51 replies to this topic

[Vic Harder]

loving my Victron Orion.  25A goes into the dual Battleborn Batteries just fine.  With the 330W solar also feeding the batteries, I am happy. 

 

I will probably do rando's work around for the Blue Sea 7622 ACR that I have, so the solar panels will charge my truck battery in the winter.

 

P.S. the 100% SOC is bogus.  I had not resyncronized the BMV yet when the picture was taken

Edited by Vic Harder, 16 August 2020 - 01:42 AM.

[Zirdu]

I finished the install of my new Progressive Dynamics 45 amp lithium specific charger to replace the 30 amp IOTA.  My 30 amp IOTA charged my my new LifeBlue 200 battery (at 60% SOC) at 5 to 7 amps.  My new 45 amp Progressive Dynamics charged the LifeBlue battery at about 38 to 39 amps.  Big difference.  I don't know why I didn't get closer to the 45 amp capacity.  Any ideas here?  At any rate, I am pleased overall with the change.  

 

Here is a picture of the new Progressive Dynamics installed.  I left all the original wiring in place, and just added a direct 6 awg cables from the battery to the Progressive Dynamics, and from the battery back to the place under the dinette seat where I will place a new Victron 30 amp DC-DC charger.  I installed two studs in the box where the Progressive Dynamics is located for ease in hooking up all the new 6 awg wires and also the original wires.  I also put a battery switch in the battery box on the 6 awg positive wire from the battery to the Progressive Dynamics.  I also added an inline fuse in the 6 awg positive wire in the battery box right next to the battery terminal.  This is not visible in the picture.  I picked a 60 amp fuse.  Hope it is an appropriate fuse for this application.  

 

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[craig333]

Did you ever figure out why the Iota only charged 5-7 amps? Seems very odd. 

[PaulT]

That does seem odd. My Iota charges my Battleborn batteries as high as 28 amps. I did replace the original IQ4 with an IQ4-LIFEPO.  That may have made a difference.

 

With the replaceable IQ4, it would be a good idea to make sure the plug clicks into place in the socket. If still a problem, make the loop adapter from a phone cable as shown on the Iota website and try that to get the voltage Above the float level and see if that makes a difference. If the amps go up significantly, buy a replacement IQ4 module.

 

See Illustration 3, Dual Voltage Jack on page 3  in the manual.

https://img.acuitybr...truction_Sheets

 

 

Paul

[Zirdu]

I don't know why my IOTA only charged my LifeBlue Lithium battery at 5 to 7 amps.  I assumed it had something to do with the charging pattern it uses, and the lower charge voltage?  Maybe the IOTA thought the battery was fully charged, since as a lithium battery it is at a higher voltage, and was only giving it a float charge?  Or maybe my IOTA was defective? 

[kmcintyre]

I thought I'd post an update on LifePO4 cells I purchased from China.  They took a month to get here but look awesome!  $188 for 4 cells (12V, 120ah).  I now have most of the parts (BMS, lugs, etc.) but waiting to assemble and test.  I'll use a victron DC to DC TR charger (wanted the TR-smart but it's been backordered for a month and who knows when it'll get here).

[rando]

I am not sure you want the DC-DC TR.   It is not a charger, just a constant output DC-DC converter.   You will get some charge just from your alternator, so I would live with that and wait for the TR-TR Smart, which IS a charger. 

[Stokeme]

Zirdu ... hopefully this info will give you some added benefit. I did not notice it on this thread, or on the LifeBlue site, so it’s possible it’s not available for use at all. I am curious if it is available to you. This is my original IOS BT LFP4 app which is no longer supported or available. When I upgrade at some point, this app will be lost to me. Tap on the vertical 3 dot group, in the bottom right. It enables this pop up window. Type in 1234 & tap ok.

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Edited by Stokeme, 02 September 2020 - 05:36 AM.

[Stokeme]

After tapping ok, this “options” window pops up. Tap Battery Information & you get this cool, real time, individual cell view. You can watch them adjust. I have 2 StarkPower batteries, 50Ah &100Ah, since 2018. They have been great. I never understood Battleborn’s position about not including Bluetooth with their batteries. Without it, if you want live battery status, you have to purchase a battery monitor. Victron’s monitor is $$. After years in China, with increased demand & competition, I think SP’s custom supply chain & manufacturing tightened. SP closed shop a year after I bought mine. I’m looking for an app I can carry forward. LIfeBlue was a battery I looked at & liked a lot.

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Edited by Stokeme, 02 September 2020 - 04:42 PM.

[Zirdu]

Stockme:  Thanks for the tip.  The LifeBlue app on my IPhone looks identical to the app on your Stark Battery, only different colors.  I got to the menu that lists the individual cell voltages as you suggested, and got the same info.  LifeBlue suggests changing the password from 1234 in case you are in a crowded campground and someone else with this app could access your battery.  They even suggest that your settings could be maliciously changed, or the battery turned off with no way to turn it back on!?  I will be changing my password.  

 

The Victron Orion 12/12 DC-DC smart non-isolated charger is back in stock at PKYS and I have one being shipped now.  Given what I have read about how hot they get, I prepared the space for it under the seat in my front dinette by installing a small computer fan and also installing a heat shield made of aluminum sheet. (I used aluminum flashing I had from a 10 foot roll I got at Home Depot.)  I will wire the fan to the remote on-off switch for the Orion.  In installed the remote switch in the same area the light switches are located near the back door of the camper.  This way I can easily turn the DC-DC charger on or off without crawling back to where it is located.  Finally I put a few vent holes in the underseat cabinet right below the fan.  Here is a picture of the area before installation of the DC-DC charger:

 

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You can see a new switch I will wire up.  It is located where the Blue Sea ACR was located, and will serve the same function.  It is a 1-2-both-off switch.  I will wire it so I can choose to manually connect the house battery and engine starter battery, so I can charge up my starter battery with solar if necessary.  Normally it will be connecting the alternator to the DC-DC charger to charge up my house battery while the engine is running.  The "both" setting on the switch will not be used.