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My Xantrex inverter has a low idle power "Load Sense" mode, which sends short 120V pulses to see if there is a load of 12W or more. If it doesn't sense such a load, it goes back into low power/idle mode, saving 1/2 of power. This drives my microwave oven crazy, as it beeps on with each pulse...

Anyone have sources for cycle-life vs DOD for any of the popular brands of lithium batteries or cells?

For an application with 4 12v LiFePO4 batteries in parallel, and temperatures that may drop below 0C at night but are above 0C during part of the days: Can I just pre-heat one of the batteries, letting it take all solar charging in the morning? By afternoon, the other 3 batteries would warm up...

If I'm paralleling 200 and 100 watt panels on a single controller, is matching the Vmp the key thing to watch?

Victron generally makes very good (albeit spendy) products, but calling their 2400 watt inverter/charger the "Multiplus xx/3000/xx", boils my blood. This is the kind of misleading nameplating that smells of the cheap crapola overrated inverters of yesteryear (and still out there to some...

In LiFePo4 or Custom modes, do most multipurpose MPPT chargers Bulk Charge use a Constant-Current charge algorithm, or do they tend to taper down the charge current long before reaching the Absorption voltage (as LA batteries tend to prefer)?

Just curious.

I think I've found why the BMV 712's usually don't sync when LiFePo4 batteries are topped off. It appears to be due to very short absorption times needed by these batteries, at least the BB's. Absorption lasts just a couple of minutes (or less), when no loads are present. Both Victron...

Anyone else observe that Victron devices, at least the Orion DC to DC chargers, heat up and start reducing maximum output rather quickly? There could be a good reason that other brands (with similar efficiencies) use larger heat sinks and/or fans.

Any thermal-imaging models to recommend, for under $400? Is the HTI HT-02 just too low of a resolution to be useful in tracking down PV hot spots? (3600 (60x60) pixels)

What would happen if a parallel battery bank has some batteries in low temp shutoff, but not all? (Or even if some of them have internal heaters and some do not, but are otherwise identical). Would it be a major problem when a battery suddenly "wakes up" at a lower voltage, while others in the...

Constant Current/Constant Voltage Without Cutoff = 14.4V Float? Everything Much of what I've read suggests that floating at 14.x volts is a bad idea for long term survival maximum lifespan of LiFePo4 banks. So why do some of the well-respected charger brands do this, and some of the...

At what point, in a parallel battery bank, should we start worrying about fusing each individual 12v battery or cluster? Each 12v battery would have its own BMS.

Any successful DIY battery blankets/heaters? It seems to me that a heating pad (like a reptile terrarium heating pad) at the bottom is not enough, since the battery cases are not filled with liquid that can distribute the warmth. A blanket around all sides might be necessary, at a low-enough...

Anyone found a good case to put a DIY battery system into?

Any thoughts on best float voltages for maximum life? BB says that their batteries do not need any float, but I've yet to see a converter/charger that can have the float turned completely off. In my Xantrex inverter/charger, the float voltage pulls the battery voltage down, once absorption is...

Why do some LiFePo4 batteries recommend no series connections, and others are OK with it?