Did anyone else run out and buy a 48V EG4 battery after watching Wills Video?

[robby]

I cannot wait to get my order along with an order from another company for my inverter. My wife and I just moved into our 400sf tiny home today. I’m powering it with a Chins 12.8v 300ah battery rand a reliable power inverter off Amazon. Right now we have no solar so we change off a 700w Baja propane generator powering a Victron charger.

Yes it really does look like an excellent battery and at a really good price. I wanted to order two but figured it was best to just be cautious and try just one first.
I assume you went with the 12v model. You should be more than doubling your current capacity!
What size inverter do you plan on using?
I hear signature solar has some really good panels at incredible prices.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Anyone else Pre Order after watching the video?

Personally they wouldn't suit my use case since I can't easily add a heater for them for example. It would mean buying a 19" rack and insulating it to do it properly, and those aren't cheap either. I'm sticking to DIY because of the flexibility it offers and easy maintenance.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

Yes it really does look like an excellent battery and at a really good price. I wanted to order two but figured it was best to just be cautious and try just one first.
I assume you went with the 12v model. You should be more than doubling your current capacity!
What size inverter do you plan on using?
I hear signature solar has some really good panels at incredible prices.

From Signature Solar I ordered 6 48v 100ah rack batteries along with the rack to hold them. Also the 35 amp charger so I can alway charge from a small generator. From Arizona wind and sun I ordered a magnum MS-4448-pae prewired panel with a Vicrton 250/70 controller. 10 REC N-PEAK 2 Black Series 365 Watt. 120 half-cut cells, monocrystalline panels.

The Chins and 1500w inverter will go back in my RV when I’m done with them in the house.

 

[robby]

From Signature Solar I ordered 6 48v 100ah rack batteries along with the rack to hold them. Also the 35 amp charger so I can alway charge from a small generator. From Arizona wind and sun I ordered a magnum MS-4448-pae prewired panel with a Vicrton 250/70 controller. 10 REC N-PEAK 2 Black Series 365 Watt. 120 half-cut cells, monocrystalline panels.

The Chins and 1500w inverter will go back in my RV when I’m done with them in the house.

I assume you have some heavy load starting requirements why you went with the Magnum? For that price I would have looked at the Sol-Ark 5K or 8K just based on the efficiency gain and the way it can use the PV, Battery or Generator depending on what is needed and how you program it.
Just a thought in case your not fully committed yet.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

I assume you have some heavy load starting requirements why you went with the Magnum? For that price I would have looked at the Sol-Ark 5K or 8K just based on the efficiency gain and the way it can use the PV, Battery or Generator depending on what is needed and how you program it.
Just a thought in case your not fully committed yet.

I based my decision on what I already own. My RV has been setup for a few years now with a small Victron charge controller. I like the way I can Bluetooth my phone to it and already know how to use the app. The inverter was based off of I also already own a MS-4024-PAE installed in a home I purchased this last summer that my daughter is living in now. I have been working with this for the last several months and seam to like it. Also it’s 11 years old and still ticking. My neighbors 4024 just kicked the bucket after close to 14 years of service.

What it comes down to is I feel comfortable. I have been watching videos of a lot of the all in one inverters and to me they seem complicated to setup In the setting men’s. also with the 4024 that I currently own if I have to and have already done I can turn the charger down to 30% and charge of my Honda EU2000 Instead of being force to use some sort of 10kw unit.

 

[ptd006]

Has anyone managed to get one in the UK please? Signature Solar don't appear to ship here.

 

[LVLAaron]

I've had my eye on them since Poz started reviewing them. 4 of them coupled with a to be determined Growatt low frequency inverter will be great for my new cabin/home

 

[robby]

Has anyone managed to get one in the UK please? Signature Solar don't appear to ship here.

I am surprised that one of the battery distrubutors in the UK has not contacted GYll directly and made their own purchase. The only way that they could sell them cheap enough is by buying them by the container load.

 

[John Schmidt]

Ordered on October 19th. Patiently waiting for my EG4 to arrive. Expecting it shortly, but it's the holiday season and there are many other shipping issues.

 

[John Schmidt]

Ordered on October 19th. Patiently waiting for my EG4 to arrive. Expecting it shortly, but it's the holiday season and there are many other shipping issues.

Just got a tracking number today!!!!

 

[mbshoe]

Signature Solar started new thread: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...attery-pre-orders-and-catching-up-fast.32993/

"It's a full-time wrapping party over here, if you haven't received your order tracking you will soon."

 

[Solar Guy Richard]

It's been crazy at the office the last few weeks and this has only increased how insane we appear, frantically running around the office filling all these orders. Huge shoutout to our warehouse guys, those batteries aren't light and they are moving hundreds of them every day.

 

[robby]

My 48V EG4 LL came in about two weeks ago but as luck would have it I was leaving the day before on a trip.
I got back a couple of days ago and installed it yesterday.


I noticed that one cell was reading 3.786V while all the rest were pretty much in spec but all over the place from 3.32 to 3.46V. It does not seem like these cells are balanced before or after installation.
After charging it with my 25 Amp charger and then matching the voltage to my other three eFlex batteries I Installed it and switched it on and the switched on one eFlex and watched the current. Typically it was being charged by the eFlex by about 3 Amps which dropped down to zero after about 5 minutes. Then I turned on the next one and waited for the current to equalize, then turned off the first two eFlexs and did the third eFlex alone with it and when that equalized I turned the other two back on.
I still had some mismatched voltages in the EG4 cells but after one night off discharge and then recharging by the panels this morning I checked again and they are all reading the same within 3mV of each other, so the BMS got them all lined up properly. Not sure what was up with that one cell but I will be monitoring it for the next week.

Likes:
Delivers the power that is promised.
Overall very good build quality and form factor.
Nice looking Battery.
LCD screen is very handy.


Dislikes:
The buttons for the LCD controls are pretty bad. You have to press pretty hard with your finger tip and there is minimal tactile feedback. Much easier to press with a pencil eraser. They are definitely on the cheap side of things.

The LCD screen is most definitely readable but it is a bit washed out and blurred.

The time the screen stays up is short, I did not time it but it feels like 30 seconds and then if no buttons are pressed it times out and goes off.

Verdict:
Overall I am very happy with the purchase.

 

[Maintenance guy]

luckily am able to build a 48 volt 400 ah system for my buddy for the price of two of these. i think i will stick to DIY thank you.

 

[robby]

luckily am able to build a 48 volt 400 ah system for my buddy for the price of two of these. i think i will stick to DIY thank you.

I would have no problem building one myself but I don't like the unknowns of dealing with Grade B cells and the land mines involved in purchasing the batteries. At the end of the day it's only half the price if you get the same amount of cycles out of a DIY pack. If you get half the cycles then it's the same cost plus the added cost of my labor. Also a 10 year warranty makes me feel much more comfortable. No I don't know if they will be around in 10 years but chances are good that they will be, as green energy is becoming more and more popular.

 

[robby]

@Will Prowse I am just wondering if you have had any issues with your battery shutting down unexpectedly?
It has not happened to me in the four days that I have been running it, but others have had that issue.
You have had them running for two months, have you had any issues?

Thanks

 

[Will Prowse]

@Will Prowse I am just wondering if you have had any issues with your battery shutting down unexpectedly?
It has not happened to me in the four days that I have been running it, but others have had that issue.
You have had them running for two months, have you had any issues?

Thanks

I have never had the eg4 or any other server rack shut down for no reason. Is there a current sharing issue causing current regulation or shutdown? Is there any error codes present? That is very strange.

 

[robby]

I have never had the eg4 or any other server rack shut down for no reason. Is there a current sharing issue causing current regulation or shutdown? Is there any error codes present? That is very strange.

There are two main problems that some people are having. Check out these threads.
This is the main common issue several people are having.
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...t-powering-up-with-eg4-lithium-battery.33250/


In this one check out post #16 where the guy says the batteries are switching on and off on their own.
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/lifepower4-24v-and-mpp-solar-lv2424-issue.32831/

It would be really cool if you did a video using an oscilloscope on a slow sweep to monitor the DC pre charge voltage and see if it is causing the issue.
So far no one at signature solar has a clue.

 

[robby]

Did you have a look @Will Prowse ?

 

[Will Prowse]

Did you have a look @Will Prowse ?

I did and I am unsure what is going on. I am sick with fever and on the road. Will think about this soon. Can you post pictures of your connections and what conductor size you're using?