Everyone who's suggesting using 2 batteries in series doesn't understand a few things. First, it's far more expensive to buy 2 batteries instead of one. Second, it is more difficult to transport and still requires you to crimp and solder wires. And lastly and most importantly, it does not give you current-limiting functionality for safety purposes. So please, if you are wondering, I do NOT generally recommend connecting 2 batteries together instead of using a DC boost converter. You can do that if you want but just know that it is not a better solution for the purpose of this video.
I recently purchased an Anker C1000 with the expansion battery. I have several 12.8v 100ah batteries that I can attach if needed a pure sine wave inverter that I can pump up to 1300w or as low as 100w of power into my power station using the Anker app to adjust whatever wattage I want to charge with. My expansion problems are over with…With 3ea 200w solar panels I’m good to go. I’ve done all that small step up inverter work with the different adapters to my smaller power stations which are basically obsolete, but I wanted something out of the box I could just plug and play that would meet all my needs..Small, portable & powerful…
@@HebrewNomadOverlander good idea. If you increase the AH of the battery and just use a single battery, it seems like it should be the best answer for a cheaper alternative to use with a small home battery backup. Imagine using a 400ah battery.
@tonyinfinity it is never a good idea to connect batteries directly to each other without current limiting device in between. LOL! ROFL! But you do you bro.
Been doing this for years. Just be warned that those small DC to DC boost converters get very very HOT. Maybe enough to start a fire. Keep them on a non combustable surface. A better alternative is the Victron Orion 12-24 converter. Much bigger heatsink and runs much cooler.
Not this one. This is exactly why I opted for this 3A unit because relative to the 10A version the heatsink here is massive. I've been using this one for a long time and it never gets to hot to touch even after hours of use. Victron doesn't make a small 3A unit like this. 10A is the smallest and it's costs 10 times the price. But if you want to, you can and the idea is the same. Just be aware that 10A is too much current for some smaller power stations with a 120w input limit. Make sure it has a built-in current limiter.
Great video! Newby here. I have a Delta mini with 300 watt solar input. My question is why do you need a step up from 12 to 24 volts if the input goes in to 12 volt like solar? I can see why it would have to be regulated. I already have a 24volt to 12 volt 20 amp 240 watt step down converter. Would this work?
Good video. I use adjustable output boost converter for my Bluetti, and other Solar gen I have, it works great. Here are some of my suggestions to improve safety. 1) Put a fuse on the battery positive terminal so in case the Boost converter shorted out or accidentally short circuit the wiring. 2) Put a Female XT60 on the battery side instead of having exposed male pins as you have right now.
I've got a bag full of different soldered connectors I made to adapt whatever I need so I don't have to deal with making one-off adapters when I need to make something work. Some are for the explicit purpose of having an automotive blade fuse but I didn't feel the need to use it here. Plus these connectors aren't any more or less safe on the female or the male side by design. The male pins are not exposed. Plus just about every power station in the market today has reverse polarity and short circuit protection. Definitely every single one I showed here do. But sure I figured there is always gonna be some Safety Sallys piping up on every video.
@@freelyroaming How do you survive with such a thin skin? let me fix your snarky reply for you - "Ty, good idea. I don't need it for my purpose but others might benefit"
@@paulstaf you sound like someone who has zero practical experience. Just desperate commenting on other people's channels to find any shred of relevancy.
Great video production! We fuse our LFP's to protect the wire. LFP's, due to their very low internal resistance, can delivery more instantaneous joules of energy than AGM or FLA Batteries in the event of a short circuit. Nobody wants a fire, and most people on here don't have Electrical Engineering backgrounds.
This was well presented and clearly explained. I think this is a good solution to use in an RV with a fixed LiFePO4 battery. Your solution provides 1280KwH of additional storage. The accessory battery is not cheap ($340). The accessories add another $25-40. External charger perhaps $50 for a total of $430. Correct me if my addition is off. Negatives - Moving a large battery around is awkward - no handle/no case. Maximum output wattage is still limited to the power supply circuits of your power station. Albeit half the capacity, a new EcoFlow 600 is $479. If you just need a moderate increase in storage a larger second unit would seem to be a better solution. Is the boost converter necessary with some units? The specs on my EcoFlow River 2 indicate it will accept 12-20 volts input for charging. It comes with a cigarette plug adapter to charge from your car which is12 volts. If this is correct, couldn’t I just hook the battery to the 12 volt charging plug? Does it already have internal circuitry to limit the current and adjust the voltage? I’d like to see this solution adapted to use with batteries we all might already have on hand (i.e. power tools, drones, external battery chargers for cell phones). It may be a small boost but often that’s all you need.
The cost comparison needs to be made with first party battery add ons like this 6kwh ecofow delta option. amzn.to/3UEKkoU This is over 5-10x the price at per Wh level. Generic LiFePo4 packs are always going to be the cheapest option for the amount of capacity that you get. Power tool batteries are far more expensive per Wh and the battery chemistry does not give it the cycle life as compared to these. it would be much more costly over time to use them. Boost converter serves as the equalizer to make this work with more types of power stations. While not needed for some, it can serve as a safety feature for all as it adds a cheap and easily replaceable current limiting feature. You can certainly buy smaller lifepo4 batteries to make it more portable and lower the cost significantly especially when compared to other options you mentioned. The prices have continued to fall. 100Ah lifepo4 packs are now easily below $200 and 50ah ones can be found for less than 100. amzn.to/49hjCqZ They are small and weigh as little as 12 lbs. That's half the weight of a case of beer which I know for a fact that people have no problems carry with them when they go camping 😉
This is exactly the video I've been looking for. I couldn't get my batteries that are charged with my solar panels to charge my Bluetti. The current just wouldn't flow. I thought that I was doing something wrong. Thank you thank you!
I'm getting my portable system delivered in a couple of days. In a power outage, I'd let the fridge go and use my solar/battery power on the freezer(s). I can eat the contents of the fridge in days but the freezer(s) are full of a years food from my garden. It's the thought of the loss of the WORK even more than the food its self that has lead me to get a back up system. I've lost entire freezers in the past but supermarket foods is just money lost. By the end of the summer I have two freezers on the go nowadays. I have other backup plans for cooking and lighting no need for a battery there.
You are converting the energy twice, resulting in lower efficiency and higher idle consumption. You can do it if you don’t mind the loss. Otherwise the boost converter is more efficient
I recommend you get a professional to make the pigtail cable, maybe even warrantied try a cellphone repair/ electronics repair and show them what you need. If you do this wrong you will regret it. That being said a newbie should be able to do it anyway. But it’s your money and battery….
Pretty SUS. Losses from charging compared to just ganging the batteries together and letting them draw down together. Maybe, just maybe you can get 87% efficiency charging from your extra battery.
Thanks, I was thinking of not buying a power station due to the high price, buy now I can get a smaller unit with a battery and use my small solar panel to charge the battery all the time, thanks so much!
I connect directly to a cig lighter with a cheap wattmeter to a compact 3s 3.7v lithium pack from 10.5v it fast charges at 10 to 11 amp. Then later boost to lifepo4 battery. Great for no sun in December and January
If you want to make a lot of money, build a "capacity booster" that will auto-sense both input and output, allowing you to connect to any source (12/24/36/48) and safely charge any power station, regardless of what it draws. You could include a heat sensor and cooling fan. (Some boost converters come with a fan attached.)
They already make auto detecting chargers, I use four them to charge my LifePO4, 12v or 24v. If you really want to make some money, make a 120amp all in one unit. Only one on the market and it has Brazilian plugs. I have to rig four chargers together to achieve my charge rate goal on generator power. I have reduced Generator Charging from Over 24 hours to 3 hours. I wonder how much energy i save..... lol
They make voltage regulators, for what it’s worth. They are used where shore power or generator power lags or fluctuates. It outputs constant 120 or 220 AC.
Thanks for the video. Here's a less portable, more efficient option if you have 2 or more batteries: Hook your batteries in series to raise the voltage. No need for the boost converter's inefficiencies or need to cool it. (Mine gets very hot without a fan) Just make sure the batteries are within .1V of each other before connecting them in series. (You'll get a big rush of current if they aren't the same voltage.) Took my Delta 2 from 180ish charging watts with 1 battery to 365ish watts with 2 in series. (Your results may vary depending on the charging circuit of your power station.)
@@freelyroaming MPPT (or older PWM) DC/solar charger limits that for you on the generator side. None of these power generators connect you directly to the internal 36v or 48v storage cells. They all use their own DC charger/BMS.
Rely on that only if you are willing to constantly replace blown internal fuses. Just so you know, hooking up two 100Ah batteries in series and connecting them directly to the solar input port of your power station is the equivalent of connecting 2,500 watts of solar panels to that same port. If you think your power station is designed to handle that then go for it. Bottom line is every power station has a different charge controller. Some will definitely trip or blow a fuse as its internal protection method. So If you want to reliably use this method over a wide range of units, don't count on all of them to behave the same. A simple boost converter that you select, can control to behave the same across all units is much more reliable. Not only does simplifying make for a more reliable system, eliminating external variables is also a best practice. And yes, simply asking people to connect multiple batteries in series without making sure they know the risks of unbalanced packs is dangerous. Which is why this should not be recommended as a practice for all to follow. Not to mention the extra space, cost and cabling required. This video is showing a much simpler, cheaper and practical way of extending the capacity of a power station used in a mobile environment. Keep that in mind when you watch these videos. The channel is called 'Freely Roaming' because the audience is people who travel nomadically.
@@freelyroaming Man, you continue to ignore basic electronics and ohms law, but ok. This is your video and I'll respect that and go somewhere else. I was simply answering someone else's well placed question, and will warn folks that your answers are just blatantly wrong. A 100Ah battery doesn't just SHOVE that 100Ah into whatever you connect it to, it is merely a MAX rating. At 500W rated on a solar charger, a 50Ah battery would supply exactly the same power as a 100Ah does into one of these units (because the resistance is what sets current). The 100Ah isn't going to double that power. And the reason most of us get these power generators is because it converts and does all this for us. So, fine, for those of you that want, continue using a DC boost that costs more, adds complexity, limits your current and potentially can burn your house down (most of those cheap ones on Amazon can get to a Tcase of 85'C). But just know that IF you use the proper XT60i input to the solar plug (or whatever plug your charger has for it's solar input) and as long as you follow the voltage recommendations for that port (most even protect you if you are outside that range and just disable charging), you are going to be fine keeping with the simpler solution of just connecting up and not boosting it and wasting current on a HEATER as well as limiting your effective charge rate.
@@jeffmcclain don't play dumb and pretend to be 'just answering' someone's question. Just like your tone in this response, you know as well as I do that you deleted your own rude and ignorant post from yesterday that I called you out on and this is just your way of looking around trying to find someone to defend your poorly made suggestion. It's obvious that it doesn't just push all of the available power. Neither will a 2500 watt solar panel. But without the proper components in the circuit it will blow an internal fuse at the very least. Ohm's Law does not just magically save you when the circuit does not protect against over current. It will in fact work against you. Not all charge controllers are created equal. You are telling people to trust unknown circuitry inside a black box and recommending for people to ignore the possibility that some poorly designed power stations will cause more current to pass thru than it should unimpeded which is ignorant and irresponsible. At best you will blow the internal fuse and at worst cause injury and death. It's foolish and dangerous. I can't stress enough the fact what you are telling people can hurt them for the sake of your own injured pride on this topic.12-24v boost converters are used everyday, everywhere. Especially the low current 6A unit I recoomended in this video. From a pure safety standpoint it is much safer than telling a layperson to mess with 2 100Ah 4S LiFePO4 batteries in series. Even if they are able to choose the proper cables, lugs, crimp and connect them safely and properly, you can have further implications in potentially damaging the batteries with over charging/discharging if the capacities are unbalanced. it is just a terrible idea altogether to recommend it without further explanation. I hope your employer/clients see these comments and finds the flaw in your argument that you would trust an entire category of unnamed components in products without prejudice because of what they "should" be able to do. This is entirely poor judgment for someone who proclaims to be a professional... Let me see, you think I should run 4 USB 5V cables in series instead of using a single USB-PD to charge my macbook? Much more efficient, right? 🤦♀
Many power stations mppt allows much faster charging when using two 12v batteries in series. For instance the aferiy 210 will accept ~100 Watts with one 12v 100ah battery but using two batteries in series the charge rate goes up to about 500w. If your power station supports this it is absolutely worth connecting this way if you have two batteries
Thank you such an informative and grounded video. I have been searching for ways to expand the capacity of my Oupes 1200 power station. Todd Parker has a video where he uses the Oupes supplied car charging cable and then attaches a female cigarette adapter to the lithium battery. I tried it just now, as you this may not work with all batteries and power stations. It works fine and I am charging at about 97 watts from my 200 amp hr Ampere Time battery.
Very easy to understand. Thanks for your clear explanation , especially the universal examples. I have a Anker Solix F1500 that I wanted to connect my ebike batteries to for extra capacity. I’ll have to determine the voltage DC input on the station and decide from there if I need a step down or step up to satisfy the input range. I think the power station DC input range is 11V-60V. I have lithium ion batteries (that I can make use of) ranging from 36-72V. There are now anti-spark and battery blender devices that can be used with batteries of same voltage, but differing Ah capacities. I’ve used these successfully on my e-bike projects. I’ll have to read more from the comments, but connecting a adjustable low voltage cutoff device from the feeder battery would be good. The BMS isn’t always so great, especially under load.
This is how you would normally charge it but it require more equipment and is slightly less efficient. You are inverting the DC source first to AC and converting it back again to DC. Each one of those jumps create inefficiency. Using the method shown eliminates one of those conversion steps which creates more efficiency.
I started out with the solar generator. And after buying the panels for it to charge it up I started getting more panels and batteries. So now I got both backup for the backup 😁
Great way to extend the run time of any power station. My only concern is the voltage converter gets hot during its operation telling me there is a significant conversion loss associated with them.
I really enjoyed your video and it was very informative so it’s utilizing a boost converter you are getting a stable wattage for them to accept solar connection via XT60 connector.
I personally have a foxnov 384W, and 2 Allpowers S2000 1500W units. I’m planning on adding batteries instead of buying other units until I have enough for a large scale unit that can output 8000-10,000W as I’m looking for a whole home power station solution
Good solution, as a powerbank appeals to do the grunt work in a camper van, but I'm worried that its less easy to expand than a full system. (Trying to think of a way to recharge the extra battery on the road too, perhaps swapping over the DC charger or EHU in, but then you're needing extra kit...)
That was an impressive demonstration 😎 Two Thumbs-up!! 👍👍 I've been trying to figure out how to do that with my new Delta 2 and watched a few other videos with very poor results. Great job!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ YES I did. 😎 Considering the limited "D/C input" and limited additional capacity available for the *Delta 2 ( @500-watts / with any combination of volts up to 60 volts), I decided to take a completely different approach by using the "A/C input" of the *Delta 2 which has a fantastic input spec for its size and capacity of 1,200-watts (120-volt x 10-amp = 1,200 watts). My theory (untested at the moment)) is to use a 12/24 D/C volt to 120 A/C volt inverter and connect multiple 12 or 24 volt LifePo4 batteries, using the inverters A/C outlet to recharge the *Delta 2 A/C input. For example one 12.8 volt x 100ah battery = 1,280 watts, exceeding the original capacity of the *Delta 2 with one $300 battery and the cost of the inverter (minus the power loss for the inverter). Now imagine the potential storage capacity of a larger battery bank stacked with either 12-volt or 24-volt LifePo4 batteries. Then add a solar power charge controller and recharge your battery bank during the day with any sized solar array that matches your daily usage. Remember, the D/C to A/C inverter only needs to be running when recharging the *Delta 2. The same inverter can also be used to supply power for other items in the home as needed. The right solar panel array should be designed to recharge your battery bank.
@@royrobinson4636 nice! It’s funny you mentioned that theory as I was looking at inverters today. It seems easier to keep it to AC charging even with the lose. The input any other way stepping up is too slow. I appreciate the input and insight. Just needs to make sure is pure sine wave. I actually snagged a fuel fuel genny over the holidays for backup to is. Works great!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ I retired 5 years early (7 years ago) as an engineer and own a ranch in a very rural area. "Self-reliance" has been my goal for the past 5-6 years, it's also become a lifestyle. A backup generator system with manual switchgear was one of my first goals. I use two (2) 2500-watt Champion dual-fuel inverter generators connected to the low-pressure side of my 250-gal bulk propane tank. I can run both in series or parallel or independently using a parallel box to feed my 240volt / 200 amp distribution panel. Both generators are de-rated to 1750 watts using propane and another minus 50+ watts for high altitude, together they can produce about 3400 watts, which is more than enough for my critical needs. Both are still light enough (40 lbs each) and quiet enough (53 dB) and are fitted with quick disconnects, making them portable enough to grab and toss in my truck with a couple of 20lb propane tanks and take that power anywhere. I use the *Delta 2 specifically for my home office and Starlink internet. I have both Residential and Starlink R/V systems. 🤠
I also bought Delta2 (Ecoflow), and noted that the back of it is a male XT-60i which has a gold middle pin (data pin). Cannot buy Xt-60i female anywhere, so used regular xt-60 female with 48 volt DC LRS-600-48 Mean Well P.S. It works but the current is limited to 8 Amp only, so, the charge was 429 watts with 54.5V and 7.8A. Yes, you have to adjust the output voltage at P.S. to Max. Of 54.5V. 2 nd method I used the DC to DC booster set at 60V and 8 A the output is 481 Watts but when measured the MPPT inside Delta2 adjusted to 41.7V and 11.46A which surprised me because my XT-60 was not Ecoflow XT-60i to MC4 cable (yes, you have to pay extra, not come with Delta2). But still under 15 A maximum.
The bad thing is that step up boost converter has no current limiter so one needs to be careful it does not over heat, catch fire and burn your house down. There have been other videos mentioning this. One is better off spending a little more one one that has built in current regulation.
Hi Dan, thank you for making this video. Quick question- I have a 24v day solar system with 4 100ah batteries. Already having 24v at my disposal, is there a device that protects a power station from over voltage during charging from a battery bank? I realize most power stations have built in protection but I want redundancy in protection. Thank you.
I have the Ecoflow River without the extra battery. I want to be able to extend it's battery life by tying into the pair of deep cycle lead acid batteries that I have. The voltage of two fully charged 12 V batts will exceed the River's charge limits I believe. What sort of current limiter should I use. I also wonder how much power I can take from my Nissan Leaf traction battery. DC-DC converter puts out 1000 watts @12v.power.
Cool video! I may do something like this in the future. Don't know if it's been asked, but would a 24v LiFePo4 battery work? That way, you wouldn't need the dc to dc converter.
Yes it would. Would double your watts in as expected. Your power station will limit based on the max amps it can charge at. My bluetti is limited at 15 amps and will not allow more than that. 15 amps x 12.6 v =189 watts. 15 amps x 25.2v = 378 watts. You can series connect two 12v batteries to get 24v as an option. You should be able to go up to 48v even. Since the amps aren’t increasing, wire size doesn’t become an issue. Still 15 amps or whatever your power station limits charging to.
My project is to use this hack combined with a dollar regulator to charge a 100mA battery during the time I'm out of my country house. I can have this extra energy fully charged once I arrive on Friday with my Delta 2 fully charged too. And I can keep a little fridge working too
Stumbled upon your channel great content !! Is there away to charge the lifePo battery from vehicle starter battery or alternator and charge while driving ? Thank you 😊
Thank you so much, I really need to get over my timid nature, when it comes to this topic, mainly because of diy wires, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and I would have saved hundreds vs the AC70 that I may be returning, still in my hallway unopened, since I don’t have the certainty of being able to pay it off! A bit of confidence and caution and I wouldn’t be wrestling buyers remorse! Although I am new to this, and watched a different tutorial were the boost converter had the caveat of running a bit too hot, the circumstances may have been different in key ways during that UA-camr’s tutorial, I just don’t remember why, but all this just to say thank you 🙏
Thank you, Sir. Great hack. I think I'll be leaning towards the pre-soldered wires that is being offered. And good tip on the 24v pass-thru. I think my Bluetti has that...hmm. I was going to go with a different battery, 230wh, but I really like this battery and all of its protective safety features. Thank you! Great hack!
The performance you are getting from that tiny boost converter you can get she same by just wiring a xt60i connector that has its activation pin linked to the negative then connect it straight to the battery no converter needed it will charge at the current limit of the mppt
Unless explicitly stated, power stations do not support XT60i connectors and will not have the ability to read the data stream. The third pin will do nothing. None of the ones I showed here do. That means they will not charge from the native battery voltage. Generic MPPT charge controllers will simply ignore the lower than sufficient voltage and do nothing. However, all charge controllers will charge from 24vdc as it mimics a solar panel which they are all designed to be used with. The point here is to find a way that works with the widest range of power stations out there. Not only the ones that might work with it.
? Does the length of a pigtail make any difference on charging or delivery/"flow" rate? ? Does each use the same gauge wire or are all of them different - and can a wire be too heavy?
Please forgive the lack of knowledge, this is all very new to me. It appears you are using 4ea. 12 AWG wires from the battery into the XT60 connector, is there a specific purpose for that connection rather than just 2 wires? I really appreciate this video, a genius hack!
How would you be able to connect the battery to a battery expansion port found on EcoFlow solar generators allowing the EcoFlow to take and charge the battery from solar or shore power?
Thumbs up and subscribed! I have a Bluetti ac200 max. Do you think I can make my diy expansion battery with eve prismatic cells/bms? There's a lot of loss with the step up/down converter plus more crap to break/carry/lose .
You can use a diy battery pack if it's got a BMS. But I like having a boost converter especially with Bluettis since they need higher solar input voltage. Also it acts as a current limiter.
It would definitely extend the time you can be out. Depending on the solar panel you use, as long as it has an inline charge controller, you can definitely use it to top off the battery pack while it charges the power station.
@@freelyroaming Are you able to do a followup instruction to show how to solar charge the expansion battery? In this scenario, would you be able to use solar to first charge the expansion battery, which will simultaneously charge the powerstation, which will simultaneously charge your devices?
@@shane.diesel @Freely Roaming I would really like to see how to charge via solar panels too. I have two Ecoflow R600 pro that can be linked. It also had this special option too add an extra battery via a special plug, but it is not available any more :/ I charge them with my Ecoflow solar panels, though at bit slow.
Great video. I would attempt to source a battery thats 24v to do this if your power station requires it. Those cheap 12-24v dc converters are considerably inefficient. Thats why they get so hot over time. Great option if you already have the 12 battery laying around.
I'm an admitted idiot with DC power. How would the 24 v battery hook up work? Can it directly feed the 12 v power station without modification? Also, if using an alternator to charge these, which battery would you use? Thanks for any ideas.
LifeP04 battery charger for home power or panes a charge controller. Or hell I guess if you wanted to the panels to your solar generator a plug a lifep04 charger to the solar generator. Won’t be very efficient for sure but it can be done a number of ways
I rather use 12v 500w pure sine wave inverter to max out most small to medium power stations. A lot of them now come with higher charging capacity with no charging bricks.
So without the cheap 12 to 24v converter you can do the same as 12v to 12v using the barrel to cigarette lighter female and connect a cigarette male to battery clamps end and connect to the battery, correct? Slower but still moves the watts over.
The connector is not the only limitation. You'll need to change the wire gauge, and the DC converter. Simply swapping the connector won't change anything. The difference with the XT60i isn't that it carries more power but that it adds a data sensing lead for devices that support them. In this case, that data lead won't be doing anything.
This 100ah Power Urus battery is around $400. It is cheaper than the main brand expansion batteries. But the Bluetti 800 ah one w all the bells and whistles is $6-700 without all the rigging.
Bluetti doesn't sell a 800Ah unit. An 800Ah LiFePO4 at 12.8v is over 10kWh of capacity. If you are talking about their 800Wh unit, that's only 2/3 of the capacity of a 100Ah battery. Add the capacity of whatever power station you are starting with, which you might already own, you are only getting about 50% of total capacity with what you are talking about. It's really apples and oranges. You're talking about just buying a bigger power station but this is about expanding the one you already own. It will always be cheaper to do it this way.
Ok I'm a little green on the topic, but what is the advantage of buying the powerpack over just an inverter to go with your battery and charger? The outlets?
Amazing video!! Can you leave the extra battery connected to a solar generator 24/7? I used an Ecoflow Delta 2 as a UPS/Backup power for my frig (we lose power monthly), so my frig is always connected to the Ecoflow, and the Ecoflow is always connected to the wall socket. I would love to extend the capacity but I also don't want to have to plug in the extra battery in case I am not home.
This is so cool! Smart. How fast do you suppose the 12v battery could charge up a Bluetti Ac200 max ? I have been trying to figure out how to power a stationary RV without building a whole system with components, BUT having enough capacity without costing a fortune. Id be totally off grid so would need a way to solar charge the 12v too.
Is it normal for the 12v-24v Boost Converter to get almost too hot to touch while charging my ACP200P? Great vid and works nicely using an airline connector but the converter seems to get very hot.
Fascinating video! What about if you have two converters wired in parallel so it would take 12v from the lifepo4 battery and push out 24v at 280watts, would that work? Second question, when the power converter is attached to the battery will it draw power even if the output plug of the converter not hooked to anything?
I have Battery discharging limit problem with my two batteries: - Basen Green 11.7kWh 51.2V (BG) - Ecoflow Delta pro - inverter 3,6 kWh 48V (DP) BG charges DP via XT60 (solar) input with power 8A - 420W when necessary. With DP inverter I can't set BG as not to empty itself completely! so I please for help, what or how could I do to prevent BG from draining to 0%? Can you suggest some Battery status monitor that can stop charging when voltage drop below set limit?
Hi there. Thanks for great vid. How would it work with 24v 100Ah battery? Would it damage power station (vtoman 1800 for example?) . Would it need any adapters ? Would appreciate your response.
Interesting concept. So I had to try it on my Jackery 300 without the converter. It charges at 78 watts through the cigarette lighter plug, which is about all the flimsy barrel connector can handle without overheating. Works like a champ.
Usually those connectors and cigarette lighter plugs have a 10A rating. That is also why using a 24v boost converter is best because it will allow it to handle more watts without increasing the current.
@@donbrloks3959 the jackery 300 has a 90w max charge rate with a 12-30v input limit. At 12v you would charge at a max of around 7a. 24v would half that. That unit is one of the smallest power stations and would take over 3 hours to charge it. there are many more modern options like the ecoflow river 2 that will charge at a much faster rate.
Very nice presentation. I've saved it for reference. I too need written directions on how to make pigtail cables. I've got a booklet by Will Prowse which I hope will explain for novices how this set up safely increases the generator capacity.
personnally i prefer a 24volt battery QWW has one 24v 50ah for 350 CAD yes the 12 to 24 v booster is a cheaper solution but it heats up and would need a fan to keep it cooler.
You're really pumping out the videos lately Dan. 👍 That boost converter in a pretty substantial heatsink. What's the efficiency? How much heat/watts does it shed?
@@freelyroaming But that same barrel connector fit a couple of your power banks. Is there some standard I should be checking for a concentric plug that is rated to pass xxxW of current?
@@jimurrata6785 yeah that barrel plug is one of the more common ones. It is used by PowerOak, Oupes and Wanroy. I made it by cutting it off of the PowerOak charger. I wouldn't preemptively make any pigtails without knowing what power station you are going to get though. When I cut it off of the AC adapter, I install XT60 plugs on both ends of the cut wire so it can still be put back together and used. That is the ideal way to go. And you don't have to buy anything extra. The current is so low that companies just use whatever they have on hand. Its usually less than 10A of power.
Another wonderful hack. Thanks for all your ideas. Question: can this step-up booster also be used to boost a 12-volt solar panel or a 12-volt power supply? I realize it may be slower but will it work? I'm always looking for alternative ways to charge. Thanks.
Great video! Just what I was looking for. Question. If I wanted to take it a step further and connected the 400w solar panels that are hooked up in my fifth wheel to charge my 200ah Lifepo4 battery and then connected the battery to my AllPowers R2500 with the method you described, would the panels then charge the RV battery and then the power station at the same time? I hope that my explanation makes sense :) THANKS!
Might it be even better to boost battery to 48 V at 10 A (480 W) since many power stations have a 10 A solar input limit? For example, Daygreen booster at Amazon or others for $100. Do still need to recharge the Li battery and need a power source to do that. Couldn’t that power source be used instead to charge the power station directly? This approach seems less expensive than a larger power station or it’s add on battery. But the Li battery is $100, the V boost is $100 and the Li recharge is also $100 so $500 total?
Everyone who's suggesting using 2 batteries in series doesn't understand a few things. First, it's far more expensive to buy 2 batteries instead of one. Second, it is more difficult to transport and still requires you to crimp and solder wires. And lastly and most importantly, it does not give you current-limiting functionality for safety purposes. So please, if you are wondering, I do NOT generally recommend connecting 2 batteries together instead of using a DC boost converter. You can do that if you want but just know that it is not a better solution for the purpose of this video.
Very true, there would be no need to purchase 2 batteries when you can simply purchase a 200ah battery, a all in one. Question?
I recently purchased an Anker C1000 with the expansion battery. I have several 12.8v 100ah batteries that I can attach if needed a pure sine wave inverter that I can pump up to 1300w or as low as 100w of power into my power station using the Anker app to adjust whatever wattage I want to charge with. My expansion problems are over with…With 3ea 200w solar panels I’m good to go. I’ve done all that small step up inverter work with the different adapters to my smaller power stations which are basically obsolete, but I wanted something out of the box I could just plug and play that would meet all my needs..Small, portable & powerful…
@@HebrewNomadOverlander good idea. If you increase the AH of the battery and just use a single battery, it seems like it should be the best answer for a cheaper alternative to use with a small home battery backup. Imagine using a 400ah battery.
They make 24v lifepo4 batteries right on Amazon. No need to series 2 12v together.
@tonyinfinity it is never a good idea to connect batteries directly to each other without current limiting device in between. LOL! ROFL! But you do you bro.
Been doing this for years. Just be warned that those small DC to DC boost converters get very very HOT. Maybe enough to start a fire. Keep them on a non combustable surface. A better alternative is the Victron Orion 12-24 converter. Much bigger heatsink and runs much cooler.
Not this one. This is exactly why I opted for this 3A unit because relative to the 10A version the heatsink here is massive. I've been using this one for a long time and it never gets to hot to touch even after hours of use. Victron doesn't make a small 3A unit like this. 10A is the smallest and it's costs 10 times the price. But if you want to, you can and the idea is the same. Just be aware that 10A is too much current for some smaller power stations with a 120w input limit. Make sure it has a built-in current limiter.
@john doeYes you can. It's limited to 8.2A though so you'll charge at about 100W. You can upconvert it similiar to the video to 24v for 200w
Great video! Newby here. I have a Delta mini with 300 watt solar input. My question is why do you need a step up from 12 to 24 volts if the input goes in to 12 volt like solar? I can see why it would have to be regulated. I already have a 24volt to 12 volt 20 amp 240 watt step down converter. Would this work?
@@bulldogs131 is there a video of a 24v charging
Can I charge my marine lifepo4 battery directly from my ecoflow max?
I was about to just connect my LifePO4 battery to the charge port.
Glad I saw this. Thanks, man.
Good video.
I use adjustable output boost converter for my Bluetti, and other Solar gen I have, it works great.
Here are some of my suggestions to improve safety.
1) Put a fuse on the battery positive terminal so in case the Boost converter shorted out or accidentally short circuit the wiring.
2) Put a Female XT60 on the battery side instead of having exposed male pins as you have right now.
I've got a bag full of different soldered connectors I made to adapt whatever I need so I don't have to deal with making one-off adapters when I need to make something work. Some are for the explicit purpose of having an automotive blade fuse but I didn't feel the need to use it here. Plus these connectors aren't any more or less safe on the female or the male side by design. The male pins are not exposed.
Plus just about every power station in the market today has reverse polarity and short circuit protection. Definitely every single one I showed here do. But sure I figured there is always gonna be some Safety Sallys piping up on every video.
@@freelyroaming How do you survive with such a thin skin? let me fix your snarky reply for you - "Ty, good idea. I don't need it for my purpose but others might benefit"
@@davidr9876 u r right david.. we have to be more "flexible" and open minded and have neoguh nerves to be stay calm and open for suggestions.
@@paulstaf you sound like someone who has zero practical experience. Just desperate commenting on other people's channels to find any shred of relevancy.
Great video production! We fuse our LFP's to protect the wire. LFP's, due to their very low internal resistance, can delivery more instantaneous joules of energy than AGM or FLA Batteries in the event of a short circuit. Nobody wants a fire, and most people on here don't have Electrical Engineering backgrounds.
Why not plug your battery directly into the solar panel connector. The internal controller should regulate the battery current.
He’s probably keeping it at a voltage range that spreads across dc voltage inputs of those devices. Makes sense, but so does your question lol.
This was well presented and clearly explained. I think this is a good solution to use in an RV with a fixed LiFePO4 battery. Your solution provides 1280KwH of additional storage. The accessory battery is not cheap ($340). The accessories add another $25-40. External charger perhaps $50 for a total of $430. Correct me if my addition is off.
Negatives - Moving a large battery around is awkward - no handle/no case. Maximum output wattage is still limited to the power supply circuits of your power station. Albeit half the capacity, a new EcoFlow 600 is $479. If you just need a moderate increase in storage a larger second unit would seem to be a better solution. Is the boost converter necessary with some units? The specs on my EcoFlow River 2 indicate it will accept 12-20 volts input for charging. It comes with a cigarette plug adapter to charge from your car which is12 volts. If this is correct, couldn’t I just hook the battery to the 12 volt charging plug? Does it already have internal circuitry to limit the current and adjust the voltage?
I’d like to see this solution adapted to use with batteries we all might already have on hand (i.e. power tools, drones, external battery chargers for cell phones). It may be a small boost but often that’s all you need.
The cost comparison needs to be made with first party battery add ons like this 6kwh ecofow delta option.
amzn.to/3UEKkoU
This is over 5-10x the price at per Wh level. Generic LiFePo4 packs are always going to be the cheapest option for the amount of capacity that you get. Power tool batteries are far more expensive per Wh and the battery chemistry does not give it the cycle life as compared to these. it would be much more costly over time to use them.
Boost converter serves as the equalizer to make this work with more types of power stations. While not needed for some, it can serve as a safety feature for all as it adds a cheap and easily replaceable current limiting feature.
You can certainly buy smaller lifepo4 batteries to make it more portable and lower the cost significantly especially when compared to other options you mentioned. The prices have continued to fall. 100Ah lifepo4 packs are now easily below $200 and 50ah ones can be found for less than 100.
amzn.to/49hjCqZ
They are small and weigh as little as 12 lbs. That's half the weight of a case of beer which I know for a fact that people have no problems carry with them when they go camping 😉
Far cheaper than the extra Bluetti 230 battery at $999.00!
@@ralphbuoncristiani2941 a 12v battery won't charge a 12v battery. Your car's alternator puts out 13 or 14 volts to push current to your car's battery
This is exactly the video I've been looking for. I couldn't get my batteries that are charged with my solar panels to charge my Bluetti. The current just wouldn't flow. I thought that I was doing something wrong. Thank you thank you!
That's a great hack. Thanks. Great to have in a power failure to keep the fridge and freezer running longer.
I'm getting my portable system delivered in a couple of days. In a power outage, I'd let the fridge go and use my solar/battery power on the freezer(s). I can eat the contents of the fridge in days but the freezer(s) are full of a years food from my garden. It's the thought of the loss of the WORK even more than the food its self that has lead me to get a back up system. I've lost entire freezers in the past but supermarket foods is just money lost. By the end of the summer I have two freezers on the go nowadays. I have other backup plans for cooking and lighting no need for a battery there.
I use a pure Sine 12V to 220V 600W pure sinus inverter for my Bluetti 2400. Works as a charm. ( Europe has 220V )
You are converting the energy twice, resulting in lower efficiency and higher idle consumption. You can do it if you don’t mind the loss.
Otherwise the boost converter is more efficient
I'm a newbie. It would be nice to have a video on how to build the pigtale cable coming off the battery.
Thanks for the feedback. I will try to find time to make some howto videos like that.
Look around for this model on UA-cam and there are quite a few videos that show how to make that wire
I recommend you get a professional to make the pigtail cable, maybe even warrantied try a cellphone repair/ electronics repair and show them what you need. If you do this wrong you will regret it.
That being said a newbie should be able to do it anyway. But it’s your money and battery….
@@freelyroamingplease send link if you made video
@@freelyroaming thank you for this video.. I am about to buy a first gen Prius... will this work to increase driving range?
Knowledge is power and this is pure gold sir. Great video content. Very needy info. Thank you!
I really like that idea for getting 4 to 5 times longer use and faster charge time is a game changer
Basically a battery charging a battery. GENUIS!!!!!!!
Pretty SUS. Losses from charging compared to just ganging the batteries together and letting them draw down together. Maybe, just maybe you can get 87% efficiency charging from your extra battery.
@@robertkubrick3738 If you have shore power why not charge the battery and power bank at the same time ?
Thanks, I was thinking of not buying a power station due to the high price, buy now I can get a smaller unit with a battery and use my small solar panel to charge the battery all the time, thanks so much!
I connect directly to a cig lighter with a cheap wattmeter to a compact 3s 3.7v lithium pack from 10.5v it fast charges at 10 to 11 amp. Then later boost to lifepo4 battery. Great for no sun in December and January
If you want to make a lot of money, build a "capacity booster" that will auto-sense both input and output, allowing you to connect to any source (12/24/36/48) and safely charge any power station, regardless of what it draws. You could include a heat sensor and cooling fan. (Some boost converters come with a fan attached.)
They already make auto detecting chargers, I use four them to charge my LifePO4, 12v or 24v. If you really want to make some money, make a 120amp all in one unit. Only one on the market and it has Brazilian plugs.
I have to rig four chargers together to achieve my charge rate goal on generator power. I have reduced Generator Charging from Over 24 hours to 3 hours. I wonder how much energy i save..... lol
They make voltage regulators, for what it’s worth. They are used where shore power or generator power lags or fluctuates. It outputs constant 120 or 220 AC.
@@Oblivionsurveyor why 120? Is it just an open market at that capacity? Pretty sure you could come up with something.
Thanks for the video.
Here's a less portable, more efficient option if you have 2 or more batteries:
Hook your batteries in series to raise the voltage. No need for the boost converter's inefficiencies or need to cool it. (Mine gets very hot without a fan)
Just make sure the batteries are within .1V of each other before connecting them in series. (You'll get a big rush of current if they aren't the same voltage.)
Took my Delta 2 from 180ish charging watts with 1 battery to 365ish watts with 2 in series. (Your results may vary depending on the charging circuit of your power station.)
The problem with series connected battery is that there is no current limiter.
@@freelyroaming MPPT (or older PWM) DC/solar charger limits that for you on the generator side. None of these power generators connect you directly to the internal 36v or 48v storage cells. They all use their own DC charger/BMS.
Rely on that only if you are willing to constantly replace blown internal fuses.
Just so you know, hooking up two 100Ah batteries in series and connecting them directly to the solar input port of your power station is the equivalent of connecting 2,500 watts of solar panels to that same port. If you think your power station is designed to handle that then go for it.
Bottom line is every power station has a different charge controller. Some will definitely trip or blow a fuse as its internal protection method. So If you want to reliably use this method over a wide range of units, don't count on all of them to behave the same. A simple boost converter that you select, can control to behave the same across all units is much more reliable.
Not only does simplifying make for a more reliable system, eliminating external variables is also a best practice.
And yes, simply asking people to connect multiple batteries in series without making sure they know the risks of unbalanced packs is dangerous. Which is why this should not be recommended as a practice for all to follow. Not to mention the extra space, cost and cabling required.
This video is showing a much simpler, cheaper and practical way of extending the capacity of a power station used in a mobile environment. Keep that in mind when you watch these videos. The channel is called 'Freely Roaming' because the audience is people who travel nomadically.
@@freelyroaming Man, you continue to ignore basic electronics and ohms law, but ok. This is your video and I'll respect that and go somewhere else. I was simply answering someone else's well placed question, and will warn folks that your answers are just blatantly wrong. A 100Ah battery doesn't just SHOVE that 100Ah into whatever you connect it to, it is merely a MAX rating. At 500W rated on a solar charger, a 50Ah battery would supply exactly the same power as a 100Ah does into one of these units (because the resistance is what sets current). The 100Ah isn't going to double that power. And the reason most of us get these power generators is because it converts and does all this for us. So, fine, for those of you that want, continue using a DC boost that costs more, adds complexity, limits your current and potentially can burn your house down (most of those cheap ones on Amazon can get to a Tcase of 85'C). But just know that IF you use the proper XT60i input to the solar plug (or whatever plug your charger has for it's solar input) and as long as you follow the voltage recommendations for that port (most even protect you if you are outside that range and just disable charging), you are going to be fine keeping with the simpler solution of just connecting up and not boosting it and wasting current on a HEATER as well as limiting your effective charge rate.
@@jeffmcclain don't play dumb and pretend to be 'just answering' someone's question. Just like your tone in this response, you know as well as I do that you deleted your own rude and ignorant post from yesterday that I called you out on and this is just your way of looking around trying to find someone to defend your poorly made suggestion.
It's obvious that it doesn't just push all of the available power. Neither will a 2500 watt solar panel. But without the proper components in the circuit it will blow an internal fuse at the very least.
Ohm's Law does not just magically save you when the circuit does not protect against over current. It will in fact work against you.
Not all charge controllers are created equal. You are telling people to trust unknown circuitry inside a black box and recommending for people to ignore the possibility that some poorly designed power stations will cause more current to pass thru than it should unimpeded which is ignorant and irresponsible. At best you will blow the internal fuse and at worst cause injury and death. It's foolish and dangerous.
I can't stress enough the fact what you are telling people can hurt them for the sake of your own injured pride on this topic.12-24v boost converters are used everyday, everywhere. Especially the low current 6A unit I recoomended in this video.
From a pure safety standpoint it is much safer than telling a layperson to mess with 2 100Ah 4S LiFePO4 batteries in series. Even if they are able to choose the proper cables, lugs, crimp and connect them safely and properly, you can have further implications in potentially damaging the batteries with over charging/discharging if the capacities are unbalanced. it is just a terrible idea altogether to recommend it without further explanation.
I hope your employer/clients see these comments and finds the flaw in your argument that you would trust an entire category of unnamed components in products without prejudice because of what they "should" be able to do. This is entirely poor judgment for someone who proclaims to be a professional...
Let me see, you think I should run 4 USB 5V cables in series instead of using a single USB-PD to charge my macbook? Much more efficient, right? 🤦♀
Awesome info! I was looking for an economical way to supplement my new EcoFlow Delta.Thanks!
I'm new to solar and solar powered generators and such, but this is exactly what I had in mind.
Amazing video for using my 100Ah lithium battery to charge power stations. Explained many products and charging. A+ video.
Many power stations mppt allows much faster charging when using two 12v batteries in series. For instance the aferiy 210 will accept ~100 Watts with one 12v 100ah battery but using two batteries in series the charge rate goes up to about 500w. If your power station supports this it is absolutely worth connecting this way if you have two batteries
Thank you such an informative and grounded video. I have been searching for ways to expand the capacity of my Oupes 1200 power station. Todd Parker has a video where he uses the Oupes supplied car charging cable and then attaches a female cigarette adapter to the lithium battery. I tried it just now, as you this may not work with all batteries and power stations. It works fine and I am charging at about 97 watts from my 200 amp hr Ampere Time battery.
Xlnt! Thanks. Bought 2 12v 100amp lifepos (2yrs ago) for a solar project. This is perfect for how to double their use. Great tutorial!
Very easy to understand. Thanks for your clear explanation , especially the universal examples. I have a Anker Solix F1500 that I wanted to connect my ebike batteries to for extra capacity. I’ll have to determine the voltage DC input on the station and decide from there if I need a step down or step up to satisfy the input range. I think the power station DC input range is 11V-60V. I have lithium ion batteries (that I can make use of) ranging from 36-72V.
There are now anti-spark and battery blender devices that can be used with batteries of same voltage, but differing Ah capacities. I’ve used these successfully on my e-bike projects. I’ll have to read more from the comments, but connecting a adjustable low voltage cutoff device from the feeder battery would be good. The BMS isn’t always so great, especially under load.
Can't I just hook up a power inverter to the battery and just plug in my solar inverter to that and charge it that way?
I need to know this as well! I have Delta 2 and a 220w solar panel and I want to expand the capacity this way..
This is how you would normally charge it but it require more equipment and is slightly less efficient. You are inverting the DC source first to AC and converting it back again to DC. Each one of those jumps create inefficiency. Using the method shown eliminates one of those conversion steps which creates more efficiency.
@@sopranosfan2 and at that point just use the battery and inverter and skip the power station altogether lol
I started out with the solar generator. And after buying the panels for it to charge it up I started getting more panels and batteries. So now I got both backup for the backup 😁
Great way to extend the run time of any power station. My only concern is the voltage converter gets hot during its operation telling me there is a significant conversion loss associated with them.
I really enjoyed your video and it was very informative so it’s utilizing a boost converter you are getting a stable wattage for them to accept solar connection via XT60 connector.
I personally have a foxnov 384W, and 2 Allpowers S2000 1500W units. I’m planning on adding batteries instead of buying other units until I have enough for a large scale unit that can output 8000-10,000W as I’m looking for a whole home power station solution
Good solution, as a powerbank appeals to do the grunt work in a camper van, but I'm worried that its less easy to expand than a full system.
(Trying to think of a way to recharge the extra battery on the road too, perhaps swapping over the DC charger or EHU in, but then you're needing extra kit...)
That was an impressive demonstration 😎 Two Thumbs-up!! 👍👍 I've been trying to figure out how to do that with my new Delta 2 and watched a few other videos with very poor results. Great job!
Roy, been looking for the same thing for the Delta 2. Did you go with anything? Great video @Freely Roaming.
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ YES I did. 😎
Considering the limited "D/C input" and limited additional capacity available for the *Delta 2 ( @500-watts / with any combination of volts up to 60 volts), I decided to take a completely different approach by using the "A/C input" of the *Delta 2 which has a fantastic input spec for its size and capacity of 1,200-watts (120-volt x 10-amp = 1,200 watts).
My theory (untested at the moment)) is to use a 12/24 D/C volt to 120 A/C volt inverter and connect multiple 12 or 24 volt LifePo4 batteries, using the inverters A/C outlet to recharge the *Delta 2 A/C input. For example one 12.8 volt x 100ah battery = 1,280 watts, exceeding the original capacity of the *Delta 2 with one $300 battery and the cost of the inverter (minus the power loss for the inverter).
Now imagine the potential storage capacity of a larger battery bank stacked with either 12-volt or 24-volt LifePo4 batteries. Then add a solar power charge controller and recharge your battery bank during the day with any sized solar array that matches your daily usage.
Remember, the D/C to A/C inverter only needs to be running when recharging the *Delta 2. The same inverter can also be used to supply power for other items in the home as needed. The right solar panel array should be designed to recharge your battery bank.
@@royrobinson4636 nice! It’s funny you mentioned that theory as I was looking at inverters today. It seems easier to keep it to AC charging even with the lose. The input any other way stepping up is too slow. I appreciate the input and insight. Just needs to make sure is pure sine wave. I actually snagged a fuel fuel genny over the holidays for backup to is. Works great!
@@lxboogersugarxl8431 ~ I retired 5 years early (7 years ago) as an engineer and own a ranch in a very rural area. "Self-reliance" has been my goal for the past 5-6 years, it's also become a lifestyle. A backup generator system with manual switchgear was one of my first goals.
I use two (2) 2500-watt Champion dual-fuel inverter generators connected to the low-pressure side of my 250-gal bulk propane tank. I can run both in series or parallel or independently using a parallel box to feed my 240volt / 200 amp distribution panel. Both generators are de-rated to 1750 watts using propane and another minus 50+ watts for high altitude, together they can produce about 3400 watts, which is more than enough for my critical needs. Both are still light enough (40 lbs each) and quiet enough (53 dB) and are fitted with quick disconnects, making them portable enough to grab and toss in my truck with a couple of 20lb propane tanks and take that power anywhere. I use the *Delta 2 specifically for my home office and Starlink internet. I have both Residential and Starlink R/V systems. 🤠
I also bought Delta2 (Ecoflow), and noted that the back of it is a male XT-60i which has a gold middle pin (data pin). Cannot buy
Xt-60i female anywhere, so used regular xt-60 female with 48 volt DC LRS-600-48 Mean Well P.S.
It works but the current is limited to 8 Amp only, so, the charge was
429 watts with 54.5V and 7.8A. Yes, you have to adjust the output voltage at P.S. to Max. Of 54.5V.
2 nd method I used the DC to DC booster set at 60V and 8 A the output is 481 Watts but when measured the MPPT inside Delta2 adjusted to 41.7V and 11.46A which surprised me because my XT-60 was not Ecoflow XT-60i to MC4 cable (yes, you have to pay extra, not come with Delta2).
But still under 15 A maximum.
What are you using to charge back up the spare 100Ah LifePO4 battery after it runs down?
I was wondering the same thing
This is what I'd like to know. Can it go both ways can I solar charge the battery with any of these stations?
I guess none of you guys made it to 14:42 in this video?
The bad thing is that step up boost converter has no current limiter so one needs to be careful it does not over heat, catch fire and burn your house down. There have been other videos mentioning this. One is better off spending a little more one one that has built in current regulation.
Hi Dan, thank you for making this video. Quick question- I have a 24v day solar system with 4 100ah batteries. Already having 24v at my disposal, is there a device that protects a power station from over voltage during charging from a battery bank? I realize most power stations have built in protection but I want redundancy in protection. Thank you.
I enjoyed your video, I am still in the decision making process for my camper build electrical system, always appreciate new ideas, thanks.
I have the Ecoflow River without the extra battery. I want to be able to extend it's battery life by tying into the pair of deep cycle lead acid batteries that I have. The voltage of two fully charged 12 V batts will exceed the River's charge limits I believe. What sort of current limiter should I use. I also wonder how much power I can take from my Nissan Leaf traction battery. DC-DC converter puts out 1000 watts @12v.power.
That's a very smart solution. Never thought of that, thanks for sharing this idea.
Thanks! Glad you like it.
@@freelyroaming I really do. Btw, we based our LifePO4 conversion on your videos. One year ago now. I will do a capacity test video soon.
Cool video! I may do something like this in the future. Don't know if it's been asked, but would a 24v LiFePo4 battery work? That way, you wouldn't need the dc to dc converter.
Yes it would. Would double your watts in as expected. Your power station will limit based on the max amps it can charge at. My bluetti is limited at 15 amps and will not allow more than that. 15 amps x 12.6 v =189 watts. 15 amps x 25.2v = 378 watts. You can series connect two 12v batteries to get 24v as an option. You should be able to go up to 48v even. Since the amps aren’t increasing, wire size doesn’t become an issue. Still 15 amps or whatever your power station limits charging to.
My project is to use this hack combined with a dollar regulator to charge a 100mA battery during the time I'm out of my country house. I can have this extra energy fully charged once I arrive on Friday with my Delta 2 fully charged too. And I can keep a little fridge working too
Perfect! I literally have been trying to figure this one out and wasn’t sure what to try. Thank you.
Stumbled upon your channel great content !!
Is there away to charge the lifePo battery from vehicle starter battery or alternator and charge while driving ?
Thank you 😊
Yes 12v lighter socket or direct wire to battery with fuse on pos. Side of course
Any video on how to do this and add a solar panel to show all three units working together?
You just saved me a lot of money. This concept definitely works for me. Thanks
Thank you so much, I really need to get over my timid nature, when it comes to this topic, mainly because of diy wires, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and I would have saved hundreds vs the AC70 that I may be returning, still in my hallway unopened, since I don’t have the certainty of being able to pay it off! A bit of confidence and caution and I wouldn’t be wrestling buyers remorse! Although I am new to this, and watched a different tutorial were the boost converter had the caveat of running a bit too hot, the circumstances may have been different in key ways during that UA-camr’s tutorial, I just don’t remember why, but all this just to say thank you 🙏
Thank you, Sir. Great hack. I think I'll be leaning towards the pre-soldered wires that is being offered. And good tip on the 24v pass-thru. I think my Bluetti has that...hmm. I was going to go with a different battery, 230wh, but I really like this battery and all of its protective safety features. Thank you! Great hack!
The heat is finally gone
This thing is waterproof I put it in a glass with Ice and problem solved
For better safety I only use a couple of Ice cubes
The performance you are getting from that tiny boost converter you can get she same by just wiring a xt60i connector that has its activation pin linked to the negative then connect it straight to the battery no converter needed it will charge at the current limit of the mppt
Unless explicitly stated, power stations do not support XT60i connectors and will not have the ability to read the data stream. The third pin will do nothing. None of the ones I showed here do. That means they will not charge from the native battery voltage. Generic MPPT charge controllers will simply ignore the lower than sufficient voltage and do nothing. However, all charge controllers will charge from 24vdc as it mimics a solar panel which they are all designed to be used with. The point here is to find a way that works with the widest range of power stations out there. Not only the ones that might work with it.
? Does the length of a pigtail make any difference on charging or delivery/"flow" rate?
? Does each use the same gauge wire or are all of them different - and can a wire be too heavy?
Please forgive the lack of knowledge, this is all very new to me. It appears you are using 4ea. 12 AWG wires from the battery into the XT60 connector, is there a specific purpose for that connection rather than just 2 wires? I really appreciate this video, a genius hack!
How would you be able to connect the battery to a battery expansion port found on EcoFlow solar generators allowing the EcoFlow to take and charge the battery from solar or shore power?
Thumbs up and subscribed! I have a Bluetti ac200 max. Do you think I can make my diy expansion battery with eve prismatic cells/bms? There's a lot of loss with the step up/down converter plus more crap to break/carry/lose .
You can use a diy battery pack if it's got a BMS. But I like having a boost converter especially with Bluettis since they need higher solar input voltage. Also it acts as a current limiter.
You explain things in a way that allows me to understand easily. Thank you. Now, please excuse me while I go and hit that subscribe button!
This additional capacity could get thru several days of clouds then solar could recharge both batteries! Thanks for the info !:- )
It would definitely extend the time you can be out. Depending on the solar panel you use, as long as it has an inline charge controller, you can definitely use it to top off the battery pack while it charges the power station.
@@freelyroaming Are you able to do a followup instruction to show how to solar charge the expansion battery? In this scenario, would you be able to use solar to first charge the expansion battery, which will simultaneously charge the powerstation, which will simultaneously charge your devices?
@@shane.diesel @Freely Roaming I would really like to see how to charge via solar panels too.
I have two Ecoflow R600 pro that can be linked. It also had this special option too add an extra battery via a special plug, but it is not available any more :/
I charge them with my Ecoflow solar panels, though at bit slow.
Can this be done to a bluetti EB3A?
Hi, great idea! The power station "art hill" I googled it and I could not find it. Where did you buy this? What's its website? Please reply.
Great video. I would attempt to source a battery thats 24v to do this if your power station requires it. Those cheap 12-24v dc converters are considerably inefficient. Thats why they get so hot over time. Great option if you already have the 12 battery laying around.
I'm an admitted idiot with DC power. How would the 24 v battery hook up work? Can it directly feed the 12 v power station without modification? Also, if using an alternator to charge these, which battery would you use? Thanks for any ideas.
Can I connect the device in ur video to my 12 volt solar array (instead of a battery) to charge Ecoflow River Pro ?
That is the way it is designed to work. 12v solar panels output anywhere between 18-24v
Excellent demo for what I need. 👍🏽👏🏽 I hv Ecoflow 882wh mini delta & 1000 Jackery & need extended power. I'll need to make some pigtails connectors.
What up Doe!?
Very nice Hack!!
Can't wait to try on our power station.
Great job 👍🏼
This is amazing knowledge I have gained after watching your video. Thanks
Great video, where do you get those battery compactly test unit from? How many watts are they?
From here
amzn.to/3DpHT02
They have a max draw of 150 watts.
That’s good to know but how did you charge the 100ah battery?
I need to know this too
It was in the video.
LifeP04 battery charger for home power or panes a charge controller. Or hell I guess if you wanted to the panels to your solar generator a plug a lifep04 charger to the solar generator. Won’t be very efficient for sure but it can be done a number of ways
I rather use 12v 500w pure sine wave inverter to max out most small to medium power stations. A lot of them now come with higher charging capacity with no charging bricks.
Do you have to use lithium battery not lead acid ?
Great video, thanks for making it. Can you charge the lifep04 battery with solar panels?
Yes, as long as you are using a charger controller.
You and everyone else that's into that power station stuff
So without the cheap 12 to 24v converter you can do the same as 12v to 12v using the barrel to cigarette lighter female and connect a cigarette male to battery clamps end and connect to the battery, correct? Slower but still moves the watts over.
Switch the xt60 to xt60i for more charging wattage. It eliminates the restriction coming in for ecoflow
The connector is not the only limitation. You'll need to change the wire gauge, and the DC converter. Simply swapping the connector won't change anything. The difference with the XT60i isn't that it carries more power but that it adds a data sensing lead for devices that support them. In this case, that data lead won't be doing anything.
This 100ah Power Urus battery is around $400. It is cheaper than the main brand expansion batteries. But the Bluetti 800 ah one w all the bells and whistles is $6-700 without all the rigging.
Bluetti doesn't sell a 800Ah unit. An 800Ah LiFePO4 at 12.8v is over 10kWh of capacity. If you are talking about their 800Wh unit, that's only 2/3 of the capacity of a 100Ah battery. Add the capacity of whatever power station you are starting with, which you might already own, you are only getting about 50% of total capacity with what you are talking about. It's really apples and oranges. You're talking about just buying a bigger power station but this is about expanding the one you already own. It will always be cheaper to do it this way.
What is the wattage on a normal 12v input without the step up
Do you have a video on how you would recharge that extended battery, while on the road?
Would this battery setup work with a bluetti 200max?
Ok I'm a little green on the topic, but what is the advantage of buying the powerpack over just an inverter to go with your battery and charger? The outlets?
@@TribalGlobe primarily because more cost and less efficiency
Amazing video!! Can you leave the extra battery connected to a solar generator 24/7? I used an Ecoflow Delta 2 as a UPS/Backup power for my frig (we lose power monthly), so my frig is always connected to the Ecoflow, and the Ecoflow is always connected to the wall socket. I would love to extend the capacity but I also don't want to have to plug in the extra battery in case I am not home.
This is so cool! Smart. How fast do you suppose the 12v battery could charge up a Bluetti Ac200 max ? I have been trying to figure out how to power a stationary RV without building a whole system with components, BUT having enough capacity without costing a fortune. Id be totally off grid so would need a way to solar charge the 12v too.
Is it normal for the 12v-24v Boost Converter to get almost too hot to touch while charging my ACP200P? Great vid and works nicely using an airline connector but the converter seems to get very hot.
I have an EB70S and a deep marine battery. Can i just buy the cable and run it direct without the converter?
Fascinating video! What about if you have two converters wired in parallel so it would take 12v from the lifepo4 battery and push out 24v at 280watts, would that work? Second question, when the power converter is attached to the battery will it draw power even if the output plug of the converter not hooked to anything?
How many battery can you connect at once ? And can you have a panel connected at the same time.charging the battery ?
Can you post a link to that battery charger you used to charge the PowerUrus battery?
Im looking to buid a full DYI station but would like to be able to recharge the batteries without solar in the event i need to recharge at night
I have Battery discharging limit problem with my two batteries:
- Basen Green 11.7kWh 51.2V (BG)
- Ecoflow Delta pro - inverter 3,6 kWh 48V (DP)
BG charges DP via XT60 (solar) input with power 8A - 420W when necessary.
With DP inverter I can't set BG as not to empty itself completely! so I please for help, what or how could I do to prevent BG from draining to 0%?
Can you suggest some Battery status monitor that can stop charging when voltage drop below set limit?
Hi there. Thanks for great vid. How would it work with 24v 100Ah battery? Would it damage power station (vtoman 1800 for example?) . Would it need any adapters ? Would appreciate your response.
Interesting concept. So I had to try it on my Jackery 300 without the converter. It charges at 78 watts through the cigarette lighter plug, which is about all the flimsy barrel connector can handle without overheating. Works like a champ.
Usually those connectors and cigarette lighter plugs have a 10A rating. That is also why using a 24v boost converter is best because it will allow it to handle more watts without increasing the current.
Would be for a larger power station. Max the Jackery 300 can take is 6 amps, so cig plug works very well.
@@donbrloks3959 6A at what voltage? Because if you can take in 6A at 24v then you can charge at double the rate as 6A at 12v.
@@freelyroaming 12 v. The Jackery limits incoming charge no matter how much you make available
@@donbrloks3959 the jackery 300 has a 90w max charge rate with a 12-30v input limit. At 12v you would charge at a max of around 7a. 24v would half that. That unit is one of the smallest power stations and would take over 3 hours to charge it. there are many more modern options like the ecoflow river 2 that will charge at a much faster rate.
What if i wanna connect it with solar panel and extend the battery in the same time ,
Very nice presentation. I've saved it for reference. I too need written directions on how to make pigtail cables. I've got a booklet by Will Prowse which I hope will explain for novices how this set up safely increases the generator capacity.
personnally i prefer a 24volt battery QWW has one 24v 50ah for 350 CAD yes the 12 to 24 v booster is a cheaper solution but it heats up and would need a fan to keep it cooler.
I'm in zimbabwe where do I find them
Could you please give a link to where you buy the barrel connectors thank you so much. Have a blessed day.
Depending on what size you need. This is one of them
amzn.to/47yX1UT
Would it be a good idea to use a fuse
You're really pumping out the videos lately Dan. 👍
That boost converter in a pretty substantial heatsink. What's the efficiency? How much heat/watts does it shed?
Have you got a link for that barrel connector?
I usually just cut the cable to the AC charger that comes with the unit and install XT60 connectors in between.
@@freelyroaming But that same barrel connector fit a couple of your power banks. Is there some standard I should be checking for a concentric plug that is rated to pass xxxW of current?
@@jimurrata6785 yeah that barrel plug is one of the more common ones. It is used by PowerOak, Oupes and Wanroy. I made it by cutting it off of the PowerOak charger. I wouldn't preemptively make any pigtails without knowing what power station you are going to get though. When I cut it off of the AC adapter, I install XT60 plugs on both ends of the cut wire so it can still be put back together and used. That is the ideal way to go. And you don't have to buy anything extra. The current is so low that companies just use whatever they have on hand. Its usually less than 10A of power.
It's about a 10-15% efficiency loss in the boost conversion.
Another wonderful hack. Thanks for all your ideas. Question: can this step-up booster also be used to boost a 12-volt solar panel or a 12-volt power supply? I realize it may be slower but will it work? I'm always looking for alternative ways to charge. Thanks.
Thanks. Yes you can use it with a power supply but I would avoid using it with a solar panel as the voltage is not stable
Sounds like a great idea! What is the formula that explains how a 100 Ah battery triples the capacity of a, let's say, 600 Wh powerstation? Thank you.
100Ah has 1280Wh of capacity.
1280+600=1880
600x3=1800
That's 80Wh more than triple.
How different would it be by just using a car battery?
Any fuse needed for this setup?
You protect the boost converter it wouldn't hurt to have a 15A inline fuse between the battery and the converter.
@@freelyroaming thanks. Possible video idea? A version 2? Thanks for the vids. Been learning a lot
Great video! Just what I was looking for. Question. If I wanted to take it a step further and connected the 400w solar panels that are hooked up in my fifth wheel to charge my 200ah Lifepo4 battery and then connected the battery to my AllPowers R2500 with the method you described, would the panels then charge the RV battery and then the power station at the same time? I hope that my explanation makes sense :) THANKS!
Thanks. Yes as long as the battery you are using to replenish the power station has power, it will keep topping off the power station indefinitely.
This converter gives 24volt. Can i plug this into the powerstation port 12volt? Thanks for this good video.😊
Might it be even better to boost battery to 48 V at 10 A (480 W) since many power stations have a 10 A solar input limit?
For example, Daygreen booster at Amazon or others for $100.
Do still need to recharge the Li battery and need a power source to do that. Couldn’t that power source be used instead to charge the power station directly?
This approach seems less expensive than a larger power station or it’s add on battery. But the Li battery is $100, the V boost is $100 and the Li recharge is also $100 so $500 total?
How does one recharge the battery? Car/auto?
Recharging from the grid does not make much sense to me.
Nice videos. How to find your other vids? I thought I saw one where you did a battery load test at the beginning.
do you empty that 12v 100ah battery to 0 ?
How would this work if you used a 24v LFP battery to power one of these power stations? Would you still need anything between?