So you jumped to a whole bunch of conclusions on what you feel, not on any empirical data. Got it.
Why would you not believe them when they say it will buck a 14.6v down to 13.9v? That's what makes it "drop-in" capable.
I wrote:
"It [our MS2000 inverter/charger] can be set for 13.9V absorption which is what the Lion tech I've been exchanging emails with tells me is the actual recommended voltage (NOT 14.6V) -- since the BMS will knock any charge voltage down to 13.9V anyway."
Just facts.
In my previous post I said:
"In a recent email, a Lion Energy tech told me that the BMS will accept any voltage from 13.9 to 14.6 -- then it 'bucks' the voltage down to 13.9V. The cells are always charged at 13.9V, regardless of the input voltage."
"He seemed concerned that potential buyers would consider this a bad thing, because non-technical people just look at numbers, and would assume 14.6 = better than 13.9. He said their marketing dept is trying to come up with a way to let people know how the charging works without losing sales."
How is that "not believing them [Lion]"? I simply repeated what the Lion tech said. Charging at 13.9V is better for the battery. It's a good thing, but Lion is afraid that some potential buyer will simply see "13.9V" and assume the UT1300 is not as good as a battery that charges at 14.6V. They're probably correct, that might be an issue.
My very next paragraph is complementary:
"I told him that as long as the advertised specs are legit -- capacity; max charge and discharge current -- that's all that matters. If Lion is using a larger capacity battery than their competitors and intentionally undercharging it by few percent, that's a good thing. That's probably why they are able to offer a 3,500 cycle (with >80% capacity remaining) warranty."
Is there something wrong with that statement?
That said, it is hard to know what to think because their published specs are all over the map (from my post above):
In different places in Lion's literature (specs and FAQs) you will find the following charge voltages:
* 14.6V absorption / 14.6V float
* 14.6V / 0.0V
* 13.9 / 13.9
* 13.9 / 13.6
* Any voltage from 13.9 to 14.6 (absorption)
In addition, there's this:
"Lion: "This battery is ideal for emergencies, work, or play. We recommend setting all voltages to 14.6V per UT in series. End amps or tail amps need to be set as low as possible and inverter low voltage needs to be set to 11.5V." Dec 5, 2019
https://lionenergy.com/blogs/news/t...ext=This battery is ideal for,be set to 11.5V.
There are no 'conclusions' above, only data direct from LIon.
BTW -- bucking the voltage down to 13.9V does not make the UT1300 a "drop-in lead-acid replacement":
Alternator charging still requires a DC-DC charger ($300-$500) plus installation.
The terminals are still non-standard and small -- as Will Prowse points out very well. That may require changes in cables and/or cable terminals.
As with all lithium batteries (not just Lion) the temp restrictions may require relocating them and altering the wiring.
As with all lithium batteries (not just Lion) a battery monitor is almost a necessity.
A buck down to 13.9V is done (per the Lion tech) to increase the service life of the cells -- as mentioned above. That's a good thing, but it does not make the UT1300 'plug-n-play'.
If I did not think the UT1300s were a good value I would not have bought them. They have impressive specs, but they also have flaws. I see nothing wrong with pointing out those flaws -- doing so helps potential buyers make a more informed decision.