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  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    Hello, I just wanted to share and record in the forum this price and a few thoughts about buying from this Xuba listing: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/1pcs-Lishen-3-2V-202Ah-Li_1600140261262.html?spm=a2756.order-detail-ta-ta-b.0.0.171e2fc2AN4I3x I ordered 16 cells. Shipping to the...
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    Hello, today I finally connected the cells in their locker on the boat. What I want to mention is relevant to any DIY installation of Lishen cells like this. They have a larger contact pad lower than the one that has the stud/post in it. I imagine these are used in OEM applications, but their...
  • Post in thread: Orion Jr. 2 BMS -computer connection

    Hi Rondo, I'm using the Orion Jr2 utility on Linux and although the download is labeled Linux, it's Java, so I think the "Linux" download is actually the platform independent one. I suggest giving that a try, but if I'm right, Orion support should have suggested this.
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    Thanks! The weight should be in the specs. Well the cell weight. The other parts don't add much considering these cells are 62 kg, and the other parts are probably less than 5 kg, mostly in the thick bus bars I'm using. Larger cells would be heavier while the other parts don't get much...
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    Hi @BabylonFive, I don't have a lot to report. The boat will be launched in the middle of May so I haven't been in much of a hurry. But, I'm glad I ordered the cells earlier than I thought I'd have to - there were more details to work out and charging took longer than I thought. I have done...
  • Post in thread: Classic Norwegian going electric - Polar 22

    Hi, a few more thoughts: I didn't see any mention of "precharge" or "pre-charge" which is a thing that one needs to know about when you have big inverters, powerful batteries, and a BMS. Since you are going to have a marine battery switch anyway, you can use that along with a resister or light...
  • Post in thread: Classic Norwegian going electric - Polar 22

    Hi, I'm putting my fuse and battery switch right next to the battery, before the BMS. That way the fuse protects all the wiring and the BMS, and the switch gives me a way to switch off the BMS. That's rare, but I think my BMS model needs that for clearing certain error conditions. Class T fuses...
  • Post in thread: Balancing question - how long?

    Here's some documentation for my statement that I should have included in my original comment, but was too lazy. This is a screenshot from the specs/manual for my 202 Ah Lishen cells: Earlier in my research, I saw graphs in an academic paper that showed storing at even lower SOC resulted in...
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    @Mike Jordan, you can message them and ask them for the shipping cost to your town/zip code for the number of cells you want. It seems most suppliers would adjust their product price at that point, so in that case you're really asking for the total quote including shipping. But since Xuba in...
  • Post in thread: Classic Norwegian going electric - Polar 22

    I'm using the Orion Jr. 2 BMS. It has lots of options, but is pretty complex and pricey (compared to other options people here talk about. I don't think it's too expensive considering the cost and task of the batteries it's protecting, and I like the flexibility, support, and documentation)...
  • Post in thread: Classic Norwegian going electric - Polar 22

    Hello! You have a pretty boat and a nice project! You may want to think about the BMS protects the battery and how it interacts with your charge and discharge sources. Many people use charger/inverters in their stationary applications but separate chargers and inverters can be more robust...
  • Post in thread: Balancing question - how long?

    Drain them back to 40% if you are going to leave them for a while! They will be much more comfortable and won't degrade - that's why they ship them that way.
  • Post in thread: Recycled rubber for cell insulation recommended

    Hi, I used a 1/16" thick 2x4 foot piece of recycled rubber to insulate between the 16 cells of a 48V 202 Ah bank. I know many people here are using larger cells and this sheet might not work out as well for you, but I was pleased to find a layout that uses almost all of it. In the image you can...
  • Post in thread: FYI Gigavac GV series relays only use 2 watts to hold open, and only cost $95 for a 400A

    The specs say that's the max inrush. Is that a characteristic of the contactor and it will hit that for a brief moment when the power comes on no matter what, or does it depend on the system? If that's the current required to trip the contactor, wouldn't the spec be a minimum or a range? But in...
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    Not yet. I'm not sure I will since my goal is to keep them out of the high and low voltage so why would I put them there on purpose....well so that I know they can do what they say and that I can depend on them. First I need to stop the BMS from complaining. It's either very sensitive or it's...
  • Post in thread: Orion Jr. 2 BMS -computer connection

    What a hassle! No, I'm not using a Pi, I'm using a Linux laptop, so will avoid that whole display issue. I do have a Pi-like headless computer for other purposes but I connect to it through text terminals. It is a headscrachter to think about running a java application on that, with the GUI...
  • Post in thread: BMS that meets ABYC recommendations, and is reasonably priced.

    Not much cheaper than the REC BMS, but I'm going to use the Orion Jr 2 BMS in a boat with electric propulsion and will only use the warnings, no low voltage cutout - because killing the batteries is cheaper than crashing the boat. In my case, the Orion will talk CAN to the motor controller and...
  • Post in thread: Panel Weight vs. No Drill Mounts

    Just a note on 3M 5200: some boaters, myself included, will not use it anywhere, because it is absolutely permanent. Well, on a boat, isn't the keel permenantly attached? Maybe not, you might want to remove it for inspection and repair. For other parts that will be replaced every 2-4 decades...
  • Post in thread: FYI Gigavac GV series relays only use 2 watts to hold open, and only cost $95 for a 400A

    I'm trying to really understand your system because I may copy elements of it because I like the perspective you have in your posts and I'm also doing a 48V system with an Orion Jr. 2 BMS. Based on your helpful parts list, aren't you using the SSR to trigger the Gigavac GX11? At 48V, the spec...
  • Post in thread: FYI Gigavac GV series relays only use 2 watts to hold open, and only cost $95 for a 400A

    Thanks! That makes more sense. It's similar to the GX23 I was looking at. I also have the option to use a Minitactor given my small solar system, but it doesn't have coil suppression.
  • Post in thread: 202 Ah Lishen $57/cell from Pina at Xuba

    My understanding is that compression does two things: keeps them in place to prevent stress on the terminal connections, and prevents them from bloating which shortens their life. I thought bloating was from high current, but mine did it a little during the top balance with a power supply that...
  • Post in thread: $108 200aH 3.2 LiFePO4 - taking a gamble

    Thank you, that's good news on the batteries! Sorry to hear about the BMS. Another reason for me to go with the Orion Jr 2. I am leaning toward it, despite much higher cost, because this LiFePO4 bank will be the only batteries on my boat - serving the propulsion motor, house loads, required...
  • Post in thread: Epropulsion EVO - where to step outside their integrated systems?

    Batteries' BMS and motor controllers usually communicate via CANbus I think. My Orion Jr. 2 BMS and my Sevcon Gen4 motor controller both have customizable CAN communications. What I'd guess Epropulsion is talking about is something like the BMS determining a discharge limit in amps and telling...
  • Post in thread: Sailboat conversion from 14 hp Diesel to 10 Kw 48V electric motor

    On my boat, I've been using a 48V battery and a DC/DC converter that provides the 12V since 2012. But I once had an issue with the 48V bank which of course, meant I also had no 12V. No nav lights, no VHF, etc. So keeping a battery on the 12V side is a more robust design but leads to this...
  • Post in thread: 48v setup

    I think you do need a charger between the two banks, not just a converter. I mentioned a few options in this post: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/sailboat-conversion-from-14-hp-diesel-to-10-kw-48v-electric-motor.18380/post-248247
  • Post in thread: Electric sailboat conversion - 2 steps forward 1 step back

    Hey Captain @luckybeanz! SV Stray Cats is a 1976 Ranger 33 that I converted from Atomic 4 power to a 5.5 kW electric motor in 2012. I mostly daysail with some overnights on a big lake, so systems on this smaller boat are not as complex, but I can say electrification is a great upgrade! Power and...
  • Post in thread: $108 200aH 3.2 LiFePO4 - taking a gamble

    Hi @ghostwriter66, @8_Hz_WAN_IP, @oldman, do you have anything you could share about your orders? The listing in the original post is 1 of 3 links I plan to buy from in the next 3 weeks. The 280Ah ones that most of the forum is talking about wouldn't fit where I'd like to put the new battery.
  • Post in thread: Sailboat conversion from 14 hp Diesel to 10 Kw 48V electric motor

    Yes, charging a DC battery with DC power input is exactly what solar charge controllers do, and they must be the most common DC charging application, so we have plenty to choose from, with history and reviews. The charge controller wouldn't care or know whether the 48V comes from a PV panel or a...
  • Post in thread: Sailboat conversion from 14 hp Diesel to 10 Kw 48V electric motor

    Yes I had meant to post a reply to your thread but ran out of time this morning and this one came up in my search. As far as I know, you can't charge the two completely different (different voltage, maybe different chemistry) battery banks with one charge controller. Well, one charge controller...
  • Post in thread: Electric sailboat conversion - 2 steps forward 1 step back

    Which REC BMS? The Q? I looked at different BMS this morning and while the REC Q seem to have more clear/clean wiring than the Orion, I didn't find the price price, self consumption, info on how it controls relays or other details. I don't have a CAN charger, but may connect the BMS to my...
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