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Post by JohnV on Mar 4, 2020 11:06:08 GMT
This is the reason I only charge to 14V ....... (28v for me as I have 24v system) keeping the charge voltage low gives me a huge margin of error available for balancing this means that every few months I check the voltages (I am more interested in the 12v mid point to ensure the batteries are staying close to one another and depend on the built in BMS to keep the individual cells of each 12v battery in line)
Mine is as near fit and forget as you can really get without investing time/money/skull sweat on sophisticated monitoring. I only have possibly 60% of the 260Ah (at 24v) (80% charge 20% flat) but with the same size Pb bank I would only have at best 40% to play with (100% charge 60% minimum discharge)
I am happy with this, with the same size bank I have a lot more usable power without the hassle of trying to get the maximum
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 4, 2020 11:50:03 GMT
The discussion on these batteries always sounds very complicated and technical. Can I ask a simple question ? I use wet lead acid batteries, which are charged by the engine ... I cruise and I have power until I cruise again. I have no guages or means of measuring state of charge, and no solar. This works for me (fifteen years in) but if I wished to change to lithium type batteries, which I see would allow me to charge from solar and for much of the year do away with the need to charge by the engine, would I have to have all the knowledge, guages and technical know how as well ? Rog You can charge with solar regardless of lead acid or lithium. lithium is very beneficial for folk who don’t cruise much. If you cruise most days, the benefit becomes much less. My plan is to have an automatic control system that doesn’t require knowledge, gauges and technical know-how (it’s got to work when Jeff is alone on the boat!), beyond that required to install it. Others have gone for a lower tech concept that is simpler, but doesn’t make best use of the batteries IMO. Either way the amount of required technical knowledge isn’t huge, but it is different from that for LA batteries.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 12:11:26 GMT
Hi I was toying with the idea of LIFEP04s myself and i was thinking of the same problem of charging from the alternators can you not just use a Dc>Dc / battery to battery charger connected from the starter battery to the LIFEP04s and let the charger do the regulating i think some of the chargers can accommodate LIFEP04s as they charge at 14.4 Volts I've been musing on such things in connection with a camper van idea. In terms of simplicity of installation, its an excellent idea. Much less complicated than messing with alternators and apparently more efficient than a split-charging system. There are some products from a company called Sterling which are all-singing but cheap they are not.
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Post by kris on Mar 4, 2020 12:36:44 GMT
The discussion on these batteries always sounds very complicated and technical. Can I ask a simple question ? I use wet lead acid batteries, which are charged by the engine ... I cruise and I have power until I cruise again. I have no guages or means of measuring state of charge, and no solar. This works for me (fifteen years in) but if I wished to change to lithium type batteries, which I see would allow me to charge from solar and for much of the year do away with the need to charge by the engine, would I have to have all the knowledge, guages and technical know how as well ? Rog As nick has said it’s not a matter of it being complicated, it’s just different. I’ve already bought some lithium’s as after about 25years living with lead acid I’ve had enough of them. But it is a matter of getting my head around the differences. As mine are second hand I want to connect them to a computer first to check the balance between the cells. Well that and get the last out of what are hopefullly the last set of lead acid batteries I’ll ever have to take to the scrap yard. So I’m not using them at the moment but will be soon. I think they only make sense for people who live aboard really , at the moment anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 13:46:05 GMT
The discussion on these batteries always sounds very complicated and technical. Can I ask a simple question ? I use wet lead acid batteries, which are charged by the engine ... I cruise and I have power until I cruise again. I have no guages or means of measuring state of charge, and no solar. This works for me (fifteen years in) but if I wished to change to lithium type batteries, which I see would allow me to charge from solar and for much of the year do away with the need to charge by the engine, would I have to have all the knowledge, guages and technical know how as well ? Rog This might help fill in some knowledge gaps. Personally I find the narrator a bit difficult in large doses but his dog makes me smile.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 16:42:52 GMT
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jimmy
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Post by jimmy on Mar 4, 2020 18:02:03 GMT
So if I find a DC > DC / battery to battery charger that will charge at say 14 volts would this then resolve the problems of charging from the alternator as I would be charging from the starter battery to the LIFEP04s?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 18:08:24 GMT
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 4, 2020 20:25:34 GMT
So if I find a DC > DC / battery to battery charger that will charge at say 14 volts would this then resolve the problems of charging from the alternator as I would be charging from the starter battery to the LIFEP04s? Yes but they are quite expensive. There isn’t much point in having lithium batteries and only charging them at 30A. Well unless your charger is plugged into the mains, in which case ... there isn’t much point in having lithium batteries!
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Post by phil70 on Mar 4, 2020 20:52:16 GMT
For what it's worth I had a Sterling B to B charger and was always delighted with it Phil
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Post by phil70 on Mar 4, 2020 20:55:06 GMT
So if I find a DC > DC / battery to battery charger that will charge at say 14 volts would this then resolve the problems of charging from the alternator as I would be charging from the starter battery to the LIFEP04s? Yes but they are quite expensive. There isn’t much point in having lithium batteries and only charging them at 30A. Well unless your charger is plugged into the mains, in which case ... there isn’t much point in having lithium batteries! B to B are or at least were available in a variety of outputs mine was 50amp Phil
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 4, 2020 21:36:47 GMT
Yes but they are quite expensive. There isn’t much point in having lithium batteries and only charging them at 30A. Well unless your charger is plugged into the mains, in which case ... there isn’t much point in having lithium batteries! B to B are or at least were available in a variety of outputs mine was 50amp Phil Sure. I said 30A because that was what nemesis link to. £184. A 60A one is £322. So as I said, quite expensive. I’d want to be able to charge at 150A or so, otherwise what’s the point?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 21:42:52 GMT
B to B are or at least were available in a variety of outputs mine was 50amp Phil Sure. I said 30A because that was what nemesis link to. £184. A 60A one is £322. So as I said, quite expensive. I’d want to be able to charge at 150A or so, otherwise what’s the point? I never claimed to be an expert. 30A seemed a lot. What would you (or John or Peter) recommend?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2020 21:45:53 GMT
These lithiums sound like belt eaters.
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 4, 2020 21:57:34 GMT
These lithiums sound like belt eaters. No if have left several belts lying around and have never found them with teeth marks.
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