Does a LiTime DIY Solar Battery Work for Off-Grid Power?

[@squidboy0769]

I always appreciate these videos that show simple DIY setups that save money and are easy to set up, thank you.

[@fastway007]

Pretty snazzy setup. Usually we you see someone DIY a system, they incorporate fuses, disconnects, Bluetooth and whatever. But I do like the simplicity, (and cost per watt) KISS

[@minutemanprep]

Yes those are important and would aboslutely be a good idea, but you don't have to just like I did here.

[@alexandergadomski1088]

I live without electric grid since 1998. I just bought 3-25.6v 230ah to relace my 8 Trojan L16 for my home.

[@scarygary3569]

Just picked up my 3rd 24v 100ah from them for lowest price ive ever paid. 1st was $800,2nd $650 ,and 3rd $540. Awesome deal and great batteries so far.

[@minutemanprep]

Nice!

[@carlthetruthwilliams9447]

Finally, I found the video that speaks to me. Great job Sir.

[@awesomewade21]

Your videos on emergency power are the best on You Tube! Thanks for what you do.

[@minutemanprep]

Wow thank you.

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Excellent!! I have an EcoFlow Delta Pro, but I would like to go more diy on my next system. Thank you!!

[@minutemanprep]

DPs are good, thanks for watching.

[@Kantuski]

Excellent video! Like others have said, simple yet efficient. As one starts experimenting you can add in a solar generator as well for more adaptability, but this base line provides backup power and an understanding . Thank You!

[@steelhorses2004]

One thing the power stations have is AC charging. Nothing mentioned in this video for the DIY system about that. What higher amp AC battery charger do you recommend?

[@jamestiberiuskirk5994]

I built a system using 6 of the ampertime 200ah batteries and have had no issues as of yet. It powers my workshop with a 3000watt psw inverter.

[@minutemanprep]

Thank you very much for sharing, that's awesome.

[@SlackersIndustry]

these would be great to build for a home, something that is stationary but finding one like ecoflow at a good price would be great to move around or take places. This one built here would be difficult to be moving around as it is but still can be done , great video made everything simple.

[@Dave-xr9bc]

smal diy system here.3X50AH powerqueen lifepo4 in parallel with a 2000W renogy inverter.works perfect! thx for the video

[@brucebugbee6604]

Hi Ben. I know this is just a demonstration of the concept for building a DIY setup so I don't want to nit pick too much, but it is worth mentioning a couple of important points: 1) at full load, a 3000W 12V setup is going to result in 250 amps flowing in the cables from the battery to the inverter. The cables need to be sized appropriately to handle that kind of load. The cables used in the video would overheat pretty quickly at 250 amps of continuous load. 2) because the inverter cables will be the heaviest loaded cables, they should be installed so that they are in direct contact with the battery terminal. The lighter loaded charge controller cables should be installed on top of the inverter cables on each terminal. It appeared that your positive terminal connection mounted the charge controller cable under the inverter cable, which is not optimum because it results in a higher resistance between the battery terminal and the inverter cable. This could lead to a hot spot on that terminal as you operate near full load.

[@Scott-ig1zd]

#3 That max ocv is rated at 72 deg. You cannot use 148 ocv during the winter you will fry your Charge controller, 23F to 31F it x 1.12, so that 151 ocv is x 1.12= 165 OCV . At 0F it would be 1.10 x148=163f OCV which will fry your inverter.

[@Scott-ig1zd]

That 1.12 should be 1.02, the 151 is correct.

[@ericschaffer9228]

I bought the 12 volt 100 amp hour a year ago 350 now it's going for 250. I use it for when I go camping. So far I haven't had any problems.

[@aspitofmud6257]

Good job Ben!👍💯

[@minutemanprep]

Thanks!

[@kickgas7171]

Great video. Any properly sized LiFePo4 battery will work for off grid applications. My only suggestion would be to lose the high frequency, transformerless inverter. They don't last very long when powering high inductance loads like full sized refrigerators, large power tools, portable AC units or full sized microwave ovens. The reason for this is that all of these cheap, high frequency inverters lack a very critical component. That critical component is an iron core, copper wound output transformer. Without an output transformer to act as a buffer to absorb electrical surges provided by the “Flywheel Effect” inherent in the physical amount of a transformer’s iron, these surges and damaging reverse voltage spikes as the inductive load is switched on and off must be handled directly by the inverter’s MOSFET transistors, essential shortening their life. You might be able to start and run some high surge loads when these solar generators are new, but every time you fire up that inductive load, you're shortening the life of the MOSFETs in your solar generator's inverter. They also run much hotter than low frequency, transformer-based inverters which makes the low cost, off spec, Chinese made components such as capacitors, diodes, resistors and ICs that are used in these cheap inverters, far more prone to early failure. All it takes is for one of their MOSFETs in the inverter's H-Bridge circuit to short to ground or the wave form control circuitry to fail, and these units will send dangerous, high voltage, high amperage DC current straight to your connected AC loads which will not only damage most AC appliances but can also set those AC appliances on fire. A far better alternative is to invest less money and purchase a hybrid, low frequency, transformer based inverter charger to build your solar generator. Low frequency transformer based inverters last far, far longer and can easily power high surge loads without being damaged. That's why the big name brand inverter manufacturers like Schneider Electric, Outback Power, Sigineer Power, Victron Energy and others, all use a low frequency topology in their offerings. High frequency solar generators/inverters simply don't last when powering inductive loads and can set your home, RV, Van or appliances on fire.

[@arminius301]

I've been running a 1500 W pure sine wave inverter made by Voltworks for two years now running a 600 watt window air conditioner and it keep son ticking. How much of an inductive load are you talking about, to worry about an inverter mosfet getting overworked and causing a fire? Thanks for the info btw!

[@kickgas7171]

@arminius301 Why do you rurn a window AC unit every day with an inverter?

[@arminius301]

@@kickgas7171 I built a solar battery generator with 100ah CALB cells and a Victron MPPT solar charge controller, and about 800 watts of solar panels. I work out of a 1978 Avion travel trailer and need A/C to survive. The system allows me to run the A/C basically for free most of the day, rather than paying PG&E electric company enormous amounts of money for electricity. In other words the system has already paid for itself within two years. From now on it's all free/off-grid. The battery has only cycled 180 times so the cells should last another 3000 cycles.

[@Scott-ig1zd]

@@kickgas7171 I run 6000 btu in a offgrid cabin with a 24v 2000 watt pure sine inverter because I can. What else am i going to run it with. Oh and by the way it runs great.

[@DroneManMurphy]

Do you have links to the other parts? Thanks in advance.

[@GoodmanMIke59]

I want to thank you for including a general idea of prices. You would be very good if you held workshops. Obviously, this is for the completely uninitiated, someone with no technical background. I believe the next step for you might be to produce a chart, cost per watt, cost per watt-hr, add it in the video. The other thing worth noting is expandable, partitionable, portable on the right cart. The other thing that comes to mind is that if one piece goes, that piece can be replaced individually. Be

[@minutemanprep]

Great idea, I love it.

[@clarencewiles963]

Good idea thumbs up 👍

[@minutemanprep]

Thanks.

[@dalemfer6557]

After watching about using shunts a breakers and fuses. You just hooked it all up without the extra cost. Or safety?

[@JWTX]

You can get a pecron e2000lfp for $858 just ordere one with 2 3000+ wh batteries giving me around 8600wh paid $2712. Can rake 1200 watts solar and each battery canbtake 400 watts. Best value i could find. Thus will keep me until I'm able ti afford a whole house off grid system. Thanks Ben for the video....Jeff

[@minutemanprep]

Pecrons are great units too, I do like them and recommend them.

[@JWTX]

@minutemanprep yeah, I can't wait to use it. I'm going to use it regularly 24/7 run the solar mini splits at night along with fridge and chest freezer. Let it start paying for itself.

[@nerkymusselman8843]

some pretty negative reviews of that pecron on amazon.

[@jimdaly5077]

Hi thank you 👍👍👌

[@minutemanprep]

Thanks for watching.

[@jimdaly5077]

@@minutemanprep I try not to miss. 👍🐝🌞

[@SlackersIndustry]

come to think of it this also needs a way to charge it from ac plug . how can we add soemthing like that

[@rcguymike]

Refurb Ecoflow delta 2 max ~$1100, refurb delta pro ~$1500. Simple choice IMO😅

[@rcguymike]

Ecoflow needs to bring the powerstream over or some other way of adding more solar though👍

[@snak8y8s]

Love this channel

[@minutemanprep]

Thank you!

[@4g63attack]

I’m slowly building a home backup going with a 48 volt system. I did start out a diy just like your but with a 24 volt system installed. A while back on fb some dude was claiming that you can not diy a whole home diy and was advocating for a unit like bluetti. Don’t get me wrong it’s a nice set up if you have that kind of money or the convenience, I guess.

[@alexandergadomski1088]

of course you can DIY. I've been totally off electric for 35 years. If you can do basic wiring and can read, watch videos and learn it's very easy

[@4g63attack]

@@alexandergadomski1088 Yeah... I would argue with the guy but I don't want to waste my time with an endless debate.

[@nerkymusselman8843]

i was hoping for links for everything in your video. some of us know nothing about all of this. links would help me learn.

[@Tearial311]

I’m not good with electricity. Will this run a non digital fridge maybe some lights? And what solar panel to do so?

[@minutemanprep]

Yes you could run those items. The downside to this set up is you don't have a State of Charge indicator, meaning you can't tell how full the battery is. It would still be best to get an inverter that has battery readout as well as a built in charge controller.

[@Scott-ig1zd]

@@minutemanprep No get a shunt to read %, going by voltage on lifepo4 batteries is not good.

[@gojeffgordon24]

Just to let you know, with the current sale, the Pecron E2000LFP is pretty close to this in performance and price. 1920whr so a bit less, but can handle more solar.

[@nerkymusselman8843]

some pretty rotten reviews of your pecron on amazon. ouch.

[@gojeffgordon24]

@@nerkymusselman8843Don't own one, but all of them have some bad reviews. I have 2 Ecoflow products that the DC output no longer works. The Facebook groups for Bluetti have a number of complaints in them too. Just have to hope for the best with any of them. My Montek has been the most reliable so far.

[@johnmal5975]

Should the positive cables have fuses on them?

[@minutemanprep]

Yes that would be best.

[@johnmal5975]

Thank you. I have 2 E2000 pecrons with one expandable battery and two of their E600's as well. Which I love however over time I began to realize if something breaks I am sol. The thing I love about this is its a lot easier to fix if something goes wrong. Great video very understandable even for electric simpletons like myself. Lol@@minutemanprep

[@alexandergadomski1088]

Litime makes nice battery circuit breakers

[@picobyte]

I run all my electricity from a set of 16 280Ah cells. Dutch electicity has huge tax on it.

[@scottbradford192]

Your wire size looks pretty small for an inverter that big.

[@corcorandm]

I thought it was Li time, like possibly Li is the owners last name

[@StratRider]

well he said it stood for Lithium - which makes sense to change from Ampere to Lithium

[@arminius301]

It does stand for LIthium and should be pronounced Lee Time, like them chinese folk would.

[@tsp2jxd]

So, its inVERter, not INverter. You triggered me. 😂

[@happycamper6260]

You should stay with ready-made systems.... It isn't the voltage that kills you, IT'S THE AMPERAGE....!!!! One hand tightening of battery screws...???? In addition, you should file flat all the surfaces of the cable ends attached to the batteries and other components.. What happened to the necessary fuses on the positive connections...??? You had better go back to school, as what you are posting is dangerous..... You need to watch Off-Grid Garage... Just sayin'.....

[@minutemanprep]

Yes but I covered that by explaining there was no load, hence no risk, and higher voltage means faster moving energy so 12v is generally extremely safe.

[@corcorandm]

don't be the test subject. High Voltage will ruin your day