diy solar

diy solar

Big battery shipping department issues

Thanks to everyone for Wills youtube link on the Ampere Times review video. For me in the California East Bay region (30 miles East of S.F.) I hardly ever anymore due to climate change, rawly see the outside temperature below 40 degrees anymore. In fact, there wasn't one day this past winter did I see frost on the home rooftops.

So it looks like this Ampere Times battery will be just fine for me. And with the Amazon price of $600 cheaper than from Big Batteries for the same Voltage and Amp*Hours and 150 pounds lighter, I can afford to buy two of them, which is all I need for my house load Throughout the night.
 
Looks like I screwed up and accidently posted an amazon link and not the link to the article on the ampere times battery.

So will try it again and hope this link doesn't remove my post.
To repeat, I just ordered the Ampere times 24v-100ah-lifepo4-deep-cycle-lithium-battery. After watching Wills Video on the battery and reading a good write-up on it and its specs, it will work for my needs.

Note that in Wills video he was disappointed that it did not cut off when the temperature probe was placed in ice water. This battery is good down to -20 degrees betfore cut-off.

Here is the link to the write-up
1622838788009.png
 
That Victron network is probably very reliable .... but this violates one of my rules ..... I will never make any critical control function dependent on a communications network.
Maybe once connected, the network is smart enough to compensate for loss of comm with the temp sensor .... I don't know Victron well enough to know.
 
Like CANbus? I'm teasing.
Yes .... Any communications network.... I worked with control systems for many years and that personal rule served me well.
Others who didn't follow that rule sometimes had major problems on their hands.

I always reserved communications for information and non critical functions .... If forced into it by the spec I would always have a heartbeat communications check written into the code to take action if comm is lost.
 
Yes .... Any communications network.... I worked with control systems for many years and that personal rule served me well.
Others who didn't follow that rule sometimes had major problems on their hands.

I always reserved communications for information and non critical functions .... If forced into it by the spec I would always have a heartbeat communications check written into the code to take action if comm is lost.
???
 
Well, the fact that there is complex processing happening with a BMS we are past any possibility of total analog control. Logically, there are a lot of things to go wrong even with just having a BMS. But I agree with you. I cabled my house even though wifi happens...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mia
Well, the fact that there is complex processing happening with a BMS we are past any possibility of total analog control. Logically, there are a lot of things to go wrong even with just having a BMS. But I agree with you. I cabled my house even though wifi happens...
... and also why we need redundant safety's for the critical stuff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mia
I wouldn't fault BB for the freight company issues. Getting truck drivers is a challenge right now. Shipping anything is a mess. Is there really any good freight shipping company right now? They all seem to want huge windows and want you to wait around, just like the cable TV companies. Enjoy this memory!
 
This is why I have everything delivered to work. There is always someone here to receive, the facility is secure, and we get multiple deliveries per day. Because of the latter, the shipping scheduling software that the carriers use never has a problem getting stuff here promptly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mia
Slightly off topic... I bought a large tv and was having it delivered. Scheduled 12-4pm. 3:45 received a text that delivery was canceled and scheduled for the next day. Grrrr.

Received it the next day

They asked for feedback on delivery. I complained about having to wait 4 hours and then delivery cancelled. I received a $100 gift card(to their store) in the mail.

Now that’s customer service. I’d post the name of the company but not sure of the rules on that.
 
I, too, am having issues with BB. Got two 12v owl max. One did not work. Went through all the hoops and still no go. I actually drove the unit to their place in Chatsworth. Before I made that horrible drive, they said they would swap it. They gave me the same unit back after about 5 minutes of 'testing.' Still not working. More time on the phone, email, live chat. Shipped it back to them. Now I wait. I demanded a replacement under warranty. I don't think that's happening. Wish I had found this forum before purchase.
 
LTL Freight companies are not capable of delivering a shipment at a specific time for several reasons:

1) Traffic: one accident and they can be sitting on the road for hours.
2) Customers: With some customers, the products they are delivering are not really subject to being damaged.. Like a crate of latex gloves or a pallet of basketballs or something.. The truck pulls in, drops the load, gets a signature, and off they go. When the truck is filled with these types of deliveries, the driver's day goes by smooth and fast. Then there's the guy like me who orders a pallet full of solar panels and notices some damage to the box.. in such cases, it is likely the driver could be at my stop for almost an hour or more while pictures are taken, things are documented, etc.
It really depends on what they're delivering that day and to who.
3) Drivers call in sick, trucks break down, etc.

Its a long list.. I've been shipping and receiving things via LTL truck for almost 30 years.. It rare if they have to reschedule a stop for a different day, they usually make it there at some point.. just don't expect a noon appointment to really be noon.. that means it can be from 10am to 4pm..
 
I, too, am having issues with BB. Got two 12v owl max. One did not work. Went through all the hoops and still no go. I actually drove the unit to their place in Chatsworth. Before I made that horrible drive, they said they would swap it. They gave me the same unit back after about 5 minutes of 'testing.' Still not working. More time on the phone, email, live chat. Shipped it back to them. Now I wait. I demanded a replacement under warranty. I don't think that's happening. Wish I had found this forum before purchase.
Sorry to hear of your awful journey.

I hope they do right by you, and that your system is up and running soon.

There was a case of one user who posted pictures of their BB batery with a clearly corroded terminal and the ceo logged on and claimed the image was of white grease and not to be worried about. That was the point where I personally blacklisted the company for sourcing my own parts.

It’s sad to feel that overtly misled on such a critical component that affects safety of life. anyways. Result is, I learn more, wait more time, hopefully safe result.

The offerings from that business and the marketing material are certainly interesting at face value. Believe me, I thought long and hard… “why should i make my brain hurt so much learning and building my own battery… i just want to parallel connect a few prebuilt together and go…. wow these BB batteries would get me up and running quick!”

white grease saga

anyways. if your BB battery does not leak or smell strongly of chemicals upon arrival, and holds a charge, the anecdotes seem to point to it’s ok to use. if it smells weird. take it outside and get fresh air.
 
Sorry to hear of your awful journey.

I hope they do right by you, and that your system is up and running soon.

There was a case of one user who posted pictures of their BB batery with a clearly corroded terminal and the ceo logged on and claimed the image was of white grease and not to be worried about. That was the point where I personally blacklisted the company for sourcing my own parts.

It’s sad to feel that overtly misled on such a critical component that affects safety of life. anyways. Result is, I learn more, wait more time, hopefully safe result.

The offerings from that business and the marketing material are certainly interesting at face value. Believe me, I thought long and hard… “why should i make my brain hurt so much learning and building my own battery… i just want to parallel connect a few prebuilt together and go…. wow these BB batteries would get me up and running quick!”

white grease saga

anyways. if your BB battery does not leak or smell strongly of chemicals upon arrival, and holds a charge, the anecdotes seem to point to it’s ok to use. if it smells weird. take it outside and get fresh air.
It's a bit of a drag. “why should i make my brain hurt so much learning and building my own battery… i just want to parallel connect a few prebuilt together and go…. wow these BB batteries would get me up and running quick!” My precise thought process. Added bummer for me down the road is that I was going to double capacity and voltage soonish. Which, as I understand it, makes me beholden to them for my next purchase.
 
Update: Received my battery back from big battery yesterday. I am unable to test it properly as I am in the city and the battery is for my off grid house. I'll haul it up there as soon as I can and report back on how it performs. I anticipate asking questions in the future about the possibility of mixing batteries as I will want to scale the bank and likely not go with them again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mia
Update. They promised a refund. I shipped them back. Still waiting on my money. They have acknowledged receipt of the units. Weeks and weeks ago. Like mid October.
 
Back
Top