Don't worry about the vehicle's voltage. You need to know what the maximum current output of the alternator is. Most cars and trucks come with a 130 amp alternator or 1600 watts. You probably need to upgrade to a 250 amp alternator so you don't burn it up. If you can, tone it down to 600 watts or lower.
Don't ask an American about electricals - they are just learning about the benefits of 240v mains power at half the Amps of the 120v for electrical safety. Yes, worry about vehicle battery's voltage, or it won't start again. Alternators can be "smart alternators" and put out relatively high amps from low speed belt drive.
I am usually a Bluetti guy but just installed the Pecron 500 dc charger in my truck. I like that it shuts itself off at a desired voltage and then starts to charge after the vehicle starts. 500 watts is plenty for me and it is much cheaper solution than either of these.
@@CowsGoMonkey Bluetti was not out yet when I got the Pecron plus the pecron comes with the cable which was extra with the BLuetti. I could still get a bluetti and hook it to my second battery if needed.
@@1stJohn3.9-10 Yup. You don’t need cellular or wifi service to use these. To control them you’ll just need bluetooth, but for the most part just start your vehicle and plug these into your power station. Nothing else needed.
Thanks for getting this video up so quickly. If you have a thermal camera I'd love to see how hot each gets after an hour. The fan in the Charger 1 is a selling point for me after using a Victron unit for so long that gets scorching hot and lowers its input because of it.
While I don’t currently have a thermal camera it may be a good investment for these types of tests. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t forget to subscribe so you know if I can answer your question! 👍🏽
Thank you so much for working on and sharing this! Are there any particular steps you would take for installing this in a hybrid vehicle? I'm trying to evaluate if this alternator charger is a good option for an Ecoflow Delta 2 in my 2024 Toyota Sienna (hybrid) for some month-plus road trips, and I don't know if this will ruin the hybrid battery or if I should limit the charging watts to 500 or what. I appreciate your time and energy!
@@woohoozzi There are alot of differences between hybrid vehicles but I know each has worked in Teslas and other electric and hybrid vehicles. I would say if you have 12v pos and neg connections that’s all you need. No other precautions are needed as the units will back down or stop charging if voltage drops too low. Glad you liked it!
The alternator in the vehicle may be capable of outputting high wattage, but it will overheat if asked for this at idle. The cooling fan on the alternator wil be designed for the engine to be at normal running revs, say 1500 rpm for a diesel, and the belt pulley ratio giving a higher alternator speed. If using full alternator output at engine idle of 800 rpm, the cooling fan will be pulling a lot less air through the alternator, also if the vehicle is stationary, the engine bay wil be hotter. Usually the alternator will only be at high output for short periods, battery top up after start, defrost screen etc. Charging a power station for an hour or more will definately heat it up.
@@allanwales5655 Me being at idle was only for testing purposes so the engine bay will get plenty of air flow in real world scenarios. I agree to take precautions when using dc to dc chargers but I haven’t had a problem for months. They normally aren’t used for really more than an hour or two as the point of them is quick charging. So it shouldn’t be a problem. All that being said I appreciate your comment, agree with you, and will follow up this video with another one after using them both long term. Thanks again!
@@richardmoore2003 The ecoflow has been there for the better part of a year and the bluetti for a couple months now, have not had a problem. The back of the sweat is wood so screws work really well.
So what I'm working on is a setup like this but in a boat. I currently have no alternator so I can buy whatever would be best and I don't charge batteries from the alternator. Is a battery required in the setup or can I go straight from the alternator? Thanks
@@jimkranz2181 you will need a battery. Although they are both called an alternator charger, they get plugged into the battery, not the alternator at all.
..thanks for the comparison....noob question: is it true that both can detect if the car's battery is low and recharge it as well with the same installation?
@@odlanorirom Unfortunately not. Both will detect if your car battery falls below a preset voltage and will stop charging. The bluetti’s safety limit is 12.6v, if your car battery falls below this it will stop charging. It does not have any reverse charge capabilities. The ecoflow alternator charging can reverse charge and trickle charge your car battery but will not do this automatically, you have to set it. It will stop charging your delta from your car battery if the voltage drops below a preset voltage which the user can set but by default it is set to 13v. Hope this helps!
@@johnhouli3450 almost certainly not. Refrigerators have a start up surge that can be way too high for a river 2. River 2 pro would be the smallest, but might need a delta series. My fridge surges to around 1,000w and overloads my r2 max, so I needed a larger unit for it.
@@johnhouli3450 yea delta 2 should handle a refrigerator no problem. Don’t forget to use the affiliate links and here’s a coupon code that should work site wide on the ecoflow website. If not, the use the link atleast 👍🏽 EFDISCOUNT5 us.ecoflow.com?sca_ref=3878725.YcgHoqDVP9&
Costco website states this in Bayamón PR Bayamón It won’t ship to PR from Ecoflow in The USA I will have to try down the road may. E they will change there laws
@@Eddie_Turbo yea it does get to 800 driving, and sometimes idling, but that all depends on your alternator. That’s great news and it is a great product!
Thanks for your comp, I just received my B Charger 1, plan to buy the Delta 2 Max, anything I should know or buy to be able to use the Ch 1 in lieu of solar? It’s full time use in my camper.
@@keithbeasley5862 Nope, I think the d2m has a 60v limit so you should be good at 56v. You’ll need an mc4 to xt60i cable but other than that, you should be good to go!
Are you using the DC Input cable that should have come with the Charger 1? Mine didn’t come with the DC INPUT CABLE, and it’s not available, at least at the moment. Maybe there’s an aftermarket? Really appreciate your insight, I’m kind of lost.
@@keithbeasley5862 I am using the one it came with, but it doesn’t automatically come with one, they are a separate purchase or can be bundled, you may have just bought the unit. However, you can use any 6awg cables to run from the battery to the unit. It’s very DIY friendly
@@keithbeasley5862 same here. I did the pre-order deal and did not notice the DC Input cable is added as a different configuration bundle. Looks like the cable isn't currently available for separate purchase so I have this brick sitting here. Have you found an aftermarket cable?
I have not, but I suppose I’d use 6awg cables and build my set. I wanted the inline 60a breaker so I found plenty of those for marine applications. It’s a good thing as well since I done think the 25’ cable wasn’t going to be long enough anyway. I’m running from the battery of a GMC Sierra to back end of a 20’ Cargo trailer conversion.
That is absolutely incorrect, the charger 1 will work with almost all power stations despite what brand. Think of it as a simulated solar panel but the source is your car battery and not the sun. 👍🏽
I think you alternator maybe under powered. Maybe while driving it might be a bit different? On my EcoFlow Alternator Charger I never get under 800 watts (after a brief warm up) in my Volkswagen Atlas 2019.
@@nrao8977 it depends. The ecoflow yes because it doesn’t use a solar port, but the bluetti you would need 2 solar inputs on your power station since it uses a solar input. Hope that makes sense!
@metaphorse Thanks for the response. What I meant was that can i replace the battery as an input with an appropriate solar panel. For Bluetti, specifically. All else remains the same.
@@nrao8977 Nah you wouldn’t be able to do that with neither of these. A solar panel would go directly into the power station. Etaker has one that accepts a solar input, might be more what you’re looking for.
I got the ecoflow alternator but keep that in mind your car alternator can only do so much and over loading the alternator can decrease the life of the alternator since you got both set up charging at a same time going too need a better alternator for your car after market alternator that can have the amp to 250A keep consistent voltage current on idle some cars come with 150A alternator so having it charging , having phones charging , other stuff charging decreases the power charge on the alternator charger to charge up the ecoflow I have about 6,000 mile clock in charging the eco flow in the suv daily driving but my suv got a 100ah amg battery and my alternator is 150A need to upgrade because I experience the voltage drop on idle But that a another project 250a alternator install
I have no problems charging at 800W with my diesel SUV engine on idle. Even an average 150amp alternator will kick out over 2,000 watts, so there is zero strain or problems long-term.
@@ACEBTRAVEL-AZ-ADVANTUR Thanks for the comment! Yes these do depend on your alternator, I have a 160a alternator but can’t charge both at the same time at full speed. I can lower the charge speeds of both and use them that way, but not at full speeds, I would need a better alternator for that. Good call out! Thanks again!
@@Globetrotter-1 Yea, normally I can get 800w while driving, sometimes at idle but usually just under 800w at idle. I do need a better alternator if Im going to want full speeds from both of them. Thanks!
@@Globetrotter-1 yes that great yours not showing any symptoms of that but when your about 206k mile and your alternator getting warned down it might show symptoms but not all car the same 👍
I guess the main difference is the EcoFlow allows charging car battery feature over Charger 1? EcoFlow allows you to charge the car battery from the power station.
@@mightymikee yea ecoflow has more features like reverse charge and higher charge speed. Bluetti is more universal because it uses mc4 so pretty much can work with any power station.
@@metaphorse Thank you for the reply. I am not downing any product here but wanting to learn about them so I can make my purchase decision. Is Pecron 500w charger comparable to Charger 1 then? I suppose the main difference is digital monitoring available for Charger 1 vs Pecron does not support any app monitoring or any means to monitor the status?
@@mightymikee yea that would be a main difference, but I don’t have much experience with the pecron. I assume they should be similar in function minus the app.
@@kevinlorryman781 umm, unless you met a magical electrician who blessed your setup a 12v socket at most can do 140W and even then it’s likely to melt. You’re 100% making that shit up.
@@dorknerd not at all im in uk you can get plug and play inverters up to 1000w mine is 600w . Its an inverter so only draws 12v at 12pw the ups it to 600w . Its how inverters work its called science
@@kevinlorryman781 I know how inverters work. The inverter is still restricted by the number of amps of the circuit. Most 12V sockets are limited to 10 amps. Please tell me what “science” allows you to bypass the fuse on the circuits. Now if you’re saying you’re running a separate 12V run with proper gauge cables then I’ll believe you. Most of those inverters also put out a modified sine wave, which the power station AC input will reject
the dharger 1 can charge the eclflo. the scoflolw charger can onky charge ecoflo products. only blueeti. charger can charge battery outside of thier ecosystem. bluetti for the win
Don't worry about the vehicle's voltage.
You need to know what the maximum current output of the alternator is.
Most cars and trucks come with a 130 amp alternator or 1600 watts.
You probably need to upgrade to a 250 amp alternator so you don't burn it up.
If you can, tone it down to 600 watts or lower.
Don't ask an American about electricals - they are just learning about the benefits of 240v mains power at half the Amps of the 120v for electrical safety.
Yes, worry about vehicle battery's voltage, or it won't start again. Alternators can be "smart alternators" and put out relatively high amps from low speed belt drive.
thank you
I am usually a Bluetti guy but just installed the Pecron 500 dc charger in my truck. I like that it shuts itself off at a desired voltage and then starts to charge after the vehicle starts. 500 watts is plenty for me and it is much cheaper solution than either of these.
Me too!
🛻+⛺️=🙂!
Mark (& Teresa)
Hampstead Maryland
• Purpose Built Adventure Rig © •
Ford Ranger FX4 - GFC Camper V2 # 1919
• Kia Soulverlander • Nissan Xterra Off-Road •
Ecoflow often has big sales. I bought the Ecoflow Alternator Charger for only $199 off of their site.
How was the installation? @@joeblow1942
Ehh bluetti is $200 preorder. Alternator charger also can be had $200~ multiple times a year.
@@CowsGoMonkey Bluetti was not out yet when I got the Pecron plus the pecron comes with the cable which was extra with the BLuetti. I could still get a bluetti and hook it to my second battery if needed.
Hurricane Helene destroyed everything and nobody had wifi/cell phone service for over a week ... so could this be used without a phone?
@@1stJohn3.9-10 Yup. You don’t need cellular or wifi service to use these. To control them you’ll just need bluetooth, but for the most part just start your vehicle and plug these into your power station. Nothing else needed.
Thanks for getting this video up so quickly. If you have a thermal camera I'd love to see how hot each gets after an hour. The fan in the Charger 1 is a selling point for me after using a Victron unit for so long that gets scorching hot and lowers its input because of it.
While I don’t currently have a thermal camera it may be a good investment for these types of tests. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t forget to subscribe so you know if I can answer your question! 👍🏽
Thank you so much for working on and sharing this! Are there any particular steps you would take for installing this in a hybrid vehicle? I'm trying to evaluate if this alternator charger is a good option for an Ecoflow Delta 2 in my 2024 Toyota Sienna (hybrid) for some month-plus road trips, and I don't know if this will ruin the hybrid battery or if I should limit the charging watts to 500 or what. I appreciate your time and energy!
@@woohoozzi There are alot of differences between hybrid vehicles but I know each has worked in Teslas and other electric and hybrid vehicles. I would say if you have 12v pos and neg connections that’s all you need. No other precautions are needed as the units will back down or stop charging if voltage drops too low. Glad you liked it!
@@metaphorse Super helpful, thank you! Take care :)
great video but lose the music
Darn I liked the music! Thanks for the feedback, I’ll consider it on my next video.
The alternator in the vehicle may be capable of outputting high wattage, but it will overheat if asked for this at idle. The cooling fan on the alternator wil be designed for the engine to be at normal running revs, say 1500 rpm for a diesel, and the belt pulley ratio giving a higher alternator speed. If using full alternator output at engine idle of 800 rpm, the cooling fan will be pulling a lot less air through the alternator, also if the vehicle is stationary, the engine bay wil be hotter. Usually the alternator will only be at high output for short periods, battery top up after start, defrost screen etc. Charging a power station for an hour or more will definately heat it up.
@@allanwales5655 Me being at idle was only for testing purposes so the engine bay will get plenty of air flow in real world scenarios. I agree to take precautions when using dc to dc chargers but I haven’t had a problem for months. They normally aren’t used for really more than an hour or two as the point of them is quick charging. So it shouldn’t be a problem. All that being said I appreciate your comment, agree with you, and will follow up this video with another one after using them both long term. Thanks again!
Please explain how you mounted those chargers to the rear seat. I’m curious how sturdy that is.
@@richardmoore2003 The ecoflow has been there for the better part of a year and the bluetti for a couple months now, have not had a problem. The back of the sweat is wood so screws work really well.
@@metaphorse cool. Thanks
Can either of these chargers charge with solar and the car battery at the same time or do you have to manually change between the two?
@@cooperrigby6819 both will charge with solar at the same time. 👍🏽
So what I'm working on is a setup like this but in a boat. I currently have no alternator so I can buy whatever would be best and I don't charge batteries from the alternator. Is a battery required in the setup or can I go straight from the alternator? Thanks
@@jimkranz2181 you will need a battery. Although they are both called an alternator charger, they get plugged into the battery, not the alternator at all.
@@metaphorse Thank you.
@@jimkranz2181 no problem, don’t forget to subscribe 🫶🏽
Not trying to disrespect this UA-camr by mentioning another but hobo tech showed many iterations of using this device.
@ thanks for the comment
..thanks for the comparison....noob question: is it true that both can detect if the car's battery is low and recharge it as well with the same installation?
@@odlanorirom Unfortunately not. Both will detect if your car battery falls below a preset voltage and will stop charging. The bluetti’s safety limit is 12.6v, if your car battery falls below this it will stop charging. It does not have any reverse charge capabilities.
The ecoflow alternator charging can reverse charge and trickle charge your car battery but will not do this automatically, you have to set it. It will stop charging your delta from your car battery if the voltage drops below a preset voltage which the user can set but by default it is set to 13v. Hope this helps!
Thank you Andrew do you k it if the River 2 can run a full size refrigerator
@@johnhouli3450 almost certainly not. Refrigerators have a start up surge that can be way too high for a river 2. River 2 pro would be the smallest, but might need a delta series. My fridge surges to around 1,000w and overloads my r2 max, so I needed a larger unit for it.
Thank you. The least expensive Delta 2 now on Ecoflow is $489.00 this should handle a refrigerator is that correct it surges at 1800 w.
@@johnhouli3450 yea delta 2 should handle a refrigerator no problem. Don’t forget to use the affiliate links and here’s a coupon code that should work site wide on the ecoflow website. If not, the use the link atleast 👍🏽
EFDISCOUNT5
us.ecoflow.com?sca_ref=3878725.YcgHoqDVP9&
Costco website states this in Bayamón PR Bayamón
It won’t ship to PR from Ecoflow in The USA
Costco website states this in Bayamón PR Bayamón
It won’t ship to PR from Ecoflow in The USA
I will have to try down the road may. E they will change there laws
Can you test these chargers on a 100ah lifepo4 battery?
@@Roadkill750 the result will be the same, as long as the voltage stays above the preset limit, it will charge from most 12-24v batteries.
I just reviewed the EcoFlow alternator and it's a fantastic unit.
Your cars Alternator may me maxxed out, mine is delivering 800ws at 15v
@@Eddie_Turbo yea it does get to 800 driving, and sometimes idling, but that all depends on your alternator. That’s great news and it is a great product!
But the EcoFlow 800 W AC generator charger is temporarily incompatible with the River 2 pro.
@@dawoudabdulla2553 true, thats where the bluetti comes in 👍🏽
Thanks for your comp, I just received my B Charger 1, plan to buy the Delta 2 Max, anything I should know or buy to be able to use the Ch 1 in lieu of solar? It’s full time use in my camper.
@@keithbeasley5862 Nope, I think the d2m has a 60v limit so you should be good at 56v. You’ll need an mc4 to xt60i cable but other than that, you should be good to go!
Are you using the DC Input cable that should have come with the Charger 1? Mine didn’t come with the DC INPUT CABLE, and it’s not available, at least at the moment. Maybe there’s an aftermarket? Really appreciate your insight, I’m kind of lost.
@@keithbeasley5862 I am using the one it came with, but it doesn’t automatically come with one, they are a separate purchase or can be bundled, you may have just bought the unit. However, you can use any 6awg cables to run from the battery to the unit. It’s very DIY friendly
@@keithbeasley5862 same here. I did the pre-order deal and did not notice the DC Input cable is added as a different configuration bundle. Looks like the cable isn't currently available for separate purchase so I have this brick sitting here. Have you found an aftermarket cable?
I have not, but I suppose I’d use 6awg cables and build my set. I wanted the inline 60a breaker so I found plenty of those for marine applications. It’s a good thing as well since I done think the 25’ cable wasn’t going to be long enough anyway.
I’m running from the battery of a GMC Sierra to back end of a 20’ Cargo trailer conversion.
I have the Ecoflow Delta 2 Max, I was told that the Bluetti Charger One will not work with the Delta 2 max
That is absolutely incorrect, the charger 1 will work with almost all power stations despite what brand. Think of it as a simulated solar panel but the source is your car battery and not the sun. 👍🏽
I think you alternator maybe under powered. Maybe while driving it might be a bit different? On my EcoFlow Alternator Charger I never get under 800 watts (after a brief warm up) in my Volkswagen Atlas 2019.
@@Tolg Yea I agree, driving I get 800 and after driving and then idling I get 800 again, just depends on the alternator. 👍🏽
I suppose Bluetti Charger cable/connector can charge EcoFlow? Did you have to get a special adapter?
@@mightymikee yes it can, and you’ll just need an xt60i to mc4 adapter
@@metaphorse Thank you.
@@mightymikee np
Is it possible to use this gizmo with solar panels?
@@nrao8977 it depends. The ecoflow yes because it doesn’t use a solar port, but the bluetti you would need 2 solar inputs on your power station since it uses a solar input. Hope that makes sense!
@metaphorse
Thanks for the response.
What I meant was that can i replace the battery as an input with an appropriate solar panel. For Bluetti, specifically.
All else remains the same.
@@nrao8977 Nah you wouldn’t be able to do that with neither of these. A solar panel would go directly into the power station. Etaker has one that accepts a solar input, might be more what you’re looking for.
I got the ecoflow alternator but keep that in mind your car alternator can only do so much and over loading the alternator can decrease the life of the alternator since you got both set up charging at a same time going too need a better alternator for your car after market alternator that can have the amp to 250A keep consistent voltage current on idle some cars come with 150A alternator so having it charging , having phones charging , other stuff charging decreases the power charge on the alternator charger to charge up the ecoflow I have about 6,000 mile clock in charging the eco flow in the suv daily driving but my suv got a 100ah amg battery and my alternator is 150A need to upgrade because I experience the voltage drop on idle But that a another project 250a alternator install
I have no problems charging at 800W with my diesel SUV engine on idle. Even an average 150amp alternator will kick out over 2,000 watts, so there is zero strain or problems long-term.
@@ACEBTRAVEL-AZ-ADVANTUR Thanks for the comment! Yes these do depend on your alternator, I have a 160a alternator but can’t charge both at the same time at full speed. I can lower the charge speeds of both and use them that way, but not at full speeds, I would need a better alternator for that. Good call out! Thanks again!
@@Globetrotter-1 Yea, normally I can get 800w while driving, sometimes at idle but usually just under 800w at idle. I do need a better alternator if Im going to want full speeds from both of them. Thanks!
@@Globetrotter-1 yes that great yours not showing any symptoms of that but when your about 206k mile and your alternator getting warned down it might show symptoms but not all car the same 👍
@@metaphorseEven if you cut that in half, you'll be okay after a day of overlanding or off-roading technical trails
I guess the main difference is the EcoFlow allows charging car battery feature over Charger 1? EcoFlow allows you to charge the car battery from the power station.
@@mightymikee yea ecoflow has more features like reverse charge and higher charge speed. Bluetti is more universal because it uses mc4 so pretty much can work with any power station.
@@metaphorse Thank you for the reply. I am not downing any product here but wanting to learn about them so I can make my purchase decision. Is Pecron 500w charger comparable to Charger 1 then? I suppose the main difference is digital monitoring available for Charger 1 vs Pecron does not support any app monitoring or any means to monitor the status?
@@mightymikee yea that would be a main difference, but I don’t have much experience with the pecron. I assume they should be similar in function minus the app.
Isnt a battery connected inverter better and cheaper
Cheaper? Maybe? Converting 12V DC to AC and then back to DC will not be better. It’ll probably be substantially larger too.
Mine is 600w plugs in lighter andbputs 600w into powerstation £80 whats the benifit of anything else
@@kevinlorryman781 umm, unless you met a magical electrician who blessed your setup a 12v socket at most can do 140W and even then it’s likely to melt. You’re 100% making that shit up.
@@dorknerd not at all im in uk you can get plug and play inverters up to 1000w mine is 600w . Its an inverter so only draws 12v at 12pw the ups it to 600w . Its how inverters work its called science
@@kevinlorryman781 I know how inverters work. The inverter is still restricted by the number of amps of the circuit. Most 12V sockets are limited to 10 amps. Please tell me what “science” allows you to bypass the fuse on the circuits. Now if you’re saying you’re running a separate 12V run with proper gauge cables then I’ll believe you. Most of those inverters also put out a modified sine wave, which the power station AC input will reject
the dharger 1 can charge the eclflo. the scoflolw charger can onky charge ecoflo products. only blueeti. charger can charge battery outside of thier ecosystem. bluetti for the win
@@justask6607 definitely true although each has pros and cons, Bluetti is hands down more versatile. Thanks for the comment!
Oooh
@@hard2miss oooh yeaaaa😂