Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery balancers

2023-05-16 Thread Christopher Warfel via RE-wrenches 

Would you recommend that for FLAs?  Thank you, Chris

On 5/15/2023 6:12 PM, Starlight via RE-wrenches wrote:

Jay,

I started recommending the Victron battery balancer for all series and 
series/parallel Li battery banks. It has eliminated trouble in some 
problematic systems. If you reach a cell over-voltage in the Kilovault 
BMS, it will block current flow, preventing the other series batteries 
from charging. This also causes havoc with connected equipment as the 
battery appears to have disconnected.


Larry Crutcher
Starlight Power Systems


On May 15, 2023, at 12:17 PM, Jay via RE-wrenches 
 wrote:


Hi All

I’m wondering what the thoughts are on using or not balancers for 2 
 12v lithium in series for 24v system. The batteries don’t have any 
series communication.

Kilovault if that matters.
Not my design.

It would seem to be a good idea, with victron having a good one.

Thanks in advance

Jay
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--
            Christopher Warfel
                 ENTECH Engineering, Inc.
PO Box 871, Block Island, RI 02807
                                401-466-8978


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[RE-wrenches] Retail price lists

2023-05-16 Thread Jay via RE-wrenches 
Hi All 

I have a question about how wrenches are dealing with charging for equipment as 
most prices of most equipment on line at or below wholesale. 

If people are marking it up, how much? what metric are people using?  I think 
victron might be the only company I’ve actually seen a retail price list for in 
years. 
Maybe it’s just marking up labor costs a lot?

I’m not doing all that much work these days but enough that I’m trying to 
figure this out. 

Thanks
Jay


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery balancers

2023-05-16 Thread Starlight via RE-wrenches 
Hello Chris,

LA batteries do not have a BMS that can block current flow to a series group of 
cells. Balancers are not likely needed but may benefit an aging battery bank. A 
long enough charge time (CV) on a healthy bank will fully charge all cells even 
though some cells will experience high voltage. Cross connecting cables between 
parallel strings will help the even distribution of voltage as it provides 
alternative paths for current.

Larry Crutcher
Starlight Power Systems



On May 16, 2023, at 6:24 AM, Christopher Warfel via RE-wrenches 
 wrote:

Would you recommend that for FLAs?  Thank you, Chris

On 5/15/2023 6:12 PM, Starlight via RE-wrenches wrote:
> Jay,
> 
> I started recommending the Victron battery balancer for all series and 
> series/parallel Li battery banks. It has eliminated trouble in some 
> problematic systems. If you reach a cell over-voltage in the Kilovault BMS, 
> it will block current flow, preventing the other series batteries from 
> charging. This also causes havoc with connected equipment as the battery 
> appears to have disconnected.
> 
> Larry Crutcher
> Starlight Power Systems
> 
> 
> On May 15, 2023, at 12:17 PM, Jay via RE-wrenches 
>  > wrote:
> 
> Hi All
> 
> I’m wondering what the thoughts are on using or not balancers for 2  12v 
> lithium in series for 24v system. The batteries don’t have any series 
> communication. 
> Kilovault if that matters. 
> Not my design. 
> 
> It would seem to be a good idea, with victron having a good one. 
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Jay
> ___

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery balancers

2023-05-16 Thread Darryl Thayer via RE-wrenches 
Hi Jay, if this is the LA AGM thin plate, I tried to look into this a few
years ago.  Being AGM, they have a recombination feature; when overcharged,
they recombine the H2 O2, thus self-balancing, just like the top balance in
LiFe.  The caution is not to charge too fast in absorb mode.  I decided not
to use the balancer.  The system is 3 yrs old and going great.

On Mon, May 15, 2023 at 2:38 PM Jay via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi All
>
> I’m wondering what the thoughts are on using or not balancers for 2  12v
> lithium in series for 24v system. The batteries don’t have any series
> communication.
> Kilovault if that matters.
> Not my design.
>
> It would seem to be a good idea, with victron having a good one.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Jay
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[RE-wrenches] Radian woes

2023-05-16 Thread Chris Daum via RE-wrenches 
Hey folks:  On a stacked Outback Radian system, has anyone encountered a HUB 53 
fault as noted on the MATE3s?
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Best,
 
Chris Daum
Oasis Montana Inc.
406-777-4309 or 4321
406-777-4309 fax
www.oasismontana.com   
 
 
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