Help with figuring out how to add more power to my Bluetti AC200P.

[Nickatnyt]

I think I got the cable back when these first came out, but it may be separate now.

External Battery Connection Cable

P090D To DC7909Applicable Models: EB150/EB240/AC180,Length: 59in/150cm.P090D To XT90Applicable Models: AC200/AC200P, Length: 59in/150cm.P090D To MC4Applicable Models: EP500 Pro, Length: 59in/150cm.Application: By using this cable, you can connect the B230/B300 external battery packs to your...

www.bluettipower.com

B230 page - https://www.bluettipower.com/products/b230-battery-pack

 

[recrisp]

I think I got the cable back when these first came out, but it may be separate now.

External Battery Connection Cable

P090D To DC7909Applicable Models: EB150/EB240/AC180,Length: 59in/150cm.P090D To XT90Applicable Models: AC200/AC200P, Length: 59in/150cm.P090D To MC4Applicable Models: EP500 Pro, Length: 59in/150cm.Application: By using this cable, you can connect the B230/B300 external battery packs to your...

www.bluettipower.com

B230 page - https://www.bluettipower.com/products/b230-battery-pack

Amazon shows this when you purchase the Bluetti B230...

"[What's in the Box]
1 x BLUETTI B230 power station/battery module,
1 x P090A Extension Cable (Used to connect AC200MAX),
1 x User Manual,
1 x 24-Month Warranty.
(500W power adapter not included.)"

If needed separately...

BLUETTI External Battery Connection Cable P090D to DC7909, Compatible Portable Power Station EB150/240​

It appears that IF a person buys directly from Bluetti's site they do not get the cable needed.
If you buy from Amazon, you do get the cable, but, it's a money thing...

It's $1,399. for the Bluetti without the cable on the Bluetti site.
The cable cost is $129.00...
Total cost for Bluetti's B230 AND the cable... $1,528.99

It's $1,599. for the Bluetti with the cable on Amazon's site.
You can get the cable separately on Amazon, but it comes from Bluetti's site..
Delivery date for the B230 on Amazon is June 17-23, according to them at this date and time. (6-9-22)

So, a $71.00 difference in cost.
The OTHER difference is that you can get the cable sooner if you buy from Amazon rather than wait until July buying from Bluetti's site in early July.

So, it can be bought cheaper on Bluetti's, but faster on Amazon's.

Thank you again, Nick!

 

[after1985]

I ran across this channel and watched this guy that made a way to add more battery power to his Bluetti. I wouldn't mind adding more, I already have the AC200P Bluetti and soon I would like to do something along the lines of adding extra time to this thing.
This is for black-out type situations, not boon-docking.
In my mind, one that doesn't really understand all that has been thrown at me since I got my Bluetti thinks that an extra battery AND a way to hook it all up and be safe, that sounds good to me.

The guy in the below video may or may not be making a safe way to go about it all, but it is very interesting idea. (I am not that familiar with him, so he may be a genius)
So, cheap, I must say, it must be. Well, as cheap as I can do this, if it's even possible.
I know that I could have bought the BIGGER Bluetti's and had the battery pack that you can add, but I didn't have that kind of money when I bought...

Has anyone done something like this? Please keep in mind that I know just enough to be dangerous, so... (I didn't see anything like this in my searches)

Thank you!

Why not just get this + a 100AH lithium battery (power queen/chins/ampere time)?

Amazon.com: 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT] : Automotive

Buy 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT]: Power Inverters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I used that when I had my Ecoflow Delta Pro to get a bit more capacity really inexpensively.

 

[sunshine]

More than likely I will go with the Bluetti B230 extended battery, it's $1,000.-ish over my intended budget, but, if I have to have it, that is what I'll have to pay.

$2000 for $400 of battery storage really does emphasize the Bluetti ripoff....but that case does look really neat!

go with this-

Why not just get this + a 100AH lithium battery (power queen/chins/ampere time)?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PQHK3R1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[recrisp]

Why not just get this + a 100AH lithium battery (power queen/chins/ampere time)?

Amazon.com: 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT] : Automotive

Buy 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT]: Power Inverters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I used that when I had my Ecoflow Delta Pro to get a bit more capacity really inexpensively.

Now see? That is why I came here, that is what I asked about and now I am back to it again.
I like it, I do see that it's out of stock, but it appears that it can be made fairly easily.
The main this is to make sure I have both 'ends' the same gauge cable.

Do you have ANY tips about that I might be enlightened with?

Thank you for showing me this, it's REALLY appreciated.

 

[recrisp]

$2000 for $400 of battery storage really does emphasize the Bluetti ripoff....but that case does look really neat!

go with this-

I agree 100%, it wasn't something that I want to do, it's only out of necessity that I would do something like buy the Bluetti since I didn't know how to do something like what was mentioned to me above. Had someone mentioned this and had a link I may have understood it better.
I came here to ask how I could add a battery to my AC200P and nobody had many answers to make me understand how that could be done, until now.
Remember, I am not like you guys as I described earlier in my first post, I am not as adept at doing electrical stuff and doing math, otherwise I would have just done it on my own.

Thank you for your suggestions though.

 

[recrisp]

Why not just get this + a 100AH lithium battery (power queen/chins/ampere time)?

Amazon.com: 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT] : Automotive

Buy 300W Power Inverter Battery Cable by E-POLAR, DC 12V Battery Alligator Clips Battery Clamp with XT60 Connector [12AWG / 3.2FT]: Power Inverters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

I used that when I had my Ecoflow Delta Pro to get a bit more capacity really inexpensively.

So, with your set-up, can you charge through to the added battery?
Also, can you use the entire unit, as if it were one battery?

I know that sounds redundant and stuff, but I just want to be as clear as possible.
If I can hook up my AC200P to a LifePo4 battery with the battery cables you showed and it uses it exactly as it uses its own battery, I'd be set.

Also, I have been seeing that each time that I see a battery cable they only mention it's used for a "lead-acid battery", making it sound like it's not supposed to be used for a Life Po4 battery.

Look at this site to see an example...

Again too, if you're still there, is there any more besides the cable that I would need?

Thank you!

 

[sunshine]

Look at this site to see an example...

"
Function
Used to charge the power station with lead-acid battery."

V is V...it does't matter where it is coming from. Bluetti would rather you buy their product than a generic, far cheaper LiFePO4 Battery so they leave out that fact.

That cable would be all you need to connect any 12v battery to the bluetti.....this needs to be clarified by someone who actually has one of these!

 

[recrisp]

"
Function
Used to charge the power station with lead-acid battery."

V is V...it does't matter where it is coming from. Bluetti would rather you buy their product than a generic, far cheaper LiFePO4 Battery so they leave out that fact.

That cable would be all you need to connect any 12v battery to the bluetti.....this needs to be clarified by someone who actually has one of these!

Thank you, I thought it was weird that it would be for a lead acid battery only, but...
I have seen the same guy on YouTube (he is the one in my post in that video) use his contraptions, although VERY intelligent contraptions, use ONLY the battery cable he makes, but some of them have small circuit boards and more than likely fuses too.

What I see that concerns me is that if it didn't have a fuse of something to prevent it from over-charging, it looks fairly dangerous, maybe it's not.
I would sure like a clarification on that set-up too, that definitely piques my attention.

Thank you for your time again!

 

[sunshine]

What I see that concerns me is that if it didn't have a fuse of something to prevent it from over-charging,

There is always a concern when directly connecting batteries together is the large current surge if the batteries vary greatly in voltage.
The cable https://www.bluettipower.com/products/12v-24v-lead-acid-battery-charging-cable does suggest the current is limited within the Bluetti itself so most likely fixes the problem of connecting batteries together.......this needs to be clarified by someone who actually has one of these!

Many types don't allow the portable power station to be used while charging...this also needs clarifying for your model.

 

[recrisp]

There is always a concern when directly connecting batteries together is the large current surge if the batteries vary greatly in voltage.
The cable https://www.bluettipower.com/products/12v-24v-lead-acid-battery-charging-cable does suggest the current is limited within the Bluetti itself so most likely fixes the problem of connecting batteries together.......this needs to be clarified by someone who actually has one of these!

Many types don't allow the portable power station to be used while charging...this also needs clarifying for your model.

I was sure that I replied to this post this morning, I apologize for not replying.

I do know that the AC200P will allow a Bluetti extended battery to charge, it says it on Bluetti's site. The 'lesser' models don't allow that, I don't think.
Now, I am shying away from the Bluetti extended battery thing, as of now, anyway, that is a LOT of money, plus, I am not sure what I need right now, (I am only in the very beginning stages of this crazy ride, I only got my solar panels going today, it's all working fine. (800w, but I have another 200w panel, and may get more since I have that Enhancer)

Yeah, I wish that someone would come in here and straighten me out on that battery thing being hooked up. heheh
I'm going to ask if someone can.

Thanks again!

 

[recrisp]

Does anyone know ANYTHING at all about whether or not it's a good idea to direct connect the AC200P Bluetti up to a battery, or is that a bad idea, and if so, can you please explain?
What type of battery would be good, etc?

I have been searching and searching about this, I find people that do it, but I am not sure that it's that safe.
Thank you!

 

[Cyanlite]

I have an AC200Max and I would not risk it.

The secondary battery needs a BMS and balancer. By the time you buy a low end Chins battery, with a shunt for monitoring, and fuses, homemade cables, etc… you’re nearly at the price of a B230 when they’re on sale. Those refurb scooter batteries from Jehu Garcia just seems like a bomb waiting to explode since it has a sketchy BMS and no active balancing or fuses. And I think they’re NMC cells.

You can try getting a server rack battery for about $1800 shipped which has circuit breaker and BMS/balancer built-in, but you still need a class T fuse, and then an AC charger ($200) and then a cheap 48v inverter (~$300). Cables and fuses add about another $150. Plus you’ll probably want a shunt for monitoring it ($100).

You would AC charge the server rack battery when you have excess power. And then you’d use the inverter to charge up your Bluetti when you need the power. Probably close to 30% efficiency losses along the way since the Bluetti itself loses about 25% when charging from AC sources. Worst of all, you will spend the majority of your time self-managing this setup. A lot of back and forth, and those server rack batteries are heavy.

You can try for DC charging, but the DC input for 12v sources is only 8.1A on the AC200Max, so charging FROM the external battery would be slow. The max DC output is 30A but at 12v, so charging TO the external server rack would take about 12 hours. You could get a DC power supply and simulate solar input, which is faster but again more $$$.

The official Bluetti batteries sound expensive, but do note they have onboard MPPT charge controller and DC/USB output. So you can connect an extra string of solar panels directly to your external battery which comes in handy if you’re already getting close to the solar input limits on the AC200 itself.

 

[bbazor]

I could be wrong, but I think that recrisp wants to get an external battery and hook it up via one of the DC charging input to increase his capacity. Take a look at the video on the Amazon site for the for the AC200P. It looks like the easiest way is to purchase an external battery and hook it up to the car charging DC input on the side of the unit. If I had the AC200P, that is what I would do. He could have an extra battery or two and then recharge it (them) with solar or a battery charger.

 

[bbazor]

Here is the link to the the AC200P on Amazon. Watch the video at the top of the page. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W2XWQ7H/ref=emc_bcc_2_i?th=1

If you do this, just make sure that you get the polarity right.

 

[Tourguide]

Hey Nick,

So you’re charging the Power Queen from your AC200P? I’m assuming you went this way as it’s roughly half the price of a B230?

Kevin

I assume you need to plug anything in your power Queen separately as there is no way to give the bluetti power from it. Is this correct?

 

[recrisp]

I have an AC200Max and I would not risk it.

The secondary battery needs a BMS and balancer. By the time you buy a low end Chins battery, with a shunt for monitoring, and fuses, homemade cables, etc… you’re nearly at the price of a B230 when they’re on sale. Those refurb scooter batteries from Jehu Garcia just seems like a bomb waiting to explode since it has a sketchy BMS and no active balancing or fuses. And I think they’re NMC cells.

You can try getting a server rack battery for about $1800 shipped which has circuit breaker and BMS/balancer built-in, but you still need a class T fuse, and then an AC charger ($200) and then a cheap 48v inverter (~$300). Cables and fuses add about another $150. Plus you’ll probably want a shunt for monitoring it ($100).

You would AC charge the server rack battery when you have excess power. And then you’d use the inverter to charge up your Bluetti when you need the power. Probably close to 30% efficiency losses along the way since the Bluetti itself loses about 25% when charging from AC sources. Worst of all, you will spend the majority of your time self-managing this setup. A lot of back and forth, and those server rack batteries are heavy.

You can try for DC charging, but the DC input for 12v sources is only 8.1A on the AC200Max, so charging FROM the external battery would be slow. The max DC output is 30A but at 12v, so charging TO the external server rack would take about 12 hours. You could get a DC power supply and simulate solar input, which is faster but again more $$$.

The official Bluetti batteries sound expensive, but do note they have onboard MPPT charge controller and DC/USB output. So you can connect an extra string of solar panels directly to your external battery which comes in handy if you’re already getting close to the solar input limits on the AC200 itself.

What you say does make sense to me, although I have been seeing it done more than a few times. One would think that there'd be videos of people with "it blowed up real good" stories. (Or some kind of negative stories)
Oh yeah, the 'battery guy' I said that has the video seems to be pretty sketchy, BUT, he seems to be very knowledgeam not, I don't know what's real or not. He's also trying to sell his batteries, so there's that, but he may be a genius and helping a lot of people, I really don't know.

I don't have the kind of money to take a BIG chance and making my Bluetti a boat anchor, so I will refrain from being a test case.
I will say that what you said was mostly over my head, but I get the gist.

Thank you for your very good reply, Cyanlite!

 

[recrisp]

Here is the link to the the AC200P on Amazon. Watch the video at the top of the page. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W2XWQ7H/ref=emc_bcc_2_i?th=1

If you do this, just make sure that you get the polarity right.

I also saw that on Amazon's site, I bought my AC200P from Amazon and watched their videos. This and other videos are why i keep asking this question and wondering.
It's hard to see what is actually going on, but they are definitely hooking up a (lead acid) battery to their AC200P, but we can't see if there's anything in-between the battery and the AC200P, there may be.
IF, I did this, and I do say, "IF", I would (probably) get the battery clips that on one end have the screw-on battery terminals, like this.
That way I couldn't screw up, well, I could, but...

(These I just found randomly to show the ends, that's all)

Thank you, BB!

 

[Cyanlite]

I could be wrong, but I think that recrisp wants to get an external battery and hook it up via one of the DC charging input to increase his capacity. Take a look at the video on the Amazon site for the for the AC200P. It looks like the easiest way is to purchase an external battery and hook it up to the car charging DC input on the side of the unit. If I had the AC200P, that is what I would do. He could have an extra battery or two and then recharge it (them) with solar or a battery charger.

It can be done, but it’d be slow charging since that port only does 12V/8A max. And my point was that the people on YouTube are doing it without a BMS/balancer and without fuses to sell their products for super cheap. Once you price all of those safeguards in, and factor the costs of manually managing things, it’s nearly the price of the official Bluetti add-on batteries.

 

[Cyanlite]

I also saw that on Amazon's site, I bought my AC200P from Amazon and watched their videos. This and other videos are why i keep asking this question and wondering.
It's hard to see what is actually going on, but they are definitely hooking up a (lead acid) battery to their AC200P, but we can't see if there's anything in-between the battery and the AC200P, there may be.
IF, I did this, and I do say, "IF", I would (probably) get the battery clips that on one end have the screw-on battery terminals, like this.
That way I couldn't screw up, well, I could, but...

(These I just found randomly to show the ends, that's all)

Thank you, BB!

This works with lead acid batteries. Buts it’s 100 watts maximum. Too slow to be useful I think, but it does work in a pinch.