$75 12V 7AH Dakota Lithium LifePO4 Battery Test

[@rayki7glu710]

Back in 2020, purchased two of the 7AH batteries as a set and reduced cost. Don't remember what the cost was but it was very reasonable. Have used them in my back yard with my IC-7300 and have never had an issue. Would deffinitely recommend Dakota Lithium batteries.

[@HamRadio2]

Thanks

[@mrgunner5351]

I purchased 3 of the LiFePo batteries Gigaparts is selling (12v 12ah). Used them for field day,powering an Icom 7200 running at about 40 watts. Ran my station for the entire operating period without recharging.

[@HamRadio2]

I have those. They're great

[@youkilt]

I have a bunch of the 7ah and 10ah. Usually purchase directly from Dakota Lithium. Right now you can get a pair of the 7ah for $119 with free shipping to the lower 48.

[@ahendrix9787]

...i looked at these long and hard...didn't get any, but still looking at them...what they offered looked promising...may make a purchase later! ...thanks for this review!

[@HamRadio2]

Thanks

[@betterbprepared]

Appreciate the battery tests. I am in the market for a battery now and you just put these on my radar. I love the fact that they are lightweight, even compared to the Bioenno. Pricewise I see that the Dakota 10ah battery is the same price as the Bioenno 9ah battery. Great performance, lighter weight, and more amp hours for the money. I'm in.

[@hdrider92]

I have a 7 AH, 2 10 AH, and recently bought both the PowerBox 135 AH and a stand alone dual-purpose 135 AH battery, the latter two re used in a small solar array. They are very expensive, but so far very reliable. Both the PowerBox and the stand alone 135 AH came in boxes clearly identified as made in China.

[@HamRadio2]

Thanks for sharing

[@hdrider92]

BTW, I was using the two 10 AH batteries in parallel to power my 7300 in my home shack. They would last several days before needing recharged, unless I used FT-8. That suck the power quickly. KD9ROL.

[@skyt54]

I got three 12 volt Dakota batteries three months ago. They advertise an 11 year warranty. One of them would not take a charge. The company does not ever answer their phone and they do not respond to emails. That seems to be the case for a lot of reviews on Amazon. So it looks like I'm out three hundred dollars for nothing. I guess that is par for the course these days.

[@HamRadio2]

Ouch, that sucks. Sorry to hear that.

[@brandonb417]

I buy a lot of these for the product I sell. These batteries are pretty good. From what I understand they used to bring in all of the cells from China, then do a domestic assembly, but about 3 or 4 years ago they started also assembling in China as well.

[@davidtangredi9650]

Apparently you didn't check the Battery Management System. Other reviews have shown that the advertised short circuit protection does not work.

[@ericplatham]

I've had this battery on my watch list for some time... thanks for the video

[@HamRadio2]

Thanks for watching

[@claudeintheshack]

I've had Dakota Lithium on my radar for a couple years now. They do have a section on their website that calls out "ham radio backup power solutions" so they are certainly marketing /positioning themselves to appeal to ham radio consumers. I'm waiting for a couple SLA batteries I own to fade before I buy a couple lithiums from them. Good warranty period, and good range of operating temps.

[@HamRadio2]

Wow, I missed that section of their website. I'll go look again

[@KnurdMonkey]

Are those a direct replacement for sealed lead acid battery same size voltage and amps?

[@HamRadio2]

Depends on the application, but often times yes

[@Ghostbit]

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I'm in the market for a battery or two and had never heard of Dakota Lithium. Looks really solid. Adding them to my list of batteries to consider. You should evaluate your Bioenno for comparison, though I expect it to behave as expected based on their pricing and reputation. I know it's well beyond the scope of what you are trying to do here but it would be nice to be able to evaluate each battery's BMS setup to see how the cheap ones fair compared to the premium batteries. Thanks for another great video! 73

[@666RitaRita]

Excellent video ; two thumbs up

[@robertmeyer4744]

I have been into radio from the 1970's . LiFePO4 is far the bast type of battery for the 12V world. would like to see a test on some old bioenno that has been well used, This will be a good test to see how they hold up over time. also charge on put in freezer over night and test it. a outher great test is fully charge on. let it set 30 days or more then test it. battery's are the hart of Pota .and Sota ! years back we used 6V golf cart battery's 2 to make 12V . big and heavy for field day. how many hams run LiFePO4 for Sota and Pota? I am running Power queen and some outers. 73's

[@Screamingtut]

Jason, they are made in the USA I have two of their 24Ah batteries I'm Making a battery box I still waiting for parts from China. I've talked to one of the Owners they had a backlog of orders

[@HamRadio2]

You're the first person to come along and say they are Made in the USA. Most people say they are made in China. I double and triple checked this 7AH unit that I have, and no such markings are anywhere to be found.

[@jcvee15]

Thanks for the fine video, Jason. I'm considering a number of brands of LiFePo4 batteries and was wondering if there is a universal charger that can be used with these batteries, or do you have to have a charger specific to the brand you buy? Thanks, and 73!

[@EverydayAdmin]

That’s the great thing of lifepo4 vs LliPo, LiPo will drop in voltage as it discharges requiring a regulator for 12v batteries, LifePo4 will remain 12v to the end ;). Better for sensitive electronics.

[@HamRadio2]

Yep

[@michaeldavidheit]

I ordered the 12v / 10aH battery with the Dakota charger and the power monitor they market. Total cost for all that was right at $129.50 … then after it said purchase was complete I got my receipt via the email address I had given them. Just for giggles and while trying to figure out a way to tell my wife I had spent the money … I look at the receipt and was shocked to see a shipping charge of $100.00 for shipping to my home in Alaska … yeah, the wife wasn’t very happy. I sure hope this battery is worth the cost …. 😅

[@HamRadio2]

Yeah that seems high but shipping costs these days are ridiculous

[@johnk23705]

I just bought a "Weize" brand LifePO4 10 amp battery for $49.95 off Amazon. The case and construction of the battery I bought and the one you are testing is exactly the same except for color and branding. More amps for less $$$. I have to wonder if maybe these batteries are all made at the same factory and branded differently ? I don't have the tester, so I can't verify a true 10 amp output, but in use, it has been excellent. Maybe try out a Weize brand when you get the chance. For my 20 amp, I've gone with the Bioenno. Great battery. Just food for thought. Good review and test. It is possible that Dakota gives better factory support and that is the real difference, not the battery. Maybe you are paying for the name and both give decent support. That I don't know....Just thinking out loud.

[@SavageBrewer]

The Weize 50AH and 100AH batteries are built really well for the money and have decent BMC’s

[@HamRadio2]

The true test will be on how many charge cycles it takes

[@johnk23705]

@@HamRadio2 Agreed, my question is are they the same battery with different branding. Could be, but then again, maybe not.

[@KairosZenith]

i just took a look at the Weize (12V 10ah LiFePO4) battery John was talking about in the comments. They do look like the same casing (which doesn't mean anything), same (2,000) discharge cycles, LiFePO4, Smart BMS, etc, for $25 less. Since you're doing a video on the Dakota anyway, could make for an interesting video to do a comparison on the 2 batteries. Do that test with the CBA-V on the Weize as well, then when you go out for the test, do the RFI check, longevity of the charge (but i guess you'd have to use the same radio on each battery to be fair, checking battery output at each hour, till it runs out), maybe even checking how much it effects the power output of the radio when you get towards the end of the battery capacity. Then if you feel adventurous, open up both batteries to see if the components are possibly the same on the inside (using safety precautions, of course) AND if you go that far, maybe even submerse it in water before opening the battery, to see how water tight they are :)

[@HamRadio2]

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of battery brands that use the same casing and size, including Bioenno. The casing doesn't matter, the cells inside is what matters. Some of the cheaper brands are probably copying each other, but I doubt the better, more reliable brands are doing this. However, that is part of the research and testing that I am doing.

[@dougdaniels]

Curious what the RF noise level is (maybe compared to the Bioenno) when you do the field test, since their target market is fishing and not radio.

[@HamRadio2]

Yep, that's on the list

[@nimroddiaries_]

My 12 ah dakota hasn't had any RF issues, don't use it as much as I like but I have taken it on prolly 20 portable outings. I'd buy from them again with zero worries.

[@HamRadio2]

@@nimroddiaries_ I can't imagine how a battery works cause RFI but who knows. Thanks for sharing

[@hankfox4170]

@@HamRadio2 There is a BMS (Battery Management System) inside the LiFePo4 sealed consumer batteries. A lot of the ultra cheap brands have noisy BMS's, most of the good ones do not. Dakota's are supposed to be good and I've never heard a bad word about them. Their support gets some not-so-great reviews but they always seem to come through in the end. Their suppoort strongly prefers e-mail. Obtw, many reviews state that the Dakota's come with a Made In China sticker on the bottom when they arrive.

[@HamRadio2]

I'm well aware of how a BMS works. This battery has no labels at all... China, USA, nothing

[@aldewitt9]

I have the 18 AH battery from Dakota. Love it!

[@HamRadio2]

Cool

[@DaveAllredDNA3e8]

What are the benefits and disadvantages of different battery brands? I have an ic-2100 (12 A transmits current draw) Weight is Not impotent. $ /total hours is. I expect liPo4 to be leaps ahead of AGM or deep cycle? Do the Dakota lithium and Mindy perform/ last as long bioenos? T

[@HamRadio2]

The test of time is what is important, in my opinion. And we won't know how they measure up until time has past - so a few years from now.

[@vicmiller7191]

good report for these batteries I am looking at them also. I purchased a CBA V from DX Engineering after your last report and will send some results after I get some testing done myself. Thanks and good video... Vic de KE8JWE

[@neilstevenson7518]

Good video! Can you recommend a tester for lithium batteries?

[@HamRadio2]

West Mountain Radio CBA - V

[@chrissewell1608]

Looking forward to some real world testing! But its a little high priced for 7 ah., isn't it?

[@HamRadio2]

Depends on how well it's built and the longevity of it

[@chrissewell1608]

@@HamRadio2 That is true! And that 11 year Warranty sounds almost to good to be true!

[@HamRadio2]

@@chrissewell1608 yep

[@jeffk4jcm403]

There are strict regulations about labeling something as "made in the USA". "Assembled in the USA" means a defined percentage of offshore parts have been used in a product built here. The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of the rules, adherence and penalties.

[@HamRadio2]

This battery has neither of those labels

[@DominicMazoch]

Is there going to be a big give away for July? If I missed it, will August have one?

[@HamRadio2]

This Sunday

[@DominicMazoch]

@@HamRadio2 where do you sign up?

[@DominicMazoch]

Testing is good.

[@warrenphillips69]

That's the discharge profile of LiFePO4. All your lithium batteries should look like that. (Quick short drop, very gradual decline & then falls off a cliff). Other chemistries will have different profiles.

[@HamRadio2]

All of them should...but they don't.

[@gregrush6570]

I would love to see this kind of testing again, but perhaps put the battery inside your fridge to simulate a colder camping scenario and then again perhaps in hot weather, outside at temperatures more in the 90's. Retest the other variants as well. Let's be honest, batteries are desirable because they offer remote ability and that often means in conditions less than ideal as apposed to being at room temperature. Thanks so much for your HAM contributions thru KZbin. You are one of my favorite "virtual elmers"! Greg @ KD9UQP

[@HamRadio2]

Those are great ideas, I will look into doing some of those types of tests.

[@kc0isw]

Look at the under the battery should say if it made in china or made in usa other channels show it says made in china on it

[@HamRadio2]

I looked for that but this one wasn't marked

[@MrKinglyon2010]

Cells inside are from China and also made in China. Engineering and R&D in the US

[@phildurall7466]

Nice review and testing Jason! 73 - KF6IF

[@johnhosler9417]

2 years later 12v 7ah batteries are $20 bucks...

[@palehorse7377]

I just use raw cells from Ali xpress. Cheapest route.

[@HamRadio2]

Yeah again...I am not looking for, nor care about, the cheapest route. I'm doing reviews of actual products.

[@palehorse7377]

@@HamRadio2 ok. Just sharing what I do.

[@thatonebeone]

yup diy is the way to go if you can.... this things are so overpriced and im sure he got this free from them and just say he bought it... this brand is overpriced like others ... 1600$ for a 200ah when you can buy new A cells 230ah for like less then 600 bucks for 4 and then a bms 80 to 150 bucks and a 50$ case...

[@kc0isw]

Im in Minot,North Dakota ive never heard of this company

[@HamRadio2]

Neither had I

[@SavageBrewer]

They have been marketing the ice fishing crowd for years, I have 3 of their batteries and never any issues.

[@chrissewell1608]

I had heard of them years ago, in the fishing industry. Kayakers love them.

[@beholder4465]

Wow 75 for 7ah thats expensive

[@HamRadio2]

They are rated higher than most of their competitors and they come with an 11-year warranty

[@KellyKE8MWQ]

I picked up two for $90.00 a couple years ago. Mine says made in china

[@HamRadio2]

I suspect these are too but they aren't marked as such

[@AW-nr6ij]

Dakota Lithium is an overpriced LifePo4 battery backed by lots of adverts. There are a lot of other brands just as good or better.

[@HamRadio2]

But none of those other brands have an 11-year warranty

[@AW-nr6ij]

@@HamRadio2 LifePo4 batteries have an average 3000-5000 charge cycles before they are dead. Let's take the midpoint of 4000 cycles and divide it by 365 (assuming you charge them once a day, everyday). So 4000 charge cycles would take 4000/365=10.9 years. Thus the gimmicky 11 years warranty of the Dakota Lithium. If a battery uses high quality cells and built with decent parts and labor there is no need for such an unrealistic warranty. A 2-3 year warranty on manufacturing defects is what you need. It is also worthwhile checking the multitude of warranty exclusions in Dakota's website. With all these exclusions it is almost guaranteed that they can deny any claims you may have in the future.

[@HamRadio2]

Bold of you to think that the cheap Chinese batteries are made with high quality cells and built with decent parts and labor.

[@AW-nr6ij]

@@HamRadio2 Really!..Where do you think Dakota battery cells are made and batteries are assembled. 😅 And by the way, to your chagrin China makes a lot of quality products along with cheap ones. too. If you know what you're buying you save a lot of money over these overpric ed , supposedly Made in USA products.

[@AW-nr6ij]

@@HamRadio2 But don't take it from me check review sites and blogs for Dakota Lithium.

[@gjaxson01]

One of the owners has a youtube channel @RyanSophieSailing It is a great channel.