Thread: switching to Lithium

Another little test today.......although I wouldn’t normally preheat the oven for 3hrs before throwing dinner in.

Ran the 12v oven from 1:30pm ish to 6:00pm ish which pulls around 10ah and fridge was running as usual, was parked up at cricket.

Battery was at 100% @ 1:30pm

Didn’t take notice when the shadows covered the solar. Either way it performed as it should



At 6pm I was only 22ah down......leaves me 140ah on the bank.

Received what I thought was a SPAM message from Kogan sales... however curiosity got the better of me
An ATEM 200W 12V folding solar panel blanket for $249. 95 and a Volta LiFePO4 100AH battery for $503 or 2 for $958.
The batteries weigh supposedly a shade over 10Kg each. That's a heck of a lot less than an equivalent AGM and at my stage of life is the difference between being portable or needing No 1 son to move it!

Can I have opinions please on whether the solar panel is worth the $ asked and the battery ... a single 100AH would suit all my needs (and my wallet!)
Is Volta a reasonable brand?

The reason these Voltax batterys are so cheap is because they're garbage. Save your money and buy a decent LiFePO4. The batterys specs are poor from a charge/discharge current viewpoint and any battery that gives a longevity rating of ".. Cycle Life: 2000 times .." should be avoided like the plague. This figure is meaningless without a corresponding depth of discharge figure. A halfway decent LiFePO4 will have specs like this.

Solarking 12V 100ah Lithium Battery- Active Cell Balancing - FREE FREIGHT | eBay

Specs

• Dimensions

  4x175x219mm
  

  
  
  
  
• Chemical Lithium Iron LiFePo4
  
  
  
• Weight 11.4kgs
  
  
  
• Operating Temperature Range:-20°C ~ +60°C
  
  
  
• VoltageV :12.8VDC
  
  
  
• Amperage :100AH
  
  
  
• Max Discharge Rates:1C
  
  
  
• Max Continuous Current:100A
  
  
  
• Max 10 Second Pulse :150A
  
  
  
• Min Charge Current :2A
  
  
  
• Nominal Charge Current:30A
  
  
  
• Max Charge Current :100A
  
  
  
• Max Charge Voltage :14.8V
  
  
  
• Cell Balancing :3AH charge & discharge
  
  
  
• Cycles @ 100% DOD :2000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 80% DOD :3000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 50% DOD :3500 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 30% DOD :8000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Low Voltage cut out :10VDC
  
  
  
• Maximum In-series voltage :30.4V
  
  
  
• Terminal :T8
  

Note the charge discharge rates and particularly note that depth of discharge % figures are given in relation to cycle life.

Here's the specs for the Voltax 100 ah

Specifications:
Nominal Capacity: 100Ah
Cut-off Voltage: 10V
Usable Capacity: 100Ah
Nominal Voltage: 12.8V
Energy: 1280Wh
Charge Voltage: 14.6V
Discharge cut-off voltage: 10V
Charge Method: CC/CV
Charger: 14.6V20A
Standard Charge Current: 20A
Max. Charge Current: 50A
Standard Discharge Current: 50A
Max. Continues Discharge current: 50A
Max. Discharge Current: 5Seconds 125A
Cycle Life: 2000 times
Internal Impedance: ≤50mΩ
Discharge: -20°C-60°C
Storage Temperature: -10°C-50°C
Working Temperature Range Charge: 0°C-45°C
Size: 329×172×214mm
Weight: 10.1kg


You couldn't give me one of these Voltax batterys for free unless I needed another anchor for the tinny

As for the folding solar panel blankets, I've never really been a fan. Bloody fiddly to put up and keep up and very expensive as in $ per watt. I'd be looking at something in a fold-able hard panel for a portable panel.

Here's one I just plucked out of eBay, same 200 watts claimed power as the one you mention, crap reg but a lot better panel value in $ per watt and less than half the price .

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/200W-Folding-Solar-Panel-Kit-12V-Caravan-Camping-Power-Mono-Charging-200Watt/322213581309?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOME SPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200520130048%26meid% 3D9f1e08c20a1645b587cea96ef12b1dcc%26pid%3D100005% 26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dag%26sd%3D3223443613 55%26itm%3D322213581309%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3 D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWebWithDarwoV3 BBEV2b&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851


Deano

ps. sorry for the crap layout, it's the cut and paste

Originally Posted by DeanoH

The reason these Voltax batterys are so cheap is because they're garbage. Save your money and buy a decent LiFePO4. The batterys specs are poor from a charge/discharge current viewpoint and any battery that gives a longevity rating of ".. Cycle Life: 2000 times .." should be avoided like the plague. This figure is meaningless without a corresponding depth of discharge figure. A halfway decent LiFePO4 will have specs like this.

Solarking 12V 100ah Lithium Battery- Active Cell Balancing - FREE FREIGHT | eBay

Specs

• Dimensions

  4x175x219mm
  

  
  
  
  
• Chemical Lithium Iron LiFePo4
  
  
  
• Weight 11.4kgs
  
  
  
• Operating Temperature Range:-20°C ~ +60°C
  
  
  
• VoltageV :12.8VDC
  
  
  
• Amperage :100AH
  
  
  
• Max Discharge Rates:1C
  
  
  
• Max Continuous Current:100A
  
  
  
• Max 10 Second Pulse :150A
  
  
  
• Min Charge Current :2A
  
  
  
• Nominal Charge Current:30A
  
  
  
• Max Charge Current :100A
  
  
  
• Max Charge Voltage :14.8V
  
  
  
• Cell Balancing :3AH charge & discharge
  
  
  
• Cycles @ 100% DOD :2000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 80% DOD :3000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 50% DOD :3500 Cycles
  
  
  
• Cycles@ 30% DOD :8000 Cycles
  
  
  
• Low Voltage cut out :10VDC
  
  
  
• Maximum In-series voltage :30.4V
  
  
  
• Terminal :T8
  

Note the charge discharge rates and particularly note that depth of discharge % figures are given in relation to cycle life.

Here's the specs for the Voltax 100 ah

Specifications:
Nominal Capacity: 100Ah
Cut-off Voltage: 10V
Usable Capacity: 100Ah
Nominal Voltage: 12.8V
Energy: 1280Wh
Charge Voltage: 14.6V
Discharge cut-off voltage: 10V
Charge Method: CC/CV
Charger: 14.6V20A
Standard Charge Current: 20A
Max. Charge Current: 50A
Standard Discharge Current: 50A
Max. Continues Discharge current: 50A
Max. Discharge Current: 5Seconds 125A
Cycle Life: 2000 times
Internal Impedance: ≤50mΩ
Discharge: -20°C-60°C
Storage Temperature: -10°C-50°C
Working Temperature Range Charge: 0°C-45°C
Size: 329×172×214mm
Weight: 10.1kg


You couldn't give me one of these Voltax batterys for free unless I needed another anchor for the tinny

As for the folding solar panel blankets, I've never really been a fan. Bloody fiddly to put up and keep up and very expensive as in $ per watt. I'd be looking at something in a fold-able hard panel for a portable panel.

Here's one I just plucked out of eBay, same 200 watts claimed power as the one you mention, crap reg but a lot better panel value in $ per watt and less than half the price


Deano

ps. sorry for the crap layout, it's the cut and paste

oh Deano that's why l effectionately call you Bullwinkel. lol

Currently on Moreton island for the week......

Haven’t really been watching the performance of the system.

Did gat as low as 48% over night.....104ah, that would have smoked my single 110ah AGM. Lithium has tripled my capacity with no additional weight. I’m now convinced we made the right choice to power our lifestyle on the road. More cooking options, more menus options, don’t need to watch voltages. Cost is a distant memory as it’s all built into our planned 2years on the road.

I notice if we’re fully charged at end of the day and don’t cook we drop to 93% over night. 14ah to run 60L fridge and lights.

Pretty sure we have been at or close to 100% end of each day. We have driven a bit each day sight seeing and the semi flex panels are picking up tie remainder.

Solar harvest last 4 days


Yesterday morning from memory.....it was our turn to cook, was running induction cooktop and 12v oven.


Bit of induction cook up this morning

Banana pancakes cost me 11% ~22ah

Boiling water

The wife went away with a girlfriend over the long weekend.....was a little worried how she’d go about managing onboard power given the forecast was raining and clouds and meals that revolved wrong the induction cooktop.

Must have trained her as she rang and asked about starting the car when the gauge gets to 50%. She was thinking AGM days.

42% on the last morning which is a new low........I see it got a little bit of solar.

Still 80ah up our sleeve 62ah usable.