Solar Ammo Box Generator - LiFePO4 update!!

[@davem7847]

Matt, look into the Buddipole Power Mini Charge controller, Battery Management Status indicator, etc. You don't need all the wires. Has a input for Solar Panel, Battery. USB and Load outputs, meter reads battery status, you can set it up for Lead acid. LI-ion, LiFePo3 an LiFePo4 batteries. You can set up high voltage and low voltage cut off and alarms. You can even change the charging voltage max limits, if your battery is different. All for about the price of a separate charge controller.

[@Beowulfsurvival]

Nice, I built mine with the 9ah bioenno in the smallest Apache case from harbor freight, about $15, I put a lighted toggle switch on the front between the fold over handle and on the side I mounted a voltage meter and dual USB, from powerwerx, it has been the ultimate power bank for charging my phones, tablets, and flashlights I use it for weeks before charging it and have yet to run the battery down.

[@thelegendbullet937]

Just saw your version of this with the lead acid and instantly was hoping enough time had passed for you to get into LiFePo4... then saw your channel with this video! :D Awesome work man! I've been looking to build my own LiFePo4 power pack but have been hesitant to dive in due partly to cost but mostly to the difficulty in finding good information and products based on the LiFePo4 platform. Seeing that MPPT controller specifically for this platform has really motivated me to get going!

[@MattLesak]

+thelegendbullet937 Great! Glad the video helped.

[@zjenji]

Invaluable info. I cant wait to see the next version. Thank you for this!

[@MattLesak]

+Ben Jai Your welcome and glad you found it helpful!

[@ericferrraro802]

I have the Bioenno 10 AH Renewable Power Pack (BPP-120). I had the same issue as you as when the BMS kicked in, and shut it off. I could not get it to charge. Like you I spoke with Keven about the issue. Now the Power Pack 120 has an input for charging and output for load. Kevin stated to plug in the charger into the output and it would reset itself, this worked. I would suggest to maybe add charging port to plug in your battery. This would help in keeping your battery maintained and charged at home for when you need it. Second it will help you reset the BMS if it were to shut down. Battery monitor is also good to have especially when out in the field.

[@MattLesak]

That's what I ended up doing in order to get this to work. I think I stated this in the video, but I took the charger and tapped the leads on the battery posts. Worked like a champ but could be an issue while camping or charger isn't around. I just completed my new build and will be recording an video shortly.

[@thedudeofoud2282]

Very nice setup, I love my genasun charger. It has not let me down after about 1 year of use. The volt meter is a definite need to keep an eye on your SOC.

[@MattLesak]

+IDEO MATIC Thanks and very happy with mine as well. I have an updated build, just need to get it recorded and I'll post. Better ammo box, simple lay out, and a voltmeter ;-)

[@allisonbarrios203]

When will you be doing a assembly video of your LiFePO4 Generator? Have you done any upgrades? Have you found any good battery meter?

[@MattLesak]

I'm planning on recording one. I've been very busy and traveling quite a bit. I will try my best to post one soon. I have updated it with a volt meter.

[@samuelprokop2153]

This is a great project and i would love to do this to keep in my jeep this summer while overlanding, however it's a bit high price wise. I think the parts for this are about $300 all in..... Could one be built for around $100-150 all in?

[@MattLesak]

+Samuel Prokop The concept scales up or down for both price and capacity.

[@anthonyreynolds5175]

Put a super capacitor bank on it to jump start it when the voltage is low. How this would work is if the bank has a normally open switch connected to the charger. All you have to do is remember to press the switch to charge the caps while the battery is fully charged. You would have to figure out how you want to deliver that charge to the battery when it is low. This also increases the danger inside of the case, but you can do your research in order to go about it safely. Plenty of stuff out there. I recommend looking into super capacitors because they are great kickstarter energy banks/surge current.

[@MattLesak]

Thanks for the suggestion Anthony!

[@DaveCorsello]

Matt, thanks for posting this. I also got unexpected results with a Genasun GV-5, a Bioenno Power 4.5 Ah battery and a PowerFilm 28W rollable panel. With the panel connected and no battery present, the controller showed a battery high voltage condition, and I found panel open circuit voltage,(between 18 and 20V) at the battery terminals. This also happened when the battery reached full charge. Fearing that the battery pack would get damaged, I scrapped the GV-5 and went with a Bioenno PWM controller. I wonder if you could comment on what you see under those same conditions: 1) panel connected, no battery connected; and 2) battery reaches full charge.

[@MattLesak]

+Dave Corsello I've never connected it without the battery being connected. I haven't had any issue besides low voltage disconnect and that's coming from the battery BMS, not the controller. Only way I've found to "kick start" the BMS when it's reached that state is to apply a quick 12V jump from another battery, which causes the BMS to sense an increase in voltage which in turn allows the battery to charge. I would use a Bioenno controller, but they're all too big for my use case. In regards to the controller showing high voltage, that may be expected since the controller isn't picking up the voltage from a battery (which is considered a load). The max input voltage for that controller is 27V, so you should be fine from the controllers perspective. The BMS of the battery will protect it from the high voltage. Did you check the open circuit voltage at the panel? What about the voltage at the battery terminals when it's connected to the battery itself? MPPT controllers will decrease the incoming voltage to match the voltage it's detecting from the battery and increase amps, which is why they're great. Did you contact Genasun in regards to the the behaviors you're experiencing?

[@DaveCorsello]

Matt, it's been about a year since I posted my comment, and I've learned more about what caused my problems. As the battery approaches full charge, charging current decreases. When the charging rate reaches 0.02C, the Bioenno BMS disconnects the battery. The Genasun GV-5 doesn't handle this gracefully--when there's no battery present, it sends panel open circuit voltage (Voc) to its battery and load terminals. I wonder if you've experienced this over the past year, and if not, why not.

[@MattLesak]

+Dave Corsello I've not experienced what you've described. I'll have to monitor it closer to watch what happens. My voltmeter on my generator has never gone above 14.2 Volt's while charging. If what you described happened with me, I would expect to see the meter to register the VoC.

[@DaveCorsello]

You would also see the status light blink red on the controller.

[@MattLesak]

+Dave Corsello yes! This has happened, but the controller ended up failing. I contacted Genasun and they ended up swapping the unit. Haven't had an issue since.

[@Woffie70]

Thank for the Vids Matt! I have been toying around with trying to make something like this. Light, portable and able to charge from various sources. Solar, Wall outlet, bicycle dynamo... I was all set in starting to buy the materials until I saw the prices. Yikes. It's not really cost effective for my task yet but it's getting there. Was wondering if you were thinking about making a vid on creation of a bigger unit with an inverter maybe? Like one you can power a refrigerator on in power outages. Showing the how to from the ground up. Linking multiple batteries or being able to link multiple modules... Just some ideas- Thanks again!

[@MattLesak]

+Roy Greenhalgh You're welcome Roy! The beauty of solar generators is they can scale up/down to meet your needs. The component choice has to meet your power requirements in the end. I am planning on building a bigger unit, but in regards to an inverter being integrated, that's something I've left to being a modular component instead of it being included in the case. They tend to require a lot of venting while under a load, so best kept outside of case.

[@NikonJax]

Hey Matt Love your videos on this box. I was curious about your usage with the LifePo batt vs the AGM. Do you find you get significantly better use and what do you think of the Bioenno batt. Thanks! Looking forward to more videos :)

[@MattLesak]

+NikonJax The LiFePO4 battery has been great and yes I've been getting more capacity then the AGM. The weigh difference plus the greater capacity are the two greatest benefits with this setup. I have an updated build that I will post soon.

[@rgp415]

Nice pack!!!! What is the typical run time?

[@MattLesak]

+rgp415 Thanks! It all depends on the load.

[@lmorrison17]

It seems that if someone has access to a supply of salvaged 18650 batteries they could connect a bunch in series and parallel to get voltage and AH level to where they need to be for a lot cheaper than the battery you used.

[@MattLesak]

+lmorrison17 Funny you should mention this because I've been testing that configuration for the past few weeks. There are some major trade offs (in my option), but definitely an option. I think it would be worth creating a video to showcase.

[@ericferrraro802]

I looking at a build. Was thinking of making a base camp style battery Like between 50 to 100 ah with the capability to jump my truck and large inverter with additional mini portable power banks to take into the tent or use with the 12volt shower pump I have. Then also use for emergencies and each child would use there own power source for there IPads and lights. For the casing I was looking at the Makita Interlocking Modular Tool Case

[@bruceforster3709]

Question if I may: Will this controller ALSO work with an ordinary AGM Battery?

[@MattLesak]

+Bruce Forster Great question Bruce. To directly answer your question - I wouldn't recommend it. This controller's output is different then that for a charge controllers that will work with AGM or other lead-acid based batteries. The output of this controller is CCCV (constant current constant voltage) and set for a specific voltage (and with the battery I have in this build, it's 14.2v). It's critical to match the charge controller with the battery you plan on using. Genasun makes serveral for lead-acid batteries, check it out here: genasun.com/products-store/mppt-solar-charge-controllers/mppt-for-lead-acid/ Purchasing a controller that is designed for AGM is the way to go.

[@bruceforster3709]

Thanks for an excellent explanation. I'm a licensed Ham operator and a recording engineer, so I get your explanation exactly.

[@MattLesak]

+Bruce Forster You're welcome and glad to help out.

[@kingmajorx9118]

Hey can I used that charge control for 38120 cells lifepo4

[@MattLesak]

C Lolooio You can as long as you match the charging voltage parameters of the charge controller.

[@markcarpenter3600]

The charge controller gets its power from the battery. This is because, If the sun were blocked the charge controller would loose power and think it is morning all over again. That would cause the charge controller would start its charging process all over again. Most controllers will only try to charge once a day, unless you program them to do otherwise. Normally there's not enough Sun hours in a day to start a second charging, and if there are your system is way oversized. The BMS disconnects the battery so there is no power to run the charge controller. You will be better off with a watt meter to tell how much power is left in the battery. The voltage is completely flat until the battery dies so there's no way to tell how much charge you have with a voltmeter. K6ORJ

[@reggies.1471]

Would like to comment, this is a GREAT CHARGE CONTROLLER !!!! lithium only use charge controller # G-V-10 LI- 14.2 V AND for lead use charge controller # g-v- PB-12 V

[@kevinokeefe7796]

It’s a nice job but why not just get the Bioenno 120 power pack

[@MattLesak]

Kevin OKeefe The 120 didn't exist when I started this project, plus I enjoy the challenge of building my own.

[@philshnieder9188]

I dont use.charge controlers. The bms takes care.of it. Solar panel gos right to my battery.. Your bms is set at a higher cuttoff than the charge controler. Making them not see.echother after its cut off

[@MattLesak]

I've heard of people doing this. My assumption is the voltage on the panel drops to match the battery while it's charging?

[@philshnieder9188]

I must have.been.high when.I wrote that. Wait maybe.I was tired. I do recommend.charge.controller.from.the.battery maker. I now use one. Helps with keeping the battery safe.no.worries. bms will protect your battery. I use low amp low voltage.charging... But. The battery and charge.controler may have.a.different cutoff. And if the battery cuts off after the.controler does.then they woild not beable.to jump itself.with power

[@philshnieder9188]

I switched to a different controller. So it will self jump when panels have.power... 80bucks. Owell

[@EdwardVanNatta]

I am looking for about your place lace me a messages. When I post this, I am looking for more information no this , want to how build one this like thing build this , put a S. power want up to it ?

[@bntravelin2]

are you a ham?

[@MattLesak]

+BnT Smith as in Ham radio?