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  1. Off-Grid-Garage

    BIG BIG THX to @off-grid-garage for helping us out here

    When I started with this channel 2 years ago, it was mainly to find answers myself to my many many many questions I had around LiFePO4 batteries, how to charge them and how they actually work. You could find all kind of information on the interweb but nothing was consistent and you never knew...
  2. Off-Grid-Garage

    [PSA] Make sure to properly prepare your connections to aluminium terminal posts in order to ensure low contact resistance.

    As per many recommendations, I did order the NO-OX-ID grease from Amazon US. I have used this between terminals and busbars where I had issues before and so far ? all good... never had to touch these connections again. It is a conductive grease, not a dielectric grease which is in fact an...
  3. Off-Grid-Garage

    BMS MOSFETs Explained

    Thank you @upnorthandpersonal for this article. That is a great explanation!
  4. Off-Grid-Garage

    [PSA] Make sure to properly prepare your connections to aluminium terminal posts in order to ensure low contact resistance.

    What are you guys using in between, any grease like this? It sounds ideal... Conductive Carbon Grease Lubricates and improves electrical and thermal connections between sliding surfaces, while providing protection from moisture & corrosion. Excellent for use on switches and EMI shielding...
  5. Off-Grid-Garage

    [PSA] Make sure to properly prepare your connections to aluminium terminal posts in order to ensure low contact resistance.

    I'm in the same boat. Built the system in a 16s configuration and did not worry about cleaning or sanding the terminals. The consequence is now that I have some cells peaking high or low all the time. Loosening the bolt just a quarter turn and tighten them again mostly fixes it temporarily...
  6. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    Yes, there is. Without link it's only 1.1VAC but with link I can measure 70VAC at both battery terminals. The lightbulb test was negative, no current and voltage disappeared. I connected another string of solar panels today and touched the positive of this string while I touched the grounded...
  7. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    Before the N to PE link I could already measure voltage between AC outputs and DC (~70VAC from memory). The light bulb test was negative (no current and voltage collapsed). I don't think you can just say that the battery is now carrying 50% of the AC voltage because voltage measurement always...
  8. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    Yes, that is correct. Their inverter range goes from 300W to 6000W, 12-48V Thanks for putting all this information together, that is awesome!
  9. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    There was AC voltage before between battery and ground, so this did not change. But I think it's not considered any real voltage with power or current flowing, just what the voltmeter 'sees'. I could not measure any DC voltage across any of the points, no. Does the Victron MPPT does this...
  10. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    So, I think I have the solution. Thanks to @Hedges for the tip with the light bulb. I did a lot of measurement last night and had all kind of weird voltages: - from the AC outputs to positive and negative around 90V~ - from AC outputs to earth 77V~ - from earth to pos and neg input around 125V~...
  11. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    I understand that. As this is an complete off grid installation and will never be connected to grid or shore power, it will be the only point of such connection. I also found the Phoenix inverter for $1200 online now, so I will go with that unless there are other options? I will definitely do...
  12. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    This is exactly what I need (should not every inverter have this for safety reasons?): I found this in the manual of the Victron Phoenix Smart Inverter right at the beginning... But AU$1800 ? for a 3kW unit...
  13. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    I'll scan the one which came with the inverter tonight and link it here. There is nothing mentioned about any of this stuff of course. I don't even think it says anything about the ground stud at all...
  14. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    That's a good idea to put a small load across the AC output to earth and see if there is actually current flowing. Thanks for the tip with measuring against DC as well. I read in other threads that people ground their negative of their battery but thought it makes more sense in an RV or boat but...
  15. Off-Grid-Garage

    Grounding confusion - 3300W pure sine inverter on Wooden frame in laundry

    I'm reading this with much interest. I have just finished building my first battery and connected it to the inverter and SCC for testing purposes. The plan was to connect an electric vehicle charger to the battery to charge the vehicle from the battery. Well, that failed because the EV charger...
  16. Off-Grid-Garage

    Anyone have this BMS?? QUCC latest model

    Surpr Surprisingly, the BMS stays very cool (35°C on a hot 36°C day). I had the chance to test it with a 2kW load for around 20min and no heat increase in the BMS (or outside). I'm not sure about this ceramic resistor either but don't think it's for balancing. The BMS can balance 10 cells at a...
  17. Off-Grid-Garage

    Best practice for 300kgf ‘fixture’ 280Ah cells

    Apparently a compression is not necessary as per EVE but only a fixture (yes, I read the long 25page thread...)
  18. Off-Grid-Garage

    EVE-280 cells should these be clamped tight or spaced for expansion?

    So no compression but a fixture is recommended by EVE. Well, I'm still not quite sure what the difference is. A fixture would be some strong tape as @Steve_S suggested at the beginning of this thread while a compression is the plywood or steel setup with threaded rods and springs?
  19. Off-Grid-Garage

    EVE-280 cells should these be clamped tight or spaced for expansion?

    Not sure about the manufacturer of these new cells. The original cells coming with the car where 50Ah and they bought a complete new set from China with 94Ah capacity for this vehicle. The have the same dimensions, well, almost, so they modified the module cages a tiny bit to make them fit. When...
  20. Off-Grid-Garage

    EVE-280 cells should these be clamped tight or spaced for expansion?

    @Gazoo and @Dzl, I read the thread in total and also the conversation @ghostwriter66 had with EVE. Thank you all again for your information here. As I said, one of my followers talked to them as well and this is what he stated: Note that there are two different versions of the LF280 mentioned...
  21. Off-Grid-Garage

    EVE-280 cells should these be clamped tight or spaced for expansion?

    I recently visited a workshop in Brisbane where they upgraded the battery pack for a Mitsubishi Minicab MiEV. Just had a look at the video I took and snapped some photos. These are the modules containing 4 uncompressed prismatic cells each: The modules have literally spacers in between the...
  22. Off-Grid-Garage

    EVE-280 cells should these be clamped tight or spaced for expansion?

    So, in the specs for the LF280N cells, the drawing shows the metal aluminium case is already the fixture (and holds the internal cells with 300kgf). EVE also told this to one of my viewers apparently... the slight swelling we see here and there is normal but does not need any further...
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