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ProspectiveOwnergon
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2020
Posts: 211
Location: SoCal
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 Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 10:48 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| shagginwagon83 wrote: |
| ProspectiveOwnergon wrote: |
Prices are starting to skyrocket.  |
Where are you seeing this at? This is why I quickly jumped from 150aH to 310aH - I worried that import tax would increase or shipping would be increased.
I feel one of the reasons why we are getting these pretty cheap is that they're not marking them as as lithium when shipped inside the USA. To Fedex - this looks like a regular package. I noticed on my package there wasn't the 'battery inside' warning label that is often on my Amazon packages that contain lithium.
The ones that I bought are about the same price
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https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/4pcs-3-2V-LiFePO4-Lithium-ion_1600076835431.html |
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I had this one pre-linked at about $339 China shipped and now is $399 china shipped.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001028578361.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.5.390ec0dcWcx2I9 |
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Crooked Designer
Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2018
Posts: 323
Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:41 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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Couldn't find anything in search about this option on Amazon. Lynx? There's a review from someone who claims to have purchased for a vanagon.
Looking for quick shipping and something I can balance and then drop in. Seems like the crowd fav on BMS is overkill, but appears to be on backorder.
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'85 Westy full camper, Subaru 2.5L, 5 speed SubiGears + 5speedbus shifter kit |
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Rorke
Samba Member
Joined: August 04, 2016
Posts: 255
Location: Traverse City, MI
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:37 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| Howesight wrote: |
Hi Rorke:
The unit that Overkill Solar sells is either the same unit as or is identical to the Xiaoxiang BMS which is supposed to be a medical-grade device. Overkill customizes these units and has prepared an excellent user manual and also provides support, which is why I would still endorse Overkill when they have stock to sell.
Here is a link to what I think is the same unit that I purchased from a local Vancouver seller who imports his BMS units from this company in China:
https://www.lithiumbatterypcb.com/product/4s-or-3s...t-current/
Note that the above label includes an email address that you might try for ordering information.
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Howesight,
You are the man.
Emailed James@....
They arrived yesterday.
Thanks,
Rorke |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3274
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:52 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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Glad to help, Rorke.
For those wanting the whole email address for "James", it is the one on bottom line of the label in this pic of my BMS:
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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howler9
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2012
Posts: 30
Location: United States
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 9:47 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| kourt wrote: |
I'm on my fifth iteration of aux battery setup in my 91 Westy.
Now on to the LiFePO4 stuff. Here's the fourth iteration: one Battle Born 100ah LiFePO4 battery, with Redarc BCDC1240D:
...and now the fifth iteration, two Battle Born 100ah batteries in parallel:
kourt |
Hi kourt, where did you find those terminal covers? And are you able to use the breakers as an off/on switch while working on the system? I'm considering of using those DC breakers instead of my fuses because of that reason, but for some reason most people recommend fuses instead of breakers. 
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1984 1.9L Westy |
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bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 11:37 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| howler9 wrote: |
| but for some reason most people recommend fuses instead of breakers. |
Not sure on how Court will reply, but from a recent set of experiences, I can offer some help on this question.
I started off with Breakers for the reasons you are asking, as a switch of sorts. And, as I went along, upping the amperage of the breakers to get past the part where the breaker would trip for no reason, and I mean in a very bad timing set of circumstances, I started asking about what was going on. Well, it turns out that these Marine Grade breakers are just not what you expect. Fuses are.
It pays to read the instructions, and follow the advice of folks who say "use the proper fuse".
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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Vanuber
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2020
Posts: 411
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
| Well, it turns out that these Marine Grade breakers are just not what you expect. |
I have a 50A Blue Sea 187 in circuit with my Victron Orion DC|DC 30A charger. I have been very happy with it, especially the on/off switch functionality as I don't want to run the charger and stress the alternator every time I drive the van.
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'85 Westfalia 1.9L
'72 BMW R75/5
'71 BMW R75/5
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bobbyblack
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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[quote="Vanuber"]
| bobbyblack wrote: |
| 50A Blue Sea 187 in circuit with my Victron Orion DC|DC 30A charger. |
Cool, same charger here.. Got a link for me to follow? Do you shop around or have a particular vendor you like better?
Mmmmmm More stuff!!!! 
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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Vanuber
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2020
Posts: 411
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:54 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
Cool, same charger here.. Got a link for me to follow? Do you shop around or have a particular vendor you like better?
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I order from PKYS in Maryland whenever I can. They are a real brick and mortar shop with a wealth of knowledge if you have a question by phone. Remember the good old days before Amazon took over the world?
https://shop.pkys.com/Blue-Sea-7139-Surface-Mount-187-Series-Circuit-Breaker-50-Amps_p_1682.html
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'72 BMW R75/5
'71 BMW R75/5
'02 Subaru Forester 2.5L |
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4Gears4Tires
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 3019
Location: MD
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| Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:08 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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Oh cool. Thanks for the link. I've been ordering more from eBay lately just to avoid ordering from Amazon as crazy as that sounds. Ordering direct is even better.
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
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Rorke
Samba Member
Joined: August 04, 2016
Posts: 255
Location: Traverse City, MI
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| Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:58 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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The longwei charger I purchased for top balancing is not functional below 6v.
(When I went to return, I found a bunch of complaints about this. All new)
I would like to move forward.
Can I balance cells another way?
Can I just leave in parallel for a while?
Or, does anyone want to sell their working one?
In Chicago |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3274
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:29 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| Vanuber wrote: |
| bobbyblack wrote: |
| Well, it turns out that these Marine Grade breakers are just not what you expect. |
I have a 50A Blue Sea 187 in circuit with my Victron Orion DC|DC 30A charger. I have been very happy with it, especially the on/off switch functionality as I don't want to run the charger and stress the alternator every time I drive the van. |
I used fuses instead of breakers for the reasons Bobby Black and Redarc identified - - they do not reliably hold the rated current. But I also like to disconnect the LiFePo4 battery from the Redarc DC-DC charger whenever I want to. Thankfully, the BMS I use allows me to switch off the battery using the BMS app on my mobile phone. Mind you, this disconnects both charging and discharging. If you are just running to the store with your van and are not using the fridge, this works nicely. With no load drawn from the LiFePo4 battery, the Redarc draws no power from the alternator.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX |
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ALIKA T3
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 6349
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 9:43 pm Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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Alright!
First death report.
My four 150Ah 3.2V batteries were unused since I installed them.
They were balanced then connected in series and sat like that with nothing connected to them but the ground chassis and the Victron Cyrix Li-CT battery disconnect which itself wasn't connected to anything anyway.
1 has spilled its liquid ( they have liquid? I didn't notice you could hear liquid in them before but the other 3 make a sloshing noise when you shake them) Still reads 3.184V
1 is dead at 0.844 volts
2 are still good at 3.293 V but the bottom is either spilling or got damaged by the neighboring battery spill.
I'm baffled. Of course I notice not even 2 weeks before going overlanding with the Syncro, which I have already pushed 2 weeks.
I'm dead. 
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9603
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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wow. bad news! Sorry to see that.
Is there a voltage between either pole and the case?
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
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ALIKA T3
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 6349
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 1:34 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| Sodo wrote: |
wow. bad news! Sorry to see that.
Is there a voltage between either pole and the case? |
I will have to measure that tomorrow...
Seller responded this was caused by "impact". They didn't develop any further, I'm asking them to. I wonder why others don't have any issue driving when I wasn't even driving that damn project. I mean, I did 300 miles so far by a few miles increment, still sorting out issues...
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget |
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xoo00oox
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010
Posts: 2672
Location: East Nassau, NY
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 5:28 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| That really sucks! I’m sorry to see this especially with you trying to travel. Where did you have these mounted, under the driver seat? If I’m not mistaken, the case of these batteries is positive. Is there any possibility that water got in the van and the batteries were sitting in a puddle? |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6829
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 8:53 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| ALIKA T3 wrote: |
Alright!
First death report.
My four 150Ah 3.2V batteries were unused since I installed them.
They were balanced then connected in series and sat like that with nothing connected to them but the ground chassis and the Victron Cyrix Li-CT battery disconnect which itself wasn't connected to anything anyway.
1 has spilled its liquid ( they have liquid? I didn't notice you could hear liquid in them before but the other 3 make a sloshing noise when you shake them) Still reads 3.184V
1 is dead at 0.844 volts
2 are still good at 3.293 V but the bottom is either spilling or got damaged by the neighboring battery spill.
I'm baffled. Of course I notice not even 2 weeks before going overlanding with the Syncro, which I have already pushed 2 weeks.
I'm dead.
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Before "drones" I used to fly an RC Heli, big sucker with a 6' dia. rotor. This one used 45v lithium pack. In all my heli's since we started using lithium batteries I have never seen a lithium with liquid in them. All the battery cells were individual cells almost vacuum packed in the individual packs wired together and held together to make the bigger pack with really thin shrink wrap. Over the years flying I have had hundreds of cells and never saw liquid sloshing inside the cell structure.
Time to do some digging about the experiences of other buyers of these batterries.
Lithium powered!
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There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them. |
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ALIKA T3
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2009
Posts: 6349
Location: Honolulu,Hawaii and France
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 10:13 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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Yes the batteries were mounted under the driver seat. There's only some thin plastic wrap on the body, if it's positive body, well, then they shorted out for sure.
My battery box is sealed, and I barely drove the van 300 miles this and there.
Will measure the body soon today.
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget |
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dabaron
Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018
Posts: 2559
Location: Philly, mang
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 10:38 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| ALIKA T3 wrote: |
Yes the batteries were mounted under the driver seat. There's only some thin plastic wrap on the body, if it's positive body, well, then they shorted out for sure.
My battery box is sealed, and I barely drove the van 300 miles this and there.
Will measure the body soon today. |
were the batteries clamped under force in the box?
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1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
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oldskewlsk8ter
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 347
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2021 10:41 am Post subject: Re: LiFePO4 Batteries: Discussion Thread |
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| ALIKA T3 wrote: |
| .......1 has spilled its liquid ( they have liquid? I didn't notice you could hear liquid in them before but the other 3 make a sloshing noise when you shake them) |
I just kinda half ass started researching LiFePo4 batteries and throughout my reading I’ve noticed several people talk about being able to hear liquid sloshing around in the prismatic cells. Is that possibly the type you received?
https://www.lithiumion-batteries.com/cylindrical-vs-prismatic-cells.php
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