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Post Info TOPIC: A poor man's battery charger
Dick0


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RE: A poor man's battery charger
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Bazz61 wrote:

"I would like to hear from other Lithium system users and not those that assume they are experts in Lithium systems that they do not possess."

hi, I inherited a lithium system in my current rig , 6 years old, 4x70 ah batteries, each battery has a button that when pressed gives the voltage of each individual battery , these are available on Alibaba from China. Victron controller and monitor , Enerdrive 240 volt charger . Controller is blue tooth capable , monitor is not and very hard to read , need blue tooth version

In Coffs atm, unpowered site on day 17 , survived 3 rainy days Batteries dropped to 13.6. I run a Nova Cool 4.5 amh fridge , 12 v range hood , tv, lights , charge phone , laptop etc .
How ever the whole system died 9 pm the other nite after 1 rainy day ., batteries 11.1, turned off fridge which I had recently defrosted , next sunny day the individual batteries read 14.1 V , turned Fridge back on again at 4 pm, about 7 pm last nite back down to 13.2 .
Fridge not cycling off suspect faulty temp sensor, turned fridge off again , this morning reading 13.6 , and have wound back the fridge thermostat to 2 (was on 5) and now the Fridge is cycling again and not running continuously , a simple thing like adjusting the thermostat can save battery energy .
Currently at !0 .30 am, sunny morning Batteries reading 14.1 and are on absorbtion .Happy days .

 Hi Bazz61,

How many solar panels and wattage ratings are they?

Have you done a voltage reading of the batteries prior to sunrise?

Sounds like you are pleased with your system.

 



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Cheers, Richard (Dick0)

"Home is where the Den is parked, Designer Orchid Special towed by Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited"

"4x250W solar panels, Epever 80A charger and 3x135Ah Voltax Prismatic LiFePO4 Batteries".
TimTim


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If your Victron solar controller is the BlueSolar then you can buy this Bluetooth dongle to look at the data on your phone.

https://www.springers.com.au/shop/product/ass030536011-ve-direct-bluetooth-smart-dongle-1700

As I posted in the other thread your fridge draws 4.4A at 12 volts so your batteries should not drain down in one day even if running continuously.

 



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Warren-Pat_01


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As one who lives in the tropics & have family in the "cooler" areas, we have to travel with two lots of clothing (or combinations) - one for the warmth & more for the COLD. With circulation issues, I don't do the cold very well. You won't see me camping in southern forests in winter - perhaps Broadwater SF (near Ingham) might be an exception. We have been surprised as September is half-way through, yet there are still a lot of interstate travelers with caravans heading north.

I've always wondered if people bother to check their weights after they write that they have "kilowatts of solar" on the roof, 2-5 batteries, plus a generator, etc. Where do they put this stuff? Yes, lithium has certainly helped reduce weight & I suppose most long-term travelers have another axle (I've only got one) but I still wonder - especially when we see a Toyota 200 series with a boat on top & a large van with a number of push bikes on the back. I don't think I'll get to going to lithium as my wife is suggesting that we possibly won't be going all over the place for much longer (back issues).

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Warren

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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!

2019 Isuzu D-Max dual cab, canopy, Fulcrum suspension; 2011 17' Jayco Discovery poptop Outback
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