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Battery recommendations please

brackstone

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Mar 27, 2021
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Hi, Guys. I am looking at installing LifePo4 battery's into my camper van. I have three so far i am looking at and was wondering if anyone has any experience with them and any recommendations. I will be starting of with 100 aH batteries.

This one from QS looks good HD model at £660


This one again from QS is similar to the HD above but a cheaper version, wonder what's been removed to reduce price at £549


eBay one from ULTRAMAX LEISURE not sure about this one it has all the spec but has anyone got one and know if it is good at £499


Any others i should be looking at
 
Any others i should be looking at
Consider the batteries from Sterling Power,

Of all the imported low cost batteries from China, the Sterling product is the only one I can find with independent tests,

Mike
 
Any others i should be looking at

Since you're in the U.K., it's probably worth looking at the Dutch company Victron. It makes a wide range of batteries and has a strong presence in both Europe and North America. Might or might not suit your budget, but probably worth learning about. I'm happy with a Victron charger that I just purchased.
 
Consider the batteries from Sterling Power,

Of all the imported low cost batteries from China, the Sterling product is the only one I can find with independent tests,

Mike
Great thanks for the link
Since you're in the U.K., it's probably worth looking at the Dutch company Victron. It makes a wide range of batteries and has a strong presence in both Europe and North America. Might or might not suit your budget, but probably worth learning about. I'm happy with a Victron charger that I just purchased.
I do like victron and have used there controllers all the time. I will be fitting there controller on my new van and probably a DC-DC charger, but the batteries are double the price. If cost was not an issue then a full Victron setup would be great.
 
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Backstone, what did you choose in the end? I bought one of the Sterling 120A LFP which had the BMS swopped out by Sterling. Cells were a little out of balance when first connected, but after a few weeks of use boiling the kettle etc whilst I work on the boat, the cells are much closer. When you add in the 3 yr warranty there was nothing else close in the UK and I didn't fancy importing from China.
 
Liking the look of those Roamer batteries. Very good prices, and they come with a 10 year warranty!
I'm also looking at LifePower and Sterling, and maybe Renogy, but I'm not entirely convinced by them.
 
I found a video on youtube about ultramax batteries.
Seems like a decent option then, good to know!
I ended up going for a Roamer 300ah battery.
I would say they originally sent me a dud. No life at all. Got on to their customer helpline and then within two weeks I had a replacement that was all good.
Interestingly the original one they sent appeared to be an older version of the 300ah model, as it was slightly bigger than the replacement, which I found a bit odd.
Can't say much else about the battery yet as I haven't fully installed it, but when I had a power outage a few weeks back for a couple days, I used the battery to power some essential appliances and when mains power was restored I still had 70% charge, so I was quite pleased with that.
 
I was looking at a trio of 126Ah Ultramaxes until I watched that video and its follow-up. I've now plumped for a 300Ah* Sterling, should be with me tomorrow or Thursday. Wish me luck...! £1400, gulp.

* they say they come in at more like 330Ah, which is a bit odd - they make no such claim about their other batteries in the line-up.
 
For those of you with Sterling or Roamer batteries I advise carrying out charge and discharge testing.
I am aware of a number of occasions where users of batteries from these suppliers had one or more of the following issues.
BMS disable of charge due to imbalanced cells at recommended charge voltages.
Capacity not as specified.
Incorrect display of current and SOC via the app.
In each case the supplier provided alternative batteries.
( although in some cases needed the customer persistance)

Mike
 
I was looking at a trio of 126Ah Ultramaxes until I watched that video and its follow-up. I've now plumped for a 300Ah* Sterling, should be with me tomorrow or Thursday. Wish me luck...! £1400, gulp.

* they say they come in at more like 330Ah, which is a bit odd - they make no such claim about
 
For those of you with Sterling or Roamer batteries I advise carrying out charge and discharge testing.
I am aware of a number of occasions where users of batteries from these suppliers had one or more of the following issues.
BMS disable of charge due to imbalanced cells at recommended charge voltages.
Capacity not as specified.
Incorrect display of current and SOC via the app.
In each case the supplier provided alternative batteries.
( although in some cases needed the customer persistance)

Mike
Interesting, I have a Roamer battery which was low on one cell at first but after a long charge balanced itself out which is what the BMS is suppose to do.
I was looking at getting a set of Sterling this week for a second project.
Problem with testing batteries if I do not have the correct test equipment to test for overall capacity then I have to go by manufacturers advice. What are you using to test the batteries to see the faults you are claiming.
Also if Sterling and Roamer are not good what battery have you opted for and are they perfect with no bad reviews across the web.
 
Serling and Roamer batteries are excellent value and my comments relate to a very low number of issues with these batteries.
Both these companies import batteries from China and thus have little control of quality, and the ocasional below par battery gets to the customer .
Testing capacity is not too difficult, low cost battery monitors are available, example,
Meter

Charging issues where significant cell imbalance causes BMS shutdown may cause damage long term to the battery and system.

Bluetooth reporting of battery status is only useful if values are correct.

I recommend Sterling and Roamer batteries, excellent value and good customer support. It would seem useful for the customer to verify the battery meets specification.

Mike
 
I own an ultramax and I can't help but think the Sterling version is the same thing, just rebranded? The ultramax uses Cylindrical Cells x 68 . Would be interesting to see what's inside the Sterling version.
 
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