Tim, I’m holding you accountable for my depressed state. I have followed you for quite some time, but only weeks ago I binge watched your USA to Bahamas’ and return series. Fantastic. What would cheer me up, a Lady K does the Greek Island series…. I love the “Charlie the Truck series” but I need you back on the yacht ASAP. Stay upright & keep your powder dry. The Lone Ranger.
Tim, I've bought one 230ah @ $446.00, one 40a charger @ $120.00, one 60 a mppt controller @ $154.00, one 3000 w inverter @ $204.00, with all their combined discounts I've spent less than a grand, with free shipping. Everything works outstanding, and the customer service is excellent. I'm vary pleased.
Glad you found these batteries. I've been using them for 3 years now. No complaints. They've worked well for me and you can't beat the price. Thank you for all of your great videos.
Always, always get the Lithium Iron Phosphate variety if your life depends on them not going boom. They have a couple of benefits that may save your life: The electrolyte is not flammable, and the electrodes do not contain cobalt, meaning that a defect (in mfg or through damage) in the battery will not fester until it ignites.
Nope that's Lithium Ion not lithium Fe Iron Phosphate. Even the new Auto packs are incorporating fire extinguisher like the Polestar pack in the Candela . Candela did this and compared it to a ICE chase boat ..the cost difference for crossing the Baltic was ridiculous. The numbers are at the end hold your breath dinosaurs and don't drink anything.. 🦕 😂😁🧙🏻♂️🇬🇧 ua-cam.com/video/6hFoRF_Q0CA/v-deo.htmlsi=kZ9v_e4R1PWuqVNQ Both Li Manganese solid state cells and Na cells are on the markets now.. both are even safer and bring more advantages.
Great video, as always! I would however like to add one thing: Regularly discharging AGM batteries to below 50% significantly reduces their lifespan, whereas the entire capacity of Lithium batteries is usable. This means, that if one needs a usable capacity of 300 Ah, either 300 Ah of Lithium or 600 Ah of AGM batteries would be required. The other thing is that Lithium batteries tend to last much longer than AGM and that they have a very shallow discharge curve what means that you have a nice stable voltage all the way to the end.
I genuinely appreciate the pragmatic pessimism you use when discussing all things sailing. The honesty of highlighting the fact that sailing is challenging, dangerous, can be expensive, but is absolutely amazing when everything works is very appreciated. I don't know if I'd ever buy a boat and go sailing to the Bahamas, but I'm considering a Hobie Cat or a small old Hunter to share with the family on some inland lakes in Ohio. I love my time on Kayaks, but would love to let nature do the work for me.
Good choice on batteries. I run a Mac Tools franchise. My storefront is a box truck that I drive to customers shops to sell the tools. 2 years ago I built a custom 12v air conditioner unit to cool the store. To power it I use 1000Ah Li-Time battery bank. After 2 years of daily use in the Atlanta heat the capacity has not degraded at all. I use approximately 80% or 800ah per day and have seen no issues. It saves me over 1 gal/h in diesel and countless $ in maintenance.
Hi Tim, I’ve been using Li-Time Lithium batteries on my 36' sailboat for about 4 years now, and they’ve been fantastic! I set up a completely isolated lithium house bank with 1 x 200 AH and 2 x 100 AH batteries, giving me a total of 400AH. The engine runs on a separate lead zone. During the summer, I take weekly cruises and run my fridge 24/7. Thanks to the solar setup, I've never had to manually charge the batteries-they stay topped up the whole time. Li-Time batteries get two thumbs up from me!
Check the temperature range before you buy any lithium battery. If you plan to leave the batteries on a boat in a hot or cold climate that is outside the battery’s range you could start a fire or damage the battery.
I own a marine yacht refit business in Titusville. I have used these batteries in several boats with a combination of solar and large alternators. They have worked flawlessly and some of these boats will be on their 3rd cruising season on the setup installed with no issues.. these boats also spent the entire time (6 months and 7 months in both cases) on the hook. Just remember these batteries are not direct drop in replacement for lead acid. Modifications are needed. Total isolation from the starting battery is required. The alternator also needs to have a programmable voltage regulator due to the difference in charging profile. The cheap route is to set up an in line DC to DC charger that will charge your batteries at a portion of your alternators specific output. The more expensive option is to get an alternator with a dual output voltage regulator. With a lot of solar I would choose the DC to DC charger.
I put two to these batteries in to my camper with a victron controller this spring … all summer off grid perfect great value and zero problems.. we are vary happy
I have four 200 Ah 24 volt Li Time batteries. After 18 months they are doing very well running my home fridge, freezer and well. They are very easy to install in a home/RV setting. Boats are a bit different. First, virtually all of the LiFePO4 batteries say "Do not use as starting batteries". So what does that mean and why is that the case. Basically, unless you have a bunch of 100 Ah batteries in parallel, te battery BMS boards won't let them put out enough current to reliably crank your diesel particularly if the temperature is below 60F or so. That means that while you can install a LiFePO4 battery bank for your house bank, you will still need a lead acid starting bank. Also LiFePO4 batteries can't be charged from a standard alternator because they have a different charging profile than lead acid batteries and they will make your alternator run hot which will kill it. So if you want to be able to charge fromthe alternator you either need to upgrade your alternator to something like a Balmar with an external programmable regulator that will also regulate alternator temperature. Of course that upgraded alternator won't work for your lead acid starting bank, so you will need two alternators. The other option is to connect your LIFePO4 batteries to the starting bank with a DC to DC converter/battery charger. That is extra money and won't let you use the full alternator output to charge the LiFePO4 batteries. The other big negative comes if you want to keep your batteries ABYC compliant. At present that requires some fancy wiring and the expensive LiFePO4 batteries that are fully UL listed. Most LiFePO4 batteries use UL listed cells, but the entire battery (cells, BMS, box, etc.) only tends to be UL listed for the really expensive batteries. From what I can tell from Battle Born spec sheets, only the cells in the battery are UL listed, not the entire battery. However, since UL makes it expensive to see what the actual tests require for the different UL listing specs, it is hard to tell exactly how Battle Born batteries are tested for UL listing.
You're correct about engine starting that the limit is the allowable C discharge rate controlled by the BMS. Hence, look for good battery manufacturers where the allowable discharge rate is at least 50% of C. Truly good ones allow up to 100% of C. If the batteries you are looking at allow only 25% of C as the discharge rate, don't buy them. The BMS is of poor quality and it is almost always this which fails, leaving you powerless. I use my sailboat lithiums not only for starting the 65hp diesel, but wired directly to the anchor windlass which is far more power hungry than a starter, as well as the watermaker and every conceivable house load from the water heater, fully electric galley and AC through the inverter. After 6 years of effortless electric supply the only thought we have is to increase the bank size to increase the AC. Just remember the rule, whatever size is the bank, solar should be capable of a full charge in 4 hours - ie 6kW bank needs 1.5 kW of solar. Second - you definitely do not need two alternators or to charge a lead battery then join it with a DC to DC converter. Almost all the charge/start system failures I've seen in recent years is brought about by this misconception. It's simple, install an alternator with an external regulator with user programmable (or easier still pre-programmed charge profiles for different battery profiles) set it up for LiFePO4 profile and connect directly to your lithium bank. The external regulator will allow the batteries to fully charge then shut the alternator off safely. Most people notice this as the tachometer on the engine suddenly goes to 0 as most tach's are based on alternator output. Invest in a good old fashioned mechanical tach (most engines have a magnet on the flywheel and a plug on the housing for installing one) Get used to the fact that the alternator gets shut off after the bank is full. The damaging part of the charge profile for LiFePO4's is FLOAT - never ever float. Charge up to 14.4 then disconnect charge current until bank voltage drops below AT LEAST 13.2.
@@brucefletcher6179 I did say that a quality alternator with an external programmable regulator was an option. Such alternators are, however, quite expensive. You need a big bank of LiFePO4 batteries to start many older diesels. I know my Westerbeke 46 draws a lot more amps when starting than the newer Volvo D2-40 I had in my wooden power boat. I note that the Westerbeke 46 displaces more than a modern Yanmar 65 hp diesel and is also almost 100 lbs heavier. Part of the bigger draw is the glo plugs. The vast majority of inexpensive LiFePO4 batteries have either a 100 amp rated BMS for a 100 amp-hr battery, or a 200 Amp BMS for larger capacity batteries. A few of the larger capacity batteries come with 250 amp BMS boards. My Li Time 200 Ah 24 V batteries have 200 amp BMS boards.
Lead carbon by victron . No BMS bs. No extra alt no thsnks im just keeping what the 25 yr old boat had for charging so far so good been near a year on em 160ah x3 2100 US on Grenada 🤮
I went with SOK LifePO4 batteries in my Island Packet 38. I installed them spring of 2022, I do not remember the cost at the time, but I will stay that having these batteries is a game changer!! They work amazingly, I would definitely buy again. I only installed 400 amp hours, and I wish that I had more so I could run air conditioning away from the dock. Maybe next year, more batteries and solar. Best of luck with Charlie, and keep up the great work with Lady K and PS.
@@MichaelHansen-sj5cx I love the SOK batteries, they work great. Everything else that is controlling them or the solar is victron. If I had to give a bad grade to the SOK batteries, it would have to do with there app, it doesn't work very well. But the Victron monitor more than makes up for it.
@@wanderingwithdan Awesome, are you using a Cerbo GX or Victron BMS to read out instead of the SOK app? If you could choose any battery, would you go SOK again?
@@MichaelHansen-sj5cx I'm using the BMS that came with the SOK batteries. I would definitely shop around and see who has the best price, look up reviews of the different batteries.
Will Prowse did a positive review of thos brand which included teardown. I added 2-24v 200 amp batteries of this brand to my sailboat. No problems so far.
Will Prowse with DIY solar is a great resource and has some detailed teardowns of various batteries. Li time included. I’d trust them in my boat for sure.
We have used Amazon Lithium for 4 years with no problem, crossed the Atlantic from the States to the Azores, sailed to Mindelo, Cabo Verde, navigated the doldrums to Brazil, finally made the 43 day passage from Salvador to Curacao. For batteries we are not going back.
I love your simplified outlook-I too just consider AH when talking about my solar. i've been living in a van for 3 years full time. i bought 3 100 AH SOK batteries, for about $1800 in '21 for my van. They work great and I've been quite happy with them. That being said, SOK now offers a 280AH battery for $882 last time i checked. Just another option to consider. It's amazing how much better panels and batteries are getting, and how the price keeps dropping. Thanks for the review!
We installed 4 of the 200 amphr lithium and so far we love them and have had no issues. They are about 8 months old and we are currently in Ensenada MX awaiting hurricane season and our sailboat is a DownEast 38. I will let you know how long they last but so far they have never been below 90% with 900watts of solar. Make sure you are careful about the wiring for an older alternator as ours required a “battery to battery” or DC charger to prevent the lithium from burning up the alternator. Ours is old enough that it isn’t set up to handle lithium. SV Dulcinea
Multiple “solar channels” have tested them - even done tear downs to see what they look like inside. You might start by looking at “DIY Solar with Will --.” (I always forget his last name.) :-D
I have 4x 100ah from LI Time. They work as advertised. My batteries will eventually move onto my sailboat, replacing some AGM batteries. Lots of budget LFP makers have upgraded their game and provide great quality at great prices. I have even seen 100ah batteries for $150
I've got a 100ah from when they were AmpereTime, I bought it to run a trolling motor, which it has done very well for hundreds of hours. I've also used it for everything from running transfer pumps for long hours, to jump starting tractors, cars, trucks, running my dump trailer, emergency lights, etc. I abuse the crap out of it, don't follow the charging instructions, and let it bounce around the back of my truck in the hot sun and cold winter, northern New York. It still works great! When the old lead batteries in the sailboat finally die will replace with these.
This is the main channel that inspired my wife and I to get a liveaboard (08 Hunter 36, haters assemble). Love this stuff, will be around the virginia area for a bit then headed down south. Also we are in our mid 20s.
Hey Tim, I believe you made a wise choice with the Li Time batteries. Probably the best know solar guy on You Tube ( Will Prowse ) has reviewed the batteries, and has given them a solid rating. He says that they are one of the best made. And for the price, they can't be beet. So good job.
I have installed four of their 200 amp hour batteries in my camper approximately 3 years ago by victron loves them my solar has no problem charging them at your experience with the two letters from them post-purchase and Post delivery are spot on I received the same letters... From what I understand they are all shipped out of the United States
I just had to change over to lithium batteries for my newly acquired Jeanneau. I couldn't believe that there was only 130Ah batteries for the house bank; that wasn't enough to run the fridge for two days. So I also went with this vendor via Amazon. So far so good and you can't beat the price.
Great info, Tim. I've been toying with the lithium battery conundrum. You are the best information source I've found. Let me know when, and I'll meet you in the Bahamas.
There’s definitely a geeky snob factor surrounding LFP batteries, especially among the sailing crowd. I can’t be arsed with that so bought a pair of cheap 300Ah drop ins, one two years ago and the second a few weeks ago. Two years on I could not be happier. I went to 600 to see me through a week of little sun without running the engine. That and 540w of good solar panels serves me well. And yes, everything came from Amazon. The bonus is that i paid $700 two years ago and $385 two months ago!
There is a very popular channel on YT dissecting all sorts of liFePo4 batteries and Li-Time is one of his best rated ones. I use 300ah on my boat and am super happy with it
I have purchased several of these batteries, Upgraded electrical in my previous boat (Catalina 25) and put in a Li Time 200ah in there for the house. Currently have 2 100ah in series to test a 24v setup in my garage. Debating what to do with my current sailboat (Oceanis 321). But these batteries have been great, no issues and great price point. Considering just doing like a single 400-460ah for my Beneteau. Either Li Time or possibly Epoch brand. Think you're going to love this setup
Tim - those look and sound fantastic. Of course it could be lipstick on the pig. Does not seem like it though. I bought a Bluetti with the intention of getting lithium on my yacht without ripping out the perfectly good alternator and charger. Not to mention the perfectly good 400ah AGMs. So I’ve had it at home for 3 month with very nice (very expensive) bluetti solar panels but it is quite amazing. I got lucky I think you may have too. To confirm my good luck Will Prowse tore apart my system and said it was the best in the market. If it’s good enough for Will it’s good enough for me. He is a total solar lithium legend. Good luck with Charlie I’ll be checking that out. Enjoy the boat show. Love the channel
Balance is important, too. I have a 3 HP air cooled diesel that can charge batteries at very high efficiency on very minimal fuel. With this, you don't consider buying 3 batteries. Just a single unit. If those cloudy days turned into weeks, the diesel is the perfect solution. Your battery is quite a problem solver, if it works.
I did a lithium install quite a few years ago. At that time, the best option was building your own bank with rectangular lifepo4 cells, those that are installed in passenger airplanes. The system is still running fine today. There are quite a few considerations when buildling a lithium battery system on a boat. There needs to be a BMS chip (battery management system). That BMS also needs to have a high amp hour rating for charging and dischargin. The BMS will protect your battery from overcharging and overdischarging, which will protect it from thermal runnaway, which would be extermely scary on a boat. When your batteries are fully charged, the BMS will cut the power between your charging elements and your battery, so power from your charging sources now has nowhere to go. Not too concerning for your solar panels, they will heat up a bit, but it can be dangerous for your alternator on odler diesel inboards with very large alternators. It can destroy it. You should have a lead-acid engine battery in that case. If you have a lead-acid battery, you need to have a dc-dc lithium charger between your lead-acid and your house lithium batteries. Those cheaper batteries are built from small cylindrical cells, there can be hundreds of them, soldered together with bus bars. The soldering is really critical, even one cell breaking off the bus bar inside the battery could cause problems. I think cheap batteries are a good financial option, but questions have to be asked as to how they are assembled, the quality of the BMS system, and make sure you have the proper lithium compatible chargers and that your lead-acid starter battery is isolated from the lithium bank with a dc-dc charger. I would also have vibration dampening measures around the battery (a bit of rubber matting, to insulate the battery from vibrations from the engine), which will put undue stress on the bus bars inside the battery). Lithium install is a whole system overhaul. Also, make sure the battery itself is UL listed. At least, the building process will have been inspected and you have some garanties that the entire assembly is sound.
Hi Tim, going against all advises, I've installed 300ah Li-Time battery on my Catalina 34 more than two years ago. People told me I would get what I paid for.... and they wouldn't last/perform for more than 2 years. But, I could not justify 2x prices for the Battleborn or other US based makers. They have been flawless, installed with MasterVolt inverter/charger, 220W of solar and Victron batt controller. I don't use shore power anymore.... Support was also good with fast response to my emails.
I also ordered 2Li Time batteries for my boat and so far so good. The only issue is to make sure that the alternator from the engine is not charging the batteries.
And just like that i purchased a Li Time battery, the 12 volt 400 amp hour for my sailboat in Mexico. I was hunting and hunting and it was getting annoying especially as I'm on my third battery. The first was a Interstate AGM, died in 18 months and no warranty, then I went back to basic lead acid and while poor performance all around, it seems to keep on trucking despite all. So hopefully Li Time will be the answer! Cheers.
I had the same exact experiance. I bought their 40 Amp dc to dc charger. It works great. Easy to install. It has a mppt option. I think to 60 amp version will put too much stress on my alternator.
I swapped my house bank (completely isolated from my start battery) over to a pair of 280ah litime batteries. Their support was awesome, they worked with me to ensure i had the correct programming on my remote for my charger/inverter. So far I couldn't be happier with them. Mine have cold weather charging/discharging protection but no internal heating so I will see how they do over the winter. Currently working on adding a 12v thermostat and small heater to battery compartment for my house bank.
I bought the same battery for my off grid . Shipping was not good but the battery is great for my application. Note that it doesn't have a low temperature cut off so make sure you keep that in mind.
Great video, I installed a 230 AH LiTime 12 volt battery ( $650.00 US) in my 2024 Ford Transit. I have it set up for expediting. I’m only powering a fridge, microwave, fans and lights. ( a diesel heater too). So far it works great. It will run everything for about 3-4 days without charging. One thing you didn’t mention is if you are planning on using the trucks alternator to charge the batteries while driving ( in addition to the solar) you will need a DC to DC charger to protect your alternator. I settled on a 40 amp Renogy. There isn’t enough info on that subject and I almost missed it while researching the set up. It would have been an expensive mistake. Good luck and I hope to see you on the road!!!
Hi Tim, Thank you for the information on these batteries. I’ve been looking at these batteries for my boat that’s all your fault 😂 for awhile now. My usage calculation for amp hours is as follows. Lady K amp hours times 2.5. As you know I’ve been watching your videos for years, especially the what could make Lady K better and more comfortable. Those videos definitely impacted my decisions while boat shopping. Although I tripped over my boat on a fluke. My Bene First 345 tall mast shoal draft in simplest language is Lady K with an aft cabin and two air conditioners. Thank you for your great videos!
👏❤❤🇨🇦🇨🇦 Will love to see an electric conversion with Lady K. In my home town Nanoose Bay, BC Canada I seen my first Sail electric drive 100%. Amazing , It works, It's FREE from diesel or gas, saving $$$. Many advantages , sailing world wide free, sounds great only if the Sun and tech is proven . With our power boat 28 foot, The fuel costs over 600 Canadian gets old quick. It's funny I was just thinking how safety can be improved , Each battery needs to be inside a fire proof and water proof metal box, Until that can be done it can be extra dangerous if a battery hits water or fire up fast. Helpful info . I seen a few days back on UA-cam a fella took a aa battery apart and put the bare metal in a glass dish , it exploded within seconds 😳 . Safety first my friend .
My first 800AH bank was from a solar company in Texas who said all cells come from China and are cheap anyways and that once BMS came a few years down the road the batteries would drop in price. I've now been using my 800AH bank as an inverter bank and bought 400AH of 12v from LiTime and 2 years on they've been great! Battery tech continues to come down in price which is great for cruisers!
Big fan, went all electric on my 23C , 24V for motor and 12V for electronics. Run a microwave and ice maker, just need to have a good balance with solar and storage. I would encourage anyone to make the leap. Will Prouse has a great channel with reviews and explains solar systems
This is a timely review. I’ve been eyeing these batteries for a while. I just haven’t pulled the trigger on them yet. I’m really looking at the 230 ah batteries, two will sit nicely in the space I have in my sailboat. Thx John
I am on my 2nd year with 4x litime 48v/100ah onboard my 99 Bav46e feeding my Victron Q48v/10k/110 and EZII48v/3k/230 being fed by 1850w solar to run my ACs/Induction/Chest Freezer/.... I am on month 6 with 2xLitime 12v/230ah for White Stars 12v systems charged by a Victron MPPT connected to the 48v distribution . I have not had any issues and they are proactive with their service. The 48vs are sitting on their foam shipping cushions and still look pristine. Works great and cost less.
Careful about connecting large banks to an alternator. One "12v" (4s) ~100ah battery is probably fine. Four in parallel easily had my 200Amp Alternator (with blower) overheating. _If_ (!) they were discharged. When you first put them in fully charged life will be good because they present virtually no load. I ended up getting a 60Amp DC to DC charger which... was all I really had headroom for anyway.
Clark from "Emily and Clark" Y-T channel has done a tear down inspection and critique of many Lithium batteries. When I say tear down, I MEAN tear down. He will literally take them apart, inspect and test them. Clark is a live aboard now in Luperon.
I’ve watched many of Clark from Temptress’ episodes where he’s tested quite a few budget Amazon LiFePO batteries and found them to be pretty decent, especially for the price. He tested one from Elefast which I ended up buying after he gave it a good recommendation. I was skeptical at the price- $169 for a 100 amp hr unit with Bluetooth and integral BMS. I bought 2 (for an RV, obviously a different application) and have used them regularly for 6 months. So far they’ve never gone below 85% over a weekend when the lead acids that i replaced would have been spent (ie to less than 50%). They charge quickly and weigh less than 1/2 and we’re very easy to install. The real test will be longevity. If they get 1/2 the advertised 10 year lifespan I’d be happy considering the price. They also need less maintenance and can (allegedly) tolerate more temp extremes. I have no doubt battle borns are probably a much better product and I’d love to support them instead of Amazon, but at the price I could buy 5.5 of these or one battle born. Idk. Time will tell. And winter is coming, so the jury I still out.
There are now Solid state Li Manganese phosphate ion cells entering the market as are Na ion cells ... the advatage of both is thermal stability operational life and cost also less polution as they ise less Or very little Lithium .. Na cells can use even more of their capacity over wider temp ranges, They are a little heavier than Li they can however be transported in a discharged state..
Clark also has reviews on inexpensive lithium batteries. He completely tears them apart and tests and rates them. He also has designed a 12 volt air conditioning unit.
well with the dod capabilitof of lifepo4 you can replace 800 ah agm with 400-500 ah lithium. also look up peukert effect. lifepo4 is definately a gamechanger, and more advanced can bus batteries with temperature sensors that tie into your whole system makes a very powerfull and very safe system !
Definitely time to switch to LiPO at the next need for batteries. Sure you have more than just the batteries to buy and some re-wiring, but....well worth it now.
I am a huge LFP fan with 560Ah in my C30 and 920Ah in my motorhome. I personally would not have a Battle Born or any other battery on my boat that does not have an unlocked Bluetooth BMS. I have seen too many failures of the BB batteries to ever trust them especially given that you can get very good smart LFP batteries for a third the price. Without being able to see what is going on at the cell level, they can get massively out of balance, and you have no way of knowing.
Our lead acid battery aged out in our RV this year so we just installed their group 24 bluetooth 12V 100Ah for our short RV camping trips for next year. This effectively 2.5x our battery capacity and adds precise monitoring for $50 more than a (40AH usable) Canadian tire group 24. Packaged well, app is amazing and the weight surprised me at about 20 pounds; for the weight we could probably add 2.5 of these vs lead acid which would increase usable battery storage by 6.25x, at which point why even bother turning off the lights (or anything) when you leave the RV for a hike :)
Tbh, some of the email content had the ring of a AI large language model , something like chatgpt. That's ok, so long as they're curated by a real person. Well done Litime moving with the times to give an enhanced customer experience.
I have a Hunter Legend 35. Haven’t got it in the water yet, but I am seriously considering going with e drive. And with the recent drop in battery price, it’s looking better and better. Also, inverter generators are getting cheaper as well.
Put a 460 ah epoch lithium on my cape dory 33 this June and it increased the amount of power I was pulling off my 325 watt panel 2-3x. Absolutely bonkers and when paired with a 3000w inverter will run my AC for 3-4hrs. If you’re thinking of going lithium do it, just make sure to research it before you commit. You can’t hook them up directly to normal alternators, and need to get a heated battery if you plan to go cold places. I decided to install an optima blue top and a victron Orion for my starting battery and charging via alternator.
A couple of points if we may... Battery voltage is NOT a good indicator as to its state of charge. Battery volts do not effectively relate to the amount of energy stored. Particularly with Lead Acid chemistry batteries, AGM, Gel and Wet Cell's, where cell sulphating can case low energy capacity and a higher voltage. While Amp Hours may be simple to you again it is not an accurate reflection of stored amperage as voltage can vary as a battery discharges, or charges. This is why solar panels are rated in watts. The voltage will change during the day, as a batteries voltage will change during charge and discharge. All installations, boat and RV's need to have systems that are rated in Watt Hours. The formula is very simple Watts divided by Amps gives Volts and Volts x Amps = Watts. As Volts and Amps will change as a battery discharges or charges we use Watt Hours. If you can't use this formula or do the math you really should not be doing your own installations.....
I put two of these 200 amp hour batteries in my sailboat two years ago and they have been excellent. They used to be called Ampertime. I have used all Victron chargers, monitors etc. Most of these batteries do not have low temperature charging protection. So if you charge them when they are below 32 F they are toast. A simple way to add that is use a Victron battery sense unit for $39 and hook it up to the Victron network. Also most alternators are not compatible with lithium batteries. They should not be used for a starter battery. i have a separate lead acid starter battery that takes the charge from the alternator and then I use a Victron DC to DC charger to take that power to the lithium.
I have a BS in electronic engineering and have done three different installations on my RV’s over the years. For boats the Li Time is the best low-cost option and Epoch battery is the best premium battery at a medium price. The battle born and Relion options are just too costly.
A few tips when installing these on a boat, make sure it's fused at the battery (within 6 inches with a T-fuse) to meet code. Never hook up a lithium battery to the motor or you'll kill your alternator..instead hook up a lead acid battery to the motor then run a dc to dc charger between them. The reason is the lithium batteries have a bms and when full they shut of the battery input. This spikes the voltage in the alternator and kills the alternator quite quickly. Also, don't put them in parallel, use a battery selector to separate them.
How many amp hours would you need to also run the AC? Side question: can you use the condensate water from the AC for toilet and washing? Probably not best to drink even if it's filtered but hate to pump it overboard
I run my window ac in my motorhome with 600 amp hours of lithium during the day. I have 870 watts of solar hooked to that system and a separate system for my starting batteries and fridge. It's a 6k BTU window unit that uses 480 watts. I have two bigger ones on the top that I don't use, I hate them 1500 watts each. The one window unit is = top one top unit. We are out dry camping at a nice lake right now. I built my own battery system which I like better. Better cells and I like the BMS I have. I can run it at night but it would be for a short time, which I don't need to anyways it's nice and cool at night. To do it at night you'd need double what I have and more solar to charge them. I could do it, already have the solar, but I just don't need it. Running my AC right now.
im gunna try using a bluetti ac200 max for my power needs. al i need is solar and wind, run it all direct to the bluetti, no need for solar controllers, inverters. the bluetti has it all plus extra batteries to upgrade it.. has 12 volt 30 ams plus 30 amp rv plug in. il free up a lot of space with this way.. and if it does go bad 1200 dollars plug n play replacement guaranteed 5 years ... yep thats the route im going..
🤔 Will Prouse’s YT channel is an excellent information source for batteries, PV panels and related equipment. Will tears everything apart to examine the build quality and runs tests to verify that they meet their claimed specification. The beauty of your SV & CTT platforms are that with careful design (like rack mounting) you can cannibalize components between the two platforms and thereby increase capacity in what you are using while decreasing financial loss from theft from what is left behind. This is also more economical because the major components may augment two functions.😎
What do you think about goal zero? I mean they have built in regulators, connect to solar and can power a full sized house. Is that enough to power an electric inboard with 100 horses in it and everything else?
I think it is going to be hard for Battle Born, Dakota and Victron to sell very operpriced batteries going forward. My father-in-law and I both refitted our boats with all Victron charging but with different batteries. He used Victron LiFePO4 and I used an off brand LiFePO4. My batteries have more features/protection and perform just as well at a fraction of the price. Victron support is terrible for end users, in my opinion, but Li Time and Redodo support responded very quickly to my questions.
My fear is if I choose a brand that's not so well known and the batteries will start a fire, then my priceless sailboat is gone... I know insurance will kick in but that's not what I want in my life...
We have 800ah of Eco Worthy Amazon lithium in our boat. Planning to get another 200ah during the October Prime sale. Do you know why most Chinese lithium don't want you to hook more then 4 batteries in series?
Ok. But when they fall overboard when you are trying to pass them from the dock, will they help recharge the electric Eels?? The eels need our battery power
600 amp hours on the Lady K channel? Woo hoo! She's going south. Hmmmm. A truck. For the 2025 boat battery upgrade please speak to hot & cold temperature sensors or why you opted to forego them. You might need an expert, perhaps on Practical Sailor, to speak to safety requirements as outlined by ABYC. Great topic. I figure as boat batteries are all replaced over the next 5 years, most of it will change to LiFePO4.
Tim, I’m holding you accountable for my depressed state. I have followed you for quite some time, but only weeks ago I binge watched your USA to Bahamas’ and return series. Fantastic.
What would cheer me up, a Lady K does the Greek Island series…. I love the “Charlie the Truck series” but I need you back on the yacht ASAP. Stay upright & keep your powder dry.
The Lone Ranger.
Will Prowse is a good UA-camr to follow, who is constantly reviewing new battery tech
Yeah he’s the best. I think he actually did a tear down on this exact battery!
We installed 2 of these 300 Ah batteries in our sailboat 2 years ago and couldn't be happier. Amazon now has them for $589.00 USD.
Tim, I've bought one 230ah @ $446.00, one 40a charger @ $120.00, one 60 a mppt controller @ $154.00, one 3000 w inverter @ $204.00, with all their combined discounts I've spent less than a grand, with free shipping.
Everything works outstanding, and the customer service is excellent.
I'm vary pleased.
Glad you found these batteries. I've been using them for 3 years now. No complaints. They've worked well for me and you can't beat the price. Thank you for all of your great videos.
Thanks for watching!
Always, always get the Lithium Iron Phosphate variety if your life depends on them not going boom. They have a couple of benefits that may save your life: The electrolyte is not flammable, and the electrodes do not contain cobalt, meaning that a defect (in mfg or through damage) in the battery will not fester until it ignites.
Nope that's Lithium Ion not lithium Fe Iron Phosphate.
Even the new Auto packs are incorporating fire extinguisher like the Polestar pack in the Candela .
Candela did this and compared it to a ICE chase boat ..the cost difference for crossing the Baltic was ridiculous. The numbers are at the end hold your breath dinosaurs and don't drink anything.. 🦕 😂😁🧙🏻♂️🇬🇧
ua-cam.com/video/6hFoRF_Q0CA/v-deo.htmlsi=kZ9v_e4R1PWuqVNQ
Both Li Manganese solid state cells and Na cells are on the markets now.. both are even safer and bring more advantages.
Great video, as always! I would however like to add one thing: Regularly discharging AGM batteries to below 50% significantly reduces their lifespan, whereas the entire capacity of Lithium batteries is usable. This means, that if one needs a usable capacity of 300 Ah, either 300 Ah of Lithium or 600 Ah of AGM batteries would be required.
The other thing is that Lithium batteries tend to last much longer than AGM and that they have a very shallow discharge curve what means that you have a nice stable voltage all the way to the end.
essential point when comparing li to agm
I genuinely appreciate the pragmatic pessimism you use when discussing all things sailing. The honesty of highlighting the fact that sailing is challenging, dangerous, can be expensive, but is absolutely amazing when everything works is very appreciated. I don't know if I'd ever buy a boat and go sailing to the Bahamas, but I'm considering a Hobie Cat or a small old Hunter to share with the family on some inland lakes in Ohio.
I love my time on Kayaks, but would love to let nature do the work for me.
Good choice on batteries. I run a Mac Tools franchise. My storefront is a box truck that I drive to customers shops to sell the tools. 2 years ago I built a custom 12v air conditioner unit to cool the store. To power it I use 1000Ah Li-Time battery bank. After 2 years of daily use in the Atlanta heat the capacity has not degraded at all. I use approximately 80% or 800ah per day and have seen no issues. It saves me over 1 gal/h in diesel and countless $ in maintenance.
Hi Tim, I’ve been using Li-Time Lithium batteries on my 36' sailboat for about 4 years now, and they’ve been fantastic! I set up a completely isolated lithium house bank with 1 x 200 AH and 2 x 100 AH batteries, giving me a total of 400AH. The engine runs on a separate lead zone. During the summer, I take weekly cruises and run my fridge 24/7. Thanks to the solar setup, I've never had to manually charge the batteries-they stay topped up the whole time. Li-Time batteries get two thumbs up from me!
Check the temperature range before you buy any lithium battery. If you plan to leave the batteries on a boat in a hot or cold climate that is outside the battery’s range you could start a fire or damage the battery.
I own a marine yacht refit business in Titusville. I have used these batteries in several boats with a combination of solar and large alternators. They have worked flawlessly and some of these boats will be on their 3rd cruising season on the setup installed with no issues.. these boats also spent the entire time (6 months and 7 months in both cases) on the hook. Just remember these batteries are not direct drop in replacement for lead acid. Modifications are needed. Total isolation from the starting battery is required. The alternator also needs to have a programmable voltage regulator due to the difference in charging profile. The cheap route is to set up an in line DC to DC charger that will charge your batteries at a portion of your alternators specific output. The more expensive option is to get an alternator with a dual output voltage regulator. With a lot of solar I would choose the DC to DC charger.
This guy is the greatest. Tim talks well on key issues.
Thanks for watching!
I put two to these batteries in to my camper with a victron controller this spring … all summer off grid perfect great value and zero problems.. we are vary happy
I have four 200 Ah 24 volt Li Time batteries. After 18 months they are doing very well running my home fridge, freezer and well. They are very easy to install in a home/RV setting. Boats are a bit different. First, virtually all of the LiFePO4 batteries say "Do not use as starting batteries". So what does that mean and why is that the case. Basically, unless you have a bunch of 100 Ah batteries in parallel, te battery BMS boards won't let them put out enough current to reliably crank your diesel particularly if the temperature is below 60F or so. That means that while you can install a LiFePO4 battery bank for your house bank, you will still need a lead acid starting bank. Also LiFePO4 batteries can't be charged from a standard alternator because they have a different charging profile than lead acid batteries and they will make your alternator run hot which will kill it. So if you want to be able to charge fromthe alternator you either need to upgrade your alternator to something like a Balmar with an external programmable regulator that will also regulate alternator temperature. Of course that upgraded alternator won't work for your lead acid starting bank, so you will need two alternators. The other option is to connect your LIFePO4 batteries to the starting bank with a DC to DC converter/battery charger. That is extra money and won't let you use the full alternator output to charge the LiFePO4 batteries.
The other big negative comes if you want to keep your batteries ABYC compliant. At present that requires some fancy wiring and the expensive LiFePO4 batteries that are fully UL listed. Most LiFePO4 batteries use UL listed cells, but the entire battery (cells, BMS, box, etc.) only tends to be UL listed for the really expensive batteries. From what I can tell from Battle Born spec sheets, only the cells in the battery are UL listed, not the entire battery. However, since UL makes it expensive to see what the actual tests require for the different UL listing specs, it is hard to tell exactly how Battle Born batteries are tested for UL listing.
You're correct about engine starting that the limit is the allowable C discharge rate controlled by the BMS. Hence, look for good battery manufacturers where the allowable discharge rate is at least 50% of C. Truly good ones allow up to 100% of C. If the batteries you are looking at allow only 25% of C as the discharge rate, don't buy them. The BMS is of poor quality and it is almost always this which fails, leaving you powerless.
I use my sailboat lithiums not only for starting the 65hp diesel, but wired directly to the anchor windlass which is far more power hungry than a starter, as well as the watermaker and every conceivable house load from the water heater, fully electric galley and AC through the inverter.
After 6 years of effortless electric supply the only thought we have is to increase the bank size to increase the AC. Just remember the rule, whatever size is the bank, solar should be capable of a full charge in 4 hours - ie 6kW bank needs 1.5 kW of solar.
Second - you definitely do not need two alternators or to charge a lead battery then join it with a DC to DC converter. Almost all the charge/start system failures I've seen in recent years is brought about by this misconception.
It's simple, install an alternator with an external regulator with user programmable (or easier still pre-programmed charge profiles for different battery profiles) set it up for LiFePO4 profile and connect directly to your lithium bank.
The external regulator will allow the batteries to fully charge then shut the alternator off safely. Most people notice this as the tachometer on the engine suddenly goes to 0 as most tach's are based on alternator output. Invest in a good old fashioned mechanical tach (most engines have a magnet on the flywheel and a plug on the housing for installing one)
Get used to the fact that the alternator gets shut off after the bank is full. The damaging part of the charge profile for LiFePO4's is FLOAT - never ever float. Charge up to 14.4 then disconnect charge current until bank voltage drops below AT LEAST 13.2.
@@brucefletcher6179 I did say that a quality alternator with an external programmable regulator was an option. Such alternators are, however, quite expensive. You need a big bank of LiFePO4 batteries to start many older diesels. I know my Westerbeke 46 draws a lot more amps when starting than the newer Volvo D2-40 I had in my wooden power boat. I note that the Westerbeke 46 displaces more than a modern Yanmar 65 hp diesel and is also almost 100 lbs heavier. Part of the bigger draw is the glo plugs.
The vast majority of inexpensive LiFePO4 batteries have either a 100 amp rated BMS for a 100 amp-hr battery, or a 200 Amp BMS for larger capacity batteries. A few of the larger capacity batteries come with 250 amp BMS boards. My Li Time 200 Ah 24 V batteries have 200 amp BMS boards.
Lead carbon by victron . No BMS bs. No extra alt no thsnks im just keeping what the 25 yr old boat had for charging so far so good been near a year on em 160ah x3 2100 US on Grenada 🤮
I went with SOK LifePO4 batteries in my Island Packet 38. I installed them spring of 2022, I do not remember the cost at the time, but I will stay that having these batteries is a game changer!! They work amazingly, I would definitely buy again. I only installed 400 amp hours, and I wish that I had more so I could run air conditioning away from the dock. Maybe next year, more batteries and solar.
Best of luck with Charlie, and keep up the great work with Lady K and PS.
HOw do you like SOK, they are my top three. Looking at Victron and Epoch. Going to be a complete victron system.
@@MichaelHansen-sj5cx I love the SOK batteries, they work great. Everything else that is controlling them or the solar is victron. If I had to give a bad grade to the SOK batteries, it would have to do with there app, it doesn't work very well. But the Victron monitor more than makes up for it.
@@wanderingwithdan Awesome, are you using a Cerbo GX or Victron BMS to read out instead of the SOK app? If you could choose any battery, would you go SOK again?
@@MichaelHansen-sj5cx I'm using the BMS that came with the SOK batteries. I would definitely shop around and see who has the best price, look up reviews of the different batteries.
Will Prowse did a positive review of thos brand which included teardown. I added 2-24v 200 amp batteries of this brand to my sailboat. No problems so far.
Will Prowse with DIY solar is a great resource and has some detailed teardowns of various batteries. Li time included. I’d trust them in my boat for sure.
I have used their products for over 3 years. No problems (24v, 600 amp).
Love to hear the results.
Funny that you are so impressed by ai mails.
I know!!
We have used Amazon Lithium for 4 years with no problem, crossed the Atlantic from the States to the Azores, sailed to Mindelo, Cabo Verde, navigated the doldrums to Brazil, finally made the 43 day passage from Salvador to Curacao. For batteries we are not going back.
I love your simplified outlook-I too just consider AH when talking about my solar. i've been living in a van for 3 years full time. i bought 3 100 AH SOK batteries, for about $1800 in '21 for my van. They work great and I've been quite happy with them. That being said, SOK now offers a 280AH battery for $882 last time i checked. Just another option to consider. It's amazing how much better panels and batteries are getting, and how the price keeps dropping. Thanks for the review!
Thanks for watching!
We installed 4 of the 200 amphr lithium and so far we love them and have had no issues. They are about 8 months old and we are currently in Ensenada MX awaiting hurricane season and our sailboat is a DownEast 38. I will let you know how long they last but so far they have never been below 90% with 900watts of solar. Make sure you are careful about the wiring for an older alternator as ours required a “battery to battery” or DC charger to prevent the lithium from burning up the alternator. Ours is old enough that it isn’t set up to handle lithium. SV Dulcinea
Thank you for speaking to all of us in the tiny brain community. I appreciate it.
Thanks for watching!
I've been watching this brand of batteries, but you're the only one so far to test them that I know of. I will be following for results
Multiple “solar channels” have tested them - even done tear downs to see what they look like inside. You might start by looking at “DIY Solar with Will --.” (I always forget his last name.) :-D
@@danbellows9529 Prowse
Will Prose reviewed these batteries long ago
I have 4x 100ah from LI Time. They work as advertised. My batteries will eventually move onto my sailboat, replacing some AGM batteries.
Lots of budget LFP makers have upgraded their game and provide great quality at great prices. I have even seen 100ah batteries for $150
Definitely want to keep an eye on these, and looking forward to your real-use reviews on them.
I've got a 100ah from when they were AmpereTime, I bought it to run a trolling motor, which it has done very well for hundreds of hours. I've also used it for everything from running transfer pumps for long hours, to jump starting tractors, cars, trucks, running my dump trailer, emergency lights, etc. I abuse the crap out of it, don't follow the charging instructions, and let it bounce around the back of my truck in the hot sun and cold winter, northern New York. It still works great! When the old lead batteries in the sailboat finally die will replace with these.
This is the main channel that inspired my wife and I to get a liveaboard (08 Hunter 36, haters assemble). Love this stuff, will be around the virginia area for a bit then headed down south. Also we are in our mid 20s.
That’s awesome- thanks for watching!
Bussed up 4 from their previous branding AmpereTime for a total of 1200 Ah (12V) on my Bene for over a year and have been super impressed.
Hey Tim, I believe you made a wise choice with the Li Time batteries. Probably the best know solar guy on You Tube ( Will Prowse ) has reviewed the batteries, and has given them a solid rating. He says that they are one of the best made. And for the price, they can't be beet. So good job.
I have installed four of their 200 amp hour batteries in my camper approximately 3 years ago by victron loves them my solar has no problem charging them at your experience with the two letters from them post-purchase and Post delivery are spot on I received the same letters... From what I understand they are all shipped out of the United States
Are you in Canada? We ordered from BC (Canada) and it shipped from BC.
@@glenf4115 no but I remember the website saying they shipped with America from the US.... But that was 3 years ago
@@jobustad1691 Oh ok, so they must have local distribution hubs to reduce shipping cost and time. @ladyksailing did yours ship from Ontario?
I just had to change over to lithium batteries for my newly acquired Jeanneau. I couldn't believe that there was only 130Ah batteries for the house bank; that wasn't enough to run the fridge for two days. So I also went with this vendor via Amazon. So far so good and you can't beat the price.
Great info, Tim. I've been toying with the lithium battery conundrum. You are the best information source I've found. Let me know when, and I'll meet you in the Bahamas.
There’s definitely a geeky snob factor surrounding LFP batteries, especially among the sailing crowd. I can’t be arsed with that so bought a pair of cheap 300Ah drop ins, one two years ago and the second a few weeks ago. Two years on I could not be happier. I went to 600 to see me through a week of little sun without running the engine. That and 540w of good solar panels serves me well. And yes, everything came from Amazon. The bonus is that i paid $700 two years ago and $385 two months ago!
There is a very popular channel on YT dissecting all sorts of liFePo4 batteries and Li-Time is one of his best rated ones. I use 300ah on my boat and am super happy with it
I’ve got four 200AH AmperTime battery’s on Hogfish. Power to spare any time I need it. So glad I made the upgrade two years ago.
I have two 400ah Enjoybot batteries for over a year and everything has been great so far.
I have purchased several of these batteries, Upgraded electrical in my previous boat (Catalina 25) and put in a Li Time 200ah in there for the house. Currently have 2 100ah in series to test a 24v setup in my garage. Debating what to do with my current sailboat (Oceanis 321). But these batteries have been great, no issues and great price point. Considering just doing like a single 400-460ah for my Beneteau. Either Li Time or possibly Epoch brand. Think you're going to love this setup
Tim - those look and sound fantastic. Of course it could be lipstick on the pig. Does not seem like it though. I bought a Bluetti with the intention of getting lithium on my yacht without ripping out the perfectly good alternator and charger. Not to mention the perfectly good 400ah AGMs. So I’ve had it at home for 3 month with very nice (very expensive) bluetti solar panels but it is quite amazing. I got lucky I think you may have too. To confirm my good luck Will Prowse tore apart my system and said it was the best in the market. If it’s good enough for Will it’s good enough for me. He is a total solar lithium legend. Good luck with Charlie I’ll be checking that out. Enjoy the boat show. Love the channel
Balance is important, too. I have a 3 HP air cooled diesel that can charge batteries at very high efficiency on very minimal fuel. With this, you don't consider buying 3 batteries. Just a single unit. If those cloudy days turned into weeks, the diesel is the perfect solution. Your battery is quite a problem solver, if it works.
I did a lithium install quite a few years ago. At that time, the best option was building your own bank with rectangular lifepo4 cells, those that are installed in passenger airplanes. The system is still running fine today. There are quite a few considerations when buildling a lithium battery system on a boat. There needs to be a BMS chip (battery management system). That BMS also needs to have a high amp hour rating for charging and dischargin. The BMS will protect your battery from overcharging and overdischarging, which will protect it from thermal runnaway, which would be extermely scary on a boat. When your batteries are fully charged, the BMS will cut the power between your charging elements and your battery, so power from your charging sources now has nowhere to go. Not too concerning for your solar panels, they will heat up a bit, but it can be dangerous for your alternator on odler diesel inboards with very large alternators. It can destroy it. You should have a lead-acid engine battery in that case. If you have a lead-acid battery, you need to have a dc-dc lithium charger between your lead-acid and your house lithium batteries. Those cheaper batteries are built from small cylindrical cells, there can be hundreds of them, soldered together with bus bars. The soldering is really critical, even one cell breaking off the bus bar inside the battery could cause problems. I think cheap batteries are a good financial option, but questions have to be asked as to how they are assembled, the quality of the BMS system, and make sure you have the proper lithium compatible chargers and that your lead-acid starter battery is isolated from the lithium bank with a dc-dc charger. I would also have vibration dampening measures around the battery (a bit of rubber matting, to insulate the battery from vibrations from the engine), which will put undue stress on the bus bars inside the battery). Lithium install is a whole system overhaul. Also, make sure the battery itself is UL listed. At least, the building process will have been inspected and you have some garanties that the entire assembly is sound.
Great to know!!!! Thank you for posting this!!
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Tim, going against all advises, I've installed 300ah Li-Time battery on my Catalina 34 more than two years ago. People told me I would get what I paid for.... and they wouldn't last/perform for more than 2 years. But, I could not justify 2x prices for the Battleborn or other US based makers. They have been flawless, installed with MasterVolt inverter/charger, 220W of solar and Victron batt controller. I don't use shore power anymore.... Support was also good with fast response to my emails.
I also ordered 2Li Time batteries for my boat and so far so good. The only issue is to make sure that the alternator from the engine is not charging the batteries.
And just like that i purchased a Li Time battery, the 12 volt 400 amp hour for my sailboat in Mexico. I was hunting and hunting and it was getting annoying especially as I'm on my third battery. The first was a Interstate AGM, died in 18 months and no warranty, then I went back to basic lead acid and while poor performance all around, it seems to keep on trucking despite all. So hopefully Li Time will be the answer! Cheers.
I had the same exact experiance. I bought their 40 Amp dc to dc charger. It works great. Easy to install. It has a mppt option. I think to 60 amp version will put too much stress on my alternator.
Loved your review, I too am very Leary with cheap products but so far these look pretty good. Looking forward to see how they hold up!
Very cool…. I hope these work out great for you and then for the rest of us!
I swapped my house bank (completely isolated from my start battery) over to a pair of 280ah litime batteries. Their support was awesome, they worked with me to ensure i had the correct programming on my remote for my charger/inverter. So far I couldn't be happier with them. Mine have cold weather charging/discharging protection but no internal heating so I will see how they do over the winter. Currently working on adding a 12v thermostat and small heater to battery compartment for my house bank.
I bought the same battery for my off grid . Shipping was not good but the battery is great for my application.
Note that it doesn't have a low temperature cut off so make sure you keep that in mind.
Great video, I installed a 230 AH LiTime 12 volt battery ( $650.00 US) in my 2024 Ford Transit. I have it set up for expediting.
I’m only powering a fridge, microwave, fans and lights. ( a diesel heater too).
So far it works great. It will run everything for about 3-4 days without charging.
One thing you didn’t mention is if you are planning on using the trucks alternator to charge the batteries while driving ( in addition to the solar) you will need a DC to DC charger to protect your alternator. I settled on a 40 amp Renogy. There isn’t enough info on that subject and I almost missed it while researching the set up. It would have been an expensive mistake.
Good luck and I hope to see you on the road!!!
Hi Tim,
Thank you for the information on these batteries. I’ve been looking at these batteries for my boat that’s all your fault 😂 for awhile now.
My usage calculation for amp hours is as follows. Lady K amp hours times 2.5.
As you know I’ve been watching your videos for years, especially the what could make Lady K better and more comfortable. Those videos definitely impacted my decisions while boat shopping. Although I tripped over my boat on a fluke.
My Bene First 345 tall mast shoal draft in simplest language is Lady K with an aft cabin and two air conditioners.
Thank you for your great videos!
Thanks for watching!
👏❤❤🇨🇦🇨🇦 Will love to see an electric conversion with Lady K. In my home town Nanoose Bay, BC Canada I seen my first Sail electric drive 100%. Amazing , It works, It's FREE from diesel or gas, saving $$$. Many advantages , sailing world wide free, sounds great only if the Sun and tech is proven . With our power boat 28 foot, The fuel costs over 600 Canadian gets old quick. It's funny I was just thinking how safety can be improved , Each battery needs to be inside a fire proof and water proof metal box, Until that can be done it can be extra dangerous if a battery hits water or fire up fast. Helpful info . I seen a few days back on UA-cam a fella took a aa battery apart and put the bare metal in a glass dish , it exploded within seconds 😳 . Safety first my friend .
Thanks Tim! I have been looking at those exact batteries for my sailboat to replace my AGM. Excited to see how they work for you.
Glad to help and thank you for watching!
My first 800AH bank was from a solar company in Texas who said all cells come from China and are cheap anyways and that once BMS came a few years down the road the batteries would drop in price.
I've now been using my 800AH bank as an inverter bank and bought 400AH of 12v from LiTime and 2 years on they've been great! Battery tech continues to come down in price which is great for cruisers!
Nice Job Tim!
Just what I was looking for!!!👍🏼💪🏼⛵️
Big fan, went all electric on my 23C , 24V for motor and 12V for electronics. Run a microwave and ice maker, just need to have a good balance with solar and storage. I would encourage anyone to make the leap. Will Prouse has a great channel with reviews and explains solar systems
Nice review. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching!
This is a timely review. I’ve been eyeing these batteries for a while. I just haven’t pulled the trigger on them yet. I’m really looking at the 230 ah batteries, two will sit nicely in the space I have in my sailboat. Thx John
Thanks for watching!
I am on my 2nd year with 4x litime 48v/100ah onboard my 99 Bav46e feeding my Victron Q48v/10k/110 and EZII48v/3k/230 being fed by 1850w solar to run my ACs/Induction/Chest Freezer/....
I am on month 6 with 2xLitime 12v/230ah for White Stars 12v systems charged by a Victron MPPT connected to the 48v distribution .
I have not had any issues and they are proactive with their service.
The 48vs are sitting on their foam shipping cushions and still look pristine.
Works great and cost less.
Careful about connecting large banks to an alternator. One "12v" (4s) ~100ah battery is probably fine. Four in parallel easily had my 200Amp Alternator (with blower) overheating. _If_ (!) they were discharged. When you first put them in fully charged life will be good because they present virtually no load. I ended up getting a 60Amp DC to DC charger which... was all I really had headroom for anyway.
Thank you for the video! Appreciate your content.
Thanks for watching!
Clark from "Emily and Clark" Y-T channel has done a tear down inspection and critique of many Lithium batteries. When I say tear down, I MEAN tear down. He will literally take them apart, inspect and test them. Clark is a live aboard now in Luperon.
He also had an excellent downloadable excel sheet where lists his evaluation criteria, almost a league table of value for money.
I’ve watched many of Clark from Temptress’ episodes where he’s tested quite a few budget Amazon LiFePO batteries and found them to be pretty decent, especially for the price. He tested one from Elefast which I ended up buying after he gave it a good recommendation. I was skeptical at the price- $169 for a 100 amp hr unit with Bluetooth and integral BMS. I bought 2 (for an RV, obviously a different application) and have used them regularly for 6 months. So far they’ve never gone below 85% over a weekend when the lead acids that i replaced would have been spent (ie to less than 50%). They charge quickly and weigh less than 1/2 and we’re very easy to install. The real test will be longevity. If they get 1/2 the advertised 10 year lifespan I’d be happy considering the price. They also need less maintenance and can (allegedly) tolerate more temp extremes. I have no doubt battle borns are probably a much better product and I’d love to support them instead of Amazon, but at the price I could buy 5.5 of these or one battle born. Idk. Time will tell. And winter is coming, so the jury I still out.
There are now Solid state Li Manganese phosphate ion cells entering the market as are Na ion cells ... the advatage of both is thermal stability operational life and cost also less polution as they ise less Or very little Lithium ..
Na cells can use even more of their capacity over wider temp ranges, They are a little heavier than Li they can however be transported in a discharged state..
They are not better, yet. Maybe one day, but not today.
Thanks for the review. Any concerns about the cold Canadian weather on the batteries?
Clark also has reviews on inexpensive lithium batteries. He completely tears them apart and tests and rates them. He also has designed a 12 volt air conditioning unit.
well with the dod capabilitof of lifepo4 you can replace 800 ah agm with 400-500 ah lithium. also look up peukert effect. lifepo4 is definately a gamechanger, and more advanced can bus batteries with temperature sensors that tie into your whole system makes a very powerfull and very safe system !
Definitely time to switch to LiPO at the next need for batteries. Sure you have more than just the batteries to buy and some re-wiring, but....well worth it now.
I am a huge LFP fan with 560Ah in my C30 and 920Ah in my motorhome. I personally would not have a Battle Born or any other battery on my boat that does not have an unlocked Bluetooth BMS. I have seen too many failures of the BB batteries to ever trust them especially given that you can get very good smart LFP batteries for a third the price. Without being able to see what is going on at the cell level, they can get massively out of balance, and you have no way of knowing.
Our lead acid battery aged out in our RV this year so we just installed their group 24 bluetooth 12V 100Ah for our short RV camping trips for next year. This effectively 2.5x our battery capacity and adds precise monitoring for $50 more than a (40AH usable) Canadian tire group 24.
Packaged well, app is amazing and the weight surprised me at about 20 pounds; for the weight we could probably add 2.5 of these vs lead acid which would increase usable battery storage by 6.25x, at which point why even bother turning off the lights (or anything) when you leave the RV for a hike :)
It'll be interesting to see these get even cheaper.
Thanks for the info! Spending less for me (a retired guy) and getting something that works well is always good news!
R/Jim Grigsby
Virginia Beach
i like mine, two years running.
like always.... awesome video!!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Tbh, some of the email content had the ring of a AI large language model , something like chatgpt. That's ok, so long as they're curated by a real person. Well done Litime moving with the times to give an enhanced customer experience.
I'll be building my own from 18650 recycled packs. Yes, I know how to do it safely.
I have a Hunter Legend 35. Haven’t got it in the water yet, but I am seriously considering going with e drive.
And with the recent drop in battery price, it’s looking better and better.
Also, inverter generators are getting cheaper as well.
Put a 460 ah epoch lithium on my cape dory 33 this June and it increased the amount of power I was pulling off my 325 watt panel 2-3x. Absolutely bonkers and when paired with a 3000w inverter will run my AC for 3-4hrs.
If you’re thinking of going lithium do it, just make sure to research it before you commit. You can’t hook them up directly to normal alternators, and need to get a heated battery if you plan to go cold places. I decided to install an optima blue top and a victron Orion for my starting battery and charging via alternator.
A couple of points if we may... Battery voltage is NOT a good indicator as to its state of charge. Battery volts do not effectively relate to the amount of energy stored. Particularly with Lead Acid chemistry batteries, AGM, Gel and Wet Cell's, where cell sulphating can case low energy capacity and a higher voltage. While Amp Hours may be simple to you again it is not an accurate reflection of stored amperage as voltage can vary as a battery discharges, or charges. This is why solar panels are rated in watts. The voltage will change during the day, as a batteries voltage will change during charge and discharge. All installations, boat and RV's need to have systems that are rated in Watt Hours. The formula is very simple Watts divided by Amps gives Volts and Volts x Amps = Watts. As Volts and Amps will change as a battery discharges or charges we use Watt Hours. If you can't use this formula or do the math you really should not be doing your own installations.....
I put two of these 200 amp hour batteries in my sailboat two years ago and they have been excellent. They used to be called Ampertime. I have used all Victron chargers, monitors etc. Most of these batteries do not have low temperature charging protection. So if you charge them when they are below 32 F they are toast. A simple way to add that is use a Victron battery sense unit for $39 and hook it up to the Victron network. Also most alternators are not compatible with lithium batteries. They should not be used for a starter battery. i have a separate lead acid starter battery that takes the charge from the alternator and then I use a Victron DC to DC charger to take that power to the lithium.
I have a BS in electronic engineering and have done three different installations on my RV’s over the years. For boats the Li Time is the best low-cost option and Epoch battery is the best premium battery at a medium price. The battle born and Relion options are just too costly.
A few tips when installing these on a boat, make sure it's fused at the battery (within 6 inches with a T-fuse) to meet code. Never hook up a lithium battery to the motor or you'll kill your alternator..instead hook up a lead acid battery to the motor then run a dc to dc charger between them. The reason is the lithium batteries have a bms and when full they shut of the battery input. This spikes the voltage in the alternator and kills the alternator quite quickly. Also, don't put them in parallel, use a battery selector to separate them.
How many amp hours would you need to also run the AC? Side question: can you use the condensate water from the AC for toilet and washing? Probably not best to drink even if it's filtered but hate to pump it overboard
Why not as long as it's not going into the drinking water tank ..perfect for the rain store tank if you have one .. might need more plumbing though.
I run my window ac in my motorhome with 600 amp hours of lithium during the day. I have 870 watts of solar hooked to that system and a separate system for my starting batteries and fridge. It's a 6k BTU window unit that uses 480 watts. I have two bigger ones on the top that I don't use, I hate them 1500 watts each. The one window unit is = top one top unit. We are out dry camping at a nice lake right now. I built my own battery system which I like better. Better cells and I like the BMS I have. I can run it at night but it would be for a short time, which I don't need to anyways it's nice and cool at night. To do it at night you'd need double what I have and more solar to charge them. I could do it, already have the solar, but I just don't need it. Running my AC right now.
Not enough water to do it, and you'd need a lot of batteries and solar to run it all night. My window AC does not make one drop.
Lithium and liPO4 are different, and the difference in safty is huge.
Long-term insurability of the charging system AND the batteries is the acid test.
Almost at 100k subscribers!!!!
Celebratory cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate the well earned achievement?
That would be lovely 😊
Another great video Tim, it would be cool if the battery company would give you a code for your viewers.
That would be cool! Maybe one day!
im gunna try using a bluetti ac200 max for my power needs. al i need is solar and wind, run it all direct to the bluetti, no need for solar controllers, inverters. the bluetti has it all plus extra batteries to upgrade it.. has 12 volt 30 ams plus 30 amp rv plug in. il free up a lot of space with this way.. and if it does go bad 1200 dollars plug n play replacement guaranteed 5 years ... yep thats the route im going..
🤔 Will Prouse’s YT channel is an excellent information source for batteries, PV panels and related equipment. Will tears everything apart to examine the build quality and runs tests to verify that they meet their claimed specification.
The beauty of your SV & CTT platforms are that with careful design (like rack mounting) you can cannibalize components between the two platforms and thereby increase capacity in what you are using while decreasing financial loss from theft from what is left behind.
This is also more economical because the major components may augment two functions.😎
What do you think about goal zero? I mean they have built in regulators, connect to solar and can power a full sized house. Is that enough to power an electric inboard with 100 horses in it and everything else?
Yes, their BOTS we always be there
I think it is going to be hard for Battle Born, Dakota and Victron to sell very operpriced batteries going forward. My father-in-law and I both refitted our boats with all Victron charging but with different batteries. He used Victron LiFePO4 and I used an off brand LiFePO4. My batteries have more features/protection and perform just as well at a fraction of the price. Victron support is terrible for end users, in my opinion, but Li Time and Redodo support responded very quickly to my questions.
My fear is if I choose a brand that's not so well known and the batteries will start a fire, then my priceless sailboat is gone... I know insurance will kick in but that's not what I want in my life...
I would suggest you try them out in actual day to day use.if they work out,put them in your boat
When are the boat shows in the southwest part of Florida you will be attending, or trying to attend
Do lithium batteries have issues charging off your sailboat Diesel? I have a Yanmar 2ym15
We have 800ah of Eco Worthy Amazon lithium in our boat. Planning to get another 200ah during the October Prime sale.
Do you know why most Chinese lithium don't want you to hook more then 4 batteries in series?
Ok. But when they fall overboard when you are trying to pass them from the dock, will they help recharge the electric Eels?? The eels need our battery power
If dropping a 60 pound battery is a problem, you need to go to a gym, pronto.
600 amp hours on the Lady K channel? Woo hoo! She's going south.
Hmmmm. A truck.
For the 2025 boat battery upgrade please speak to hot & cold temperature sensors or why you opted to forego them.
You might need an expert, perhaps on Practical Sailor, to speak to safety requirements as outlined by ABYC.
Great topic. I figure as boat batteries are all replaced over the next 5 years, most of it will change to LiFePO4.