Fogstar Drift Pro 12V 230Ah Teardown & Load Test

[@viv-i-vangoesforth]

I noticed the drift pro showed a capacity of 243/230 ah so 13 ah above stated capacity. I just got te 230ah drift (not pro) and mine shows 247ah /230 so mine's 17 ah above their stated nominal capacity. I think this is terrific and so far, Ive used my battery a lot in viv-i-van and never even got to 230 ah. I'm getting myself a renogy 2000 watt inverter very soon and I think the 230 drift and the renogy will make a great team. I dont think the extra expense of the pro was worth it to me. It seems no matter what fogstar you go for , you're going to get incredible quality and capacity. Loved the tear down. It was your tear down of the 105 that made me buy one-since sold to a boddy and upgraded to the 230. I have zero regrets. Much respect- Kenny

[@DCGUY]

I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Enjoy your off grid adventures, and you're in safe hands with Fogstar.

[@MrPhlipflop]

Thanks once again for another teardown, UK style 😊

[@DCGUY]

Thank you for your continued support, really appreciated 👏

[@philipgrobler7253]

I am so glad I came across your channel, my DNA must be harking back to their ancestral roots, because I am inexplicably drawn to anyone with a British accent, especially the Scottish accent. Thank you for all the great info.

[@tonyallen1953]

Quality Fogstar battery great review Will.

[@brotherkith]

Another great presentation thank you.

[@DCGUY]

Thanks again! Your support is appreciated.

[@mickyg3820]

I’m looking to buy the fog star 300AH LITHIUM BATTERY NEXT MONTH WHICH IS CURRENTLY ON OFFER AS LONG AS IT STAYS ON OFFER THAT IS! I’m just getting the standard fogstar as it comes with 10 year warranty and the drift pro only comes with Six!

[@DCGUY]

Where did you see a 6 year warranty on the pro series? I'm pretty sure the Drift series including pro come with 10 year's warranty. The ECO versions I believe have a 6 year warranty.

[@mickyg3820]

@@DCGUY yeah, my apologies. I was mistaken.! The one I’m getting is the drift version 300 amp, I can’t wait to get my van up and running with proper power so I can start enjoying it

[@EddieFlixton]

Just discovered your channel whilst doing research before buying a battery for a canoe 12v outboard. Thanks for your useful info. The videos are simply explained even for those who only managed a grade c physics O level 😢. I see on Fogstars site that they have introduced a "drift eco". Have you any plans/views on how they compare to the standard "drift?

[@DCGUY]

Hi, thanks for watching and taking time to comment. I had no idea about the Eco versions until you mentioned them. From the website they are using RepT cells which I haven't seen or tested yet. Seems they have a shorter cycle life 3000 compared to the Drift 3500 that's using EVE cells and the eco are without heating or bluetooth but says you can connect up to 16 in parallel 😲 not sure if that's a typo. Typically it's 4. They are still using JBD BMS units. Looks like they will arrive in August. Hmm wonder if they will send one out for me to see.

[@EddieFlixton]

I'll look forward to you testing the Eco model. I'm not too worried about longevity as I'll only be using it a couple of days a year. My main concern is that it's light, cheap and obviously safe. If you do get one to test and it ticks those boxes it looks like it's perfect for my needs. Thanks for the informative videos 👍

[@paulbassett2715]

Hi Will, I've 2x 280amp Driftstar Pro batteries. What is the acceptable cell drift voltage range. I've currently got 0.004 and 0.006 disparity on the cells. At what disparity would I need to active balance? Brilliant videos BTW.

[@DCGUY]

There's actually no set rule when it comes to cell voltage drift, so it is really down to the end user to decide. .1v difference is where I would consider balancing personally and with the grade A cells in your battery it would take a long time to see significant drift as the BMS itself is also working to keep things balanced, albeit a bit slower. Take a note of the cell voltage now and again after it's had a few good cycles for comparison.

[@rorymax8233]

Long video, in this case it was worthwhile for me. 👍

[@DCGUY]

Yes, bit longer than normal but I appreciate you watching and taking time to comment

[@matthewwakeham2206]

They seem like good products but can they compete when the price of batteries is dropping so fast and they are still quite expensive? Yes you can't beat that 300amp bms but i got a 24 volt 100ah ecoworthy/dc house battery for £400 via ebay so if you could find that deal again you could get 2 for the price of one of those fogstar batteries. That is double the capacity and higher output (5.2kw?). Obviously the fogstar is a premium product that fits a purpose and i have no idea what is in the ecoworthy and whether the BMS would survive that sort of treatment (I mean two ecoworthies to get 200amps at 25.6 volts).

[@DCGUY]

Thanks for watching and taking time to comment, it's much appreciated 👏

[@matthewwakeham2206]

@@DCGUY Thanks for the link to the DC house/ecoworthy battery!

[@DCGUY]

@matthewwakeham2206 You are welcome, mine is working well .

[@martprice7726]

I’ve got her 560 fog star if I run 700 W microwave and a 3000 W inverter it draws about 100 amps the thick leads I’m using get hot but my worry on the app shows the temperature rising on the cell one cell goes up from say 19 C to about 32 and 10 minutes running with the microwave the other cells stay at the same temperature. did your cells increase in temperature at all the same amount? thanks for showing good one as usual..

[@DCGUY]

Hi, thanks for watching and taking time to comment. The temperature you see will be coming from one of 3 sensors. One sensor is located on top of the battery cells as a general ambient sensor, another is usually lower down inside the case attached to the actual cell wall and that is probably why you see the difference in readings. Any idea of the wire gauge your using? It is normal for cables to get warm under heavy loads due to natural resistance and I personally use 50mm" copper cable which can still get warm during heavier loads.

[@bearcheapthrillsadventures6877]

Do you need a special charger for this type of battery .i have ctek 250se that is a 20 amp charger from smart alternator and can fit solar panels would this work ok

[@DCGUY]

I believe the D250se is more than happy with lithium-batteries up to 300Ah @ 12V so you should be good to go. While you can still charge lifepo4 with a traditional charger, they don't use the best algorithm to get the most out of a lifepo4 battery as they cut out at lower state of charge.

[@bearcheapthrillsadventures6877]

@DCGUY thanks for your help im just going to buy the 300ah battery in black friday sale rite now

[@st200ol]

Can you please clarify, what cells do these batteries use? 😉

[@DCGUY]

EVE GRADE A 230Ah and a JBD battery management system

[@tomclarkson3759]

Surely the lock tite reduces the conducting surface area??

[@itsverygreen532]

I'm not sure why that is any sort of surprise ... LiFePO4 is well known for being able to provide high current, as is lead acid ... 300A is no big deal, juts means it has a good BMS

[@DCGUY]

Yes, but this is the 1st 12 volt battery i have seen with a high discharge 300 amp BMS and the comms, Victron integration is a nice option too.

[@johnshaw359]

You can buy a Fogstar bluetooth 300a BMS for £100.

[@DCGUY]

Yes I believe so but they don't have victron Integration etc

[@jamesmason7124]

Wow, you should never use three locker on electronic connections, and those connection have locks so there is no need for all that glue. I hope that the price is low, because the batteries from Sun Fun Kits are way better and ip67 water resistant

[@paulbassett2715]

😂😂😂😂

[@myfalconry76]

It’s not hard for a 12v to generate upwards of 600 amps

[@DCGUY]

Totally, but always limited by the BMS capability.