The vertical EEL Battery DIY Kit. Is it OK for the cells to be stacked?

I'm building a new battery. Just because I haven't got enough😄
I really like these DIY battery kits as they come with all bits and pieces and are easy to build. Today, we are trying out the #EEL #DIY Standing #Battery Box Kit. It comes with a Seplos BMS with communication ports, flexible busbars, solid castors, some sticky foam, but... no manual!
The built process does not take long, until we have the battery ready setup and charging.
I'm a big fan of these DIY boxes and especially for beginners, they are a fantastic learning experience.
I also ordered 16 of their B-grade EVE LF304Ah cells with the battery box. They look really nice and have a B stamped on the QR code. In one of the next videos, we will test them and see how good or bad they are.
What do you think about stacking batteries like here in this box?
EEL DIY Battery Box Kits come in 3 models: stackable, freestanding with wheels and wall-mount. All information and links are here: off-grid-garage.com/diy-kits/
The Sunfunkit DIY battery. Great product to build your own 12V battery. Use OGGA at checkout to get 6% off. More info here: off-grid-garage.com/diy-kits/ Video review: • The Sun Fun Kit Experi...
Why you should compress your LiFePO4 battery! And why it does not matter... 🤷‍♂️ • Why you should compres...
Seplos FW for V2 of their BMS: off-grid-garage.com/battery-m...
EVA 'Sticky Foam' Tape: off-grid-garage.com/electric-...
BMS Switches, link is under the Seplos BMS on my website: off-grid-garage.com/battery-m...
Torque Adapter: off-grid-garage.com/measureme...
Please subscribe and join me on my journey of the Off-Grid Garage!
For more information, please check out my website with links to all the batteries, materials, devices and products I have used in my videos: off-grid-garage.com
The 'Buy me a Beer🍻'-link is here (on the website, scroll all the way down):
off-grid-garage.com Thank you for your support!
You can also click on the Thanks button under the video to support the channel. Thank you, if you have already!
T-Shirts, caps, mugs and more in our merch-shop:
off-grid-garage.com/merch
**** These are the batteries you are looking for ****
🔋➡EVE LF280/304 LiFePO4 cells 3.2V/280+304Ah: off-grid-garage.com/batteries/
🌞➡Solar charge Controllers, Inverters and accessories: off-grid-garage.com/solar-cha...
🔧➡Tools, Analysers and Testers: off-grid-garage.com/equipment/
📈➡ Battery Tests and Results: off-grid-garage.com/battery-d...
🔌➡Batteries, charger and accessories: off-grid-garage.com/batteries-3/
⚡➡Cables, Inverters and Electronics: off-grid-garage.com/electronics/
The Sunfunkit DIY battery. Great product to build your own 12V battery. Use OGGA at checkout to get 6% off. More info here: off-grid-garage.com/diy-kits/
Video review: • The Sun Fun Kit Experi...
Best prices for Victron gear in Australia: Auto Parts Co has you covered.
www.autopartsco.com.au/?pd_pr...
(they have 4WD parts and accessories too)
Take a live sneak peek at the Off-Grid-Garage in the Victron VRM World (link at top of the page):
off-grid-garage.com/victron-c...
Here is my Tesla referral link, if you want to buy any Tesla accessories or even order a vehicle. This is a great way to support my channel. Thanks a lot to everyone who have used it so far 🙏 www.tesla.com/en_au/referral/...
My other (German) KZbin channels:
/ offgridgarageaustralia
Please don't leave any links in your reply. KZbin will not publish your comment in this case.
If you decide to send me an email, I really appreciate your time and effort for doing this. However, please consider leaving a comment under my videos instead as I may not be able to reply to your email due to the sheer number of messages I'm receiving.

[@wayne8113]

Thanks Andy

[@clarencewiles963]

Andy this is a nice build and after your digging for information. This makes your video a starting point for the build and where to find the information ℹ️ thanks ☺️

[@Dbuklas]

Not only excellent content....but also excellent video editing . 👍🏼

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot!

[@anandsrivastava3954]

i started watching your videos to learn something new but now i am addicted 😅

[@scrapyardwars]

Cool enjoyed that build.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I love these cases, so easy to build and all the parts are just there...

[@etusuku8848]

Yestarday I woke up in the middle of night and heard your music playing in my head.. Thanks for the videos :) Well, of course the beautiful white box will be full of black finger prints in a while.

[@slimanus8m]

ahhhhh new video!!! I just found out that there is a new eel version with round corners and here you are

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Really? Is that a new design???

[@slimanus8m]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia The EEL round corners horizontal box is, at first i thought this was it

[@5885ronny]

Super Lifepo4 👍😊

[@LeProfesSolaire]

Very good 👍

[@goodwhiskyjerome3902]

Hello! I live in France. I ordered 3 x 280a battery kits like your one. I told EEL ( Stella) that i want exactly the same batteries as yours with double nuts. Thanks a lot for your videos very helpfull 👍

[@dingsvomdach6764]

Great ❤ i love your effort

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you.

[@ZsoltMagyar-qv9os]

Great video again! The new EEL DIY kit already has the Neey balancer included. That is to be considered.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's not on their website though. I have seen their offer with the NEEY but thought, it was a limited offer and they don't do this any more...

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, those diy bild kitt's looks very nice indeed and they work pretty good too

[@alvacymelo7850]

Boa tarde meu jovem! Que maravilha o seu sistema, eh muita energia para ser consumida, meus parabéns.🎉

[@Kregorius]

My method of madness to get all the foam pads in. Got the flat laying V4 box for the decent compression plate. But stacked the cells with the case upright. First all the plastic plates and some foam pads. Screes in and compress itnsome. Than remove the plate and add some more foam pads. Until all foam pads and plastic plates are in and compression plate sat snugly where it was supposed to sit. Plate is straight and no excessive forces in the process. Also found how to build video from eel that had the temperature sensors screwed in with the balancer cables. Don't look ok to leave them flapping in the breeze.

[@jamesmossettiii8936]

Good video. I like when you mentioned other brand and zoomed into the box. "Seplos"

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, still got this sitting here and waiting for more batteries to come in so we can build it!

[@tom_p007]

Hey Andy, looking forward for the build of the Seplos Box 🙂 Any plan when you will do this 🙂?@@OffGridGarageAustralia

[@originalthehrao]

Great Video. I am in the process of designing my own battery enclosure for LF280K cells and wanted to go vertical. But after seeing your video, I think it would be batter to do a horizontal instead. Thanks for the video.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for the feedback. It all depends on the space you have and if you want to compress the cells or not.

[@SchwarzwaldEnergiejunkie]

Very nice video and edit! By the way, I already build 6x of them and I they have now an manual inside and 16x of that foam. My advice is, do not put the foam on the cells, put it on the isolation pads, but only the half of them. Then you are very flexible where to put them and change it if needed. 👍 By the way, you can make some kind of compression with that metal bars, I press the upper plate with some ratchet strap down to the wheels on each side and then screw on the upper plate in the back and metal bars in the front. Then the upper cells are also well compressed against the other. 👍

[@65mindi]

In latest model EEL made two good modifications. There is a cover on top of case you can access top compartment to change fuse etc. Also there is a holder for NEEY ballancer

[@65mindi]

p.s. printed manual included!

[@CaptBill69]

Nice looking kit enough to scan your additional info. for a link and $ price (did not see that). Like the Flexible Bus Bars as the better way to go. Looks great in organization of the important details. Wondering about pros and cons of sealing LiFePO4s in a case with (looks like) no ventilation ... for heavy amperage cycles. Thanks for this review ... Capt Bill 👍

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have no ventilation in my battery shelf either. You don't need it for Lithium batteries. Unless you're talking about heat disposal...

[@DLH208]

Hi Andi, hi All, I am just in the process of assembling the horizontal (black) EEL boxes with 280Ah grade B cells. I love the assembly. My cases came with enough foam sheets for all cells. Maybe the 280Ah cells are just this much narrower than the 304Ah cells? I had to use my largest screw clamps (and some wood pads) to compress the front plate to the cells to reach the threads with the silver screws. And slowly one by one the screws all went to fully tight. Whatever slight bulges there were, they are now gone. Thus (I believe) the optimum form factor is achieved for the initial charge. One thing to the bus bars: The orange insulation is too long on all bus bars on one side (the other side from the little screw hole for the BMS connection). In my situation, if I attached the bus bars to the terminals just like this, one side would not get the full contact area on the terminal. Therefore I cut the orange material back just a cm or so. I think, this is quite important to prevent overheating due to bad contacts. Now I am very curious about the commissioning, especially the top balancing. 😊

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The 280Ah cells have the exact same dimensions as the 304Ah cells, no difference! The stackable box has a different design and comes with proper compression option. The bulging never goes away again, no matter how hard you would compress them. The EVA tape just compensates for the uneven surface of the cells.

[@mfgxl]

Compression is not about battery life for me, but reducing stress on cell terminals, which will not be important with those bus bars. Looks like a NICE kit to me.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Same. The bus bars are really nice.

[@ToThePointGarfield]

Andy if you worry about bubbles not coming out the first few cycles and no compression then put it on its back as you are going to do (dis)charge tests anyway. That's what i would do and you have a crane to ease things.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I'm not too worried about the bubbles and it's a good long term test...

[@ToddDesiato]

Can't wait! It looks like fun but NRTL Listing is a thing in the US.

[@laurentsantaibambu7324]

Hi Andy ,and thaks again for this video!👍 EEL battery pack vertical model,Interesting... and about your:"What do you think about stacking batteries like here in this box?" I am particularly interested in knowing if there is really a difference in the functioning of the cells? their longevity? to the different parameters due to this position of the cells?? The manufacturers don't really communicate about this? But I think that certainly this position of the cells can perhaps have a slight difference in their functioning?? interesting...😉

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Official statement from EVE: EVE recommends either upright or flat but not sideways. Read comment #74 here with the official reply from EVE: diysolarforum.com/threads/eve-280-cells-should-these-be-clamped-tight-or-spaced-for-expansion.7892/post-94866

[@danielread443]

Nice yes l have two 5kw rack battery installed standing on end ,as that's all the space I have in box being only 300mm depth fit 2 x 147mm height in space

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, the floor space requirement is certainly a benefit of these vertical batteries.

[@garys-half-baked-offgrid-dream]

Not much room left for dancing in the garage Andy hahahaha. All those cases look amazing mate!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

We can still do the Lithium Tango here! 🕺💃

[@garys-half-baked-offgrid-dream]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Make sure you future proof and save enough space for the Sodium Salsa! 🤣🤣🤣

[@chrisroyle4813]

Looking forward to seeing what I expect is the Seplos Mason 280L kit. I've been thinking about buying one as they represent good value for money from a UK supplier. What puts me off is that I already have two 5.3kW SunSynk batteries which I'm not knowledgeable / adventurous enough to try and combine on to a busbar.

[@ZsoltMagyar-qv9os]

I have built both, EEL and Seplos vertical DIY kits. The Seplos is definitely better made, metal material more solid, compression also more serious. What I don't like at Seplos, no flexibil busbar, you need to buy extra. Connection is also great, single nuts! Price very similar.

[@rickysemmens6250]

I'm guessing your talking about Fogstar. I got mine about 3 months ago with grade A 304AH eve cells. Well worth it.

[@Mongoose490]

thanks for this im considering ordering 2 :)@@rickysemmens6250

[@acinfla9615]

Reminds me of how far we have come! So easy now. Andy is going to have to much capacity soon 😂 As if you can have too much 😊

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

And none of these batteries are actually connected to my production system... I have to wait for the 'Power-Garage' upgrade I have planned...

[@JulianBendig]

Interesting, I got basically the same case (the horizontal version) and grade A 304ah cells. I was barely able to even fit them in the case (with the epoxy sheets in between) and got a good compression with the end plate. Using even just one foam pad would prevent me from attaching the end Btw they have their own KZbin channel with how to videos :) That’s how I figured out how to put everything together

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Seplos supplied longer screws for the compression plate and all cells have EVA tape in between to smooth out curves and little swelling. Yeah, I know they have these videos but a link in form of a QR code would have been nice...

[@drdos6718]

Instead of using a resistor to precharge capacitors, I use 2 x 24V incandescent globe is series. I had to precharge a 48V 11kW inverter, and this was the easiest method (globes easy to source close by compared to a resistor) that I found on line.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Great tip, thank you.

[@oguzhaninan9801]

You can use DC cutter between inverter and battery

[@FlorinUrzica]

👍👍👍

[@caserio323]

ANDY HEAD UP THE LASER WELDS ON THE CELL WILL DETACH EASY , THEY ARE FRAGILE .. GRATE VIDEO BUDDY

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Never heard of or seen that before... Seems to be quality welded all around the terminals.

[@mikesgarage394]

I have knowingly (not from EEL) received B cells with potential swelling. They appear to have been shipped by sea with the boxes on end. All cells with swelling were on the same side in each box. They are supposed to be shipped terminals up for that reason. Like the one comment said, do tests with it lying down, after a few cycles , swelling if any should be done.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Never seen any documentation from EVE in what orientation the cells should be shipped. Once they are swollen, it will never go away again.

[@frostyfroze7352]

That is exactly the case I am trying to get, funny to see you doing a review on it as I’m looking at it but it cost too much for me.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

You're not in AU by any chance?

[@frostyfroze7352]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia No I live in Canada, about $400 for shipping to Canada, I enjoy your video content Andy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@frostyfroze7352 That's a bit too far. Otherwise I would have shipped it to you.

[@seriusrod]

Soo nice and clean. Are there any boxes for 18s?

[@b67fstb21]

I have heard on a german youtube channel that it doesn't matter how the position is of the batteries accept upside down. My Seplos Mason 48V DIY kit battery is facing upwards. I reinforced the backside (now bottom) with plywood. Made a frame with rollers.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That is the information I have as well.

[@sharetheadventure1]

Andy , They did not send you the instructions because they knew you were a guru at putting them together! lol .will be nice if they change to the Jk BMS Tho.😃 The 304ah cells are cheap right now at QSO .I just put an order in for some. .would be worth looking into for these units.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, OK, I need 16 more cells for the Seplos box I still have here...

[@sharetheadventure1]

You could test it on your 2.0 set up? As i was thinking of doing it on my set up to see how it reacts against the other banks.🤔@@OffGridGarageAustralia

[@65mindi]

I build EEL DIY horizontal battery with Seplos 10E BMS this sping but use it in vertical position. Last week opened it to install NEEY ballancer and all cell just doing great beeing horizontal on top of each other. 10E works fine until 90+% Soc but then cell diference is 100-200mV and some cells are peaking. NEEY fixed it

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The NEEY fixes such issues quickly and permanently. Long term will tell us if horizontal cells are performing the same as vertical mounted cells. Some had bad experience with laying them flat.

[@65mindi]

Ordered vertical one from EEL. They had NEEY 4A in stock also. 280Ah cells. Will replace rack one EEL DIY installed verticaly.

[@niffrig]

Thank I have been looking at these vertical cases I have been tending towards the Seplos version with the terminals at the back. I am really interested in seeing the difference with the EEL

[@rickysemmens6250]

I have one of the Seplos vertical cases and it was nicer to build then the one Andy has in this video, the top comes off making fitting the BMS much easier. In service for 80 days now, no issues other then the normal low power balancer. Lots of space to it a neeeey active balancer which was the way I went.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

We will have a look at the Seplos Vertical Box soon. Got it already here...

[@jelleklinge9743]

I have the Seplos Mason 280-L and i like it very much. Its exactly as your other Mason box only vertical. I ordered 10pcs including LF280K to resell here in the Netherlands.

[@gibo1971]

What do all the viewers think, battery box or make your own shelf? Let me know.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That depends on the space you have and if a vertical, wall mount or stackable box makes sense. The shelf is a very time consuming project.

[@JustaCuriousity]

6:15 i have 2 Shoto rack batteries which placed face up, and i believe batteries are lied down as well for couple months now. I hope they will be fine.

[@greenmenpt]

nice video as usual, could you share all your bms setings 1-86 ty

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

For the Seplos BMS? Coming up soon...

[@curacao11]

😎

[@andreas4175]

I have two of the boxy Mason cases and I am extremely happy. Nice kit, easy to assemble, everything includes - like this one as well.I don't know why one would want a vertical case instead of the "flat" ones tbh but, hey, it's all about choice ;) The wall-mounted ones make much more sense to me given they can really be a life safer in cramped spaces or if having something sitting on the floor is not an option for other reasons.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's about space! If you have only a narrow space in your installation location, the vertical designs make sense.

[@bloepje]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Indeed. If I didn't already have a real 19" rack I definitely would go for a vertical. But still, if that trips, it's 100kg to get up again....

[@boatelectricaldiy]

Andy my friend. Temp sensors belong on the bus bar. It rrepresents the internal temp of the cell.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That is arguable... my friend😉

[@moestrei]

I have installed LFP cells sideways (not flat but sitting on the narrow edge) in a motorcycle conversion. After 2 years I found several cells leaking at the poles causing serious corrosion. I guess placing them upright would have prevented that. The other thing is when compressing them with 300Kg (not in this case) you want possible air bubbles to travel to the top. This would be compromised by laying them horizontally. Therefore a No No from me.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for sharing.

[@brooklynmurrau7926]

Thanks again for another great video.just out of curiosity will you be doing a review or build with some sodium ion cells I think alot of people would be interested on there potential and performance.cheers again 👍

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have 4 NA+ batteries here, just not enough time. We will be looking into this soon.

[@brooklynmurrau7926]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia fair enough.ill be looking forward to your review and opinion on them when you have time.cheers

[@ericklein5097]

Energy density needs some time to improve....and even then the voltage range is far too wide

[@sidperry7748]

Hi Andy, I really enjoy watching you videos 👍 much better that TV . Could you please tell me how long that battery would run a 1kw load at 230 volts AC please , or how to do the Maths calculation or formula to do that . I understand 14.5kwh of the battery but not what you will get out of it after going through the inverter to power a 1kw load . Thanks

[@tiborchren]

Andy, you've got almost every possible style and type of battery, which is great and gives us a lot of valuable information and comparisons (as well as the different BMSs). Probably the only type of battery you haven't tested are DIY PCB batteries, where the whole battery pack is connected together with just one (or two) large PCB board(s), in which all the busbars and all the balance cables are integrated. This kind of PCB to build battery packs has Taranis Energy for standard cells or jehugarcia for its 74Ah cells . What do you think about this kind of PCB for battery packs?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Heard about them but never seen one for sale anywhere. Is this a thing for DIY batteries? I'll look into it...

[@tiborchren]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes it's for DIY battery building and yes it's on sale.

[@jamesmossettiii8936]

Which do you like better, EEL or Apexium

[@techmaster_sree]

We are also interested to know how it performs while charging(Voltage difference and can we reach 3.65 on cells since they are saying B Grade). I think if they are giving option for a service port then we can balance using NEEY balancer if needed and if we have multiple packs then we can easily balance with 1 balancer for all packs.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

In the next, I have answered all your questions.

[@techmaster_sree]

@@OffGridGarageAustraliaThanks 👍

[@bloepje]

1880 euro inc VAT for 16 cell LF304 B grade with single M6 in the Netherlands. I think 2000 for LF304 A grade, but with double connector like in this video, and I could not find an easy way to order a battery box for that, or even add on cables. I have tested my batteries to be around 1010Wh.

[@foeke8740]

That double cabe from the BMS to Negative 9 and positive 8 I believe (there won't be a voltage difference on the same busbar) is a Seplos thing isn't it? Its like a 16s seplos BMS are two 8ses combined internally.

[@RobbieHLM]

Ordered the EEL box as well. Now waiting for the new JK-BMS to arrive. Can't wait to start building this one

[@andybierlair]

will the new JK BMS fit into the EEL Box? Is the form factor the same (main board, connection board, screen)?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The new JK will not fit in the box as it has different communication ports. It can, however, replace the PACE BMS 1:1

[@RobbieHLM]

I know. A bit of cutting is required. If mine arrives, I'll cut a new piece of of metal to match the communication board and install that in the eel box. I think the display is larger as well. So that requires some cutting as well. The wiring to the bms is different. Pretty easy to solve wirh wires instead of using the busbars.

[@tiborchren]

@@RobbieHLM Let us know how your modification went and what else you found that needs to be modified. I think a lot of people will be switching from the Seplos BMS to the new Inverter JK BMS.

[@mandimandi2523]

thats the problem. there is no jk-display which fits into the box@@tiborchren

[@edwardvanhazendonk]

Thanks for sharing Andy, wow, you are a big power plant these days. I think you can survive 2 weeks without solar when all is connected. Nice build the EEL

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

If everything would be connected, yes, 1 weeks should be possible with AC, pool and EV charging.

[@user-ue7ed2zt1z]

Very interesting Andy. Love it. I stumbled on your site and channel while researching a 12v build for my overland Ute I’m building. My question is, do you do or know if someone that does ‘build your own’ lithium batteries/system for off road use? Especially the vibration and dust issues associated with them. I’m looking at a 150-200amh system. Thanks appreciate it.

[@ToddLarsen]

My eelz batteries looked nothing like those. They sent you the good good for a positive review, I'm thinking. Thanks for sharing, and as always, keep building 👍

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you for sharing... please provide more info on what has happened and what EEL said to your complaint.

[@benengelbrecht5637]

Suppose you can let the battery lie on the back for first few sessions of charge to get the bubbles out?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

This still does not guarantee the bubbles are coming out. It's need the compression for that to happen. The layer will expand and squeeze them out but only if compressed.

[@benengelbrecht5637]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thank you for the feedback and knowlege. Let the videos keep on coming we appreciate and enjoy it!

[@nitrox58]

Vertical stacking helps with compression.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

yes, but in an irregular manner. The bottom one has to carry the additional weight of the batteries on top of it.

[@SomethingGood56]

Hey. You should test new Seplos batterys with their build in inverter. Produckt looks intseting but is it good and realible thats the question.

[@slimanus8m]

link?

[@GapRecordingsNamibia]

Guten Morgen Andy. So, I guess my question would be..... What do yo do when you need to daisy chain them? This means having to run A bus bar system because you can not use different lengths of cables as this leads to heavy and unstable back EMF or Eddy currents I think is the more accurate term, inside the cables.... That will also mean a lot of noise on your DC system under heavy loads....

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Well, I'm not sure about these cable lengths, but I'm using all these test batteries with a variation of daisy-chaining, different capacities, aluminium bus bars, different cables sizes and lengths and had no, really no trouble at all. I have run over 6000 watts from these systems with no problem ever while charging/discharging. Yes, some batteries will charge faster/slower than others but with LiFePO4, it is not a problem. I'll show this in one of the next videos...

[@chuxxsss]

Bit wait there is more at tge start. lol. Cold and wet here last too days. Clear skys this morning. Invertor arrived from Growatt. How is your Air-conditioning work? 😂

[@arnoldpfusterschmid1108]

Hello Andi! I'd be very curious about the performance of the grade B EVE cells. How long can they supply a current of 150...200A? How do the individual cell voltages change during such a heavy load test?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have tested B-grade cells vs automotive certified cells here in this video with 200A. No difference: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIHccoGQjNl-pLs

[@EELBATTERY-Miya]

This is Miya from EEL Battery~Feel free to consult me at any time

[@leexgx]

You need to be really careful when using a full metal spanner when tightening the positive posts (need to get a insulated covered spanner)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Why is that mate? The power was turned off at the time...

[@leexgx]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia it is always turned off until it wasn't, best to just be safe then have a massive ark or/and very hot spanner (bms/mcb on most of your battery packs should trip first but still a risk of bms/inverter or charge controller damage in short conditions especially with DC ) the DC cables was clearly powered here in this video as you was using a resistor to charge up the capacitors so it didn't spark when you put the cable on the post I love your videos by the way

[@SandeepSingh-ht3ug]

Andy love your videos, I'm guessing 33:05 is the Seplos Mason 280L? Any hints as to when you will be releasing your review on this?

[@scrapyardwars]

Surely just lay them down for the first few charges to ensure the bubbles come out?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They need compression for the bubbles to come out. Neither orientation will ensure these bubbles are coming out between the layers if not compressed.

[@Sanwizard1]

I have an aversion to placing cells on their sides. It seems to work fine, but if one cell blew, it would contaminate all the cells below it. Also, even though the cells are compressed, the cells on the bottom still take a higher weight load.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

EVE recommends either upright or flat but not sideways. Read comment #74 here with the official reply from EVE: diysolarforum.com/threads/eve-280-cells-should-these-be-clamped-tight-or-spaced-for-expansion.7892/post-94866

[@vassilnikov6814]

​@@OffGridGarageAustralia , that's very interesting! When I was looking into this I found mixed opinions. The general conclusion seems to be that it depends on the manufacturer and the chemistry. However, one argument against putting them flat was that LifePo4 batteries do have electrolyte and when the cells are lying flat, some of the plates inside won't be covered by it. So the advice was to either have the cell with terminals up or on the short side, but not flat like in this case. I am curious to know why EVE think that it is not advisable to have the batteries put on the short side and suggest being flat instead. Now because of all these mixed suggestions I am afraid to have my battery box put in vertical position :).

[@niemma2]

I have understood that the batteries are not supposed to be squeeze with 300kg force, but the ends are tightened "tightly" to cells and the ends must withstand a force of 300kg, the force produced by of the cells.

[@PlexMulti]

I missed that

[@kevinrtres]

Very well done - being the guinea pig - the manufacturers owe you a free set of 3 batteries.....i think.

[@tweedeldee8122]

I'm beginning to believe you have a magic space in your shop. How do you do it?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Wait for it...

[@shadowmoon7763]

Hello, been a subscriber for a while, and love your videos. So it's been 2 months, what is your assessment of placing the batteries on their side? I have a pending project where this would solve some space in a remote well pump setup. Your thoughts??

[@holgerjanssen6731]

3ter 😊 Schöne Grüße aus Ostfriesland

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

🥉fuer den Holger aus Ostfriesland

[@geraldelwood9660]

Would it make any sense to lay the case on its back for the first few charging cycles; to allow the bubbles to escape despite the lack of compression?

[@restfulplace3273]

Am I missing an inside joke about allowing bubbles to escape from the batteries? I thought the swelling was inside a sealed case, no gas ingress or egress.

[@Kregorius]

5:37 I know for sure i know nothing about . But the prices, oh the prices. I would have never even thought about making my own battery. Until i came across nkon site preorder for eve 304AH for 83,95€ with VAT when ordered 16 pcs. So thats what i did. 1454 € with transport and VAT. A grade and ordered from eve. I quess the battery prices are whatever they make them to be.

[@gibo1971]

Andy did they give you any time frame for change over to jk bms. Please keep us informed as was about to drop money on 2x jk but may wait till eel start putting them in box.

[@RobbieHLM]

I ordered the EEL box without bms. They gave me a good discount for that. Ordered the JK separately. I think i need to make some changes to the communication holes on the eel box

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, the JK has a different communication board and maybe mounting holes for the BMS PCB itself. It is size-compatible with the PACE but not the Seplos BMS. Yeah, get the boxes without the BMS as mentioned here if this is an option...

[@chrisfx4212]

Andy are the on/off switches momentary switches? And are they NO or NC?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Locking switches, so they stay in one position until you hit them again.

[@houseofancients]

Andy, the firmware update for the 10e BMS, is that specifically for Victron, or a general firmware update ?

[@chrisfx4212]

I was also wondering about this and if it is worth upgrading mine. I can't find a changelog

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

As always, no change log. I always try to have the latest. There is no mentioning of Victron or any other issues it fixes it. I cannot see any changes or improvements.

[@z06aaron7]

Question on jk bms . I got one just today but it will turn on for only about 10 seconds then shut down . All cells are about 3.3 volts

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Any error messages while it's on? Check the resistance as well and make sure you haven't got a short or so. Could be a cabling issue but hard to tell...

[@dffghuytfvb]

They do not recommend any balancing in parallel prior to the installation?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I never do it. The seller matches all cells, so why would you? I always install them as they come and see how far I can charge them.

[@mikeb4967]

Love all your videos, but this build seems to be missing some things. No circuit breaker? no T-class fuse? and where did that ANL fuse go? did I miss that?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

You missed the fuse I showed and installed. Circuit breaker can be an option but with a fuse, not necessary.

[@brunoapolinario883]

hello! Many congratulations on your videos, you are a great professional. I wanted to ask a question, I have a battery made from 280A cells and now I wanted to put this battery and a DIY box from the Basen brand. I asked if the BMS had a balancer and the lady I spoke to said it has a passive of 0.100A and is normal. is it enough to balance the cells? Thank you, I would like to have a more professional opinion from someone who knows before proceeding to purchase the DIY box. thanks

[@ericklein5097]

The traditional 100mA passive balancers will take the better part of a century (slight exaggeration) to fix any discrepancy in cell capacity/top balance. Just spend the money on an active balance board (even a 12S-16S 5.5A board, keep in mind you will only see 5.5A of current when there is a 1V delta) because they are under $50 and under $40 when on sale. Make sure you add a simple switch to the run pad on the board and TURN IT OFF 99% of the time. If you leave it on during the charge/discharge you will be UNBALANCING your pack between 2.85V and 3.45V. After an initial top balance you shouldn't need it turned on more often than one time a month for 24 hours (roughly). If your cells are garbage Grade B you would probably want to get a NEEEY active balancer that allows you to set the balance start voltage.

[@brunoapolinario883]

@@ericklein5097 hello! Thanks for the answer, but I didn't want to spend more since I'm going to buy a box that contains everything, I should also bring a BMS with a better balancer because if the big companies know that it is necessary to balance the cells, when manufacturing the BMS they should include this right away.

[@hertmond]

Hi Andy, what about the link to the BMS switch, can't find it.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's under the Seplos BMS on my website: off-grid-garage.com/battery-management-systems-bms/

[@omadasmtp543]

Where are the Aliexpress links for the On/off switch and connector to the 10/E BMS ?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Added now, sorry.

[@tujuprojects]

Have you bought two inverters more? At the 16:48 left bottom corner.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Empty boxes of the Victron 150/70 MPPTs.

[@Jonyys]

🤝👍👍👍

[@user-cq2th1om7r]

Padrão

[@jogi_54]

will we hear something about NEEEEY for this set ??

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have seen the NEEY on the EEL website. Not any more though...

[@ZeroDot42]

Is the EEL D.I.Y battery box ,specific size for the 304ah cells or can small AH cells be used ?

[@quattrohead]

They have this size that takes the 280-320ah type size cells and they also have a box for the 230ah cells.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

280Ah and 304Ah have the same cell size. The 230Ah cells are smaller...

[@gabrielx846]

Hi Andi, can you provide the BMS model? Only the 10e v16 can be found online, with integrated ports. the ELL vertical case features BMS and separate communication ports, can you indicate some details?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, that is the Seplos 48200 10E V16 in the EEL box.

[@gabrielx846]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia but can you buy it only from EEL BATTERY? I haven't found another seller online with a similar product. All V16 BMS are with communication ports integrated on the mainboard.

[@Madieisacutie.]

Is it possible to swap out the BMS to a JK BMS? Is this something you could try to do Andy to show those of us who would really like one but don't want the SEPLOS and already own a JK? Please xx

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The JK BMS will fit into these cases and batteries, no problem. It is much smaller but also lacks the communication side of things. You also won't be able the display at the front or the buttons of course. So only access would be via local BT. So you would end up with all these holes and\or none functional display and PCBs with LEDs... If you're talking about the new JK BMS, we have to wait and see if it would fit. I know it will be compatible (in size) with the PACE BMS and can also replace the coms ports of the PACE

[@Madieisacutie.]

@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks Andy your a gem! I will wait and see what happens with EEL in case they decide to upgrade to the JK. My offgrid shipping container house thanks you and so do l xx

[@VinayJhinkoe]

There is a newer version of this kit which has the 5a capacitor balancer or the 4a neeyy active balancer

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I thought these are the older versions with the balancer built-in and the new ones don't have this any more... There is nothing about the balancers on their website any more.

[@cyberplebs6577]

🐸🐸🐸

[@Scat.original]

Please provide the BMS Switches link?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's under the Seplos BMS on my website: off-grid-garage.com/battery-management-systems-bms/

[@haraldmayrhauser2040]

Hallo zusammen. Hätte eine Frage. Vielleicht kann mir einer weiterhelfen. Wenn ich 2 oder 3 EEl 48 V3 Batterien zusammen schalten will. wie müssen die Kleinen Dip Schalter stellen... und was für eine Batterie ist die Master.. Danke für die Hilfe. LG Harry

[@tiborchren]

Shame that this DIY box has just one terminals, the others have two, which is better for connecting multiple batteries in parallel. Probably in a short time there will be a comparison with Seplos vertical DIY battery box :). Otherwise, I like this and the other DIY boxes. The rounded corners are nicer, but harder to replace with the new DIY modified ones. DIY boxes with sharp corners have the advantage of being easier to DIY modify - for example, replacing a simple front sheet with a new laser-cut one for some other better BMS ...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, good point, I forgot to mention that it has only one pair of terminals. The rounded corners are also more expensive to manufacture, I would expect. At the end, it's a battery case which sits in the corner... so colour, and finish is not important. Yeah, I'm keen to see the Seplos vertical box now ;)

[@Knightliner69]

Didn’t see an isolation plate towards the front cover. Or is there any on the inside of the frontcover?

[@SOLAR-cr5dp]

The two long clamps will prevent the cells from touching the front cover plate.

[@Knightliner69]

@@SOLAR-cr5dpSure. But having all the terminals somewhere close to a metal cover?! I don’t know… 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The terminals are not close to the front cover. Plenty of space and no way they can ever touch due to the metal rail carrying the balancer PCB. If they do ever touch the front, you have other issues...😄

[@joaopedrosilva5978]

My friend, your channel was so interesting, enlightening and educational. But now it's just videos of things already made or DIY kits that in reality are all very similar. Sorry for the rant but that's what I feel, best regards.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for the feedback. I cannot build battery shelf after battery shelf after battery shelf. We have to look at other things as well. Also, we did all the battery tests, took all the charge curves of these batteries and comprehensively analysed them. Why not skip these videos you're not interested in and come back later?

[@mandimandi2523]

there are still open questions not answered yet at other channels. For my side i still learn .....

[@paulcurtis5496]

Like# Silver

[@paulcurtis5496]

I'm so excited you're going into Spring, 'cause that means I'm going into Fall!! Wooohooooooooooooooo 64f this morning!!! I sat in in my camping chair and waited for the sun to rise over the Rincon Mountains!!! It was GLORIUOS

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

🥈