Fogstar Drift 12v 230Ah Seatbase battery -- "How I Done It" --

[Dellmassive]

FOGSTAR Drift 12v 230Ah Seatbase battery -- "How I Done It" --

check out the latest @Dellmassive Lifepo4 battery install & test

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Seat Base Lithium Leisure Battery - Fogstar Drift 12v 230AhSeat Base 12v 230Ah (with Active Balancer)

Seat Base Lithium Leisure Battery 230ah | Grade A EVE LiFePO4 cells, JBD BMS, Bluetooth & Heating. Just £799.99 with a 10 year warranty.

www.fogstar.co.uk

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yep I've done it again . . . .

and with a wicked BT APP,

Built in HEATER for SubZero Charging,

200A/200A - charge & discharge rates (400A peak)

2944Wh of power
10 years warranty
Active cell balancer (seperate box)

whats not to like.?

+++++++++++++++++++

lets take a look at the spec. . .


If you're looking for a more compact option to power your campervan, look no further than the Seat Base 12.8v 230Ah Lithium Leisure Battery. This genius Seat Base battery is designed to fit snugly under the base of your swivel seat – convenient and space-saving.

The dimensions of our Drift Seat Base is 275 x 315 x 187.5 - making it one of the most compact variations of Seat Base Lithium Leisure Battery on the UK market.

Manufactured using Grade A EVE LiFePO4 Lithium cells, high discharge JBD BMS, built in Bluetooth and Heating - our Lithium Leisure Battery collection offers everything you’d expect in a premium product.

All batteries come with our Fogstar Drift App, enabling you to access real-time data about your Lithium Leisure Battery at all times. The Fogstar Drift app is free to download on both Android and iOS.

The most popular Lithium battery brand on the UK market, our Drift range offers phenomenal cycle life (>4000 cycles), low environmental impact, Bluetooth - and a superb 10 year warranty.


.

You'll now find an on/off switch which allows you to put the battery in hibernation mode without connecting to the App.

You will also find an input for the new Fogstar Drift (JK) 2A Active Balancer which you can plug-into your battery (if required).

However, because our Drift batteries contain matched and balanced Grade A EVE cells, you should not have to use an Active Balancer often, if at all. We recommend plugging the device in every three to six months, for two to three cycles (depending upon levels of cell disparity - if any).


Seat Base Lithium Leisure Battery - Fogstar Drift 12v 230Ah
Fogstar Drift
1 review
£819.99

Seat Base 12v 230Ah (with Active Balancer)
12v 230Ah Seat Base

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DELIVERY INFORMATION
Our team will be in touch, shortly after you've placed your order to arrange a suitable day and time for delivery.

If you're looking for a more compact option to power your campervan, look no further than the Seat Base 12.8v 230Ah Lithium Leisure Battery. This genius Seat Base battery is designed to fit snugly under the base of your swivel seat – convenient and space-saving.

The dimensions of our Drift Seat Base is 275 x 315 x 187.5 - making it one of the most compact variations of Seat Base Lithium Leisure Battery on the UK market.

Manufactured using Grade A EVE LiFePO4 Lithium cells, high discharge JBD BMS, built in Bluetooth and Heating - our Lithium Leisure Battery collection offers everything you’d expect in a premium product.

All batteries come with our Fogstar Drift App, enabling you to access real-time data about your Lithium Leisure Battery at all times. The Fogstar Drift app is free to download on both Android and iOS.

The most popular Lithium battery brand on the UK market, our Drift range offers phenomenal cycle life (>4000 cycles), low environmental impact, Bluetooth - and a superb 10 year warranty.


You'll now find an on/off switch which allows you to put the battery in hibernation mode without connecting to the App.

You will also find an input for the new Fogstar Drift (JK) 2A Active Balancer which you can plug-into your battery (if required).

However, because our Drift batteries contain matched and balanced Grade A EVE cells, you should not have to use an Active Balancer often, if at all. We recommend plugging the device in every three to six months, for two to three cycles (depending upon levels of cell disparity - if any).


Want to learn more about Fogstar Drift Leisure Batteries? Check out our blog and find out how our Worcestershire-based team went about creating the UK's best value LiFePO4 Leisure Battery brand.

SPECIFICATIONS

Nominal Capacity 230Ah
Nominal Voltage 12V
Recommended Charge Voltage 14.4V
Max Cont. Discharge 200A
Dimensions 275 x 187.5 x 315
Weight 25Kg
Fogstar Drift terminals: M8 in size, 1.25 pitch, 12mm. All of our Drift leisure batteries come with M8 bolts and terminal posts as standard.
Ideal for use with Inverters up to 2500W.
WARRANTY

Fogstar offers a 10 year warranty on all Fogstar Drift Leisure batteries.
Warranties only apply to the original owner and are non-transferrable.
Fogstar will verify your purchase prior to processing any warranty claims or returns.
If it is determined that the product is faulty, we will ship a new product to you immediately, you will only be asked to cover the cost of the shipping.
Our warranty does not cover items that have been damaged due to gross negligence, normal wear and tear, damage due to accident or collision, abuse or incorrect installation.

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that's the official blurb,


lets take a look at it. .

i went for the option with the additional active balancer,




the box is well packaged . . . it needs to be, these are HEAVEY - 25Kg !!

you get a few nice goodies in the box,

window cling sticker,
Fogstar airfreshner,
QC check sheet,
4x mounting brackets and screws,




the case disign is very similar to others weve seen,

but this time with the addition of a SOFT OFF SWITCH and a covered port for the ACTIVE balancer to connect in,





the side handles are very nicely designed, all metal and black,

though pull out to the side, so not so useful if the battery is in a tight space, - a prime example was just getting the battery out the packaging, there was no way to open the handles in the box,

not a problem as i could tip the box up and ease out the battery.

but will come across this again later when we fit the battery ion the vans seat base.

+++++



the screen printing is nice and offers the basics with a QR code for downloading the APP and install guide.






the battery terminal covers are a standard thing for these M8 bolt down battery terminals.

though im not so sure about the Black anodised Bolts - sure they look nice, but are they the best for electrical conductivity and low resistance?

another small point is that these bolts are fairly short,

if you have numerous cable ring terminals to attach to the battery you will soon run out of threads - and not enough screwed into the termianl itself.

it would be nice for Fogstar to offer both sort & long bolts to suit most users install requirments.

i had to swap out the POS terminal bolt as it was too short for the three ring terminals i had on the POS, but the NEG bolt was fine as i only had one cable that goes to the shunt.

just saying - there room for improvement.

+++




++

the bold down brackets are a very nice feature and shows good engineering thinking.

these are very heavy, so if not held down properly they will go flying in the event of an accident . . .

i have mine fitted in the seat base, so its not going nowhere,

and with the carpeted floor i had nowhere to bolt down to. . . . biut if i was fitting in the rear then id defo screw down to something.


+++








.

 

[Dellmassive]

The balancer is an odd addition.

its external!

unlike the other offerings from ROAMER and the like, where its built in.


this is what they say:


++++++++++++

The Fogstar Drift PRO Active Balancer (4S) intelligently redistributes the current from cells with a higher State of Charge (SOC) to those with lower levels, creating an even balance.

For our Drift PRO 280Ah, Drift PRO 300Ah and Drift Seat Base, we've opted for an external Jikong (JK) Active Balancer, a plug-in device rather than a built-in feature. This solution allows you to use the Active Balancer as needed, giving you complete flexibility without the constant power drain often experienced with Active Balancers.

The use of an Active Balancer may not be a frequent requirement, if at all. We suggest plugging in the device every three to six months for two to three cycles, depending on the degree of cell disparity. After a quick check, you might discover that your battery is already well-balanced and doesn't need any current redistribution. In such situations, there's no need to use the balancer.


Model JK- DZ13-B2A4S
Balance Current 0.1 - 2A
Accuracy 3mV
String 4S
Voltage 8 - 20v

The Drift PRO Active Balancer is not designed to work with the standard Drift models - this product can only be used with the Drift PRO and Drift Seat Base.



+++

this is our one,



it has this 5pin locking connector,



and two plugs that go into the unit . . .




plugging it in doesn't do much at first . . .


there is a few beeps and some flashing LEDS inside, but not much else,

there is no indication from the APP that its connected or doing anything.

but TBH,

that not a surprise, . . . the 2A balancer its designed to level out the cells during charging, i.e. top balance.


FOGSTAR recommend connecting it up for a few charge cycles every 6months or so. . .

so for know ill leave it disconnected from the battery.

 

[Dellmassive]

what about the APP . . . ?

well, it look very nice,

the main screen give you the important stuff,

volts,
amps,
capacity,
time to go,
temp,
power,



the voltage tab shows you cell pack breakdown,

high,
low,
difference,
total,




the dashboard tab gives links to other items of interest:



for example HISTORY:

here we see voltage & Current,

and

Temp & capacity.




Protect HISTORY shows any accumulative alarms logged,



advanced settings is password locked - as it should be,



...



ill update these pages when we have more data to look at . . . .



....



TBC . . .

 

[Dellmassive]

Whats in the book then . . . . ?

well,

this -->








++




++








.

 

[Dellmassive]

Time for a quick charge up and test . . .

over to the bench to make up a quick charge lead.

in this case one of my standard 50A Anderson fused connectors,

i have these on loads of stuff including the chargers.




50A SB50 Andersons,

MIDI fuse holder with 50A fuse,

8AWG silicone cable,

8mm ring terminals,

plus some heat shrtink and we are done,





sorted . . .




chucking a charger at it, this is what we have,

a Victron IP22 30A/1 charger - the best chargers IMHO,

i have that already wired up to 50A anderson plugs,

so its just plug and play now.




the Victron APP shows 30A going in . . .



which is verified on the FOGSTAR APP. . .



..












Nice,




.

 

[Dellmassive]

Whats that button do . . . . . ?

id not seen this before, . . . the button is a soft push on/off button.

its not a heavy duty isolator.




when its pressed in the blue light glows and the battery powers up - with voltage at the terminals.



then,

when you press it out,

the blue light has a very faint glow, and you loos the voltage at the terminal,

it drops to a very low 2.4v with no current. - weve seen this before with the POWEROAD batterys, that power up from sleep when the see a load or draw.





pressing the button off, switches off the DISCHARGING feature of the battery,

and can be seen on the app.






....


so it effectively turns off the outgoing power of the battery.

but the BMS and Bluetooth etc is still alive, and you can still monitor the battery,

but all your loads will power down.

+++


interestingly . . . . when you connect a charger,

the blue light comes back on as the battery charges,

and will then return to the off state when the charger is removed.



+++


another interesting thing is that you can enable/disable charge/discharge via the app. - which is nice.

but the button will override the app setting.

so if the button is OFF, then you cant turn the battery ON via the APP.

but if the button is ON, then you CAN turn the unit ON/OFF.

 

[Dellmassive]

What about the size:

I'm swapping out the ROAMER SB230 to test it.,

so a good opportunity to size match . . .

start with this:




its a bit shorter front to back . . .



a bit taller . . .



terminals are the same side,



very similar. . .




getting it in the van seat base we have:

 

[Dellmassive]

Charging in the Van . . .


i have a RENOGY DC50S 50A DC charger,

but via the APP, I've limited it to 30A to keep things cool, . . .



the first power up in the van,

i see the capacity SoC was 48% of 230ah,



so set the Victron smart shunt to match that reading.



then started the van . . .

and as expected we have a nice 30A charge current from the Renogy charger to the battery.




....




nice,


+++


shutting down the engine & moving indoors, i connected up a Victron IP65 25A BSC to the starter battery,

this would charge the starter battery and raise its voltage,

tio the point when the DC50s Renogy charge will wake up -0 and in tern start charging the FOGSTAR,

heres the IP65, giving out 20A at this pont,



and heres the Victron smart shunt on the battery showing 13.55A of that going to the Fogstar.






and verified with the battery APP. - 14.0A going in.









.

 

[Dellmassive]

ill update this as we get more data . . .

 

[moomin-j]

@Dellmassive - first thoughts, cheaper & better spec than the Roamer 230?

 

[Dellmassive]

They are very similar. . . . apart from the heater that is.

+++

There could be a Roamer Sb230 Gen4 in the pipline early 2024, wonder what that will bring to the party.

+++

 

[Dellmassive]

small update . . . . .

id kept the same Renogy DC50S 50A charger, that i limited to 30A.

well the Bulk setting was set to 14.2v as per the Roamer.

id noticed that the battery was peaking out at 97% which i thought was odd.

so read the manual again and Fogstar recommend a Bulk of 14.4v.

so i tweaked the Renogy to 14.3v and right away it started charging again.

within a few mins it changed to 100% and stopped taking in anymore current.

so looks like the Fogstar BMS trigger point is 14.3v for 100% SoC top calibration.

 

[Dellmassive]

i need to change the Victron smart shunt to 14.3v charged as well, so the settings match.

 

[Soundz]

They are very similar. . . . apart from the heater that is.

+++

There could be a Roamer Sb230 Gen4 in the pipline early 2024, wonder what that will bring to the party.

+++

and the ability to set charging off via the app?

 

[Dellmassive]

and the ability to set charging off via the app?

Yes.

Sames as the Roamer.

Just toggle the charging button on the app.

 

[t6blo]

Beast mode /ON
I just bought a Fogstar 105ah poverty spec

 

[Dellmassive]

Awesome.

Just waiting for some proper cold weather now to test the heaters.

We don't get much snow in Essex.

 

[T6ChrisO]

Beast mode /ON
I just bought a Fogstar 105ah poverty spec

I opted for this one. Poverty spec but will do the job pal

 

[NicolasH]

I've also just bought the 105ah too - got it in the FS BF sale for £299 delivered which I thought was a bargain. I also got a Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 12/30 to go with it, again in a BF sale. I'm not going to fit it until the spring but it is charged to 50%.

 

[roadtripper]

I've also just bought the 105ah too - got it in the FS BF sale for £299 delivered which I thought was a bargain. I also got a Victron Energy Blue Smart IP22 Charger 12/30 to go with it, again in a BF sale. I'm not going to fit it until the spring but it is charged to 50%.

Somewhere around 1/3 charge is the ideal zone for long term storage of Lithium chemistry

I'm really liking the look of the 105ah - especially the pictures of installs showing you can tuck it and a DC-DC charger in the space of a normal AGM 100ah under a seat.