Hi everyone first post. I’m building a backup system for running my emergency communications gear (easy as it’s 12 volts) and also to power our well pump (more complicated as it’s 220) We are on grid most of the time but when we do lose power a few times a year it can be a while before it is restored.
So I got bit off of eBay by qychex. They had 200ah lifepo4 supposed new grade A cells for $850 shipped (I realize now that is way to much money for 200ah). But when they arrived three of the cells had the manufacturer codes scraped off and the tops recovered with a black sticker. The fourth cell was still labeled from a manufacturer but was a different cell as the blue wrap was a different color and the terminals were a different design. They tried to tell me that some of the manufacturers dont let them sell their new cells with the factory labels on them. And they wanted me to test the cells before returning them. I did and the miss matched cell drained faster than the other three after multiple attempts to balance all the cells out. They wanted to ship me three “new” cells when their “next batch” came in. I told them no. They have agreed to refund me and pay for the return shipping costs. So we will see, I shipped them back yesterday I’m hoping I don’t have to open a dispute with PayPal. But there is that option as well.
Anyway long story but I’m going to see about putting in a order for the 280ah cells that many of you guys have been ordering. This will be better in the long run anyway for powering my inverter.
So far I have 500w of solar on a 150/35a victron mppt, I have another 2kw of solar waiting to go up. I need to get another mppt for those. I’m looking to order a victron 150/100a. I’ve also got a victron 25a charger coming for shore power and a renogy 40a dc to dc charger so I can charge off of a alternator/small engine generator (with a agm battery on the alternator side for regulation). And I’ve got a 8kw split phase inverter to run the well pump (startup draws about 4kw and running is 2.3kw) I’m planing on switching the inverter on and off from the bms but running the main power straight from the batteries to the inverter. The inverter also has low voltage cutoff that is adjustable as a backup.
Did I miss anything? Lol
Also does anyone have a good way to link in a wind generator? Most of the charge controllers for them have the dump loads paralleled in with the batteries at full charge and this seems like it would cause problems with the bms and solar controllers. I was thinking I could charge the agm that I’m using for the 12v generator and let the renogy dc to dc send it to the bms. We have a month in the dead of winter where we get no direct sunlight. So I know I’m not going to get a lot of generation from the panels. But we get decent wind.
So I got bit off of eBay by qychex. They had 200ah lifepo4 supposed new grade A cells for $850 shipped (I realize now that is way to much money for 200ah). But when they arrived three of the cells had the manufacturer codes scraped off and the tops recovered with a black sticker. The fourth cell was still labeled from a manufacturer but was a different cell as the blue wrap was a different color and the terminals were a different design. They tried to tell me that some of the manufacturers dont let them sell their new cells with the factory labels on them. And they wanted me to test the cells before returning them. I did and the miss matched cell drained faster than the other three after multiple attempts to balance all the cells out. They wanted to ship me three “new” cells when their “next batch” came in. I told them no. They have agreed to refund me and pay for the return shipping costs. So we will see, I shipped them back yesterday I’m hoping I don’t have to open a dispute with PayPal. But there is that option as well.
Anyway long story but I’m going to see about putting in a order for the 280ah cells that many of you guys have been ordering. This will be better in the long run anyway for powering my inverter.
So far I have 500w of solar on a 150/35a victron mppt, I have another 2kw of solar waiting to go up. I need to get another mppt for those. I’m looking to order a victron 150/100a. I’ve also got a victron 25a charger coming for shore power and a renogy 40a dc to dc charger so I can charge off of a alternator/small engine generator (with a agm battery on the alternator side for regulation). And I’ve got a 8kw split phase inverter to run the well pump (startup draws about 4kw and running is 2.3kw) I’m planing on switching the inverter on and off from the bms but running the main power straight from the batteries to the inverter. The inverter also has low voltage cutoff that is adjustable as a backup.
Did I miss anything? Lol
Also does anyone have a good way to link in a wind generator? Most of the charge controllers for them have the dump loads paralleled in with the batteries at full charge and this seems like it would cause problems with the bms and solar controllers. I was thinking I could charge the agm that I’m using for the 12v generator and let the renogy dc to dc send it to the bms. We have a month in the dead of winter where we get no direct sunlight. So I know I’m not going to get a lot of generation from the panels. But we get decent wind.
