Top Balancing, Bottom Balancing, Active Balancing.......My Brain Hurts

[ColeMan]

I will be building a SunFunKits battery soon.
Their Version 1 kit required the cells to be top-balanced before building the kit.
I'm not set up with the equipment or knowledge for that.
The V3 kit, which is what I'm getting, comes with an active balancer.
Off-Grid-Garage-Andy said in his SFK video that he didn't like the active balancing.
Will Prowse said in a video concerning active
balancing that it is unnecessary in many situations.
I'm not a battery expert, and I don't necessarily want to become one.
I just want a good reliable LiFePO4 battery for my camper.
Build it, install it, and forget it.
What say you?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I just want a good reliable LiFePO4 battery for my camper.

Then buy a pre-built battery and drop it in.

Build it, install it, and forget it.
What say you?

Even with pre-built batteries "forget it" is no more true than it is for lead acid. If you "forget it" with lead acid, there's a good chance you're going to cut your battery life short.

 

[time2roll]

Use the active balancer provided. Post a screen shot or list of the cell voltages at the top of the first charge cycle. May need to limit charging voltage until active balancer completes. If there are continued issues.... post it up.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I will be building a SunFunKits battery soon.
Their Version 1 kit required the cells to be top-balanced before building the kit.
I'm not set up with the equipment or knowledge for that.

The knowledge is here. Just have to put a little time into reading and ask questions if you don't understand. If you don't want to put in that effort, I wouldn't recommend even bothering with anything. You need to be willing to understand what you're doing with anything, and this isn't a difficult thing to understand, really.

The equipment is not hard. Get a benchtop power supply and follow the top balance guide here.

 

[ColeMan]

Use the active balancer provided. Post a screen shot or list of the cell voltages at the top of the first charge cycle. May need to limit charging voltage until active balancer completes. If there are continued issues.... post it up.

The only way I have to charge the battery will be my RV's converter, which I recently upgraded to a PD4645V
It's a four-stage charger with "Charge Wizard" for lead-based batteries.
I spoke to a PD tech over the phone and he explained to me that there is a jumper on the circuit board which has
to be moved from "WIZ" to "LITH" for charging LiFePO4 batteries, and it puts out a continuous voltage of 14.6 volts.
How would I limit the charging voltage in this situation?

 

[time2roll]

The only way I have to charge the battery will be my RV's converter, which I recently upgraded to a PD4645V.
I didn't buy it from Amazon, I actually got a way better deal than they are offering.
It's a four-stage charger with "Charge Wizard" for lead-based batteries.
I spoke to a PD tech over the phone and he explained to me that there is a jumper on the circuit board which has
to be moved from "WIZ" to "LITH" for charging LiFePO4 batteries, and it puts out a continuous voltage of 14.6 volts.
How would I limit the charging voltage in this situation?

PD is a good converter. However leave the jumper in the FLA position. Going to 14.6 is over rated. Battery will be easily full on 14.4 volts.

For starters just charge at 13.6 in normal mode 24 hours and see where the cells are at. If by some small odd chance the BMS shows a cell over volt use the button to drop to 13.2 and see where the cell voltages land.

Post the results. Could take a few days for the active balancer to work it out.

 

[Skypower]

I believe you meant PD4645LIV
Hopefully it doesn’t hold the voltage at 14.6 volts very long. PD’s website and documentation is badly lacking imho.

 

[Tex]

I will be building a SunFunKits battery soon.
Their Version 1 kit required the cells to be top-balanced before building the kit.
I'm not set up with the equipment or knowledge for that.
The V3 kit, which is what I'm getting, comes with an active balancer.
Off-Grid-Garage-Andy said in his SFK video that he didn't like the active balancing.
Will Prowse said in a video concerning active
balancing that it is unnecessary in many situations.
I'm not a battery expert, and I don't necessarily want to become one.
I just want a good reliable LiFePO4 battery for my camper.
Build it, install it, and forget it.
What say you?

Check out Andy's latest video.