couple nights with several people. Two furnaces suck a lot for sure but running the microwave when needed and large TV on, 6+ devices charging, coffee maker take a lot as well so needed to run the generator about 4 hours to get it back to full a day. Good thing is I can charge it at 100amps so I can run it from 100% to 10 and it will take under 4 hours to get back. I only have space for one so wanted every inch filled with battery and it has worked well. I have it in a white plastic box with about an inch of foam board insulation around the bottom and sides and half the top. Have three 3x7 12 v heaters with two underneath and one on the side behind a piece of thin sheet metal to distribute the heat and it's kept the battery just fine when it was at 17 degrees. Way more than you want I'm sure but I was hoping for more run time but I have the whole rv on a 3000w victron so everything is using it now so my load is pretty high as I was directed to not have any limitations as to what kitchen equipment was running.
@@cbickel2009 Sounds pretty solid thanks for the detailed explanation . I think the max charge is 250 amps does the battery get overly hot @ 100 amps charge? I was thinking of getting 2 /400- LI Time ( New name) and charging @ 200 to 240 amps over the two batterys in parallel so 120 amps per battery . sounds like the bms can handle it ? Chris you have these in service for 7 mos now? thank you ,john
Danke für das öffnen dieser LifePO4 Akkus. Mittlerweile genieße ich Deine Videos. Du bist weniger "fantastic" das macht Dich viel objektiver danke dafür!
Had a 300ah Ampere, after 18 months with no issues it completely failed at 1am Christmas night. So now it's an expensive paperweight and I'm reduced to using a cheap 100ah till can afford to replace with something more reliable. Wished the better ones were affordable.
My total Load is 520watts . Wat solar panels, inverter and solar charger controller required for the above load to last for atleast 5hrs in a day (12v solar)
Will, you said both batteries had the same BMS, but I think that may be incorrect. The Ampere Time has a 250 amp BMS and that is indicated by the PLUS designation. I think the other battery may only be 100 amps on the BMS. I personally think that is a significant difference beyond the AH rating of the two.
I'll jump to an assumption without looking, but I assume these companies now offer 24V/100AH & 24V/200AH. These are 8 Cell Packs afterall and so a BMS change and voila, 24V batteries. Seems to me, a few years (3 or so) many of these companies were cutting their teeth, so to speak and quite a few have "stepped up" in quality and at reasonable pricing along the way. Pleases me to no end, as it helps more & more people join the Renewable Energy Revolution !
Keep note Amperetime/Litime 2000 cycle is at 100% capacity, 6000 cycles at 80% capacity, 15,000 cycles at 60%. Thats pretty good for what they are!!! 2000 cycles is ALOT regardless.
Buy these batteries direct for faster shipping (affiliate links):
Power Queen Store: ipowerqueen.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
Ampere Time Store: amperetime.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
Zooms batteries: zoomspower.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
CHINS Store: chins-battery.myshopify.com/collections/chins/products/12v-100ah-lithium-battery-built-in-100a-bms-2000-cycles-each-battery-can-support-1280w-power-output-perfect-for-rv-caravan-solar-marine-home-storage-and-off-grid?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
How to add low temp charging protection: th-cam.com/video/XpO4s6Lrrmc/w-d-xo.html
How to add low temp heater pads: th-cam.com/video/m1T7S1J-Zxs/w-d-xo.html
*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 EnergyPal! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: energypal.com/diysolar/
*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
Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.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
*My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:*
*Signature Solar*
Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps:
www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
*Current Connected*
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components:
currentconnected.com/?ref=wp
*Ecoflow Delta*
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
*Renogy*
A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages!
renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx
*Rich Solar*
Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price:
richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek
*Battery Hookup*
Cheap cell deals
bit.ly/2mIxSqt
5% off code: diysolar
*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
it
Will Prouse,
How often do you acquire batteries and other products you test, from sources other than the product manufacturers?
Curious as to wether the any identical component happens to be superior in construction quality, from manufacturers, than same exact product from outlet sources
Thank you for all the in depth information you present🎯😎☕
Power Queen contacted me after my battery shipped to let me know it was coming and to make sure I knew how to contact them if I had any issues. It arrived on time and we well packed. Don’t ever recall any other product company doing that?!
Thanks for the reviews Will! I'm biding my time for about another year before buying a 300 - 400 Ah LiFePo4 battery for my live-aboard sailboat. How cool is it that the prices keep coming down, quality is going up and capacity is increasing - all to the point where reviewing them gets "boring"! Your comment that they are "boring" is one of the most reassuring things I've heard! It indicates to me that this technology is maturing to the point where you don't have to be an electrical engineer to buy and use these batteries.
Best regards from Key West
Capt. Blackheart Charlie
@@nicke.3011 Point well taken. I may decide to buy earlier and put off some other boat improvement projects for a while.
Different chemistry. They use iron and phosphate. Way easier to get than cobalt or nickel that’s in the lithium ion batteries.
They’ll get even cheaper.
@@robertl9065 Uhh, Lithium? Prices are going up on every battery Im looking at.
You shouldn't keep waiting because if China ends up with Russia you can say goodbye to cheap chines Lifep04 batteries and cells. I just built a fully complete 3k watt continuous system with 1400 watts of solar and 24v 280ah battery bank for right around $2500 bucks for everything you need
the supply-chain with China may not exist a year from now
it may not exist in half that time, ..or less
I have 18 CHINS 12v 100Ah batteries and they are all working well. Would recommend them and the support has been very good so far. No issues at all.
cant be half bad if they are willing to send you them for free for a tear down and video. Must be confident in their build and quality. Pretty good review thanks.
Not boring, very informative. Also, "Yay Will!" proper air filter and eye protection. I know the 3M breathing system is heavy, but plastic offgassing is no joke.
I've gotten reeled into the Power Queen brand and have no regrets.
Me too.
Thanks, Will. I really appreciate your "tear down" videos. You are doing all of us a great service. Because of your many tear downs, I would feel comfortable buying cheap batteries like Ampere Time and Chins if/when I was looking at installing another battery bank. Keep up the fine work.
I bet this dudes UPS driver is buff AF
😂😂
😂😂😂😂 that's hilarious AF
I hope Will's UPS driver has solar power at home by now.
I bought two ampere time on your recommendation. Two 200ah batteries. I bought one in September, last year, and found it just wasn’t enough. So for Christmas, I did a deal with the warehouse and picked up another 200ah. Super fast shipping, since they have a warehouse in California. I am totally pleased with these batteries. Since we store them in the storage unit of our 5th wheel, they never get below freezing. We full time travel, so we also stay away from cold weather, That’s below 70’.
I also have a Victron charge controller, and a battery Sence, so I keep a eye on the battery temp, and the charge controller is set not to charge below 38’
Thank you sooo much for your reviews. We really appreciate your work.
Awesome!! Great setup
does the battery sense also stops the converter from charging the battery in low temp as well?
@@WillProwse Will, Ampere Time is selling a 300 ah they list as automotive grade cells with 4000 to 8000 charge cycles depending on which ad I see. I bought one. So are they lying about this and these are actually rated at 1500-2000 charge cycles? They say this> "4000+ Deep Cycles, FCC&UL Certificates." I certainly couldn`t afford BattleBorn.
@@baneverything5580 The wording is tricky. Power Queen also says >4000 cycle life--BUT that isn't the same as 4000 cycles until it reaches 80% capacity. It may very well die completely after 4000 cycles according to their wording. HOBOTECH even incorrectly said it is rated at 4000 cycles to 80%.
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse, Stop it! Your videos on battery break downs are not boring. I learn form you every time you do one. You are also giving us all the options so we have a better chance to get a battery that will suit or could afford!
NOT a boring video! An expert opinion is very much needed. Thank you!
I bought 200AH 12 volt with 3500 inverter. Pulled 1850 watts for 1 hour and battery got a little warm but nothing xtreme. Good video.
To make the battery last longer, it is recommended to place it in a room with a moderate temperature.
I bought the Ampere Time 200ah plus model. The difference between it and the regular model was a 200a discharge instead of the 100a that the regular model offered. I just thought that I would share that.
Same, but I wish I had sprung for the 460ah
Keep it up Will, taking these batteries apart is what keeps me interested, I like knowing what's in them and the quality !!
Thanks
Nice job Will. As an EE (retired) I really appreciate your approach.
I bought the power queen 100ah batteries about 5 months ago. I am running 2 in parallel. We live in a cold climate and I keep them Indoors. They perform exceptionally good. Not gonna pay double for not double perfoance in brands like SOC or battle born when these do such a good job.
U get a much much longer life tho.
Ampere/Litime customer service seems quite good. I've asked them about 20 questions and always get a fast response within 24 hours max. They will also offer you a further discount on their products if you negotiate and spend more! So far 10/10 service
I’m really happy with my 190ah Queen.. RV boondocks like a champ 🤙🏽
so far so good after two months on our PowerQueen 12v 200ah. Working great as the single battery for a she-shed with a 20seer 9000btu Pioneer mini-split, and an Epever 8420AN charge controller pulling in 1200 watts of power from 4 used panels. About $2500 for the whole system, including the mini-split.
Can you tell me what the power draw is like in heating mode for the pioneer in around 40 to 60f weather? How many watts in heat mode, low fan? Is it a constant draw, or starts out high and then levels off lower, or cycles on and off?
@@jimbob3030 I tested my 12k pioneer mini split on the bluetti 200max and got about 6 hours off of it in heat mode, but not maxed out of course.
Mine drew about 400watts average and went as high as 1000watts when really working to warm up quicker. Ac uses less than heat mode
Glad to here the powerqueen is working good, I purchased a stark power 12v 100ah back in 2014 and still works great in 2023 in a small travel trailer. I just purchased a 12v 200ah powerqueen and hope that I get the same great history the stark power one had. I have a 3000 watt inverter in the trailer (go power also purchased in 2014 and still going strong) and want the 12v 200ah battery to help extend the buffer for high power devices (TV, Microwave, Gas Heater, toaster, etc) I had 200 watt solar panels for the 12v 100ah stark since 2020, works great with the morning star mppt-25, but will be adding a 3rd panel for 300 watts on the 12v 200ah powerqueen. I'm so happy prices dropped, I paid $1100 for my stark power 12v 100ah back in 2014, but so worth the investment as I never had an issue as I did with the Lead Acid batteries originally on the trailer. Off grid Glamping has become very awesome with all this new tech!!!!
do you use a dcdc charger?
Love these tear down videos. They really shed light on the various batteries out there. Would be intrigued to see EnduroPower on one of these. Their claims of size and more importantly to me weight reductions seem off.
I too would like to see enduro battery tear down and test. Very curious about a more expensive battery compared to a cheaper priced one.
I got some 100ah ampere time after watching your tear downs for my boat. So far no issues, I charge in climate controlled environment so it’s never been an issue for me
I bought a 200ah ampere time plus. I believe the plus just indicates a 200A max continuous discharge rate. The regular models are only 100A
Oh! Great point!! Thank you for pointing that out
I also bought that same battery and have a 2000 watt inverter connected to run a microwave. It works perfect.
High discharge rates open up a new world with things like microwaves and tankless electric water heaters. I would have ordered a server rack but they don’t make a server rack with a 200A discharge rating.
Keep up the great reviews. Always appreciate your focused diligence.
I was kind of freaked out when you started cutting into the side of the battery. Then I noticed the saw you had.
Those little saws ,are great. Buy every blade. So easy to handle . But really loud. Ear plugs job for sure. Back in my younger days, I used the giant floor scrapper version. I made a LOT of money with that thing scraping up glued flooring.
Before this high speed buzzing type. we used slow speed . they had a giant weight and took two guys [ or one huge dude], just to get the thing off the truck so heavy ,it had wheels.
.lol. But it would also bash a wall right off the floor.
yup that buzzing giant razor one was nice.
I bought a 200Ah AmpereTime last year. After a month, I noticed that the positive terminal was getting very hot (swapped wires and so on, 2ga, verified it wasn’t a bad crimp). I contacted them via Amazon. They wouldn’t cross-ship a replacement but were happy to pay for return shipping and give me a refund if I bought a new one. I opted for that and they gave me a refund as soon as tracking showed it picked up.
The length of the warranties on these batteries are all longer than I am confident that the companies will be around for. I’d go with the company who I thought would be around the longest, for a small price premium.
I’m reminded of a company years ago that made external lead acid batteries for early Apple PowerBook laptops. At one point they announced that they’d done something wrong with their charging circuitry (I think), that all the batteries they’d sold were defective and unsafe to use, they had nowhere near enough money to replace them all, and they were shutting down the company.
Also - I wouldn’t go for anything physically larger than this pack. My RV has limited spaces for batteries and I’d like maximum flexibility. Also, I like being able to grab one battery and use it in my car or house for power outages and so on. The 200Ah is the largest I want to carry around. I might even get 100Ah for my next upgrades.
Great post and data-share. Wonder why this was so far down in the comments with 18 "likes." Well, now 19. 👍👍
Good day Will.
Another great video and definately not boring to your viewers. Been watching for years now and learned enough to power our entire property off grid from you and a few select others.
Special request: please do a review / teardown of the new model EG4 "waterproof" battery.
Weve been using them for a month now in our system and they've been performing perfectly.
Capacity test and and internal cell balancing has been right on the money. Love them so far but it sure would be nice to see the internals and hear your detailed thoughts on the cells/BMS and overall build quality.
Thanks for all youve done & continue to do.
I have contacted Ampere Time several times by E Mail. Each time, I had a response by early AM the next day. I deal with Shelly and she is a sweetheart to deal with. I now have 4 300 amp batteries from them and will add more as my system grows.
I have 4 x 200 ampere time on my catamaran. They work well, and it's so nice to have so much capacity. They charge really fast, and I'm using a xantrex 3000 inverter. Runs all my 110 appliances air fryer, induction stove etc no problem. Highly recommend these batteries.
how long have you been using them for? What are you using to prevent alternator damage?
Thanks again Will, I couldn’t find a difference in the plus vs no plus models other than price. Great job.
Someone in another comment said the "plus" model has a higher discharge rate capability. I don't know...just passing on what I read. 🤷♂
My wife has a battery powered power queen.
She keeps in in the nightstand for when I'm away.
Best comment ever.
@@harges151 Thank you, I'll be here all week.
You don't need to be away
Wow 400! This ought to be good. Sure would be good to have in my RV.
i got two Btrpower 12v 200ah batteries for my RV last months, fast shipping, received them within 4 days when i ordered. so far they are good performance, real capacity,i have test them. highly recommend BTRPOWER
Battery banks off solar in every home is the best future, a national security issue perhaps. Good to hear technology and economics are getting closer. I loved your explanation of electricity in previous video. That should be taught in grade school. Keep up the good work!
Apartments and high-rise condo owners cannot do solar, however, they can recharge them off the grid at night when rates are cheaper and use them during the daytime/evening.
I understand how it can get boring but it's very good information to have.
I know it's an old video but.
I bought two Ampere Time 200AH batteries almost two years ago now. They have been flawless in daily use on our live aboard sailboat. There was a hiccup. I purchased the remanufactured ones to save a few dollars and one was doa. Their customer service quickly responded by sending a new one and paid for the return shipping. I can recommend Ampere Time and their customer service.
Not boring, I installed two Amphere 100 amp hr.,in my truck camper working great so far. Good price to.
I have the 200ah plus model of this brand on my boat. It's charged by a 700 watt solar array linked to a victron solar charge controller. It's a great battery. Powers everything on the boat without any issues. This includes a deep freezer, lights, fans, a small inverter, and a water pump. The low temperature cutoff really is no issue on the boat as I live in Florida and the battery sits below the waterline. Even if the outside temperature drops below freezing the warmth of the water still keeps the battery space above freezing. For boat owners this is a factor to consider
how long does it take to charge batt with 700w array ? thank you
@@vandweleer8004 after a night of running the refrigerator, lights, fans, and the water pump (for the sink) my batteries are full by 10am
ive been very happy with my 2 100A 12v PQ. in my camper after 3 months they charge quick & give me good power all night small rooftop solar 120-140w on roof & all I can saw now is if I could fit 1 400A & maybe 1 190A wow what a life off grid, i'm 2/h years in my camper now & glad i held out because BB are just way way to expensive, i'm kinda crazy on trying to live on the smallest amount of carbon & elec I actually lived on 1 BB lith batt for 7 months I returned that & got a new 1 sold it on CL for $650 & bought 2 PQ's, I had LedAc most of the other months, I love the PQ batts! Glad I held out for a time & watched these vids from DIY & Lithium Solar he does a good tear down as well. You can't beat the price of the newer ChInA batts huge improvements from 2 -3 years ago! Thank you & God bless you!
I contacted Ampere time customer service because I had accidentally shorted the battery when connecting it for the first time (I am an idiot). They responded pretty fast and sent out info to help me see if I had lost capacity. I believe we emailed a few times over a period of 2 weeks. Seemed to be good service.
I also am an idiot!
I may look stupid, but that don't mean I'm not!
Glad to see the PPE safety first!
another great video Will. As always just the right balance of data and facts mixed in with your well informed opinion and pleasant personality. Also loved your comment at the end about Chinese companies just sending their stuff out without follow up and the American companies doing the opposite.
I bought three 200AH Ampere Times and they didn’t work correctly. During the early morning I could make coffee (1400w keurig) just fine. After the Sun came up the wife would try to make a cup and it would trip the BMS. That’s with 200W of solar going in. I sent them back and got two 300AH lifeblue. Couldn’t be happier.
Will I've watched so many of your videos and really enjoy them. More importantly as a non tech head, your easy explanations are so valuable. Many thanks
After 5 years a follower, I definitely knows that Chinese are not good in business, but they are good to promote their products you mean
They are good in business because they are whopping our butts. America is behind when it comes to solar and batteries.
@@WillProwse oh now I got you and fully agree with you that technology wise they are winning big time
@@WillProwse thanks for your response to my comment Will I appreciate it
Thanks. I choose Power Queen. Tested as best I could. 208 amp hrs. Stopped at 10.8 volts. Two of these out perform 8 100 hr AGM. Add these 2 to lv2424 from Sun power, powers whole house with just 1440 watts of Santan solar. Only thing not cared for is 240 split phase load of deep well pump.
Will not bore you with list of appliances, just to say it is long.
Thanks for all the open-minded testing.
Sorry for my ignorance
The problem with temperature with these batteries is if it get too cold
isn't over heating an option
I have the 12.8V 100ma Power Queen with built in low temperature shutdown. So far so good.
heya still nice of you to show us al these differant models so we can make a good decision if you need 1 of those
I like in the end you compare how Chinese company and American company handle TH-camr differently that very interesting and thank you for you honest review
Hi Will FYI the plus on an ampere time battery or now Li time indicates that the BMS is the 200 amp not the 100 amp standard, They also double the BMS heat sinks
Thanks a lot Will. I live in the caribbean, so no need for low temp charging protection here. I've learnt so much from you since following you about a year now. Looking to build my own solar system with a VERY limited budget, so I'm of starting small, like a system that can power even just my 18k btu ac and a 22 cu. Ft. Inverter fridge for now. I like these batteries as they seem more affordable at this time compare to the server rack options. Over time, i will upgrade, but just looking to start somewhere and grow from there. Awesome work man, keep churning out these videos. Much appreciated.
Awesome man, glad I can help. Battery prices dropping more these days thank goodness
Check out used solar panels
@@WillProwse okay will do. Have you covered used panels before? Don't recall seeing a video from you about. Would welcome your expert opinion on these.
@@WillProwse has any manufacturer ever sent you a test item that is built to better quality than the same exact item sold through a secondary source?
Or, have the products always been equal quality, for 🎯 same make/model/series, no matter the source?
.
p.s.
I would hope they ( any manufacturer) would always be respectable in their business practices🎯
Glad Will pushing servicability for years resulted in SOK building an outstanding battey line. Their 200 amp hr is small enough to fit FOUR on their side, (800amphrs!) on top of my rear wheel wells (two on each well) on my Vanlife converson van. But still underneath my low bed frame, which is just outstanding. Battleborn has some serious competition.
Thank you sir for all your hard work and dedication I have learned so much from your videos. I will be building a tiny house in my backyard soon and it will be completely powered by solar as I live in SC. Thanks again
Not boring! It's always nice and cool see you take apart the batteries! :) Keep up the good work!
I see so many LiFEPO4 batteries on the market, but I like enjoybot so far. I want to make sure my next batteries is a clone of it. So, knowing which brand uses the same components/build qualities is good! I can buy the cheaper version and not worried getting a crappy build brand that is not a clone of amphere, chins or enjoybot. I've been looking for another 12.8V 200Ah to upgrade my 12.8V 100Ah Enjoybot. So, I love your videos on taking them apart so I don't have to spend money and regret buying!!! :)
Thanks again Will. Always interesting to see the similarities between different batteries.
"Boring" may well be the greatest review one could ever expect or want, of a battery. Thank you.
Thanks for the teardown but at least you could do a capacity test on the batteries to make the video more useful and trustable.
"Boring" cheap batteries with good build quality? That makes for an awesome video every time! :)
I was about to buy 2 x 200 amp, I'am SO glad of your review !
Side Note: I wonder how far are we from Homes being equipped with whole home backup systems built around All-in-one charge controllers and these types of batteries (or the Rack mounted ones) as a standard. Meaning, You buy a house and it comes with in home energy storage system (Solar cells on the roof or not) same as you an HVAC or Water heater system? Home backup systems like that can become standard on homes in places like California where power black and brown outs are becoming more frequent.
California and New York are outlier regions in term of economic system among all free countries. The US is at the bottom among free countries economically, and these two states are at the bottom of the list among all US states free rank. Able to survive only because many megacorporation still headquartered in California (they are in progress moving to other states along with smaller size business) and New York as hub for international trade, having money the amount US GDP flow through New York every couple of days. Energy problem only common for them because of these outliers economic system.
California has black outs and brown outs because they govern themselves like a banana republic. There's no market supply/demand reason in the absence of Sacremento insanity why they have these issues but by their own doing. Bandaiding their fixes doesn't actually solve the problem of being governed by Venezuelan-tier intellectuals.
In Calgary, Alberta Canada, one builder is advertising “Net Zero” home builds. They are equipped with a solar set up I haven’t researched yet, but they claim you will be able to operate the home at Net Zero. Time will tell on those builds. Financially it will be a question mark if the added cost will be worth it, technically, it will be beneficial environmentally.
I live in California l, I don't remember the last blackout and I'm in the middle of the Bay area. Solar energy has filled that Gap.
@@volksbugly I think most of the black/brown outs are in the central and northern areas of the state.
I have 4 300ah chins in series on my off grid tiny home and have worked super well so far besides a little hard to understand them on customer service at times but that was expected when buying a cheap China based company battery. only pulling 275ah after 7 months but I believe that is due to having 2ft cables to connect them into series instead of buss bars due to space constraints. need to take them apart and re balance them again I assume to pull full capacity again according to chins
Thanks for the feedback
Power Queen and Ampere Time, all these use prismatic LiFePO4 cells. It is very convenient for assemble, however, there two issues, one point is heat dispassion won't be good, another point is the capacity, once one cell failed to work, that the capacity will drop significantly.
Ampere times customer supports fantastic. I’ll give them that ❕❕❕
I have a 300ah chins and now adding a 100ah power queen and they have already contacted me thanking me for my purchase and asking me to contact them if I have any questions or problems when I get it. I ordered it Friday morning should have it by Tuesday
Question, but first I have to say I love the content, and one day I will go off grid (I live close to SignatureSolar so picking up parts will be easy). My question is RV related, maybe a stupid question, my RV nearly got hit by lightening 18 months ago and it fried my Xantrex freedom 458 2000W inverter/charger and transfer switch and back then I just replaced it. Now my 4 6v lead golf cart batteries went dead and I decided to go lithium and just bought the AmpereTime 12V 200ah Plus. The Freedom 458 IC is ideally not designed for lithium, but I set it on AGM mode, it seems to be working. But I wonder if once battery gets to a rest state of 13.6V, should I push the charger off switch on the Xantrex remote panel to stop charging and wait for when battery is low to temporarily turn back on the charging feature? The RV mostly sits on the property as a remote office. I saw your video on the RV step. been there done that too. I'd like to get the AmpereTIme to last as long as possible, but surely it will last longer than the lead batteries, and I'd hate to buy another $900 new Xantrex XC inverter as I just bought the Freedom.
200ah Power Queen arrived in 3 days, they responded to my question the next morning China time. The packaging was excellent and came with extra set of insulating caps and terminal screws. $358 with shipping
where did you get that price
That was probably a typo. 100ah is about that price
I was getting ready to buy the Big Batter HSKY Elite 24V-234aH and I said let me check and see if you have any revies on clones, I believe now I might go with the Chins 2 in series., thanks Will ! I love your "I refuse to be controlled" reviews.
Too expensive for me
I thank you for turning me on to Docan Power
I bought 16 LF280K LiPos4 for $2200 and they are so awesome
thanks for all you do for our community
regards, rick
Thank you Will for another battery video, I appreciate the always current info on DIY battery prices, and the precise approach you bring to cutting them open to show us what's inside them.
At $1040, the 300ah Ampere time is now on my list to buy in September. With the lengthening days, my present 200ah at 12 volt system is normally full by sunset, but come midwinter the extra will make a huge difference. (2004 Toyota sienna)
I am looking to take our grid-connected solar system and build it into a battery system that pulls from Grid only if needed. I'm also looking to put 30 panels on our roof which faces southwest and the current 27 which sits on our flat roof.. that should keep us off-grid quite a bit.
I would love to know how you build a solar battery system that only pulls from grid when needed. (i'm sure its possible, I just don't have the knowledge or aware of the equipment that takes to do that)
@@HeadCannonPrime I have two MPP Solar off grid inverters that are configured to do this.
The are connected to the grid, but only use grid power when necessary.
In the charge parameters they are set to Solar only. So batteries are only charged if there is sun.
In the 'power section' the following sequence is set Sun, battery, grid.
So during the day power is provided by sun, if not enough sun is available (due to large loads) it uses some from the batteries. At night it uses the batteries and if the batteries are below a defined voltage, it switches to the grid.
One inverter never goes to grid. The one connected to the ac in bedroom sometimes switches to grid early in the morning, until enough sun is available.
I have 16 agm batteries (full river 400ah), but they just are not enough and degrade pretty fast.
Will replace them by LifePo serverrack batteries soon.
dude, that was a great review! You were shy early on in your channel but now your presentation is A+++. I wish I could get over my on camera shyness like you have!
You stuck with it and I guess the old saying is relevant, practice makes perfect, LOL
Please keep us up to date on those "beginner" kits. I know they keep getting better and cheaper and no one can spot the best ones better than you.
Will, the cost difference from 300ah to 400 ah is huge. Over $700 for the additional amp hours. It may be more cost effective and send just a bit more and buy 8 300ah instead of the 4 400ah. Thanks for the info. I do enjoy the tear down videos. It helps to understand the technology and build designs that are used.
I HATE when pricing runs like that. It's like when the 44oz ketchup bottle is more per oz than the 12oz one. Makes you feel like they're trying to trick you. In this battery case, it's SERIOUS money. I suppose it's all rooted in scale and manufacturing simplicity--making the smaller size more cost efficient. Still....
@@737smartin Yes, two 300 AH batteries are only a bit more expensive than ONE 400 AH. Ridiculous.
@@baneverything5580 if its about space such as on an RV it make a huge difference
That 400ah is really attractive
Hey Will! First and foremost, great Altras! Superior 4? I’m about to retire my last pair of lone peak 4. So sad. Thanks for the great video. Living in a 6b climate zone, whatever I grab for batteries, I will need low temp. I know you can add it but I’d rather have it be built in. Be well and thanks again 🙏
They are the best shoes! Great for foot and ankle health. Oh gotcha, low temp protection sounds required for you
Ampere Time has been purchased by Li Time. Li Tiime will honor all warranties that Ampere Time issued. These are darn good batteries.
I think for RV people, 2000 cycles is more than enough. Unless you live full time in your RV for a decade, then maybe it really matters. Great review Will!
Thank you for doing these break down reviews, I always learn something.
Will I love the way you do your short teardown montage. Makes me laugh. And everything you put your hand on becomes interested even though you might call it boring lol
Ampere Time PLUS models all have a high amperage BMS. The standard Ampere Time batteries have a 50A to 100A BMS.
The plus model, in my experience, is a higher max amp draw. I have one of the 300Ah Plus and it has 200Amp max draw. I have had a few interactions with their customer service and they seem very responsive. I inquired about getting a second one and if I need to do it very soon and they basically told me the pros and cons of waiting to get the second one. And they offered me a discount code if I wanted to get the second one directly from their site rather than Amazon. Overall, I'm very happy with it so far but have not had it in regular use just yet.
That is the difference with the plus model, higher discharge rates
Same need ; same timeframe
You said these are all you really need if you were living in warm climate what about if you’re building a van and living in cold climate what do you recommend as for a good battery?
Will, counting on you to keep us all up to date on what's what.
I've been using 2 12v 200 ah amperetime batteries over the last year. I have them wired to 24v, and have had no issues with them, as of yet. They haven't been exposed to any kind of cold, so the no cold-temp thing hasn't been an issue, yet
Fact remains that they don't have a low temp cutoff or heater though. Good batteries environmentally dependent
Can I connect two lifepo4 batteries in parallel? Some people say bms will act funny. But is parallel connection so? Thanks.
That 400AH Ampere Time is what I just bought for my RV. We'll see how it goes
how is the 400 performing?
@@jmr8111 going well but I'm drawing it down quite a bit. Have a 36 ft class A with two rv 30k btu furnaces at 25 degrees for a couple nights with several people. Two furnaces suck a lot for sure but running the microwave when needed and large TV on, 6+ devices charging, coffee maker take a lot as well so needed to run the generator about 4 hours to get it back to full a day. Good thing is I can charge it at 100amps so I can run it from 100% to 10 and it will take under 4 hours to get back. I only have space for one so wanted every inch filled with battery and it has worked well. I have it in a white plastic box with about an inch of foam board insulation around the bottom and sides and half the top. Have three 3x7 12 v heaters with two underneath and one on the side behind a piece of thin sheet metal to distribute the heat and it's kept the battery just fine when it was at 17 degrees. Way more than you want I'm sure but I was hoping for more run time but I have the whole rv on a 3000w victron so everything is using it now so my load is pretty high as I was directed to not have any limitations as to what kitchen equipment was running.
@@cbickel2009 Sounds pretty solid thanks for the detailed explanation . I think the max charge is 250 amps does the battery get overly hot @ 100 amps charge? I was thinking of getting 2 /400- LI Time ( New name) and charging @ 200 to 240 amps over the two batterys in parallel so 120 amps per battery . sounds like the bms can handle it ? Chris you have these in service for 7 mos now? thank you ,john
Danke für das öffnen dieser LifePO4 Akkus. Mittlerweile genieße ich Deine Videos. Du bist weniger "fantastic" das macht Dich viel objektiver danke dafür!
Had a 300ah Ampere, after 18 months with no issues it completely failed at 1am Christmas night. So now it's an expensive paperweight and I'm reduced to using a cheap 100ah till can afford to replace with something more reliable. Wished the better ones were affordable.
I was just thinking about a 400 ah - and here it is!
Just bought the power queen 200, thanks for the info👍
His voice at "power queen" was hilarious
Can you recommend me about best quality between 4000 to 6000 cycle life po4 12v battery?
I have 2 Zooms 200AH batteries and they're very responsive when it comes to email customer service and support.
My total Load is 520watts . Wat solar panels, inverter and solar charger controller required for the above load to last for atleast 5hrs in a day (12v solar)
Thanks Will your vids are great. I bought the amp hour 200 amp version and it died on the third use so hopefully they will replace it.
Will, you said both batteries had the same BMS, but I think that may be incorrect. The Ampere Time has a 250 amp BMS and that is indicated by the PLUS designation. I think the other battery may only be 100 amps on the BMS. I personally think that is a significant difference beyond the AH rating of the two.
I'll jump to an assumption without looking, but I assume these companies now offer 24V/100AH & 24V/200AH. These are 8 Cell Packs afterall and so a BMS change and voila, 24V batteries.
Seems to me, a few years (3 or so) many of these companies were cutting their teeth, so to speak and quite a few have "stepped up" in quality and at reasonable pricing along the way.
Pleases me to no end, as it helps more & more people join the Renewable Energy Revolution !
Keep note Amperetime/Litime 2000 cycle is at 100% capacity, 6000 cycles at 80% capacity, 15,000 cycles at 60%. Thats pretty good for what they are!!!
2000 cycles is ALOT regardless.
I'm so glad you did a tear down! Thank you
Wonder why so many are not equipped with Blue Tooth. I find having this is very handy to keep an eye on time remaining.