JiKong (JK) (Neey/Hankzor/HelTec/etc) Smart BMS with Active Balancer BT/Can/RS485 (Input Discussion pre-purchase)

[Steve_S]

Good Day folks,

I am now very seriously looking at these JK BMS' (common rebrands in title) after watching several review vids (Good Job Andy BTW) and doing my own digging into them.
Ref to Andy's 1st vid that caught my eye on these.

Can't help but love the Exhuberance.

Small backstory:
I have several LFP battery Packs both production (main bank) and a few "Utility" packs, all LFP of course. As I built these over a period of time, things got somewhat muddled because of different versions or different pieces... IE 5 production packs are Chargery 300A BMS' & QNBBM-8S Active Balancers and utility packs JK & JBD BMS' with HelTec Capacitive Active Balancers... Quite the Kerfuffle indeed. I've decided to tackle this calamitous compilation of components and finally get it all sorted and aligned to completely finalize my systems. There will be a sale on a LOT of stuff, as it's also time to "clean up & clear out", will be posted later.

I am going to align everything identically, production & utility packs included. I intend to place the order this coming Monday (Nov.29) so any feedback from people actually using this gear is most welcome. Below is precisely what I am looking at.

JK-BMS [24S 2A 150A BT] with BlueTooth Part Number: B2A24S15P $143.29 USD
Product Link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003104573871.html
plus CANbus Module + RS485 Module $7.73 USD each Comms access besides BT is required and future-proofing as well.
Product Link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003451100409.html
** Possibly adding [LCD for 60P] display module but not sure ATM. Actual User Feedback would be helpful. they are an extra $30 USD ea. Not for these models, only 60P.

NOTE ON WIRE SIZE: The B & C wires are 7AWG Silicon capable of 200A, the sense/balance leads are 7awg per HankZor client services.

JiKong-Lithium battery smart bms instructions.pdf (Nov.23.2021)​

JK/JiKong-Lithium battery smart bms instructions.pdf at JK-BMS · NEEY-electronic/JK

Contribute to NEEY-electronic/JK development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

Table of models/versions. (thumbnail, click to expand)

Thanks in Advance for all Feedback & Info.
Steve

 

[Steve_S]

bump, no one has any of these but Andy ?

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I have (I think I was one of the first to use these). Two of them, for over a year now. No problems what so ever. It does what a BMS should do: protect the cells and stay out of the way at all other times. I use the RS485 interface to log data and graph with Grafana (thread). Don't have the LCD display, just the app - which by the way is nice.

 

[Steve_S]

I have (I think I was one of the first to use these). Two of them, for over a year now. No problems what so ever. It does what a BMS should do: protect the cells and stay out of the way at all other times. I use the RS485 interface to log data and graph with Grafana (thread). Don't have the LCD display, just the app - which by the way is nice.

Thanks for the response. I had intended to use the same kit thread above + the Midnite Solar hook to the SCC. The chargery's with RS232 got complicated (overly so) and well the mix of everything else - well you know, too many ingredients in the stew can make it unpalatable. Even worse is the pile of cash this all adds up to, heck I even have new never installed stuff (spares +) that's gonna have to go... Lots of stuff will be up for cheap just to get rid of it. I see that there is ESPhome support for these as well.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

I think they're getting more and more popular, just because it ticks most of the boxes people are looking for: all protections including over/under temperature, simple to configure, and they seem very reliable. I also did a check on the MOSFETs and they're properly rated for advertised current the BMS can handle. Price is also decent.

 

[Steve_S]

I think they're getting more and more popular, just because it ticks most of the boxes people are looking for: all protections including over/under temperature, simple to configure, and they seem very reliable. I also did a check on the MOSFETs and they're properly rated for advertised current the BMS can handle.

Andy @ Offgrid Garage took one apart and uncovered the MOSFETs to discover high-quality FETS which are well "overrated" for the application, I think they were 180A capable used in a 100A BMS... I really twigged in that, giving it a good margin.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

See my calculation in the comment section of that video

 

[Steve_S]

That's a lot of messages to filter through, My Goodness. Too bad there is no search comments button. I did not see your calculation comment though.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Highlighted comment link. It's also the top comment if you sort 'top comments'.

 

[RayW]

Just received from AliExpress my brand new Heltec (JK made) 8S 200A Smart BMS with 2A built in Active balancer. This is brand new and I have been waiting nearly 4 weeks to get this for my 200Ah 8s 24V solar system. Sadly I cannot find a link to a user manual though watching Andy in Off Grid Garage I am pretty sure I know how this works and already have on my iPhone the necessary app. Currently I am using an unbranded but personally calibrated ( it was well out ) Overkill 8S 100A Smart BMS very popular amongst you folk here. I also use a cheap 5A capacitive active balancer which is needed as my Lifepo prismatic CALB 200Ah batteries have some degree of capacity mismatch and the dumb but effective active balancer works well though still unwantedly balances at the bottom too !!. However I am keen to change to the this new all in one smart BMS and use my Overkill BMS and dumb active balancer with a second 8S battery pack which are more sub standard used CALB 200Ah cells but still perfectly useable if kept well between and within the SoC knees.

Okay my problem is that this new BMS comes without the B- and P- cables attached unlike the 16S and bigger in this family of BMS's as shown in Andy's YT videos Looks like though the 4 connection B- and P- points are in fact threaded holes but I cannot be sure as I just noticed in time before I started using a heavy duty soldering iron (im 76 and my eyesight is not as good as it used to be !!). Has anyone here yet got any experience with connecting the B- and P- cables to this new 8S model? I hope that up at the local hardware store tomorrow (by local I am a retired Brit HNC qualified electronics engineer living in Thailand) I can find a suitable sized set of bolts and washers to ascertain it is indeed a threaded connector socket. Either way I have some good quality expensive copper stranded 100A cable for this purpose with heavy duty crimp connectors at the ready.

Attached is a couple of photos showing this very nicely made solid BMS and the B- connection sockets which appear threaded. the more I look the more I am sure they are indeed threaded. Wish I could get a user manual for this 8S model, even in Chinese.

 

[Phil.g00]

There is a new JK 500A continuous version out with separate charge/discharge/pre-charge relays and an external shunt.
( 2A or 5A active balancing flavours). - Not cheap in the Hankzor store.

 

[RayW]

Further to my above and indeed first post here I have one other weird problem. I just added all the crimp connectors to the new BMS sensing lines and to my complete surprise for an 8S BMS I have 10 leads not 9 ??????? The BMS as you see in the photo I sent earlier has them labeled B- then as expected B1, B2...to B8 but finally the weird 10th connection marked B+ ?? Normally B8 goes to the positive on number 8 battery which is indeed the positive for the whole pack that connects to the load ?? So do I ignore one of these cables like B8 or the weird 10th one marked B+ or do I just connect BOTH B8 and B+ wires to the battery 8 positive tgerminal ?? This makes no sense and no user manual to refer to either as I said before. Never heard of a 9S battery pack either ????? Anyone ??

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

BOTH B8 and B+ wires to the battery 8 positive tgerminal ??

Yes. Pretty common with a BMS; the other JK's have the same:

 

[OffGridGuy]

Howdy,

Thanks to this group, I was able to snag one of these excellent BMS's, a few weeks ago.

After 3 weeks of operation, connected to an 8S 272Ah battery bank, I have found no surprises.

All of the important settings are available and they work as expected.

The balance function works as expected. Since my battery pack was top balanced, I brought down 2 of the batteries, 10%.

And as expected the BMS went and re-balanced the pack.

Very happy.

BTW, my board has 5mm threaded connectors on the high current lines.

Enjoy....

 

[Cdkipp]

bump, no one has any of these but Andy ?

I have nothing to add but am watching as I ordered one last night. I have been using a jbd but it is undersized so I had it hooked to a contactor. A bit of a half-ass arrangement so since I am putting in a new pack I figured I better do things right. I was going to go for a bigger JBD or the QUCC with a contactor but Andy's recent videos helped me make a decision.

 

[Steve_S]

Attached are the English Instructions from the GitHub repo.
I did contemplate the 8S Model @ 200A but it did not quite suit as I wanted BT+CanBus+RS485. Speaking with them, I know the BMS Battery wires are paired 7 AWG Silicone (Like Andy Got) 2x7 AWG = 4 AWG per https://www.wirebarn.com/Combined-Wire-Gauge-Calculator_ep_42.html The Wire Harness I was told is 22gauge as well.

BTW I looked at several listings (vendors) and found the HankZor info more complete than others.

I have someone "on the ground" there who is getting things together and rechecking everything and with luck, all will be on a plane by Wednesday. This wan't my plan but sometimes "Stuff Happens" and it requires expedited solutions. I have a LOT of work ahead now as a result just when I was just about to hit "final" build and now that has changed fairly drastically. The timing is TERRIBLE as we are now getting into Winter and up here... oi....

 

[OffGridGuy]

Hi Steve,

I did contemplate the 8S Model @ 200A but it did not quite suit as I wanted BT+CanBus+RS485.

I ordered both the RS485 and CanBus modules. I was a little surprised that both units have 4 pin connectors, meaning both are meant to plug into the RS485 socket (but only one at a time).

My goal was to play with the CanBus interface. As a retired firmware engineer, I'm always looking for something to play with..... But I'm not really disappointed. I'll eventually research it, but I doubt that there is any data coming down the can interface, that is not also available on the straight RS485 interface....

I know the BMS Battery wires are paired 7 AWG Silicone

My 8S unit came with 5mm screw-in connectors, so I can use about any type of wire I want. The 8S version does not have the problem that Andy has.

I'm also MidNite Classic 150 user and will use this BMS with it.

Enjoy !!

 

[Steve_S]

I started as a Board Level Eng at Control Data Corp Long ago then flipped to SW when the frames went away.. I ended up a CBE, ECNE, MSCE and was a Core Engineer for DND after having worked for IBM, MS and a few other miscreants. I have Node-Red on Raspi talking to the Classic and the Samlex EVO (NDA - can't discuss that) and wanted to get the Chargery's in that but gave up on that... Once I put the new setup together and "common" I'll lay with the software and see where it ends up BUT it isn't a priority.

 

[OffGridGuy]

Hi Steve,

Similar backgrounds...

I have Node-Red on Raspi

I started playing with Node-Red and Tasmota a few years ago and went a little nuts.

I've have over 40 sensors and relay modules spread around my 10 acres.

Security cameras and PIR sensors.

All linked to the real world over T-mobile.

So many toys, so little time....

Enjoy

 

[RayW]

Yes. Pretty common with a BMS; the other JK's have the same:

Yes thank you very much for that info. The only two BMS's I have any experiences with are my Overkill 8s 100A and my friends dumb Daly BMS 4S 100A one and both have the what I thought more normal 9P connector and not the extra B+ one. Now I have got it all connected to my spare 8S 200Ah battery pack for testing.

Also as I see from OffGridGuy yes the high current B- and P- connectors are indeed threaded and I got suitable bolts and washers form the hardware store and crimp connected suitable 100A cable patch leads. And to think I actually had the solder iron heating up. I think they do need to get a user manual available for this 8S unit and I would like to suggest they had the needed 4 bolts and washers already screwed into the unit ready for instant use. Just a small gripe as I am mega impressed so far with this amazing piece of kit.

Got it all started applying the 5V across the B- and P- points and a short series of beeps and a long one and it is all now working with the led indicator set on.

The app on the iPhone is superb and all in English too from a Chinese/English language setting. Adjusted the settings to my preferences and now it is all top balancing by spare battery pack which os not a well matched used cell pack and a set for a full max 2A balance current too. What is also so good is that it will not try to actively balance my pack when it is discharged so no unwanted bottom balancing will take place unlike with the cheap dump 5A active balancer boards. It is set to only start balancing with cell voltages above 3.200V and with a delta of 20mV or more.

So far top marks to JK for this smart BMS with active balancer. Well built unit with superb app software for iPhone. This BMS will be going into my main primary pack to replace the Overkill 100A smart BMS and the separate dumb active balancer which will both be used with this spare pack which will be added in parallel to the primary pack for a much needed capacity increase especially required on sunny days of which we will be getting plenty for the next few months with the cooler dry season upon us.

Not yet connected up the spare inverter as want to see how well it top balances this pack first but attached is the screenshot showing it active balancing. Just noticed that cell 4 is not showing as it is in fact flashing in Red so when the screenshot was taken it was by sods law off. It was showing about 3.335V at the time if I remember rightly but now already it is much closer balanced.