Portable Power Packs - LifePo4 Battery Boxes -- How I done It --
- Thread starter Dellmassive
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I'm not sure that's an approved way of charging the starter battery?
That's just a 12v outlet for running accessories, it's not a smart battery charger.
They way I done it was to use a noco 5A charger connected to the mains on the EF.
Have you not got an EHU option your van with a vehicle battery charge? That’d be much quicker.
Ok, so I’ve only gone and done it! Having registered with Ecoflow and added the various requested details to my account I had 1300 eco points credited to me. I converted 1000 points to a £50 voucher code so got the River 2 Pro for £699.00. Also they’re offering double points, 2 for every £1 until 20th Feb, so I should have another 1398 points to be added. Winning all the way I reckon.
I have a question about combining the DC power outputs on solar generators, hopefully adding to this thread is the best place?
After 2 years of using my Kombi with poptop I know i don't have huge power needs and have just been running led lights (6x 12vLED spots) and USB charging using the starter battery but this is causing anxiety on how much I can use before the van won't start. I also do want to add a diesel heater which is where my confusion starts: I understand i need a power unit that can provide 12V and 10-15amp for the initial start up but most units seem to struggle with this (or hit and miss from reading elsewhere).
Can i combine the DC outputs on a River 2 Max to a separate fuse box (6 way) to boost the Amps to 16 (10A + 3A +3A)? Goal Zero do a specific cable for this to combine their 12v DC outputs into a 40A but the 1000X is considerably more money than a River 2 Max.
I like the idea of a single power station rather than a split charge system, mainly for the simplicity of install but have toyed with a basic AGM battery and 30A Renogy B2B
After 2 years of using my Kombi with poptop I know i don't have huge power needs and have just been running led lights (6x 12vLED spots) and USB charging using the starter battery but this is causing anxiety on how much I can use before the van won't start. I also do want to add a diesel heater which is where my confusion starts: I understand i need a power unit that can provide 12V and 10-15amp for the initial start up but most units seem to struggle with this (or hit and miss from reading elsewhere).
Can i combine the DC outputs on a River 2 Max to a separate fuse box (6 way) to boost the Amps to 16 (10A + 3A +3A)? Goal Zero do a specific cable for this to combine their 12v DC outputs into a 40A but the 1000X is considerably more money than a River 2 Max.
I like the idea of a single power station rather than a split charge system, mainly for the simplicity of install but have toyed with a basic AGM battery and 30A Renogy B2B
Hi Lee,BMS drift is a normal thing and not normally a fault,
It's normally caused by either a charge or discharge thats bellow the point the BMS can detect.
Or a charge or discharge of the cells with the BMS off so it's not calculated.
It's fairly easy to correct with a full charge top Ballance.... Just keep the charger connected untill no more power is absorbed.
That will normally recallibrate the 100% soc point.
More info over here ---}
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Lithium LifePo4 12v Batteries - Time For An Upgrade?
and a B2B charger a solar panel an MPPT some cable some heat shrink bus bars chrimper cable cutter stripper( we'll talk about that one later :rofl: ) mega or midi fuses..........it don't matter which type of van you have a combi a camper what ever.....there always gonna be a whole host of...www.t6forum.com
Well it has happened again. This time the max charge my Delta 2 will display is 6%.
Since the last time, I have had the charge limits set to 20-80% as recommended by EcoFlow. I am sure that if I follow the same SOC-calibration again, that will resolve it, but that can only be achieved by first discharging it fully - it is not possible to charge it to an indicated 100%, as suggested in your linked update, without a full discharge first.
I get the BMS drift thing, but have to ask whether they should be more sensitive to lower current levels? Especially when so much functionality is based on the SOC.
Take the charge limits of the Delta 2: EcoFlow recommend setting these to 20-80% to maximise battery life. However, if those limits are based on the SOC, and the SOC value is unreliable (I suspect that my Delta 2 is actually at 100% at the moment, while displaying 6%), then the charge limits are mostly meaningless and will not protect the battery in the way one might hope. It should also be noted that while the discharge limit is set to 20%, and the SOC is showing 6%, the unit will not output anything, even if it really is at 100%!
Note that I bought my Delta 2 as a solar generator, with the hope that I could maintain its charge using solar and rarely (if ever) have to use mains. As such, it is permanently connected to the 220W solar panels that came with it. On some days, there is enough daylight to “wake” the unit up, while there is insufficient current supplied by the solar to be registered on the display. Similarly, some of the smaller devices I charge with it, do not register an output current (my Kindle for example). I suspect that these occurrences aggravate the BMS drift that you mention.
So while the behaviour of my Delta 2 is explainable, I do not believe that it is acceptable. When I take it away camping, I will feel the need to take it through a SOC-calibration beforehand to ensure that it doesn’t let me down whilst away.
Just thought I would update you, and inform others of potential limitations (that may only be apparent with extended solar use).
Got some pics,?
What loads are you pulling? And over what duration?
And what are you using to charge the unit?....and again over what duration?
What FW version are you on?
Solar yeild is very low this time of the year, (winter).... So what are you charging the unit with?
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Fwiw..
This type of BMS drift happens with all lithiums if you draw very low power over a long time, as the BMS doesn't detect it.
That's why I run the Victron smart shunt along side them on the van.... But even that has a low end limit of 100mA.
A full charge daily or once a week normally resets any drift....
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No you can't combine outputs, that's not an approved method.
An even if you did you would find that the unit would be run flat fairly quickly.
And you main issue would be rechargeing the unit in a timely manor.
Your use case would indicate you need an more traditional leisure battery setup.
Probobly a 100ah lithium and a 20A DC-DC or larger charger.
Am just about to ill the trigger on a Delta 2. This post has me in 2nd thoughts territory.
What @Dellmassive said! That level of power would eat a solar generator in no time.
Firmware version is shown as V1.0.0.64 and V1.0.3.18(Wi-Fi).
It’s generally only used for small items. So iPad at 21W, and Apple Watch at 3W are regular, then there is a Karcher window vac, and Kindle, neither of which register any output on the Delta 2. Then there is anything else around the house that may occasionally need charging.
Apart from when I did the SOC-calibration last time, it is only ever charged from solar. On a clear and sunny day like we have had today, it can get up to 90W from the solar panel, so more than enough for the loads I am putting on it.
So, at the moment I am discharging it as part of the SOC-calibration. I started to use the 800W heater again, and it quickly dropped to 1% but then it has stopped on that figure, supporting my suspicion that it was closer to fully charged than the 6% displayed. The heater doesn’t draw all the time of course, but this is the display a short while ago:
However, this time, I will only be charging it by solar, so lets hope for another sunny day tomorrow.
I suspect mine would also be fine if I only charged it from mains and if I didn’t plug insignificant items into it that don’t register to the BMS.I've had a Delta 2 for nearly two years now...performed perfectly in that time with no problems to report.
I still like it a lot, but I am finding its usability increasingly frustrating.
Are you looking at the solar generator package? If not, then don’t let me put you off.
If so, then be informed, and consider your usage parameters.
I am about to move from the Jackery 1000 to this. I know exactly what my usage is and what I'll be using it for.
I am more interested in the remote ability via the app TBH.
I can’t really complain about the App. It can sometimes be a bit temperamental when connecting, but a recycle of the Delta seems to fix that if it occurs.
Following EcoFlows recommended charge limits of 20-80% means that you will never get a full charge - at least not until the BMS drifts far enough that an indicated 80% equates to 100%!
Besides which, the Delta 2 doesn’t seem to reset the BMS from a full charge, rather from a full discharge (maybe followed by a full charge?). And, of course, you never get a full discharge if the discharge limit is set to 20%.
I’m beginning to think that those charge limits are more trouble than they are worth!
Thanks for signposting this thread @Dellmassive, fascinating stuff and has me thinking power options now.......
Have you been contacted by National Grid yet to talk about offering a continuity supply to the neighbourhood?
Having a look online at options I stumbled across this Costco deal on an Anker 757 and 2x100w Solar Panels that went live yesterday for £1,360.
Have you been contacted by National Grid yet to talk about offering a continuity supply to the neighbourhood?
Having a look online at options I stumbled across this Costco deal on an Anker 757 and 2x100w Solar Panels that went live yesterday for £1,360.
Shaun I have an EV and have done for 6 years. The 20%-80% recommendation is quite common in the EV world but what it means (in that world) is that you should keep the battery between those 2 parameters for optimum battery life and not store it outside them parameters. If you are going on a long journey charge to 100% by all means but use it as soon as you can. However they do recommend once a month charging to 100% to sync the batteries and the BMS.
Them same recommendations applies to my 8.2kWh GivEnergy house battery. Once every 6 months or so the house battery is synchronised by discharging right down to zero and then immediately recharging up to to 100%.
I wonder if EcoFlow actually mean keep the battery between 20%-80% if it is not in regular use. My jackery, if I am not using it, is always kept at the 50%-60% mark.
Thanks for the input, it makes a lot of sense. Interesting that it applies to your house battery also. Is that charged by solar?
In my emails with EcoFlow when this first happened, I explained how I was using it - solar plugged in permanently and regularly charging stuff from it - and asked if that style of usage might be a concern. I was assured in the reply that it wouldn’t and in the very next paragraph advised to not let it discharge completely and set it to 20-80%.
I’m beginning to understand now, that I need to recalibrate the SOC quite regularly if I am going to use it as I have been, and that will mean a complete discharge followed by a full charge. Not quite as fit-and-forget as I had expected.
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