DIY Solar Generator

Anything electric, AC or DC

Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby RJ Howell » Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:24 pm

bdosborn wrote:
RJ Howell wrote:I did love Aliexpress until this last purchase, claim placed, and they sided with the sellers advertisement VS. my proof


This was my first purchase and I was sweating bullets until I tested them to see if I won the dice roll. I probably won't buy much there unless I can't find it anywhere else, it's just too janky. I used Paypal even though there is an additional fee as Paypal usually sides with the buyer in disputes.

Bruce


Here ya. I've used them a lot, yet mainly sellers that have been recommended.
LittoKala is one of the Good Sellers for batteries. Theirs has always tested out to what they claim. They come un-branded because they make from some of the best out there, yet you know by the coloring who's would be sold under. Them I can recommend.
Takes like forever to get here, yet worth the savings if you're building something big, like a Battery Bank.

I've told you mine.. Who did you buy from?
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby John61CT » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:40 pm

RJ Howell wrote:LittoKala is one of the Good Sellers for batteries.

Really?

can others chime in?

Does not line up with other forum posts iirc

I know their chargers are OK.

Endless-sphere and RCgroups forums have real experts with expensive testing gear that publish performance tests, discuss how to spot counterfeits etc
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby bdosborn » Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:58 pm

At first glance it seems expensive for the unit but you'd need a 100 amp-hr AGM to match the performance of the LiFePO4 (I couldn't find an 80 amp-hr battery). It will need to be AGM so it doesn't spill acid when tipped. At about $160 on Amazon, it's $50 cheaper than the LiFePO4. All the other components else would be essentially the same cost.

The extra $50 buys you:

10# versus 60# battery weight - light enough my wife can tote it around
2,000 cycles versus 500
Better voltage stability - no Puekert effect.
Smaller package
Faster re-charge with no absorption stage.
Much slower self discharge so it can sit in the garage and not be on a charger
No damage from being at a partially discharged state so it can sit in the garage and not be on a charger

There is one con, you can't charge LiFePO4 when its at or below freezing.

Bruce
Last edited by bdosborn on Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby bdosborn » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:03 pm

Here's a link to the vendor I used:

Shenzhen Foxelion batteries Company Store

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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby tony.latham » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:22 pm

This meter is pretty nifty, only the basics: volts, amps, amp-hrs and percent capacity but much cheaper...


Maybe I missed it but what meter is that?

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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby bdosborn » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:54 pm

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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby tony.latham » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:09 pm

Looks damn sweet for $40.

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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby bdosborn » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:25 pm

Its the Joe Friday of battery meters, "Just the facts Ma'am". Can't beat it for the price.
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby John61CT » Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:31 am

The usable Ah per pound ratio on the battery, no way it's 6:1 something's wrong there. Same with volume density.

Half, maybe a third at most.

Rest is right, but of course pricing, market conditions vary by locale.
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby retep » Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:49 am

Am I correct in assuming you have 2 banks of 4 in series and thus giving you 12.8 v and 40 ah? Then wired the bms and 4s balancer accordingly? I am very curious how to build a similar pack. This style of pack would solve a number of issues for me.

Bruce thanks again for posting this.

Peter


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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby bdosborn » Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:37 pm

It's a 4s2p meaning 2 strings of 4 cells in parallel. Mean voltage is 13.2v, but these cells dip a little more under load than the camper CALB cells do. I used a relatively large balancer that will balance at 6 amps or so rather than the milliamps the BMS conducts. I'm convinced that good balancers a requirement for trouble free charging and discharging. The BMS is pretty sketchy but I haven't found anything affordable that I think is better.
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby retep » Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:12 pm

Thanks Bruce. I am thinking I may give this a whirl.

Great post! Thank You

Peter


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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby RJ Howell » Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:37 pm

John61CT wrote:
RJ Howell wrote:LittoKala is one of the Good Sellers for batteries.

Really?

can others chime in?

Does not line up with other forum posts iirc

I know their chargers are OK.

Endless-sphere and RCgroups forums have real experts with expensive testing gear that publish performance tests, discuss how to spot counterfeits etc


I've bought from them 3 times now. All 18650. # different types for 3 different reasons. All have tested out as advertised.
I have a Opus and a Imax I run them on. Then real life. This is not a 'They're cool' statement.

I'd also like to hear comments from others and they're experience with them.
If there other products do not match up, I'd like to hear it! As I believe we all would.
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby RJ Howell » Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:52 pm

The extra $50 buys you:

10# versus 60# battery weight - light enough my wife can tote it around
2,000 cycles versus 500
Better voltage stability - no Puekert effect.
Smaller package
Faster re-charge with no absorption stage.
Much slower self discharge so it can sit in the garage and not be on a charger
No damage from being at a partially discharged state so it can sit in the garage and not be on a charger

There is one con, you can't charge LiFePO4 when its at or below freezing.

Bruce[/quote]

Those I know of folks using them as home power-banks are stating (through their testing) that the cycles can be tripled (as is the case as well with others) if not brought down to minimal voltage. Which is pretty much how we all use them in our units with a solar recharge happening. It is also stated that if stored at 3.65V (believe correct) it will only lose 5% voltage in a year being stored. I'm currently at 8 months on a single cell 18650 I put aside for testing, started at 3.8v (as shipped) and still there. Checked on my Opus just now.

I have a hard time walking away from the 18650's..
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Re: DIY Solar Generator

Postby RJ Howell » Tue Aug 20, 2019 2:58 pm

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