diy solar

diy solar

Cheap Chinese junk: I'll trow my 3 Daly controllers in the garbage bin. ANGRY!!!

I was zipping along using a deep socket and staying away from everything until I a bunch of wires tripped me up.
The socket got welded to my ratchet.
I need to use tools covered in rubber or plastic.
This works well for me, but you could always use heatshrink as well.
Insulated wrench

BTW, I have no idea why it opens in Dutch.
 
In the worst case scenario, just tape off the tools like socket driver, screwdriver etc, even with Masking Tape if that's all you got and it'll be better than bare metal. Electricity will not go through Masking Take BUT this is not a permanent solution. No need to get all carried away for doing a few cells.
 
I read that the reason the automotive world is moving to 48V and not higher because they thought that was the highest they could go and still be safe enough. Not safe, safe *enough*.
Actually, the automotive world abandoned the move to higher than 12v several years ago due to arc damage of devices.
12v devices have slow arc potential with most any device in the circuit... 24 and up tend to arc on each switching path, and it would be difficult and expensive to have warranties... they ended up using high amperage conductor paths, and branching out to support the additional electronic loads of modern vehicles.
 
I was zipping along using a deep socket and staying away from everything until a bunch of wires tripped me up.
The socket got welded to my ratchet.
I need to use tools covered in rubber or plastic.
If it can be made to stick well try the liquid tape or maybe even Car undercoating spray.
 
I can tell you for a fact that anything over 30 volts is dangerous. Dispute with "internet experts" quotes at your own risk. My knowledge might date to the 1970s and earlier, but it hasn't changed.
I can confirm. I got a light shock from 24 volts, a slightly painful shock from 36v and OUCH from 48v. I forgot I had grounded my system to the frame of the motorhome and touched the frame with one hand while making the + connections on my batteries... next time, the - lead is the last one to be connected.
 
I can confirm. I got a light shock from 24 volts, a slightly painful shock from 36v and OUCH from 48v. I forgot I had grounded my system to the frame of the motorhome and touched the frame with one hand while making the + connections on my batteries... next time, the - lead is the last one to be connected.
THIS!
as long as safety is followed, 48V is safe to use, but safe to touch? Safe to short out? So safe that precautions aren’t needed?
ridiculous!

ALL electrical circuitry needs to be treated with skill and respect.

ANYTHING above 24V needs precautions and procedure to work around. It can and will kill!
 
Anyway, back on topic.

Daly BMS are pretty well featured on Wills YouTube channel. Is OP expecting too much from a cheap BMS or are there better options for the price point?

I found this thread after seeing YT, and signing up for more current information. About to pull the trigger on a few cells and a BMS
 
Anyway, back on topic.

Daly BMS are pretty well featured on Wills YouTube channel. Is OP expecting too much from a cheap BMS or are there better options for the price point?

I found this thread after seeing YT, and signing up for more current information. About to pull the trigger on a few cells and a BMS
They may or may not be cheap but they are not inexpensive.
 
Cheap is totally relative.
What's cheap.
Are the components lower quality then Batrium?
Absolutely and at lower price.

Is the research time and quality insurance lower then Batrium?
Again, absolutely.

Is spending +$ 800,- to safeguard the + 5000 investment expensive or cheap?

Relative to your point of view.
Your demands.
And your safe or risky nature.

Do you need up time?
Do you need a product that the builders really stand by, and don't make a fuss about warranty?

And what's that worth to you.

Real life story:
I build a mining farm in 2017 with +200 1060 GPU, and chosen Corsair power supplies. 40 of them, in the range of 750 to 1000, mostly 850w.

Now that's all gone and sold, except 2 PSU and 7 cards.

One PSU had starting problems.
Sometimes it would start, sometimes not.

Flipflop thought Google me, the electronic part that does the puls turn on thing.

So I opened the unit I search. Lost quite a lot of screws and other parts and could not find it.

I reached out to Corsair support, to find out what chip or part it was and replace it myself.

How surprised I was to hear this is warranty.
I received a pre-paid shipment label (DHL) to send to Korea.
Courier came to pick the old unit from our home (30 minutes from the main road) and a week later a new courier (FedEx) came and deliver me a brand new RM1000X.

That was not my reason for choosing Corsair. The stability of the PSU, what is more important when you Overclock the videocards.

Even that those PSU where in the higher price range, they turned out cheapest solution due the excellent customer support.

Daly dumb BMS is totally epoxied.
Impossible to repair or replace any parts.

Request it back at customer expense, is simple customer punishment for asking support.
If you get your money back, or get replacement temporary working unit... It's punishment for asking.
They absolutely have no use for it, not even the heatsink can be removed.

Their tests show quickly when it's defective.
They know they can't replace parts.
And if it's simple re-programming?
They should make that available and not charge $75,- to get the option for replacing or refund.

Not much more to it.

Sadly Daly isn't the only BMS builder who makes a crappy product.
I have received and seen them go defective in way too short time for that price.
5 bucks even would be to much.
+ $100... A price range one should be able to receive quality.
It ain't rocket science.

My alternative, DIYBMS is not for everyone.
It requires soldering and flashing.
It does give you the freedom to adjust the PCB if you have better design idea for your needs, as well as the software.

Measuring cell voltage and turn something on or off at a set threshold isn't that complicated.

It's the amps that the "old" design needs in its system that makes it vulnerable.
Mosfet design works perfectly for smaller amperes.

It was never designed for +100A.
It got upscaled to +400A...
And fails, and fails and fails.

My Daly 250A worked fine for 10 weeks.
Up to the day it stopped, around lunch time, none of the cells at high level or low.
Just stopped.

Will makes great reviews, absolutely.
Endurance tests aren't part of it.

If I didn't hear so many people in my limited environment around Daly BMS fail, I probably would advise one.
But I do.
And see how Daly abuses their "third world" status for postages.
How their new "smart" had 4 major hardware changes in 9 months, with absolutely no good support to any of the old units that fail, or don't work as specified.

If they need 4 large changes, it was launched premature.
The first 3 shouldn't have been in the field as sold products.

That's cheap thinking...

Not the product.
That probably is matured by now, Not build by Daly, but painted red (black available under different names) and sold as.

What's cheap...

I still have a mighty good feeling about Corsair.
To bad they don't make BMS!!

Batrium isn't the only quality builder out there.
There are a few other options.

If you want to stay in the price range as Daly, $100-150, then DIYBMS is the only one I know that comes close to stability, scalability and reliability.
 
Ask anyone in the utilities industries, worry about volts. Potential. Current is drawn by devices, voltage is what pushes it.
Do not become part of a circuit and you will be fine. That was mentioned but bears repeating.
In the navy as an avionics tech on F-4 phantoms one of our tasks regularly was tuning klystron magnetron power supplies for the radar. This had you using a brass screwdriver in the vicinity of an energized terminal with 28kvdc, yes 28,000 volts with IIRC around 10a current. Often done at night on the flight deck in rough seas, and you stood on the end of your aluminum tool box to see the pot screw and meter.
It was relatively safe for one protocol. Absolutely positively, one hand behind your back. If you slipped, no part of you becomes a circuit.
 
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I too am very unsatisfied with the Daly Smart BMS. I have six brand new units and for some Go!@##$$#@#@@@###$$$%%% Frigginng reason, none of them activate once my LifePO4 packs are charged. I have spent unreasonable hours trying to get these to turn on and activate via bluetooth or whatever. Just dead in the water. My packs are fully charged to 14.2V (4s 280ah EVE cells) and nothing. I short the P & B, nothing. Put them on a charge,.... Nothing cuz I think my batteries are fully charged. AAAAAAAERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG... Smash! Break! Burn them!!!!
I think you have now figured out how to activate them, if not please let me know and I will try to assist.

I understand the frustration, you want something that "just works". Unfortunately the closest BMS to that description is the Overkill BMS, and it has a much lower amp rating.
 
I have 3x Daly BMS, all with bluetooth, 2 with power bar.
Completely satisfied, if I want to turn them on, I just press the 'power bar' button or bluetooth button.
For balancing I use 5A capacitive balance boards.
 
I have 3x Daly BMS, all with bluetooth, 2 with power bar.
Completely satisfied, if I want to turn them on, I just press the 'power bar' button or bluetooth button.
For balancing I use 5A capacitive balance boards.
:)
I'm happy for you, with thanks and respect for @rudydevolder and all other early adopters! (That includes myself ?)

Without them and their outspoken critic of the crap that was sold, improvements where made.

2 years is amazing long time in electronics, just look at the development in smartphones.

Yeah, Daly products where good under 100A "set and forget" as @Will Prowse likes to say.

Their struggle to make the 100 into 400A units has cost many forum members lots of money.
Personally about $350 for 2 (both defective) Daly. One "dumb" 250 that stopped after 3 months, one 150A "smart" that never worked with my inverters.
The first "smart" model with 7(?) Hardware revisions in a year they finally produced a more stable product.

Sadly their "warranty/support" is after conclusion that it's defective, you need to send it to China (costs $75-100) and pay for shipment of new unit... ($35)..

So...
Chinese crap that improved over the back of the early adopters.
No love from me for Daly, especially due their absurd warranty "service" where you need to spend 2/3th of the cost again to (hopefully) get a working product.

I'm happy they finally produced a functional piece of crap.
It should have worked and keep working 25 months ago, without all the hassle.
It's not that it's cheap!!
(Their components are, huge profit margins)

Early adaptors: thank you for your financial and time sacrifice!!!

New users on the market will mostly never know of our struggle....
 
Sadly their "warranty/support" is after conclusion that it's defective, you need to send it to China (costs $75-100) and pay for shipment of new unit... ($35)..
No warranty or support in the country where I live (Thailand), beyond a 7 day return policy from the internet stores.
If something goes wrong after the first couple of weeks you chuck it in the bin and buy another one.
If something doesn't work on arrival, I usually get a full refund and am told to chuck the faulty item away.

Once I learned never to buy Samsung products, I've never had a problem.

All my solar equipment (much purchased direct from China) has worked perfectly.
Delivery from China, mostly free as Chinese post appears to be (secretly) subsidised by the Chinese government.

But you're in Thailand so you should know this already, post from Thailand to China isn't $75-$100.
 
No warranty or support in the country where I live (Thailand), beyond a 7 day return policy from the internet stores.
If something goes wrong after the first couple of weeks you chuck it in the bin and buy another one.
If something doesn't work on arrival, I usually get a full refund and am told to chuck the faulty item away.

Once I learned never to buy Samsung products, I've never had a problem.

All my solar equipment (much purchased direct from China) has worked perfectly.
Delivery from China, mostly free as Chinese post appears to be (secretly) subsidised by the Chinese government.

But you're in Thailand so you should know this already, post from Thailand to China isn't $75-$100.
555 (Thai for hahaha)

All depends on the timing.
My Daly went defective after 3 months, may 2020..
Thailand in lockdown and all post had to undergo extensive desinfection.
Many normal postal services where suspended.

Special line to China 3000 THB.
That was the fully epoxied 250A unit with, acknowledged by Daly, no possibility to repair.

Test done made clear that the unit is fully defective.
Yet they insist on having the defective, not able to repair unit returned before providing refund.

Sure I'm aware of Thai "taillight" warranty.
When you buy a printer (or chainsaw or...) They assemble in the store, print / start and that is it
It will leave the store in working condition.
End of warranty. 555

When a (global) shop adversities with 3,6 or 12 months warranty, I intend to keep them at it.

That or just say bye bye to $250-
And be happy that it worked for 3 months instead of 2 ???

My financial situation isn't so that I can keep on buying and make sure to have one in spare as it will fail quickly.
If I was planning to spend over $1500 in 1.5 years on replacing BMS, I would have bought Batrium BMS.

It's not a $25,- crap product.
They ask quite a high price for what was supposed to be good quality.

Sadly it wasn't mature yet.
 
Many Chinese mfrs still havent caught on to the idea of integrity and building a reputation for your business. Thats why there seems to be a never ending revolving door of nonsensically named mfrs out of China. They burn lots of customers then word gets out so they change their name. Obviously Daly is still Daly now but dont be shocked if they disappear then pop up as someone else someday.
Its even funnier when mfrs outright steal the name of other more reputable conpetitors. The poor consumer is left wondering where the hell his product actually came from.
Bill Clinton jump started the acceleration of Chinas industrialization, with China friendly commerce policies which also encouraged US corporations to move production there. Initially we were all alarmed that patents on US products were rendered useless, though that had the silver lining of technology advancing in leaps and bounds. Patents stifle developing technology because they make it difficult to build on and improve your competitors' inventions.
Unfortunately too much of the Chinese business philosophy is building cheap products with low durability for a fast buck.
So all this "progress" doesnt seem like that at all when the hand tools I buy at the local home improvement store arent near the quality they were 30 years ago, and its hard to find good ones at all.

(Incidentally, the death of the value of US patents has surely contributed along with illegal immigration, to the increasing homelessness in America. The stock market existed to connect investors with small manufacturers with new ideas....build factories and get the product to market. Since that cant really happen any more wall street had to invent new investment vehicles, a very popular one has been real estate holdings funds. Theyre buying up the housing in our cities and renting them out at sizeable markups.)
 
Daly is one of the "better" Chinese companies, Sorotec is an other.

Probably lots more, I don't have personal experience with them.
EASun as a company to run as fast as you can away from.
While not all crap, they relabeling anything they get their hands on, usually stuff that didn't pass QA test.

Sadly I need to import stuff from Europe if I want a tool to keep working longer then a few months.
Still China product, just 10 times higher quality then what they dump on the local (Asian) market (Thailand)


The world is sponsoring China by letting them use postage service as "third world economy"...

We are all responsibe for the low quality.

Simple 90 degree hook.
European brand € 27.50
Chinese €3.50

With result no one is buying the quality one, except professionals.
With result that company needs to lower it's standard or stop existing.

No patents 90 degree hook... :)

That's just one example I had last year, when I helped a friend while visiting Holland.
She didn't have, so we went to the store.
No way we are paying €27.50 for such simple equipment.
Next stop: "Action" (Local shop filled with cheap Chinese stuff) €3.50

What can I say...
It's the way the world works.
It should not have been €27.50...
Little bit of iron.

Somewhere in the whole line of production to sell some person lost track of what they actually are offering for what price..

Same angle iron is in Thialand € 1.79 (65 THB) in expensive hardware store...
 
Like I said I've found a very interesting information and a specialized chip the LTC68xx series. Each chip can handle max 12, 15 or 18 channels or battery-cells with a accuracy of 1.5mV. And it has a isoSPI bus to connect multiple chips in series, completely galvanic isolated at 1mbps over max. 100m using 2 wires only. The chip costs around 20 USD and the manufacturer sells a development kit with a master and slave board, and multiple slave boards can put in series. The master board has usb connection and free software 100% compatible with the Arduino with the same pin-layout. But they call their own master board the Linduino, their demo slave boards do already balancing of 50mA, compare this with the Daly that has only 30mA. I was very interested in this one, but than I tried to figure out the datasheet of the chip, I had a headscratching moment, wow a 92 pages datasheet with explanation of filters and many other features like cross-checking. This is not going to be a easy task. But it made me convinced in the capabilities and reliability of this chip, so I started looking for open-source projects with source code to look at.
Hurray, I found the DieBie BMS from a German engineer and a die-hard electric skateboarder. I admired his project but it was not exactly the thing I was looking for, first because it uses the older LTC6803 chip, second it had no extensions for more batterie-cells and 3th it was really leaning more towards electrical vehicles than energy storage. The next open-source project I found was actually based on this one. It is the ENNOID BMS, this project is using the newer version the LTC6811 and Stm32 microcontroller on a separate master board and what I really like is the modular configuration with slave boards you can put in series, the balancing current is 110mA and I was ready to make a very simple adaptation to make it higher but Kevin(the engineer of the ENNOID BMS) said I could buy his older boards with 220mA balancing current. He has multiple models of his slave board and all schematics and source code is available online, both the sourcecode for the master board based on the Diebie bms firmware and the graphical interface on windows which is very straightforward to use. Love it. The only thing is that his current implementation is more towards electric vehicles. But Kevin said no problem together we can do the small adaptations in the software and implement in the next version. The accuracy of the LTC68xx is 1.5 milli Volts, so balancing while charging even halfway should be no problem I think.
To be continued...
Brother you take DIY to a whole new level..?
 
Many Chinese mfrs still havent caught on to the idea of integrity and building a reputation for your business. Thats why there seems to be a never ending revolving door of nonsensically named mfrs out of China. They burn lots of customers then word gets out so they change their name. Obviously Daly is still Daly now but dont be shocked if they disappear then pop up as someone else someday.
Its even funnier when mfrs outright steal the name of other more reputable conpetitors. The poor consumer is left wondering where the hell his product actually came from.
Bill Clinton jump started the acceleration of Chinas industrialization, with China friendly commerce policies which also encouraged US corporations to move production there. Initially we were all alarmed that patents on US products were rendered useless, though that had the silver lining of technology advancing in leaps and bounds. Patents stifle developing technology because they make it difficult to build on and improve your competitors' inventions.
Unfortunately too much of the Chinese business philosophy is building cheap products with low durability for a fast buck.
So all this "progress" doesnt seem like that at all when the hand tools I buy at the local home improvement store arent near the quality they were 30 years ago, and its hard to find good ones at all.

(Incidentally, the death of the value of US patents has surely contributed along with illegal immigration, to the increasing homelessness in America. The stock market existed to connect investors with small manufacturers with new ideas....build factories and get the product to market. Since that cant really happen any more wall street had to invent new investment vehicles, a very popular one has been real estate holdings funds. Theyre buying up the housing in our cities and renting them out at sizeable markups.)
They are buying up houses in our cities and sitting on them driving rent up.

I haven’t seen them release any of the houses they bought here yet.

They bought 25% of the houses sold her in Q1.

Have neither resold them nor rented them.
 
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