I have a Zooms (now called Redodo) 12v 100ah LiFePO4 and I also have an Ampere Time 12v 50ah LiFePO4. I bought these based on Will Prose taking these apart on his videos. My 50ah ampere time is in a small cooler made into a power station. I use it to run my Setpower 12v dual zone refrigerator/freezer and my Icybreeze air conditioner cooler. My 100ah runs my 1200 watt 2.1 channel surround sound system for the drive in theater.
Keep up the great videos. I look forward to following your journey and testing. My foray into solar started with wanting some power at an annual family campout. I had been interested in solar for a good many years, but it felt too expensive for what it provided for most of those years. I built a 5 gallon PVC solar shower in 2019 that I was pressurizing with a cheap tire inflator. It had to be carried while full up a steep hill to the truck to use. 2020 saw the use of a single deep cycle marine battery to run a RV pump to bring water up from the river and run the shower. Still had to carry the battery up the hill to the truck to charge it. NOT ideal. Also, I am getting too old for that crap. 2021 and some stimulus checks made me bite the bullet and purchase 4 new batteries and 400w of solar panels. I also built a ram pump to move water up the hill to a 55 gallon plastic water barrel for camp water and showers. I had a bank of 12v power outlets for charging devices, a cell phone booster, a cheap inverter to provide 120v for an air mattress inflator and a mini washing machine, and an Iceco VL65 running both zones as a freezer to keep the meat frozen. I wasn't impressed with how much voltage drop there was when running the inverter, so I added 2 more batteries when I moved the system to my camper over the winter. I'm a logger in Wyoming, so I actually use my camper in the winter, and yes, it has a wood burning stove installed in it. I purchased a Chins 300ah LiFePo this spring to run the electrical system in the camper while my wife was camped out at the lake to see how it handled loads. I intend to use it this summer at the campout as well. It handles my usage better that 6 135ah lead acid batteries did. I don't get that severe voltage drop when I use heavy loads (I've upgraded to a pure sine wave inverter) and it will absorb a significant amount of amps above the lead acid when charging. I'm getting more out of my panels due to the lessened resistance of the battery chemistry. I still need to get the shunt installed and do a few more tweaks to the system, but I'm never going back to lead acid. As a side note, one of the things that got me to pull the trigger on buying a LiFePo battery was the fact that I actually needed to purchase 6 new lead acid batteries for welders and vehicles this spring if I kept using the 6 I had for a battery bank. It was only another $500 above what I would have spent anyway, and I didn't waste the batteries I already had.
I love your story of the steps you took along the way with solar. I started out slowly as well many year's ago. Lifting lead acid, or lugging it up a hill now I would certainly be risking an injury! I started back in 95 with one 50 watt solar panel, and one 12v 100ah lead acid battery. I was so thrilled in my 17 ft. travel trailer parked permanently at 9000ft. elevation that I never wanted to leave the mountain. The system continued to grow there for many year's, and now out here, the story continues. Thank you for sharing this story with us...aloha 🤙
A little more expensive, but I enjoy building my own using the 3.2 v cells. After watching Will P. Videos where he digs into some of the pre assembled batteries, the cells are some times not A grade quality. Building them for me is an enjoyable experience. Thanks for the video.
I chose by the battery color of course. Power Queen was my favorite. No really just from watching a few UA-cam videos and then the best price at the time. You and your videos were very informative thanks a bunch.
For me it is having to fully recharge my FLA batteries daily to avoid sulfation even though I still have around 85% capacity left in my battery bank at sunset. Also the float charge takes forever to complete and I was always using the grid to fully recharge my battery bank to 100%. There is not enough sunlight hours to fully recharge FLA. Lifepo4 charges faster and can be stored less than 100% state of charge.
Chins / Ampere Time / Enjoybot = same company . Will Prowse did a video on this . Just a note , 3 years ago I paid $999 for a 100ah Battle Born . Just paid $379 for 100ah Ampere Time . Really like your videos , very informative . Best Regards from Daytona Beach , Florida
Yeah I've seen, and heard that too. Their all working great so far. I thought about the Battle born batteries but they are spendy. I guess we'll see over the year's to come jow all of these hold up. So far, I'm loving them! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your information with us...aloha 🤙
How’s you (Li)amper time battery holding up? Any complaints? I’m leaning towards that type model but worried that I might be spending my time and money. Any info is appreciated. Thank you!
Amp-time and Chin are made by the same manufacturer. (Will Prowse) good kid great go to for information. I went to SOK Batteries due to Low Temperature Control, I travel into colder climates. Thank you for your .02 cents
I am in Boston NY,USA the winters are cold. When it comes time to replace my camping battery it will be LiFEPO4 heated low tempura type. around 150 to 200Ah .
I wish there was a way I could afford to power a tiny Frigidaire soft start air conditioner from solar but I`m on SSI and can barely afford enough food to survive. I had no idea where I would eventually move to or the sunlight situation when I first got my stimulus checks and disability back pay so I bought several solar power stations just large enough for my freezers, dorm fridge, lights, fans, and 12 volt cookers because they`re portable and if needed I can always carry them to a sunny area. I also have some redundancy. I had to get something fast because Social Security allows a limited time before you have to spend the money so I bought a camper to live in and scrambled to learn what I could about power stations and get them quickly. On SSI we`re not allowed to have more than 2000 in the bank and 2000 in assets. Hopefully they don`t count my power stations as assets but I had to have an emergency power supply for hurricanes and Winter storms. And if I ever lose my SSI I`ll have a chance to survive and have at least some limited electricity and a way to cook and have refrigeration. Being a white male I`m sure the racist psychos with Social Security have put a target on my back and I want to be ready. Will Prowse has a link now to 48 volt 5 kwh LiFePo4 server batteries for 1500. They claim 7000 cycles to 80%.
I'm thinking to do one at home after Fiona hit Puerto Rico recently I didn't have power for about 6 days and I already have some kind of PTSD from 2017 Maria Hurricane, and we didn't have power for about 6 months "correction 3 months" it felt like 6 months it was a nightmare, thanks for sharing your experience with solar energy 😊
Biggest hurdle for me is the uncertainty of BMS (quality), and presence of Low Temp protection ACTUALLY present, and Functioning, when spec’d. I watch A LOT of tear down vids. “You get what you pay for”. I get it; but, sometimes a person just CANNOT afford a $700-800 batt. So, in my price tier, there’s an uncomfortable inconsistency in tear down evaluations. My ‘must have’ is 200A BMS, even if looking in the 100ah size. Thanks for a great vid. FWIW, AOLithium blew Will’s mind ! And they are pretty Generous with ‘offering’ incentives (discount codes) … because it is in the higher tier.
I'm glad we don't have to worry about low temperature out here, makes everything so easy. But if I was back up in the Rocky mountains where it's below zero already it would be a little bit different would have to have a heating element in the battery or at least have the battery in the heated space. Mahalo for participating in our conversation, it's much appreciated. Aloha! 🤙
I bought a Zooms 100AH back in Jan. For our off grid yard lighting (35 led fixtures) very long driveway and walkway. Purchase was based on 5 yr. Warranty, and they pay the freight. I believe this battery is a clone of the Chins. Although it's only a few months old it's working well and I'm only using the top 10 or 15 % so it should last quite some time. It recharges with 3 100 watt panels and a Victron charge controller.
Great video, and yes Chins and Ampere time are good choices, although I haven't heard of Power queen though. May I ask how did you go about with wiring, fuses and shunt installation? is there a guide to show people on how to install those step by step? Thank again, cheers.
At this point to me the most important factor is customer service. So far Chins is tops for me. I have never had any problems or delays at all with Chins' customer service. I can't say the same about others. Example - last month I purchased 8 280ah cells from a well known U.S distributor. When the cells arrived they were physically wet, bloated, and missing the busbars. I contacted the distributor and it has been nothing but problems, delays, and runarounds to try and get the issue resolved. I should have just purchased a couple of big Chins and I would have avoided any headaches. Still, I can't get that beautiful Power Queen out of my mind.
Geez JR sorry to hear that. I know that has to be frustrating. Wet cell's doesn't sound good at all! Brings up a good point on jow to even deal with, or handle them if they show up like that. Sure hope it gets resolved to your liking. aloha 🤙
If you paid with PayPal, I would make a claim, but if you paid with a credit card then I would make a claim with the credit card company, these ain't cheap last I checked! Good luck man
@@ReviewsandTech Update - that is exactly what I did with my credit card. Still, I don't know how it is going to pan out because the U.S Seller has agreed to refund my money once I return the cells. But, now get this, I took them to the post office to mail them back in a well paded box that I had. The post office clerk asked me if there were any batteries in the box. When I said yes, the clerk told me they have had a lot of problems with batteries in the mail and that it is a Federal crime to ship batteries that are leaking, or have some type of problem like bloating. You can't even ship them via ground. So, the question is, what happens now?
@@JR-kk6ce WOW, that is strict policy, I sure didn't know its federal crime, but I see it from their point of view, if one of those battery goes side ways during transit, then the whole plane can catch on fire, with that being said, I sent a defective lithium power station back to a company via Fedex, I was told you can only ship them back at their official locations and not a retail office just recently, so hopefully that helps you out bro, best of luck, cheers.
I'm just switching got a 48 volt system so I'm going with 4 12 volt 200 ah Moseworth batteries , I can't find nothing on UA-cam about them but I'm like you it all comes down to the types of BMS that's used, if they don't have cool temperature shut down then they should be not restored in a cool place.
@Devo there working awesome 5 months old now, 500kwh put though them now and I can't tell any difference between now and when there were new, I don't go below 20% discharge
Hey thank you! Haha..yeah I need to get an update on my chicken whisperer...they're part of the scenery now for sure, but still hiding those eggs deep in the jungle...aloha 🤙
I've been watching numerous videos on these batteries. The higher priced batteries use new Grade A cells, and their warranty period is much longer. Also, some of these batteries are using inferior BMS units. Also the life cycles are shorter, so that probably explains if they are using recycled cells.
I must have watched at least 5 dozen battery review/teardown videos and they all are pretty much the same unless they cost twice as much. A few minor differences, laser welded vs bolted bus bars, with or without expansion bends. Wires soldered or screwed on to BMS. BMS size. All seem to have adequate wiring, 1lead 6awg, 2 leads 8awg, or 3 leads 10awg. I'm sure all the cases are sourced from 1 company just like all batteries have 1 of the 2 most common brand BMS. Since there seems to be only a hand full of cell manufacturers they have either Eve, Calb, GFB, Gotion, etc. I have yet to see a reviewer state warranties of different batteries. Here is what I found so far. TimeUSB, Redodo, AmpereTime websites state 5 year replacement, they pay freight to return your battery and replacement. Their websites are so similar I'm reminded of Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, one is barebones, one middle of the road, one it top of the line, but all under one parent company. ADCBAT and Enjoybot have 3 year free replacement, Power Queen refund or replace to 6 months, pro-rates 90% after 6 months to 20% after 48 to 59. So a $500 battery that is supposed to last 10 yrs. is only worth $125 if it dies at 4yrs. Can't find a Chins website. Vatrer has no mention of a warranty other than 5 yrs. Eco-Worthy no mention of a warranty.
Server rack batteries are great have 3 eg4 48volt batteries from signature solar Am running a 48volt cruse and comfort ac it was very expensive spent 7k just on the ac and 5k on the batteries And solar just 5 200walt panels Manly only get around 4 to 5 killawalts a day from them Tho its extremely reallible and I do have a pet in the van and I wanted something that would keep the van cool even when the temperatures is over a hundred degrees in the shade Have had days were the outside of the van was in the 140 degrees and even higher and the inside was 65 degrees And the ac is only drawing around 10 amps and runs about 7to 9 hours a day In very hot weather
Very interested in solar. What I'm seeing so far is that going off grid is not possible without significantly reducing usage or spending an astronomical amount of money on batteries. Which is really a big deal, since batteries are the most likely component of a solar array to need replacement. Still, I think a certain amount of autonomy is important. Where are you drawing the line? I can see how this can become an expensive hobby. I already have an expensive hobby. What I'm trying to understand is what's commonly considered "a good start" and where is the point of diminishing returns?
A lot depends what you want to run on solar - or when the power goes off. Take a look at the start up bundles that RENOGY offers. Panels -> Charge Controller. Then you get one battery & one good inverter. From this set up you can easily charge phones, run some LED lights, a fan, your internet router. We just had a 4 day power outage here in Maryland. Was able to run our internet full time, a fan at night & lights. Small pump for our aquariums too.
Here is a link to several practical applications for a 100AH Lipo4 Battery for inflatable boat, induction cooktop and camper ua-cam.com/video/0ZNXfjK81i0/v-deo.html I think the biggest difference between the cheap batteries is the BMS and the cell type (ie Prizmatic) One good add on you can see on the video is the $20 BT module we used. Even with the shunt it is a nice add on.
I currently doing my homework trying to better understand lithium batteries. Your videos are quite helpful. Thank you! Is there any insight you can provide specific to managing batteries in a high temperature environment? How do these batteries perform when temps exceed 100 degrees or more. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Ive personally not had any experience in temperature as high as that. 85 degrees is about max, and they do well in that. Most batteries have their temperature ratings in the specs. I know some people who are doing well in much hotter climates than here with them...aloha 🤙
Somewhere I read or seen that Chins was having a shortage of prismatic cells and have started putting pouch cells in the 100ah model. Don’t know if there is any truth to that. I would think pouch cells would be just as good.
I haven't seen, or heard about that, but I did recently watch a review on pouch cell's and they performed very well. Pretty much the same as far as I could tell. aloha 🤙
IDK about the PQ, but you can parallel as many as you want, but every brand has a maximum number you can put in series. It depends on the rating of the BMS. Most these days can go up to 4 in series, 48v, but I have seen some that can only do 24v.
I made system for my RV/home 7 years of daily use - back then have to assemble LFP battery from 4 CALB raw cells 100AH - no BMS installed - Victron solar controller - had Zero problems - a few months ago purchased and installed 2 x100ah Weize batteries - removed Calb cells from system - Weize battery seem to be good but voltage seem a little lower and stays at 13.1 verses 13.2 for Calb on flat part of discharge curve - maybe BMS adds some resistance - Lately some of the battery companies are selling LFP Batteries with Pouch cells - ( Litime Mini ) this is Not a good use for Pouch cells - pouch cells are used in R/C and cheap rechargeable electronics - pouch cells best used in Quick discharge / charge where weight /size /cost matters - these cells degrade Quickly - not good for daily energy storage -
4 CHINS 280AH Lithium Iron Phosphate with Low Temp Shut Off running in 24 Volt Packs & 4 RENOGY 200AH AGM BATTERIES in the same manner for 3 WZRELB 3000 Watt 24 Volt Inverters and 1 Victron 24/800 for My Medical Devices, Internet Router and Security Lighting on The Ranch here at Indian Creek of Southern California 🌴💦🌵⛩
I just moved to Big Island, What island do you stay on? My question is how or where did you get your CHINS Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery Smart 12V 100AH? As you know its hard to get Lithium batteries ship to Hawaii.
Welcome to the big island! Same place I call home too. Batteries available on Amazon. Usually a shipping fee approximately 100.00 for the 100ah size, more for larger batteries. Aloha 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Aloha, we are on off-grid on the Hamakua Coast. Was nice to find you and your LFP battery comparison. Thus far I haven't seen a way to order these from Amazon to the Big Island. All give the message that they cannot send or not available (change to mainland address and no problems). I've not seen the option to pay additional fees for these batteries - would certainly jump at it. Any secrets you can pass along to get them here??
@@arjdmartin We have the same problem shipping to the US Virgin Islands. I use a freight/LTL consolidator out of Miami as the shipping address when ordering off Amazon. It magically turns "unavailable" products like batteries into deliverable products. The items get shipped to the Miami address and they then ship it to their office on my Island.
on amaz I have the 100amp chin with shipping and tax included for $383.15 but it's not the plus version. I've been debating on getting it for a month now and it's the lowest I've seen it so far. Have you seen it drop lower?
Once saw 315.00, was brief however. The prices do fluctuate. Everytime I look it's different. Everything seems between 350.00 and 400.00 currently. aloha 🤙
Holidays you want to use blue solar panels because they collect more power than the black solar panels I'm not sure more what the boots solar panels called I think they're starting to call them grape solar panels but all I know them as is blue solar panels called poly and I didn't know what the rest of the names called but those seem to work really early in the days before the black ones do they seem to work later at night than the black ones do they make a little less electricity than a black one's doing the full sun but they start they do make more electricity each day than the black ones do because they start earlier in the day and the end later in the day so you get to 300 watt solar panels blue and black see which one puts out more power in a day and you'll see the blue solar panels make just as much as a regular black solar panel if not a little bit more cuz it's collecting more power sooner and it collects power in the clouds when the black ones will not. No this is because I got blue and black solar panels and they keep proving me that point all the time and when I first got into solar panels that's all I got was blue solar panels cuz that's all I ordered because it's all I know there was at the time that I could actually afford which was an arm and a leg itself and these were small solar panels I mean the biggest solar panel was 80 watt that I got the smallest was 15 watts that's what I got I didn't get many of them but I got two of one and four of the other. And then from there I built in from it and they still work as good as if they're new 28 years later.
The sad part is this is priced as so the people it could benefit the most can’t afford even a small set up. My adventure into this is for my camper and I’m choking on the price of batteries. I’ve a new appreciation when I drive past a yard filled with solar. I laugh every time the government promotes getting green. It’s beyond the average person to do so.
Exactly. I believe Renogy is doing its part on getting the price of 100 watt solar panels down to a good price point, BUT good 100ahr batteries are expensive! I started off with 40 ahr batteries & kept adding when ATTBATT had sales. So, I’m up to 4 x 40 ahr batteries.
I Run 2 100ah and a single 300ah chins. Love them.
nice! 🤙
I have a Zooms (now called Redodo) 12v 100ah LiFePO4 and I also have an Ampere Time 12v 50ah LiFePO4.
I bought these based on Will Prose taking these apart on his videos.
My 50ah ampere time is in a small cooler made into a power station.
I use it to run my Setpower 12v dual zone refrigerator/freezer and my Icybreeze air conditioner cooler.
My 100ah runs my 1200 watt 2.1 channel surround sound system for the drive in theater.
That sounds like a couple of pretty sweet applications! aloha 🤙
Keep up the great videos. I look forward to following your journey and testing.
My foray into solar started with wanting some power at an annual family campout. I had been interested in solar for a good many years, but it felt too expensive for what it provided for most of those years. I built a 5 gallon PVC solar shower in 2019 that I was pressurizing with a cheap tire inflator. It had to be carried while full up a steep hill to the truck to use. 2020 saw the use of a single deep cycle marine battery to run a RV pump to bring water up from the river and run the shower. Still had to carry the battery up the hill to the truck to charge it.
NOT ideal. Also, I am getting too old for that crap.
2021 and some stimulus checks made me bite the bullet and purchase 4 new batteries and 400w of solar panels. I also built a ram pump to move water up the hill to a 55 gallon plastic water barrel for camp water and showers. I had a bank of 12v power outlets for charging devices, a cell phone booster, a cheap inverter to provide 120v for an air mattress inflator and a mini washing machine, and an Iceco VL65 running both zones as a freezer to keep the meat frozen.
I wasn't impressed with how much voltage drop there was when running the inverter, so I added 2 more batteries when I moved the system to my camper over the winter. I'm a logger in Wyoming, so I actually use my camper in the winter, and yes, it has a wood burning stove installed in it.
I purchased a Chins 300ah LiFePo this spring to run the electrical system in the camper while my wife was camped out at the lake to see how it handled loads. I intend to use it this summer at the campout as well. It handles my usage better that 6 135ah lead acid batteries did. I don't get that severe voltage drop when I use heavy loads (I've upgraded to a pure sine wave inverter) and it will absorb a significant amount of amps above the lead acid when charging. I'm getting more out of my panels due to the lessened resistance of the battery chemistry. I still need to get the shunt installed and do a few more tweaks to the system, but I'm never going back to lead acid.
As a side note, one of the things that got me to pull the trigger on buying a LiFePo battery was the fact that I actually needed to purchase 6 new lead acid batteries for welders and vehicles this spring if I kept using the 6 I had for a battery bank. It was only another $500 above what I would have spent anyway, and I didn't waste the batteries I already had.
I love your story of the steps you took along the way with solar. I started out slowly as well many year's ago. Lifting lead acid, or lugging it up a hill now I would certainly be risking an injury! I started back in 95 with one 50 watt solar panel, and one 12v 100ah lead acid battery. I was so thrilled in my 17 ft. travel trailer parked permanently at 9000ft. elevation that I never wanted to leave the mountain. The system continued to grow there for many year's, and now out here, the story continues. Thank you for sharing this story with us...aloha 🤙
John Daniel does some really good tests and tear-downs on his site, as well. Off-topic: that's a really beautiful place there where you live.
Mahalo!🤙
A little more expensive, but I enjoy building my own using the 3.2 v cells. After watching Will P. Videos where he digs into some of the pre assembled batteries, the cells are some times not A grade quality. Building them for me is an enjoyable experience. Thanks for the video.
Mahalo for being part of the conversation here...aloha 🤙
Power watching your older videos , great information .
Mahalo! Very happy you're part of the channel. Aloha!🤙
I chose by the battery color of course. Power Queen was my favorite. No really just from watching a few UA-cam videos and then the best price at the time. You and your videos were very informative thanks a bunch.
Haha...yeah, actually thought of the color and decor as maybe being a choice! Too funny. Mahalo for tuning in...aloha 🤙
For me it is having to fully recharge my FLA batteries daily to avoid sulfation even though I still have around 85% capacity left in my battery bank at sunset. Also the float charge takes forever to complete and I was always using the grid to fully recharge my battery bank to 100%. There is not enough sunlight hours to fully recharge FLA. Lifepo4 charges faster and can be stored less than 100% state of charge.
mahalo for that!🤙
Chins / Ampere Time / Enjoybot = same company . Will Prowse did a video on this .
Just a note , 3 years ago I paid $999 for a 100ah Battle Born . Just paid $379 for 100ah Ampere Time .
Really like your videos , very informative .
Best Regards from Daytona Beach , Florida
Yeah I've seen, and heard that too. Their all working great so far. I thought about the Battle born batteries but they are spendy. I guess we'll see over the year's to come jow all of these hold up. So far, I'm loving them! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your information with us...aloha 🤙
How’s you (Li)amper time battery holding up? Any complaints? I’m leaning towards that type model but worried that I might be spending my time and money. Any info is appreciated. Thank you!
Amp-time and Chin are made by the same manufacturer. (Will Prowse) good kid great go to for information.
I went to SOK Batteries due to Low Temperature Control, I travel into colder climates. Thank you for your .02 cents
Mahalo for tuning in...aloha 🤙
I am in Boston NY,USA the winters are cold. When it comes time to replace my camping battery it will be LiFEPO4 heated low tempura type. around 150 to 200Ah .
Most definitely need that low temperature heating protection in your part of the world! aloha 🤙
I wish there was a way I could afford to power a tiny Frigidaire soft start air conditioner from solar but I`m on SSI and can barely afford enough food to survive. I had no idea where I would eventually move to or the sunlight situation when I first got my stimulus checks and disability back pay so I bought several solar power stations just large enough for my freezers, dorm fridge, lights, fans, and 12 volt cookers because they`re portable and if needed I can always carry them to a sunny area. I also have some redundancy.
I had to get something fast because Social Security allows a limited time before you have to spend the money so I bought a camper to live in and scrambled to learn what I could about power stations and get them quickly. On SSI we`re not allowed to have more than 2000 in the bank and 2000 in assets.
Hopefully they don`t count my power stations as assets but I had to have an emergency power supply for hurricanes and Winter storms. And if I ever lose my SSI I`ll have a chance to survive and have at least some limited electricity and a way to cook and have refrigeration. Being a white male I`m sure the racist psychos with Social Security have put a target on my back and I want to be ready.
Will Prowse has a link now to 48 volt 5 kwh LiFePo4 server batteries for 1500. They claim 7000 cycles to 80%.
I'm thinking to do one at home after Fiona hit Puerto Rico recently I didn't have power for about 6 days and I already have some kind of PTSD from 2017 Maria Hurricane, and we didn't have power for about 6 months "correction 3 months" it felt like 6 months it was a nightmare, thanks for sharing your experience with solar energy 😊
Mahalo for being part of the conversation here. You had it rough over there buddy. Hope things getting better everyday for you. Aloha 🤙
Biggest hurdle for me is the uncertainty of BMS (quality), and presence of Low Temp protection ACTUALLY present, and Functioning, when spec’d.
I watch A LOT of tear down vids. “You get what you pay for”. I get it; but, sometimes a person just CANNOT afford a $700-800 batt. So, in my price tier, there’s an uncomfortable inconsistency in tear down evaluations. My ‘must have’ is 200A BMS, even if looking in the 100ah size.
Thanks for a great vid. FWIW, AOLithium blew Will’s mind ! And they are pretty Generous with ‘offering’ incentives (discount codes) … because it is in the higher tier.
I'm glad we don't have to worry about low temperature out here, makes everything so easy. But if I was back up in the Rocky mountains where it's below zero already it would be a little bit different would have to have a heating element in the battery or at least have the battery in the heated space. Mahalo for participating in our conversation, it's much appreciated. Aloha! 🤙
I bought a Zooms 100AH back in Jan. For our off grid yard lighting (35 led fixtures) very long driveway and walkway. Purchase was based on 5 yr. Warranty, and they pay the freight. I believe this battery is a clone of the Chins. Although it's only a few months old it's working well and I'm only using the top 10 or 15 % so it should last quite some time. It recharges with 3 100 watt panels and a Victron charge controller.
should last a very long time at that cycle rate...aloha 🤙
Great video, and yes Chins and Ampere time are good choices, although I haven't heard of Power queen though. May I ask how did you go about with wiring, fuses and shunt installation? is there a guide to show people on how to install those step by step? Thank again, cheers.
Great video, love the choices.
Mahalo! 🤙
At this point to me the most important factor is customer service. So far Chins is tops for me. I have never had any problems or delays at all with Chins' customer service. I can't say the same about others. Example - last month I purchased 8 280ah cells from a well known U.S distributor. When the cells arrived they were physically wet, bloated, and missing the busbars. I contacted the distributor and it has been nothing but problems, delays, and runarounds to try and get the issue resolved. I should have just purchased a couple of big Chins and I would have avoided any headaches. Still, I can't get that beautiful Power Queen out of my mind.
Geez JR sorry to hear that. I know that has to be frustrating. Wet cell's doesn't sound good at all! Brings up a good point on jow to even deal with, or handle them if they show up like that. Sure hope it gets resolved to your liking. aloha 🤙
If you paid with PayPal, I would make a claim, but if you paid with a credit card then I would make a claim with the credit card company, these ain't cheap last I checked! Good luck man
@@ReviewsandTech Update - that is exactly what I did with my credit card. Still, I don't know how it is going to pan out because the U.S Seller has agreed to refund my money once I return the cells. But, now get this, I took them to the post office to mail them back in a well paded box that I had. The post office clerk asked me if there were any batteries in the box. When I said yes, the clerk told me they have had a lot of problems with batteries in the mail and that it is a Federal crime to ship batteries that are leaking, or have some type of problem like bloating. You can't even ship them via ground. So, the question is, what happens now?
@@JR-kk6ce WOW, that is strict policy, I sure didn't know its federal crime, but I see it from their point of view, if one of those battery goes side ways during transit, then the whole plane can catch on fire, with that being said, I sent a defective lithium power station back to a company via Fedex, I was told you can only ship them back at their official locations and not a retail office just recently, so hopefully that helps you out bro, best of luck, cheers.
I'm just switching got a 48 volt system so I'm going with 4 12 volt 200 ah Moseworth batteries , I can't find nothing on UA-cam about them but I'm like you it all comes down to the types of BMS that's used, if they don't have cool temperature shut down then they should be not restored in a cool place.
Hi. How did they turn out? I’m looking at mose or lisuetteli
@Devo there working awesome 5 months old now, 500kwh put though them now and I can't tell any difference between now and when there were new, I don't go below 20% discharge
@Devo I'm also using a 4 battery balancer or equalizer, alot of people say you don't need that but I say it don't hurt nothing either.
Great video as usual. LiFePO4 is the way to go.
On a side note, any update on the chickens for wild egg production? hahaha!!
Hey thank you! Haha..yeah I need to get an update on my chicken whisperer...they're part of the scenery now for sure, but still hiding those eggs deep in the jungle...aloha 🤙
Thanks
You're welcome 🤙
Awesome thanks
you're welcome...aloha 🤙
I've been watching numerous videos on these batteries. The higher priced batteries use new Grade A cells, and their warranty period is much longer. Also, some of these batteries are using inferior BMS units. Also the life cycles are shorter, so that probably explains if they are using recycled cells.
Ampere( Li)Time is crap. BMS goes out, throwing out 50ah 12v into dump after 3 uses, goodbye $199
I must have watched at least 5 dozen battery review/teardown videos and they all are pretty much the same unless they cost twice as much. A few minor differences, laser welded vs bolted bus bars, with or without expansion bends. Wires soldered or screwed on to BMS. BMS size. All seem to have adequate wiring, 1lead 6awg, 2 leads 8awg, or 3 leads 10awg. I'm sure all the cases are sourced from 1 company just like all batteries have 1 of the 2 most common brand BMS. Since there seems to be only a hand full of cell manufacturers they have either Eve, Calb, GFB, Gotion, etc.
I have yet to see a reviewer state warranties of different batteries.
Here is what I found so far. TimeUSB, Redodo, AmpereTime websites state 5 year replacement, they pay freight to return your battery and replacement. Their websites are so similar I'm reminded of Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, one is barebones, one middle of the road, one it top of the line, but all under one parent company. ADCBAT and Enjoybot have 3 year free replacement, Power Queen refund or replace to 6 months, pro-rates 90% after 6 months to 20% after 48 to 59. So a $500 battery that is supposed to last 10 yrs. is only worth $125 if it dies at 4yrs. Can't find a Chins website. Vatrer has no mention of a warranty other than 5 yrs. Eco-Worthy no mention of a warranty.
You've definitely done your research, and make some great points. Chins at:chins.shopping/
just a fyi 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Thanks for the link, I'll check them out.
What did it for me was a 50AH. for $135. Compared to a big box store lead battery, no contest.
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Server rack batteries are great have 3 eg4 48volt batteries from signature solar
Am running a 48volt cruse and comfort ac it was very expensive spent 7k just on the ac and 5k on the batteries
And solar just 5 200walt panels Manly only get around 4 to 5 killawalts a day from them
Tho its extremely reallible and I do have a pet in the van and I wanted something that would keep the van cool even when the temperatures is over a hundred degrees in the shade
Have had days were the outside of the van was in the 140 degrees and even higher and the inside was 65 degrees
And the ac is only drawing around 10 amps and runs about 7to 9 hours a day In very hot weather
Very interested in solar. What I'm seeing so far is that going off grid is not possible without significantly reducing usage or spending an astronomical amount of money on batteries. Which is really a big deal, since batteries are the most likely component of a solar array to need replacement.
Still, I think a certain amount of autonomy is important. Where are you drawing the line? I can see how this can become an expensive hobby. I already have an expensive hobby. What I'm trying to understand is what's commonly considered "a good start" and where is the point of diminishing returns?
Really depends on what you are trying to do with having solar. That will determine what you need, and how to build. aloha 🤙
A lot depends what you want to run on solar - or when the power goes off. Take a look at the start up bundles that RENOGY offers. Panels -> Charge Controller. Then you get one battery & one good inverter. From this set up you can easily charge phones, run some LED lights, a fan, your internet router. We just had a 4 day power outage here in Maryland. Was able to run our internet full time, a fan at night & lights. Small pump for our aquariums too.
👍😊 Gut 😊👍
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Nice Explanation
Mahalo! 🤙
Here is a link to several practical applications for a 100AH Lipo4
Battery for inflatable boat, induction cooktop and camper
ua-cam.com/video/0ZNXfjK81i0/v-deo.html
I think the biggest difference between the cheap batteries is the BMS and the cell type (ie Prizmatic)
One good add on you can see on the video is the $20 BT module we used. Even with the shunt it is a nice add on.
I currently doing my homework trying to better understand lithium batteries. Your videos are quite helpful. Thank you! Is there any insight you can provide specific to managing batteries in a high temperature environment? How do these batteries perform when temps exceed 100 degrees or more. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Ive personally not had any experience in temperature as high as that. 85 degrees is about max, and they do well in that. Most batteries have their temperature ratings in the specs. I know some people who are doing well in much hotter climates than here with them...aloha 🤙
Somewhere I read or seen that Chins was having a shortage of prismatic cells and have started putting pouch cells in the 100ah model. Don’t know if there is any truth to that. I would think pouch cells would be just as good.
does that matter though?
I haven't seen, or heard about that, but I did recently watch a review on pouch cell's and they performed very well. Pretty much the same as far as I could tell. aloha 🤙
So you changed out your solar system? This setup looks completely different from your February video.
Git a few systems running now...redundancy is good!🤙
Curious to know how many of the PQ 200AH can or would you parallel or serial together to maximize capacity?
IDK about the PQ, but you can parallel as many as you want, but every brand has a maximum number you can put in series. It depends on the rating of the BMS. Most these days can go up to 4 in series, 48v, but I have seen some that can only do 24v.
I made system for my RV/home 7 years of daily use - back then have to assemble LFP battery from 4 CALB raw cells 100AH - no BMS installed - Victron solar controller -
had Zero problems - a few months ago purchased and installed 2 x100ah Weize batteries - removed Calb cells from system - Weize battery seem to be good but voltage seem a little lower and stays at 13.1 verses 13.2 for Calb on flat part of discharge curve - maybe BMS adds some resistance - Lately some of the battery companies are selling LFP Batteries with Pouch cells -
( Litime Mini ) this is Not a good use for Pouch cells - pouch cells are used in R/C and cheap rechargeable electronics -
pouch cells best used in Quick discharge / charge where weight /size /cost matters - these cells degrade Quickly - not good for daily energy storage -
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What is low temperature heating? I have heard of low temp protection. Do these have some sort of heating element in them???
Yes they do🤙
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4 CHINS 280AH Lithium Iron Phosphate with Low Temp Shut Off running in 24 Volt Packs &
4 RENOGY 200AH AGM BATTERIES in the same manner for 3 WZRELB 3000 Watt 24 Volt Inverters and 1 Victron 24/800 for My Medical Devices, Internet Router and Security Lighting on The Ranch here at Indian Creek of Southern California 🌴💦🌵⛩
There is no choice, Power Queen. They actually contacted me after the sale to see if I was happy with my purchase.
That is great to hear! 🤙
I just moved to Big Island, What island do you stay on? My question is how or where did you get your CHINS Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery Smart 12V 100AH? As you know its hard to get Lithium batteries ship to Hawaii.
Welcome to the big island! Same place I call home too.
Batteries available on Amazon. Usually a shipping fee approximately 100.00 for the 100ah size, more for larger batteries. Aloha 🤙
@@ProjectsinParadise808 Aloha, we are on off-grid on the Hamakua Coast. Was nice to find you and your LFP battery comparison. Thus far I haven't seen a way to order these from Amazon to the Big Island. All give the message that they cannot send or not available (change to mainland address and no problems). I've not seen the option to pay additional fees for these batteries - would certainly jump at it. Any secrets you can pass along to get them here??
@@arjdmartin We have the same problem shipping to the US Virgin Islands. I use a freight/LTL consolidator out of Miami as the shipping address when ordering off Amazon. It magically turns "unavailable" products like batteries into deliverable products. The items get shipped to the Miami address and they then ship it to their office on my Island.
on amaz I have the 100amp chin with shipping and tax included for $383.15 but it's not the plus version. I've been debating on getting it for a month now and it's the lowest I've seen it so far. Have you seen it drop lower?
the reason I want a decent system is for home backup for the refrigerator and lights...
Just built a small system that would work for that 🤙
Once saw 315.00, was brief however. The prices do fluctuate. Everytime I look it's different. Everything seems between 350.00 and 400.00 currently. aloha 🤙
Will prowse tore apart a chin the one you showed after your test with chin thats how i decided yupper doodle
The Chins are great batteries, and he showed us the insides which was great! 🤙
Holidays you want to use blue solar panels because they collect more power than the black solar panels I'm not sure more what the boots solar panels called I think they're starting to call them grape solar panels but all I know them as is blue solar panels called poly and I didn't know what the rest of the names called but those seem to work really early in the days before the black ones do they seem to work later at night than the black ones do they make a little less electricity than a black one's doing the full sun but they start they do make more electricity each day than the black ones do because they start earlier in the day and the end later in the day so you get to 300 watt solar panels blue and black see which one puts out more power in a day and you'll see the blue solar panels make just as much as a regular black solar panel if not a little bit more cuz it's collecting more power sooner and it collects power in the clouds when the black ones will not. No this is because I got blue and black solar panels and they keep proving me that point all the time and when I first got into solar panels that's all I got was blue solar panels cuz that's all I ordered because it's all I know there was at the time that I could actually afford which was an arm and a leg itself and these were small solar panels I mean the biggest solar panel was 80 watt that I got the smallest was 15 watts that's what I got I didn't get many of them but I got two of one and four of the other. And then from there I built in from it and they still work as good as if they're new 28 years later.
Questions for you..
Did is better buy 2 batteries 100ah or 1 200ah????.
Thanks
Depends what you need to do with the power 🤙
It's good to stick with whats working for ya
You got that right! aloha 🤙
The sad part is this is priced as so the people it could benefit the most can’t afford even a small set up. My adventure into this is for my camper and I’m choking on the price of batteries. I’ve a new appreciation when I drive past a yard filled with solar. I laugh every time the government promotes getting green. It’s beyond the average person to do so.
Exactly. I believe Renogy is doing its part on getting the price of 100 watt solar panels down to a good price point, BUT good 100ahr batteries are expensive! I started off with 40 ahr batteries & kept adding when ATTBATT had sales. So, I’m up to 4 x 40 ahr batteries.
Not Li-Time……..
here in the uk lifepo4 is way overpriced and the postage is near tripple the cost of the battery
That's unfortunate, hopefully it will change 🤙
You can try looking at second hand for LifePo4 batteries online as they have lots of cycles compared to SLA, best of luck.
@@ReviewsandTech i have not had luck in finding 2nd hand
@@1981dasimpson Ebay my friend or even Craigslist, keep your eyes open..cheers
Do you have a customer service phone number and /or a email address to Chins. I need to get my warranty card filled out.
Try this chins.shopping/ 🤙
And after the fact,
Chins has a awesome warranty.
ramble on, where's the beef?
waste of time
A lot of word age. No substance!