Black Friday Early Access Deals: www.litime.com/pages/black-friday?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Like New LiTime Budget Deals: www.litime.com/pages/like-new-batteries?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Affiliate links for equipment used in the video: LiTime Mini: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-100ah-mini-lifepo4-lithium-battery-upgraded-100a-bms-max-1280wh-energy?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Litime 460Ah Plus: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-460ah-lifepo4-lithium-battery-250a-bms-5888wh-energy?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Litime Trolling Motor Battery: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-100ah-tm-deep-cycle-lifepo4-battery-for-trolling-motors?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Victron Multiplus 2 3000VA (amazing surge!): www.currentconnected.com/product/victron-quattro-ii-12v-3kva-2x-120v-inverter/?ref=wp *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 Book* Best-selling and beginner-friendly guide to 12V off-grid solar! amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Energy! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: ts.la/william57509 *My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):* 12V/48V Lithium Solar Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Complete 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 System Recommendations: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete "Add to Cart" 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. Fantastic customer support: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Litime* My favorite 12V budget battery!: www.litime.com/?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns *Epoch Batteries* My favorite high-quality 12V battery: www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms?rfsn=7352625.50494d *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! DC to DC Chargers and more! 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
@@WillProwsehave you seen the newest batteries from Montex? They have a program where you can stop the charge at 90% and turn back on at your own discretion at 60% which is amazing alone but the unit is dust and water resistant. That's the future in battery technology.
Imagine going from being homeless to being a renowed reference in solar inverters and battery's, Will is the living proof that you may fall and rise from your ashes even stronger and better, Thanks will for your great videos, you are one of the best one stop UA-cam channels to get this type of information
I purchased a 12v 200AH AmperTime battery last year with my solar kit just for power outages. It’s never failed me. This year I added another 12v 200AH LiTime to increase my local storage. both are incredible batteries. For power backup, I highly recommend. I’ve had lights, refrigerators and tv running during hours long outages. My neighbors are in the dark and I was the only one with power on the block. I’ve noticed more solar panels going up on rooftops in my neighborhood this year! I think I’ve set a trend around here! Eventually I will go full solar to power my entire house, within the next year or two. Great Video!
May I ask what battery you purchased. I need a battery for my tent trailer and am seeking out recommendations. I have 4x100 watt solar panels on the roof and a 2000 watt inverter. Thank you!
Excellent presentation. Thank you. I have had the Li Time mini version in my truck camping setup for a few months now. The size and weight are great for me. I have a fairly small truck camping setup but really like having 12v. I can directly use 12v truck camping stuff directly from the battery. I can also directly charge my Bluetti EB70 directly via the 12v feed with no power sucking boost converter needed. I can also jump start/charge my truck directly from the mini. I can fully appreciate the higher voltage batteries - 24v - 48v - but in a simple camping/truck/van setup, it is hard to beat 12v for all round flexibility.
Question for you. I am new to Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries. Can I charge one of these with the built in 12 volt charger in my camper? I am finding it difficult to find the answer for that.
Have watched you for several years love how you are anxious to disassemble and take a good look at everything. You back it up with hard cold results, that don't Bullshiz. Thank you
I purchased 4 of the mini's... love em. Light weight and replaced 4x AGM's in my Black Series that were trashed by the factory craptastic solar panels and MPPT charger. Now I run for days vs 5 or 6 hours. I'm in about 6 months and love these Li Time Mini's!
@@rwyo83 You might want to provide the math proofs. Will Prowse might make a mistake, but I'd stake quite a bit to say he would never attempt to mislead the viewers.
Hey Will, most boats (especially sailboats) are a 12V system. You will find 24V setups, but rarely a 48V system on boats. Unless, of course, they're a Mega Yacht. For the larger voltage systems, the wiring requirements become a constraint. I would love to see you do a series on boat utilization of lithium batteries.
Which doesn’t matter because they aren’t going to warranty a battery that’s a year old and shows serious degradation. They’re going to look at your shipping address and likely blame it on the weather
Hey Will, they also offer a 51.2V 100Ah battery that is basically the same battery but in 48V (or 4x 12.8v which is 51.2v). I've been using the 12v 400Ah in my RV for almost half a year now, no complaints at all! Coupled with a victron battery sense to protect from low temp charging.
@@Greg-gr5bb The battery was €1500, I use a Victron Multiplus 12/2000, which also cost me about € 900, 650 watt of solar panels at about €1 per watt. Add a solar charge controller, cables, fuses etc and you're looking at about €4000 for the full setup.
Bought a mini in June for our popup camper… not used much so far, but performing well… not real concerned about low temp… battery pulled out in winter, most camping in warm weather… thanks for your work & info!
Thanks Will, I used your book in 2017 for my first solar install (12 volt for my 5th wheel). I just purchased 2 of these LiTime 460ah with LiTime 60 amp MPPT because the lead acid are starting to fail. I am retaining some exist lead acid because these lithium batteries are not to be used for starting a generator. HEADS UP to your group, the LiTime materials states two variations regarding ADDING additional batteries into your bank. One states: additional batteries must be purchased within 3 months of original purchase date to maintain battery warranty......other location states within ONE MONTH from original battery purchase date. Maybe you could address this topic for folks whom wish to expand their existing lithium banks or wish to mix different battery MFG's. So, if someone wants to add more amp hour capacity after the fact; It appears, I will have to sell the existing bank batteries and start new , OR add an additional controller with a new battery bank but this creates a further questions/risks of merging both via a battery selector switch 1 or 2 or both battery banks. Please opine and a huge thank you for all your years of education on solar.
I just spent a small fortune building a 12v system. I did do it right using the largest power cables that I could for each section of the system. If I build another system in the future it will be 24 or 48 volts.
Hey Will, small correction- just because they label them as "Plus" doesn't mean they don't have low-temp protection. I have the 230Ah version that they bill on their website as having low-temp charging protection, but the battery itself doesn't have any branding to indicate that- just the "Plus" branding. I agree 100% though, it also doesn't have any indication on the battery as to the BMS maximum amperage. They need to put this stuff on the batteries!
I've one in my minivan running an induction stove, Keurig, fridge, diesel heater, 40 amp DC box, and more and have been very pleased with it. 234Ah has been my deepest discharge till LVD. 2.5Kw output sustained no problem and I believe it was a 400 amp surge for 5 seconds.
Thanks for reviewing the 460ah. I just bought one for my sailboat and was also frustrated that no one had cut one open. Happy to see the internals are satisfactory. I dont mind the zip ties as mine wont see much vibration or knocks. Love your vids!
I sold my sailboat about 5 years ago, one of the best days of my poor decision making life. A 105ah AGM was minimum $280, usually more, and I had six, not including two start batteries. They all sucked. Marine electronics, especially the autopilot hated low voltage conditions. A constant struggle. Life would have been so much better with that 480ah battery for my house bank.
12v is still heavily used in the Marine markets. Most (if not all) marine devices are 12v. While some people with larger yachts have 48V banks for bow thrusters and windlasses and also have inverters to run kitchen appliances and sometimes washing machines, the vast majority have only 12v devices. (LED lights, Navigation lights, Chart plotters, TVs, Radios, fans, etc.)
Got the Li-Time 460AH Plus for our class B+ Rv. We purchased a 2020 Coachman CrossTrek 20XG this past SPring, which was novel when it came out because it was fitted with a 3000 watt inverter and a 330 ah AGM battery instead of an on board gas or propane generator. The AGM battery was pretty much dead by the time we got it so I switched it out with the LiTime 460ah Plus and updated the converter that could maximally charge LifePo4 batteries. It already had a 200 watt solar panel on the roof with a 30 amp solar controller. Long story short, we lived off grid for three weeks and still had plenty of capacity left.
I build my van with two of these 400ah batteries, really happy with them, think the lowest SoC I got was 30% and I don't bother looking at the meter anymore, just works for our weekend trips. Do think if you are DYI, 12v is much safer. As for low temp, don't care, followed your other video and installed the Victron square bluetooth temp monitor and that will halt charging from the controller. Think the worry here is that if each battery had their own temp sensor, you could get odd behavior, so better to have the temp low cutoff at the MPPT, not on the batteries.
You do what works for you. You can Google the differences between the two but lithium has far less weight, takes up less space, last thousands more cycles. Many people feel like the extra cost is worth it, others don’t.
I have the extra mini in my truck. I use a Victron charge controller and Battery Sense. I have it set to not charge under 40 degrees. Works great and cost around $40.00..
Being in Florida I don't care about the low temp sensor. My batteries are on the back patio and during the relatively few days where we hit freezing I have a small insulated 3 wall enclosure that I push up against the wall. The heat from the LV6548 is enough to keep the temp inside 30°F above the outside temperature. I've also found adding a 60w incandescent light bulb in the enclosure brings the temperature up another 20° So far I haven't frozen my batteries. 😊
Thanks Will as always. I might have missed it, but didn't see review of their 230AH (either, with or witbout low temp protection) and thought it would be great to see!
Yep, as an RVer who might replace everything in the next year or so, that lack of low-temp sensor is a deal breaker. Sometimes we end up in an area with sub-freezing temps from time to time, and our batts live under the front of the fifth wheel.
As a full timer who posted before seeing yours - about 24v making more sense for us than 48v, for now- may I ask what you are using and if you have plans to change with your upgrade?
@@jimg5669 No specific plans, per se. Just want to increase capacity, etc. for more boondocking in the desert. Right now at 4x190w solar and 4x100ah lithium batteries. Would like to bump to maybe 800ah and modify solar panels so they can be tipped to catch that low winter sun in the southwest.
@WillBelden sounds like you need more solar .. I am putting 950w in Summer and option 1900 total for winter (at this time I might never do winter but having the option on my camper . 200ah-400ah batteries
@@philipwalters5254 We probably do need more solar, I'm sure. Not only "more" but "newer, more effective". Our panels are probably about 6 years old. We're sitting here in Mexico right now. The event is all boondocking, but we aren't parallel to the sun's low path, so without the ability to tip them (not that it would a be 100% solution, angle is still wrong), we're having to run the generator a couple, three hours a day. Fortunately, we're a toyhauler with 60 gallons of fuel!
@WillBelden I am doing a cargo camper conversion and going to cover all the roof with ability to tilt any 4 directions.. using removable locking pins . U need enough solar to charge those batteries.. more batteries won't help until you get more solar.. I am buying four 460w bi facial panels for $200 usd each. I would guess I could get 4kw of charging power per day down there in winter..
I live in the Philippines, plenty of Sun and no cold temperatures, so I do not need the low temp feature. Great video as always. Thank You for taking the time. It's a blessing when you enjoy what you are doing.
I use the same Victron MultiPlus II in my RV, powered by two 300AH Weize batteries. They are about the same $/AH as the LiTime but include low temp protection. The Victron MulitPlus II is expensive, but it's awesome!
"12v volts just costs more".... yes for the user, but for the manufacture maybe the BMS is enough cheaper and the assembly is enough cheaper so that 12v is cheaper to produce. The other thing is that 12v appliances are still the ting that most people have access to and draw no quiescent current the way an inverter does. For off grid use where solar panel area is restricted such as RV or boat.... 24/48v is possible but not common, easy or cheap. A lot of times, the draw is quite low and legacy wiring for things like lights are already over sized as the lights get changed to LED lighting. The biggest draw tends to be the fridge at 4 or 5 amps. Fridges seem to built for 12or 24v not 48 and running multiple voltages is not a good idea. So yes, 48v for an inverter based system is the thing. For DC use, 12v is still more common. This is starting to change as more manufactures are building 5v only stuff, like lights and fans. The 5v fans are pretty much useless but 12 v fans are hard to find even in automotive stores. 24or 48V starters and winches are available but costly, not because they are harder to build but because they are not common. A push for higher voltages is still for the rich or commercial (trucks and other machinery have had 24v for years).
Thanks. I am somewhat new to your channel and am catching up on some of your past and present content. Eventually I am going to upgrade my 46 foot sailboat to lithium ion batteries. Still have a bit to learn and plan.
Will, to answer your question, I'm still building with 12V because I'm powering off-grid equipment that runs directly on 12V DC. It makes no sense for me to build at 48 volts, then have to use a switching buck regulator to get back down to 12. If I was using an inverter and powering 120V AC stuff, I'd see the value.
I installed 4 of the 100ah mini's in my RV specifically because of their size and weight. Initially I was put off by the lack of low-temp cutoff; however, the batteries are installed in the electrics bay with a Magnasine inverter, AC transfer switch and Victron MPPT. Combined with the heat given off from the batteries/BMS', the bay stays warm. Just in case, I also have the Victron MPPT charge cutoff temp set to 35 F.
A little off topic but we race dirt track cars and weight is a critical factor. Currently looking at building a 12.8v or 16v 280ah. We do not run on board charging. The battery must supply starting current for the starter. Believe that will be around 300 amps. Once started the draw is less than 10 amps.
Will, a most informative and entertaining video. Thank you for your work! So helpful! Hopefully, LI-Time takes your suggestion to heart, and adds a low-temp sensor to the Mini 12v 100Ah. Some RV's have the house battery area below the chassis frame thus, exposed to the elements. With the Mini's can add more batteries in the same given space.
My Transit build will include a pair of the 230A@24V version of these. Cold temperature cutoff is easily managed with some radiant-heat flooring underneath the battery box..
I agree it's a PITA to work with 12v stuff, but it's just easier to convert RV's with small 12v systems. If I were to build a large RV setup I'd go with a 48v setup for sure.
Yeah, for small systems it's easier to do a drop-in 12V, but for 5kWh or greater you're better off doing 48V and adding a decent sized 48V to 12V step down converter as you'll save WAY more on the other components than it costs.
The black friday deal on the mini was awesome...! 👀 I bought one in the morning and after thinking about it all day ordered a second one later in the evening... 😊 Two hundred amp hour should do me... 😎 Thank you Will... 👍
I have a couple of the minis that I use interchangeably for a 24v inverter I use for power tools around the farm, and a lightweight portable 12V system when I am camping. But it can get frosty in the morning when I am camping in the desert in winter, so that means I have to have to rely on my charge controller's low temp protection which makes me a bit nervous. I do really like how small and light they are though. I also have a couple of the standard size ones that I am using with a 24v split phase inverter for my off-grid shop. Works great for welding, running saws, or just keeping the lights on. I probably should have gone with a 48v server rack system in the shop, but the 24v setup with the litime batteries had a lower price entry point and I was on a budget.
11:00 people on 12v are using them in RV and marine applications where 48v integration has very little benefit. Think of them as drop in lead acid replacements.
Figured I’d drop a note on my dealing with LiTime here as this video among others of Will’s is what lead me to make my decision before purchasing. Will’s content is awesome and I’ve watched tons of his videos before making my decision and landed on LiTime. I purchased a LiTime 230ah and it did not work out of the box(not Will’s fault, haha). Battery had no power, would not accept a charge and none of the trouble shooting processes worked for trying to wake it up or restart(which seems odd that can be an issue on a new battery anyway). Understandably there are issues and defects sometimes and I would have been willing to work through those with the company, unfortunately their customer service is a nightmare to work with, it also takes 24 hours for every response. On top of everything they refuse to refund a battery monitor that was purchased at the same time, offering me 6% of price or I can “sell it myself”, Absurd. I don’t believe the savings are worth the risk with this company. I followed your advice again on another battery company and it arrives tomorrow.
Good morning, I wanted this one to work in order to save a few bucks, the customer service killed it for me. I went with the Epoch 460ah, quite a bit more money, though the features that come with it are more than worth it(heated, battery monitor built in, Bluetooth app is awesome as it shows all usage details in and out). Their customer service is great, very quick to respond, answered all questions I had prior to purchase and was also willing to give me 10% off(I asked if they could offer a discount, there is regularly a 10% floating around). We just got back from a 4 day trip boon-docking, running the 12v fridge the whole time, exhaust fan almost 24/7, lights and furnace during the nights inverter for outlets and recharging devices, without any rationing, never needed to touch the generator, pulled out of the campground with another 48% available. I am very impressed and pleased with the purchase. Also, my rig only was 1 200w solar panel, so wasn’t making back too much during the days. Good luck with your search.
12v vs 48v completely depends on how much solar you plan to use. Especially if we’re talking about mobile lifestyles. 48v doesn’t make sense if you can’t get over 3kw of panels. 24, is the sweet spot.
The issue with the BMS tripping is poor protection settings. There should be a delay of 1-2 cycles (2 / 60th of a second) in the BMS to account for motor inrush currents. Typically we program instantaneous for 6-8 times the full load to account for motor inrush.
When you have failures like this one, you may want to look at the voltage at the inverter terminals. If they are good, it is probably the inverter. If that is low, check the voltage at the battery terminals. If they are good, it could be the wires. Also, check the voltage drop along each wire. Something may supprise you. Even though the cables may be large enough, running a second cable may help.
Can the 460ah battery be configurated in series to make a 24v or 48v applications? I'm very interested on buying some!! I really liked what Will showed us here! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with everyone thabks to you after Maria hit Puerto Rico I was the only one with power 24/7 and no noise in my neighborhood for real! 😂 you're the man! 🙋♂️
Great review on these, I have been wondering about the mini. If your charging/monitoring system has a temp sensor option (Victron Smartshunt etc) you can get away with letting the system handle the low temp cutoff. Think I still want to go with something self-heating so I can run it in lower temps.
Will I have Dakota lithium batteries. Have you you ever checked that battery out. I have 2 200 wh batteries and one 12v 100ah hooked in parallel on my trailer. Would you look into this?
Love your videos Will. We're looking into building a large solar & 48v lithium system for our house. Could you discuss any issues with potential fire concerns? Thanks!
I suspect we RVers, who've been with you since... back then ( 😄 ), are going to 24v (I'm trying to myself) but 48v in mobile systems appears to carry extra costs. Both in dollars and parasitic draw. We have limited space for panels and those lovely server racks suck up quite a bit at idle (comparatively).
If the pouch type cells turn out being as good , it means 48 volt batteries could be way smaller and lighter and could more easily come in muli amp ratings. In a good plastic case, I would think nullifies the need foe each cell having a heavy case.
Exactly, I'm with you. A 48v pouch type battery 100ah or 200ah (~5k-10k wh), with a smaller and lighter inverter/charger for RV boondocking applications. The advantages would space saving, cost, weight and a small benefit with handling surge power compared to a 12v system.
For those converting trucks to overlanders (expedition vehicles), a 24V system is usually preferred as the trucks are 24V. There unfortunately aren't that many good 24V batteries with low temp protection... Usually 12V or 48V :(
Have you ever come across a Revov battery? I am in South Africa and can't get hold of the eG4 stuff 😢 Also for where we are the low temp cutoff is not a huge issue as we are not likely to hit very cold temperatures
I don’t use 12 V anymore but I do use 24 V. I prefer it over the 48 less hassles less concerns. And the 12 V batteries are cheaper per amp than the larger Voltage batteries
I saw some small 50Ah 48V batteries for golf carts. There's even a 48V 25Ah battery on Amazon for really cheap. I'm not sure I trust it, but it's an interesting alternative to 12V 100Ah basic options for a small system.
Thanks Will - great review. The mini you reviewed does not have Blue tooth. Is there a good Blue tooth add on device that you can recommend that also might do low temp shut off like you suggest is a needed item. I plan to use several of the mini's in my van. thanks
These are 12V because these are replacement for Lead batteries in cars and trucks. But, then of course they should have low temp protection. For in-house charging, 48V, or DYI with separate BMS makes more sense. I like that industry is making 48V more accessible.
I had issues with charging two of the trolling batteries. I bought a pair of them and both would only charge to 12.8v following the instructions. Even after contacting the company several times and using the trouble shooting methodes given. They did let me return them with no problem. I gave them a second chance and bought two of the other 100ah batteries and they charged to 13.4v each no problem and I'm happy with them. I used one of the Li Time 20 amp chargers with both applications.
It would be cool if you could update us with a video where you review latest DIY Lipo builds... are they still cheaper? Worth it compared to pre-made ones? Thanks!
Thanks for making great videos. After several years of weekend offgrid camping I have decided to go with litium on our new camper. Based on your videos I feel two 100 amp / hour Li Time batteries will meet my needs and I do have solar ,400 watts. Question I have that I am having a hard time answering is with charging from my truck. My truck has a 12 v 40 amp fused constant supply on my 7 pin RV plug. So, with these batteries will they try to draw more than 40 amps through this circuit blowing my fuse on my charging circuit. I understand my truck battery will aid as a buffer but will it work safely? If two Li TIme 100 amp hour in parallel are exahusted how many amps will they attempt to draw when plugged into truck having low battery internal resistance? Thanks for youur time.
I recently got three of the Minis to power my 36V golf cart. LiTime will not honor a warranty because of this, but I haven't been able to find any other LiFePO4 batteries that will fit into the area that is provided for batteries in the golf cart. I am probably an idiot for trying this out, but we will see how the batteries do in extreme conditions. It can get over 120F here in the extreme southern CA desert. Wish me luck, folks!
Black Friday Early Access Deals: www.litime.com/pages/black-friday?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
Like New LiTime Budget Deals: www.litime.com/pages/like-new-batteries?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
Affiliate links for equipment used in the video:
LiTime Mini: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-100ah-mini-lifepo4-lithium-battery-upgraded-100a-bms-max-1280wh-energy?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
Litime 460Ah Plus: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-460ah-lifepo4-lithium-battery-250a-bms-5888wh-energy?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
Litime Trolling Motor Battery: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-100ah-tm-deep-cycle-lifepo4-battery-for-trolling-motors?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
Victron Multiplus 2 3000VA (amazing surge!): www.currentconnected.com/product/victron-quattro-ii-12v-3kva-2x-120v-inverter/?ref=wp
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*My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:*
*Signature Solar*
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*Current Connected*
SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components. Fantastic customer support:
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*Litime*
My favorite 12V budget battery!:
www.litime.com/?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns
*Epoch Batteries*
My favorite high-quality 12V battery:
www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms?rfsn=7352625.50494d
*Renogy*
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*Rich Solar*
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*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,
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0:00 Intro
2:54 Surge Test w/ Faulty Inverter
5:14 268A Continuous Load Test
5:35 Surge Test w/ Victron Multiplus 2!
7:42 Tear Downs
10:43 Conclusion
That big battery? I would not care about the way that BMS is installed. Its so big and heavy its not likely to be used in a mobile application.
@willprowse which solar cell controller would you recommend to charge these batteries and do you have a link where you can earn a little from it.
@@frankjrgen4629 oh on my website, check out my equipment recommendations here: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html
@@WillProwsehave you seen the newest batteries from Montex? They have a program where you can stop the charge at 90% and turn back on at your own discretion at 60% which is amazing alone but the unit is dust and water resistant. That's the future in battery technology.
Imagine going from being homeless to being a renowed reference in solar inverters and battery's, Will is the living proof that you may fall and rise from your ashes even stronger and better, Thanks will for your great videos, you are one of the best one stop UA-cam channels to get this type of information
Problem, wattage has nothing to do with why the lift did not work.
@tahoma6889 nice explanation, in-depth.
Look at Jeremy Meeks, convicted felon to international model/actor
what the heck are you talking about?
@@DeFiDuke do you know Will Prowse story? That's what he's talking about.
I purchased a 12v 200AH AmperTime battery last year with my solar kit just for power outages. It’s never failed me. This year I added another 12v 200AH LiTime to increase my local storage. both are incredible batteries.
For power backup, I highly recommend. I’ve had lights, refrigerators and tv running during hours long outages. My neighbors are in the dark and I was the only one with power on the block. I’ve noticed more solar panels going up on rooftops in my neighborhood this year! I think I’ve set a trend around here!
Eventually I will go full solar to power my entire house, within the next year or two.
Great Video!
On your block owns a Generator or a Flashlight for light? Incredible! Candles?
May I ask what battery you purchased. I need a battery for my tent trailer and am seeking out recommendations. I have 4x100 watt solar panels on the roof and a 2000 watt inverter. Thank you!
Wait until you have an issue. They will give run around and avoid warranty.
Excellent presentation. Thank you. I have had the Li Time mini version in my truck camping setup for a few months now. The size and weight are great for me. I have a fairly small truck camping setup but really like having 12v. I can directly use 12v truck camping stuff directly from the battery. I can also directly charge my Bluetti EB70 directly via the 12v feed with no power sucking boost converter needed. I can also jump start/charge my truck directly from the mini. I can fully appreciate the higher voltage batteries - 24v - 48v - but in a simple camping/truck/van setup, it is hard to beat 12v for all round flexibility.
Question for you. I am new to Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries. Can I charge one of these with the built in 12 volt charger in my camper? I am finding it difficult to find the answer for that.
Have watched you for several years love how you are anxious to disassemble and take a good look at everything. You back it up with hard cold results, that don't Bullshiz.
Thank you
we have always loved how excited you get when you run all the test. Great video Will. Sadly these batteries are hard for us to get here in Alaska.
I purchased 4 of the mini's... love em. Light weight and replaced 4x AGM's in my Black Series that were trashed by the factory craptastic solar panels and MPPT charger. Now I run for days vs 5 or 6 hours. I'm in about 6 months and love these Li Time Mini's!
Your excitement, honestly is what keeps us coming back. Wife calls you the "oh my god you guys" guy!
he is misleading with the numbers
@@rwyo83 You might want to provide the math proofs. Will Prowse might make a mistake, but I'd stake quite a bit to say he would never attempt to mislead the viewers.
@@WillBelden The Victron Multiplus 2 3000VA peak power is 5500W so how is he getting 5700W 6:37
Hey Will, most boats (especially sailboats) are a 12V system. You will find 24V setups, but rarely a 48V system on boats. Unless, of course, they're a Mega Yacht. For the larger voltage systems, the wiring requirements become a constraint. I would love to see you do a series on boat utilization of lithium batteries.
I have 3 Lossigy 12v 200Ah batteries with pouch cells in my van. 3 years still going fine through wide temperature swings through summers and winters.
I have a very limited space so I bought four of the slims. Glad to see you rip it open. Now I understand how it's smaller with the same AH! Thank you!
The only other person who opens up things like you do is AvE in his BOLTR videos. Your videos are greatly appreciated!
I’ve just installed a 48v Multiplus II and it’s excellent. It runs my stick welder with no issues.
It's not just the cost of the low-temperature sensor, it's the liability if the battery is damaged due to freezing.
Which doesn’t matter because they aren’t going to warranty a battery that’s a year old and shows serious degradation. They’re going to look at your shipping address and likely blame it on the weather
Yeah, that’s why
If you living in a hot climate like fl .you don't need it
Liability of a Chinese company? Haha
Like they give AF. 🙄
Hey Will, they also offer a 51.2V 100Ah battery that is basically the same battery but in 48V (or 4x 12.8v which is 51.2v).
I've been using the 12v 400Ah in my RV for almost half a year now, no complaints at all! Coupled with a victron battery sense to protect from low temp charging.
What did that 400ah set up cost you?
@@Greg-gr5bb The battery was €1500, I use a Victron Multiplus 12/2000, which also cost me about € 900, 650 watt of solar panels at about €1 per watt. Add a solar charge controller, cables, fuses etc and you're looking at about €4000 for the full setup.
@@AutoAddictionMedia I appreciate your response and time. Thank you. Jesus bless.
Getting them to ship them out, just emailed them. I did not see the 48V batteries in their menu, thank you!!!
Wouldn't 4 of these batteries in *series* (about 22 kwh) be better than running 4 of the 48V/100ah batteries in parallel?
Bought a mini in June for our popup camper… not used much so far, but performing well… not real concerned about low temp… battery pulled out in winter, most camping in warm weather… thanks for your work & info!
Thanks Will, I used your book in 2017 for my first solar install (12 volt for my 5th wheel). I just purchased 2 of these LiTime 460ah with LiTime 60 amp MPPT because the lead acid are starting to fail. I am retaining some exist lead acid because these lithium batteries are not to be used for starting a generator. HEADS UP to your group, the LiTime materials states two variations regarding ADDING additional batteries into your bank. One states: additional batteries must be purchased within 3 months of original purchase date to maintain battery warranty......other location states within ONE MONTH from original battery purchase date.
Maybe you could address this topic for folks whom wish to expand their existing lithium banks or wish to mix different battery MFG's.
So, if someone wants to add more amp hour capacity after the fact; It appears, I will have to sell the existing bank batteries and start new , OR add an additional controller with a new battery bank but this creates a further questions/risks of merging both via a battery selector switch 1 or 2 or both battery banks. Please opine and a huge thank you for all your years of education on solar.
I just spent a small fortune building a 12v system. I did do it right using the largest power cables that I could for each section of the system. If I build another system in the future it will be 24 or 48 volts.
Hey Will, small correction- just because they label them as "Plus" doesn't mean they don't have low-temp protection. I have the 230Ah version that they bill on their website as having low-temp charging protection, but the battery itself doesn't have any branding to indicate that- just the "Plus" branding. I agree 100% though, it also doesn't have any indication on the battery as to the BMS maximum amperage. They need to put this stuff on the batteries!
Yes the plus doesn't mean that.
and right?! They need to add it to the front of the battery
How is that 230ah battery? I’m thinking of getting one for my class c RV to replace the two batteries in the step battery compartment.
I've one in my minivan running an induction stove, Keurig, fridge, diesel heater, 40 amp DC box, and more and have been very pleased with it. 234Ah has been my deepest discharge till LVD. 2.5Kw output sustained no problem and I believe it was a 400 amp surge for 5 seconds.
Looking at that one for my rv. Will it fit in an 8" wide box?
Finally, someone opened the MINI. Thank you so much.
Thanks for reviewing the 460ah. I just bought one for my sailboat and was also frustrated that no one had cut one open. Happy to see the internals are satisfactory. I dont mind the zip ties as mine wont see much vibration or knocks. Love your vids!
I wish these were around when I had my Beneteau. 😩
all of a sudden I dont worry about how much power I'm using...😁@@briand2614
I'm so glad these larger batteries are coming out in 12v. I plan on getting two of there 460AH to replace my 300 AH battery.
I sold my sailboat about 5 years ago, one of the best days of my poor decision making life. A 105ah AGM was minimum $280, usually more, and I had six, not including two start batteries. They all sucked. Marine electronics, especially the autopilot hated low voltage conditions. A constant struggle. Life would have been so much better with that 480ah battery for my house bank.
12v is still heavily used in the Marine markets. Most (if not all) marine devices are 12v. While some people with larger yachts have 48V banks for bow thrusters and windlasses and also have inverters to run kitchen appliances and sometimes washing machines, the vast majority have only 12v devices. (LED lights, Navigation lights, Chart plotters, TVs, Radios, fans, etc.)
Got the Li-Time 460AH Plus for our class B+ Rv. We purchased a 2020 Coachman CrossTrek 20XG this past SPring, which was novel when it came out because it was fitted with a 3000 watt inverter and a 330 ah AGM battery instead of an on board gas or propane generator. The AGM battery was pretty much dead by the time we got it so I switched it out with the LiTime 460ah Plus and updated the converter that could maximally charge LifePo4 batteries. It already had a 200 watt solar panel on the roof with a 30 amp solar controller. Long story short, we lived off grid for three weeks and still had plenty of capacity left.
I build my van with two of these 400ah batteries, really happy with them, think the lowest SoC I got was 30% and I don't bother looking at the meter anymore, just works for our weekend trips. Do think if you are DYI, 12v is much safer. As for low temp, don't care, followed your other video and installed the Victron square bluetooth temp monitor and that will halt charging from the controller. Think the worry here is that if each battery had their own temp sensor, you could get odd behavior, so better to have the temp low cutoff at the MPPT, not on the batteries.
That's awesome!!!
Yeah, very smart to control at mppt
I do the same thing with the victron low temp cutoff.
My lead acid cells work cheaper and just as good on a weekend. Why use lithium for a weekend warrior?
You do what works for you. You can Google the differences between the two but lithium has far less weight, takes up less space, last thousands more cycles. Many people feel like the extra cost is worth it, others don’t.
I have the extra mini in my truck. I use a Victron charge controller and Battery Sense. I have it set to not charge under 40 degrees. Works great and cost around $40.00..
Being in Florida I don't care about the low temp sensor. My batteries are on the back patio and during the relatively few days where we hit freezing I have a small insulated 3 wall enclosure that I push up against the wall. The heat from the LV6548 is enough to keep the temp inside 30°F above the outside temperature. I've also found adding a 60w incandescent light bulb in the enclosure brings the temperature up another 20°
So far I haven't frozen my batteries. 😊
Thanks Will as always. I might have missed it, but didn't see review of their 230AH (either, with or witbout low temp protection) and thought it would be great to see!
Yep, as an RVer who might replace everything in the next year or so, that lack of low-temp sensor is a deal breaker. Sometimes we end up in an area with sub-freezing temps from time to time, and our batts live under the front of the fifth wheel.
As a full timer who posted before seeing yours - about 24v making more sense for us than 48v, for now- may I ask what you are using and if you have plans to change with your upgrade?
@@jimg5669 No specific plans, per se. Just want to increase capacity, etc. for more boondocking in the desert. Right now at 4x190w solar and 4x100ah lithium batteries. Would like to bump to maybe 800ah and modify solar panels so they can be tipped to catch that low winter sun in the southwest.
@WillBelden sounds like you need more solar .. I am putting 950w in Summer and option 1900 total for winter (at this time I might never do winter but having the option on my camper . 200ah-400ah batteries
@@philipwalters5254 We probably do need more solar, I'm sure. Not only "more" but "newer, more effective". Our panels are probably about 6 years old. We're sitting here in Mexico right now. The event is all boondocking, but we aren't parallel to the sun's low path, so without the ability to tip them (not that it would a be 100% solution, angle is still wrong), we're having to run the generator a couple, three hours a day. Fortunately, we're a toyhauler with 60 gallons of fuel!
@WillBelden I am doing a cargo camper conversion and going to cover all the roof with ability to tilt any 4 directions.. using removable locking pins .
U need enough solar to charge those batteries.. more batteries won't help until you get more solar.. I am buying four 460w bi facial panels for $200 usd each. I would guess I could get 4kw of charging power per day down there in winter..
I live in the Philippines, plenty of Sun and no cold temperatures, so I do not need the low temp feature. Great video as always. Thank You for taking the time. It's a blessing when you enjoy what you are doing.
I use the same Victron MultiPlus II in my RV, powered by two 300AH Weize batteries. They are about the same $/AH as the LiTime but include low temp protection. The Victron MulitPlus II is expensive, but it's awesome!
I too bought and installed victron multiplus II and love it!
Nice review. If I had the budget for batteries, I'd definitely get a couple 100Ah li time minis right now.
Right, not bad
That's why we love your video. You always tear down without iota of fear. Keep putting these battery company on their knees.
I think you mean iota 😅
Oh yah 😂😂
I love how excited you get with these test ❤❤❤
just purchased a LiTime battery (48v) for my golf cart from your link. can't wait to give it a try in my golf cart!
nobody else opens them up, as everybody loves watching you do it, your so hard on junk, and the way you act when you find a good one.
"12v volts just costs more".... yes for the user, but for the manufacture maybe the BMS is enough cheaper and the assembly is enough cheaper so that 12v is cheaper to produce. The other thing is that 12v appliances are still the ting that most people have access to and draw no quiescent current the way an inverter does. For off grid use where solar panel area is restricted such as RV or boat.... 24/48v is possible but not common, easy or cheap. A lot of times, the draw is quite low and legacy wiring for things like lights are already over sized as the lights get changed to LED lighting. The biggest draw tends to be the fridge at 4 or 5 amps. Fridges seem to built for 12or 24v not 48 and running multiple voltages is not a good idea.
So yes, 48v for an inverter based system is the thing. For DC use, 12v is still more common. This is starting to change as more manufactures are building 5v only stuff, like lights and fans. The 5v fans are pretty much useless but 12 v fans are hard to find even in automotive stores. 24or 48V starters and winches are available but costly, not because they are harder to build but because they are not common. A push for higher voltages is still for the rich or commercial (trucks and other machinery have had 24v for years).
Always great information from Will, thank you! One of my favorite channels here.
Thanks. I am somewhat new to your channel and am catching up on some of your past and present content. Eventually I am going to upgrade my 46 foot sailboat to lithium ion batteries. Still have a bit to learn and plan.
Thanks for the video, I was curious to the build quality on the LiTime minis. Now I know👍
Thanks for doing real life surge testing.
Will, to answer your question, I'm still building with 12V because I'm powering off-grid equipment that runs directly on 12V DC. It makes no sense for me to build at 48 volts, then have to use a switching buck regulator to get back down to 12. If I was using an inverter and powering 120V AC stuff, I'd see the value.
I installed 4 of the 100ah mini's in my RV specifically because of their size and weight. Initially I was put off by the lack of low-temp cutoff; however, the batteries are installed in the electrics bay with a Magnasine inverter, AC transfer switch and Victron MPPT. Combined with the heat given off from the batteries/BMS', the bay stays warm. Just in case, I also have the Victron MPPT charge cutoff temp set to 35 F.
what victron mppt do you use for a total of 400ah of these ? and what solar panels did you match that victron mppt with ? thanks
I love this guy...I learn stuff AND I'm entertained...can't hate that! 😃👍
A little off topic but we race dirt track cars and weight is a critical factor. Currently looking at building a 12.8v or 16v 280ah. We do not run on board charging. The battery must supply starting current for the starter. Believe that will be around 300 amps. Once started the draw is less than 10 amps.
Very nice review Will. Just purchased a LiTime myself.
Will, a most informative and entertaining video. Thank you for your work! So helpful! Hopefully, LI-Time takes your suggestion to heart, and adds a low-temp sensor to the Mini 12v 100Ah. Some RV's have the house battery area below the chassis frame thus, exposed to the elements. With the Mini's can add more batteries in the same given space.
My Transit build will include a pair of the 230A@24V version of these. Cold temperature cutoff is easily managed with some radiant-heat flooring underneath the battery box..
Awesome video! Teardowns are never boring! Looking forward to you tearing down the upcoming MAX from LiTime.
Please do a rough test on that EG4 powerpro 14.3kwh battery!!😊
A shame that the price of these batteries is considerably higher here in the UK. Everything's so bloody expensive on this tiny island !
Unreal right, same here in Germany
Yes i checked some European prices, same situation.@@AutoAddictionMedia
I agree it's a PITA to work with 12v stuff, but it's just easier to convert RV's with small 12v systems. If I were to build a large RV setup I'd go with a 48v setup for sure.
Yeah, for small systems it's easier to do a drop-in 12V, but for 5kWh or greater you're better off doing 48V and adding a decent sized 48V to 12V step down converter as you'll save WAY more on the other components than it costs.
The black friday deal on the mini was awesome...! 👀 I bought one in the morning and after thinking about it all day ordered a second one later in the evening... 😊 Two hundred amp hour should do me... 😎 Thank you Will... 👍
I have a couple of the minis that I use interchangeably for a 24v inverter I use for power tools around the farm, and a lightweight portable 12V system when I am camping. But it can get frosty in the morning when I am camping in the desert in winter, so that means I have to have to rely on my charge controller's low temp protection which makes me a bit nervous. I do really like how small and light they are though. I also have a couple of the standard size ones that I am using with a 24v split phase inverter for my off-grid shop. Works great for welding, running saws, or just keeping the lights on. I probably should have gone with a 48v server rack system in the shop, but the 24v setup with the litime batteries had a lower price entry point and I was on a budget.
Just a simple question ! Will the BMS allow you to series up 4 each 12 volt batteries to get your 48 volts ?
11:00 people on 12v are using them in RV and marine applications where 48v integration has very little benefit. Think of them as drop in lead acid replacements.
Figured I’d drop a note on my dealing with LiTime here as this video among others of Will’s is what lead me to make my decision before purchasing. Will’s content is awesome and I’ve watched tons of his videos before making my decision and landed on LiTime. I purchased a LiTime 230ah and it did not work out of the box(not Will’s fault, haha). Battery had no power, would not accept a charge and none of the trouble shooting processes worked for trying to wake it up or restart(which seems odd that can be an issue on a new battery anyway). Understandably there are issues and defects sometimes and I would have been willing to work through those with the company, unfortunately their customer service is a nightmare to work with, it also takes 24 hours for every response. On top of everything they refuse to refund a battery monitor that was purchased at the same time, offering me 6% of price or I can “sell it myself”, Absurd. I don’t believe the savings are worth the risk with this company.
I followed your advice again on another battery company and it arrives tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your experience! You just made me not to buy it :) Which one did you choose?
Good morning, I wanted this one to work in order to save a few bucks, the customer service killed it for me. I went with the Epoch 460ah, quite a bit more money, though the features that come with it are more than worth it(heated, battery monitor built in, Bluetooth app is awesome as it shows all usage details in and out). Their customer service is great, very quick to respond, answered all questions I had prior to purchase and was also willing to give me 10% off(I asked if they could offer a discount, there is regularly a 10% floating around). We just got back from a 4 day trip boon-docking, running the 12v fridge the whole time, exhaust fan almost 24/7, lights and furnace during the nights inverter for outlets and recharging devices, without any rationing, never needed to touch the generator, pulled out of the campground with another 48% available. I am very impressed and pleased with the purchase. Also, my rig only was 1 200w solar panel, so wasn’t making back too much during the days. Good luck with your search.
Thanks! I have been eyeing the mini on sale for 260. I may stick with normal cells
12v vs 48v completely depends on how much solar you plan to use. Especially if we’re talking about mobile lifestyles. 48v doesn’t make sense if you can’t get over 3kw of panels.
24, is the sweet spot.
Thanks again for the info and help, man!
Been watching for many years at this point. Very happy to see where you have made it!!!
48V for home is good. For a sailboat, a 12v 400ah is dope!
Getting ready to grab 2 of the 24v 230ah for my van
The issue with the BMS tripping is poor protection settings. There should be a delay of 1-2 cycles (2 / 60th of a second) in the BMS to account for motor inrush currents. Typically we program instantaneous for 6-8 times the full load to account for motor inrush.
When you have failures like this one, you may want to look at the voltage at the inverter terminals. If they are good, it is probably the inverter. If that is low, check the voltage at the battery terminals. If they are good, it could be the wires. Also, check the voltage drop along each wire. Something may supprise you. Even though the cables may be large enough, running a second cable may help.
This good news as I have been researching this brand and ready to buy at least one, possibly two if I can make enough room. Thanks for this review.
Can the 460ah battery be configurated in series to make a 24v or 48v applications? I'm very interested on buying some!! I really liked what Will showed us here! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with everyone thabks to you after Maria hit Puerto Rico I was the only one with power 24/7 and no noise in my neighborhood for real! 😂 you're the man! 🙋♂️
It's not the only small one. There's also the Premium Power Queen. It's supposed to be really good also.
WILL, your truly a ROCKSTAR. THANK YOU. and your COMPANY is AWESOME to deal with. : )))
you have to use the screw terminals to get that load
Thank you for the review from an RV- ER
Thank you sir I still use 12 volt system this is a comfort thing excellent video thank you for sharing this six stars
Would love to see reviews of the small 3-20ah lifepo4 The ham radio community uses these.
Dakota lithium, bioenno are some popular ones
You might want to look into getting a soft start motor controller for the car lift given that high inrush amp draw.
Their "basic" 100Ah are down to $221.00 right now!!! That's a Great Deal.
Lowest I can find is $248. Did you have to use a different coupon than the 5%?
@@aussie2uGA there ( 2) discounts being offered. I'm seeing $279.99 - $30.00 discount And 10% off.
I’ll start counting my pennies now!
It's cheaper to add a low temp sensor to your charger than to get cutoffs in every battery.
Hey Will, You Need To Put A "Hutch-Mountain" 5-ton A/C Soft Start Onto That Car Lift... 🤔😜😜🤣🤣😁😎
Great review on these, I have been wondering about the mini. If your charging/monitoring system has a temp sensor option (Victron Smartshunt etc) you can get away with letting the system handle the low temp cutoff. Think I still want to go with something self-heating so I can run it in lower temps.
Thanks Will
Will, thank you for all your effort. Great vid!
Will I have Dakota lithium batteries. Have you you ever checked that battery out. I have 2 200 wh batteries and one 12v 100ah hooked in parallel on my trailer. Would you look into this?
Love your videos Will. We're looking into building a large solar & 48v lithium system for our house. Could you discuss any issues with potential fire concerns? Thanks!
We've been thinking about having the batteries in our finished basement
I suspect we RVers, who've been with you since... back then ( 😄 ), are going to 24v (I'm trying to myself) but 48v in mobile systems appears to carry extra costs. Both in dollars and parasitic draw.
We have limited space for panels and those lovely server racks suck up quite a bit at idle (comparatively).
If the pouch type cells turn out being as good , it means 48 volt batteries could be way smaller and lighter and could more easily come in muli amp ratings. In a good plastic case, I would think nullifies the need foe each cell having a heavy case.
Exactly, I'm with you. A 48v pouch type battery 100ah or 200ah (~5k-10k wh), with a smaller and lighter inverter/charger for RV boondocking applications. The advantages would space saving, cost, weight and a small benefit with handling surge power compared to a 12v system.
For those converting trucks to overlanders (expedition vehicles), a 24V system is usually preferred as the trucks are 24V.
There unfortunately aren't that many good 24V batteries with low temp protection...
Usually 12V or 48V :(
Have you ever come across a Revov battery? I am in South Africa and can't get hold of the eG4 stuff 😢 Also for where we are the low temp cutoff is not a huge issue as we are not likely to hit very cold temperatures
Will: “there all different, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
Sooo..you’re say they’re like a box of chocolates?
Great video as usual.
I don’t use 12 V anymore but I do use 24 V. I prefer it over the 48 less hassles less concerns. And the 12 V batteries are cheaper per amp than the larger Voltage batteries
Understood. My boat is 12v. Switching the whole boat to 24v or higher is a great expense. Many of your viewers are boat owners.
I saw some small 50Ah 48V batteries for golf carts. There's even a 48V 25Ah battery on Amazon for really cheap. I'm not sure I trust it, but it's an interesting alternative to 12V 100Ah basic options for a small system.
Thanks Will - great review. The mini you reviewed does not have Blue tooth. Is there a good Blue tooth add on device that you can recommend that also might do low temp shut off like you suggest is a needed item. I plan to use several of the mini's in my van. thanks
These are 12V because these are replacement for Lead batteries in cars and trucks. But, then of course they should have low temp protection.
For in-house charging, 48V, or DYI with separate BMS makes more sense. I like that industry is making 48V more accessible.
nice thing about 4x 12 volt minis is you can change the voltage later by putting in series
I had issues with charging two of the trolling batteries. I bought a pair of them and both would only charge to 12.8v following the instructions. Even after contacting the company several times and using the trouble shooting methodes given. They did let me return them with no problem. I gave them a second chance and bought two of the other 100ah batteries and they charged to 13.4v each no problem and I'm happy with them. I used one of the Li Time 20 amp chargers with both applications.
You should charge them to 14.4V absorption, 13.8V float. 13.4V is too low
13.4 is as high as the lithium charger would charge before shutting off
@@AutoAddictionMedia
a good video, you are so strong on testing, and checking quality.
It would be cool if you could update us with a video where you review latest DIY Lipo builds... are they still cheaper? Worth it compared to pre-made ones?
Thanks!
Thanks for making great videos. After several years of weekend offgrid camping I have decided to go with litium on our new camper. Based on your videos I feel two 100 amp / hour Li Time batteries will meet my needs and I do have solar ,400 watts. Question I have that I am having a hard time answering is with charging from my truck. My truck has a 12 v 40 amp fused constant supply on my 7 pin RV plug. So, with these batteries will they try to draw more than 40 amps through this circuit blowing my fuse on my charging circuit. I understand my truck battery will aid as a buffer but will it work safely? If two Li TIme 100 amp hour in parallel are exahusted how many amps will they attempt to draw when plugged into truck having low battery internal resistance? Thanks for youur time.
Great testing on the inverter,s that LF Victron is 3000VA/2400W and it beats the HF Giandel 4000W.
I recently got three of the Minis to power my 36V golf cart. LiTime will not honor a warranty because of this, but I haven't been able to find any other LiFePO4 batteries that will fit into the area that is provided for batteries in the golf cart. I am probably an idiot for trying this out, but we will see how the batteries do in extreme conditions. It can get over 120F here in the extreme southern CA desert. Wish me luck, folks!
Have you looked at Sungold power 5.12KWH POWERWALL LIFEPO4 LITHIUM BATTERY SG48100M or are they junk? Sorry I copied and pasted. Love your reviews