Talentcell LF120A1 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Battery - Ham Radio Q&A

[@timelord1137]

I am happy that when I came to our noble hobby - such batteries already existed) When I purchased the FT-891, I immediately bought a 25A/h LiFePO4 battery for it, which solved all the problems at once. With a weight of about 2.7 kg, it gives out 25A continuously, which allows you to work with a full 100W for at least a whole day) I can't even imagine how our fathers and grandfathers suffered with heavy lead-acid batteries😱

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Those lead acid batteries were hernia inducing. I used to carry a couple of 30ah AGM batteries with me for field events. They were as heavy as today's 100 ah liFePO4 batteries and certainly didn't last as long.

[@HamRadioCrashCourse]

Nice review. I also like the recommendation on the charger. I need something that works with most battery types. Thanks!

[@kb6dxn]

With the proper controller you could run your solar panels while running your radio and that way run much longer. I can run all day with the system I put together, I run 100 watts with a Yeasu 991A..

[@timothyarmstrong2314]

Just getting in the battery game. This video has great info. Thanks Michael. !!

[@RJ_McKenzie]

Just ordered a Bioenno Power 12V, 20Ah LFP Battery (PVC, BLF-1220A) today to use with my FT-891 on FT8 while running mobile / portable. I have been using my car battery up until now. With Wisconsin's winter starting to arrive, I wanted to use an alternate power source while operating. Good to know about the charging temperatures as I will be running the battery in cold conditions. Will have to let it warm up a bit before charging. Great video as always.

[@Andy-bw3se]

This should be the standard to which other battery review videos are held to for ham radio. Excellent work! It's nice to have real world testing with batteries and the radio I own.

[@NexxuSix]

Nice comparison to the Lead Acid battery. I have a TalentCell pack for my QCX, and it certainly delivers as advertised. For my larger rigs I have a Bioenno 12v-20a battery. As a side note, the Bionenno has a protection circuit built in, but still requires a dedicated charger. No doubt about the performance of LiFePO batteries. Weight to Power ratio is very acceptable for portable operations. 73! P.S. Thanks again for the J-Pole sale. The antenna delivers as advertised, and I’m very satisfied with the J-Pole!

[@jamescarroll6954]

Didn't know you were a fellow former Scouter. I was an ASM. Great memories. My Eagle Scout is going to turn 40 this year and was a Senior Engineer at Tesla. Very informative video here, Michael. 73 de Jim, K9JEC in Black River Falls.

[@yourshootingbuddy]

I operate a QCX Mini and a 25W 2 meter and 70 CM mobile radio from my shack. I use a Zoom 6ah LiFePO4 battery that I got from Amazon for about $30. I no longer can find that battery on Amazon. Obviously it runs the QCX Mini with no problems but I am really pleased at how well it operates my dual band mobile. It gives me quite a lot of airtime. It charges in a flash too. Great video, thanks.

[@yeahitsk]

These battery/power videos are so helpful. For someone that passes their General + - this is practical information to operating that you don't learn from studying for the tests. I have a much better idea of what I need to do now to make this work.

[@larryjohnson1966]

Thanks Michael, I forgot I needed a battery like this, and this one sounds like just what I needed at a better price than I was looking at, and you have already done all the checkout work for me. 73

[@AI5HV]

I really like your approach to covering the material and the variety of content that you cover. I find that you have published many videos that I find useful and informative. Thank you.

[@ouijim]

Good News to see LiFePO4 battery competition which may drive the price down. I use Dakota Lithium LiFePO4 10AH and it does the job from a very American Company. Need another spare, extra, backup ; ) Thank You. . . Happy Veterans Day. . .

[@de_w8tam]

I've been using LiFePO4 batteries for a couple years. They're great for HF radios! Good value for the expected life too. I use a iSDT hobby charger to top up our batteries off our Prius's 12v DC source. One of the benefits of LiFePO4 battery packs vs lead acid packs is that you can charge LiFePO4 much faster than lead acid. There is no absorption phase of charging them. It's a Constant Current then Constant Voltage (CC/CV) charging mechanism. Generally speaking, most packs can be charged up to 1C (that is 1x the total amp hour rating of the pack). If you have a 12ah pack, you generally can charge it with up to 12amps. I have two 40Ah packs, and I charge them regularly with 30amps. That really charges them in a hurry! 73 de w8tam

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

These batteries are amazing. It's no wonder that the inventors of Lithium battery technology recently won a Nobel prize.

[@dpalms24]

Nice review! I have had this battery for 19 months and share your opinion. I did not do as in depth of a review, but have merely used it and been very satisfied. Great bargain. I strongly second your recommendation about leaving the battery on the charger for several hours for the initial charge. I did not do that when I first got the battery and found the battery performance was less than advertised. Then after reading a recommendation for a long initial charge (the first time only) and following that advise, I have found the battery to perform as advertised. I read that the extra long initial charge is needed to properly balance the voltage charge for all cells on LiFePO4 batteries.

[@Tommyr]

LiFePO4 batteries are really the way to go. Definitely a great value and the best bang for your buck.

[@kemteh]

Great review! Thanks. I have Icom 706 mk2, probably not as efficient as your radio, but should be able to operate at 20 watts for several hours with this battery. It may even fit in the power box I had built for some cheapie batteries. Been looking for a buy on lithium.

[@charliebakken2074]

Love the teardrop trailer and very helpful information. I have a deep cycle AGM battery that almost takes a forklift to put it in the battery tray on the deck of my teardrop. Ham Radio is a great hobby but I already too many expensive hobbies. As a fellow cheesehead/Packers fan/Brewers fan, I really appreciate the Wisconsin license plate as part of your backdrop.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I replaced the 33ah AGM battery in my teardrop with a 50ah LiFePO4 battery. We'll see how it works this summer‚ but so far with a couple of weekend trips under the belt‚ I haven't had to recharge it yet.

[@TomSorrell]

Just checking in after a few months KB9VBR... how is it holding up? Thanks for the great videos.

[@michaelk8642]

Thanks for the great review. Talencells are used and recommended quite a lot in the astronomy community, but I also wanted a more in-depth review with other use cases, and your review fulfilled that criteria. Thanks again.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

After using the battery for a year, I'm still impressed. It provides excellent performance for the price.

[@KX4UL]

Very informative video! I am looking at purchasing batteries for portable operations and this one looks like a great value for the money. Thanks for the review.

[@richardwasserman]

I'm in the process of building a go box with 8 individual Lithium Iron Phosphate cells in a 4s2p configuration with a bms. The cells are used, but test over rated capacity, 8.4 amps. I can pull 80 watts without damaging the cells. They came from a hybrid bus. Just waiting for things to calm down and then I'll go into the field with my QRP rig.

[@k5wxp22]

Hi Michael! New subscriber here, and enjoying your informative and thorough videos. Just bought one of these batteries based on your review. I noticed in your camping video that you aren't super pleased with the Renogy solar panel setup. Is there anything else you would recommend? Thanks, and 73! Brett

[@barrykery1175]

Interesting video. Lots of good information. LiFePO4 batteries are the way to go. I have a 20ah LiFePO4 and with my FT991A attached to the battery, which is fully charged, the most amount of power I can get out of the radio is 70 watts. That's into a 50 ohm dummy load. I don't know about the 891 but both my FT897D and FT991A would only put out 70 watts. WHY? Because both of those radios needed the full 13.8 volts to put out their rated power. You mentioned a low voltage of 9 volts. All three of my LiFePO4 batteries have a BMS (battery maintenance system) built into the battery. This stops from overcharging or using the battery below 10 volts. In other words, at 10 volts the battery is disconnected from the load. LiFePO4 cells should never be used below 2.5 volts. There are 4 sets of cell in that battery so four times 2.5 equals 10 volts. Your battery choice is a good choice for hams that like to set up portable and not carry around a heavy lead acid battery. For me, LiFePO4's are the only way to go. I just recycled all of my SLA batteries that I use around the shack and for portable. For only a few dollars more, this is a battery to consider. I just purchased two of them. www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Battery-Miady-Rechargeable-Maintenance-Free/dp/B089VXSBC6/ref=sr1_4?crid=QY4KYLHK9Q2G&keywords=20ah%2Blifepo4%2Bbattery&qid=1654088600&sprefix=20ah%2B%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-4&th=1 Good video, I enjoyed watching it. Barry, KU3X

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You bring up some very good points. In order to get full power out of the transceiver, the battery needs to be capable of delivering enough power. A 20ah battery will have the surge capacity for high current draws, but its voltage will drop fast. A bigger battery will be able to more adequately buffer those voltage drops. Also to your second point, you can now get an inexpensive 20ah LiFePO4 battery for about the same cost as a 30ah AGM battery. Both will have the same capacity, although the LiFePO4 will most likely last longer as the chemistry doesn't have the same power output limitations that lead acid does.

[@polishpicl]

Good video,,my go box has two of these and I run all day

[@mxv2015]

Great battery video, convinced me to get one.

[@garyfields3672]

Nice video...Would have liked to see a more definitive capacity test.

[@k5wxp22]

Follow up from previous post... these are now 58 bucks on Amazon and come with a charger now. 7/21/23. 73, Brett K5WXP

[@joeshmoe7899]

35ah agm, $65 delivered on Amazon.

[@Voxguitarsrock]

Good video thanks! I may pick one ( or 2) up for running my electric trolling motor on my kayak!

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

The manufacturer does recommend that you don't get the battery wet‚ but if you put it in a water resistant battery box you should be fine.

[@johng7rwf419]

Very useful, thank you.

[@thethoughtmaster]

You should get 180watts from 15amps. I get 120watts from 10amp discharge NiMH 10 X D Cells in series. I works out at 12 watts per amp discharge and 12watts per Ah. I have a 120 WRMS audio amp with 2 x 100 watt speakers, it sounds like 120 watts should.

[@nr3rful]

Wonderful info, as usual. Always interesting, thank you

[@AC9BXEric]

I wouldn't recommend dipping a toe into battery chemicals.

[@gamingforlive2150]

or just a finger and licking it off! well just say hello to mister skeleton!

[@Frisky0563]

Thank you I'll have to get one

[@davidsradioroom9678]

This looks like a nice investment. Thanks for sharing.

[@VA7BC]

Does the battery have a BMS? Resettable fuse or current limiting circuit for safety? Tnx

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

According to the specs the battery does have a BMS. It does not have a resettable fuse and I'm not aware if it has a current limiting circuit. The battery is rated for 15 amps but I was able to peak draw a current of 17.9 amps. In subsequent tests I haven't been able to draw more than that with my transceiver.

[@ky4tgtodd203]

Very helpful! 🤠👍🏻

[@J3sus1sL0rd1]

I have to say; you're one of the smarter ham operator as even most of: Even the Extra-Class is so stubborn that he's mostly use the lead acid battery because of; it's much cheaper. Now; Battle Born has the new 10 years of Warranty but it's pricey.

[@Rudy80417]

thank you

[@beefbuns7116]

I'm getting a loaner IC 735. Will this work well with this older radio? not sure if older radios draw more power. thanks for the content! 73

[@gblan]

I could operate my FT-817 for a VERY long time with this battery.

[@somethingcool7903]

Just got the FT 400 and plan on using it as my home/mobile base. I want to make sure I can run it grid down 1st priority just in case but I do need to set it up and figure it out as well. Where do I start besides the connectors and I do have a Ecoflow river solar generator? I just need a good starting point but at the same time if the grid went down tomorrow and could no longer get anything situation. Thanks

[@alvarogaitan2529]

thanks MIchael terridic video thanks very much 73 from kb2uew

[@nigelbroadbent]

You mentioned using specific solar chargers. Do you have a video on those and if you want to charge this using your car, what setup would you recommend. Can the NOCO be used using the car cigarette lighter to then charge the batter?

[@davidfulkerson1187]

Can you charge that through that Anderson power pole connector. Then when it's charged you can plug your load into the same Anderson power pole?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You could. If your charger had powerpoles installed, then you could plug it into the connector on the battery.

[@craigszwed]

Do you know anyone who's done scientific comparison between the Talentcell and Bioenno 12V 12AH LiFePO4 batteries?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Will Prowse does a lot of LiFePO4 battery comparisons but I don't know if he's compared these two models head to head. kzbin.info

[@Tommy_Boy.]

Hey Michael! Great video! I really appreciate this one and all your efforts! Thanks, Tom - WA7FLY

[@tribulationprepper787]

QUESTION: Can a 12 volt battery like this one be used BY ITSELF to power a small receive only radio such as my Tecsun PL-660 or an antenna such as the MLA-30 Active Loop which I know require less voltage and I don't want to burn them up. I have heard that a 12V to 5V 3A 15W DC USB Converter Buck Module would work for this application but will it cause too much reception "hum"? My Anker battery pack just shuts off when trying to power the antenna. Thanks

[@davidbeam8406]

Would a 12V 12 Ah battery work with a FT891 using full sun to charge the battery assuming you have a completely sunny day. I was thinking about running something around 6-8 hours camping avg maybe less at less than 100 watts of course. Everyone keeps telling me to figure up my power requirements but i dont really know how to figure that.

[@kc5sdy]

For those of us that cannot readily afford to drop $90 on a battery what, if any, cheaper methods are available?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I'm not sure. This battery is about the same cost as a 33ah AGM battery. Even though it has less capacity‚ it delivers as much performance as it maintains it voltage and power output for a longer period. Due to the battery chemistry and other factors‚ you can really only get 50% of the rated capacity out of lead acid batteries. A cheaper method would be to go with a smaller capacity battery and run your transmitter at a lower power level. Talentcell makes a battery pack for about $30 that works great with QRP transmitters.

[@kc5sdy]

@@KB9VBRAntennas Fair enough. I have not put together anything for portable use so, I thought I would ask. I used to have a battery in a camera bag for when I was working events and needed a days worth of power for my HT.

[@TianarTruegard]

@@KB9VBRAntennas Do you have any thoughts on using a LiPo battery for Amateur Radio (such as the type normally used to power radio controlled cars)? Most of the packs I have found on Hobby King run at a typical voltage of 14.8v or so.

[@olirelectric]

I have a question about 72 volt 80ah life4po charger ,I just bought a new and don't charge the same type battery , what is possible a problem?

[@jamieb9556]

Wander how long a dual band radio would last on vhf uhf. Or even dmr mobile

[@JATP-wp6eh]

Is this good for the Xiegu G1M?

[@timbookedtwo2375]

I also have a 12Ah LiFePO4 battery, a wee bit more expensive than the Talentcell. I combine it with a Genasun MPPT solar charge controller and an 80W foldable solar panel for portable work. That leaves the battery almost topped off before the sun gets too weak. This allows me to work well into the evening hours. Recently I bought two inexpensive Miady 7.2Ah LiFePO4 batteries and wired them in parallel for a total of 14.4Ah. Combined, they are not much heavier than the 12Ah battery, for a fraction of the cost. Vy 73! SV0SGS

[@steelbark1]

Where did you get the bag for the battery? John KG7LUB

[@dougdaniels]

What solar panel is that in the video?

[@isaacs1646]

make sure to use a solar charge controller I didn't see one in that one shot but may have missed it

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

A solar charge controller is necessary if you are using a solar panel to charge the battery. Normally I charge my batteries with a LiFePO4 capable charger and use the solar system if I'm out for a weekend or longer.

[@weslofton886]

Just joined think im going to get two batteries and link them. You think the charger you will work with charging both at once? 73

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yes it will. I use that charger with a 50ah battery with no issue.

[@chunkylover54]

can you charge these off a car battery? im thinking charge it while driving around and then I have a battery for my pota work.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yes and no. In order to fully charge a LiFePO4 battery, you need to bring the voltage up to 14.3v. You automotive power system runs as 13.8v. A DC-DC power converter will be necessary to to properly charge the battery in your car. Here is one such model: amzn.to/3OrbHw5

[@ultraporthos6884]

What are your thoughts about hooking two of these in parallel? I already own one and thought about getting a second one

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I believe the instructions say you can connect two like batteries in parallel‚ but not in series. Because LiFePO4 batteries use a BMS or Battery Management System‚ you need to be careful and follow manufacturers recommendations when using multiple units.

[@SuAmigoElilegal]

Hello I have the revetis rt97 repeater wich runs only 10 watt, how long will i be able to run the battery for , im heading out camping so I need it to run about 3-4 days. Will I need more amps than 12 or this should be okay

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

It will depend on how much the repeater transmits, but from experience a 12ah battery will power a 10 watt transceiver for at least 2 days. For 3-4 days, you may want to either add a small solar charger or go to a bigger 20ah battery.

[@TictacAddict1]

Great video Michael. Personal question, Have you been losing weight? You look 30 lbs. lighter from the last video I saw you in.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I've been holding steady for the last few years. I do drop a little in the summer as I'm a lot more physically active but I don't think it was a 30lb drop. It may be the shirt I'm wearing- I've added some new ones to the wardrobe.

[@midnightcaller200]

I have a FT-991A and like running 1 Echo in field day would this be ok for field day use??? and what solar pannels are you using

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You can power the FT-991A with this battery. My recommendation is to turn the transmit power down to 50 watts so you stay under the peak current rating of the battery. That's what I do when I run my FT-891 with it. The panel is a 100 watt Renogy Eclipse Voyager: amzn.to/2V1g2gJ

[@marcinmichigan2772]

I have that charger for my boat, I didn't realize that it also did lifepo4 too, how do you set the charger for lifepo4?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Pressing the Mode button cycles through the lead acid/AGM battery types. If you press and hold the mode button for longer than one second you will be able to choose the 6v and 12v lithium battery types.

[@marcinmichigan2772]

@@KB9VBRAntennas thanks so much for the info, works great with my bioenno batteries

[@joeshmoe7899]

15 amp peak? Yaesu ft891 has a 25amp fuse. Is this battery compatible?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Works just fine with the FT891. Even though it was rated for 15 amps‚ I was able to draw 17.9 amps from it during an extended SSB transmission.

[@billryland6199]

Just set the transmit power to not more than 50 watts. I plan to do the same with my FT-891.

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

Currently unavailable.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

It appears to be back in stock

[@joeshmoe7899]

How protect plugged in (charging) battery from emp?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Your best bet is to keep charged batteries in a faraday cage. If you have a supply of batteries you could rotate them in and out of stock so that the protected batteries are always charged.

[@joeshmoe7899]

@@KB9VBRAntennas ...faraday cage. W0TM (SK) said the best bet is a galvanized metal trash can.

[@joeshmoe7899]

T0A09 What kind of hazard is presented by a conventional 12-volt storage battery? C. Explosive gas can collect if not properly vented

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Wet cell lead acid batteries can create gases while they are charging or discharging so I wouldn't put them in a garbage can. AGM and LiFePO4 batteries are sealed and do not emit gas.

[@joeshmoe7899]

@@KB9VBRAntennas ...I don't get your comments in my inbox. Not a problem with other channels. Are you sure you're not dead?

[@VladGoro25]

4s2p 32700 cost $34 from China

[@FirstLastOne]

Just because some child prints 12,000 mAh on a battery doesn't mean you need to repeat that silliness when it should be 12 Ah.

[@joeshmoe7899]

Life expectancy: LiFePO4, 5-7 years AGM, 4-7 years Lithium charger and solar controller are more expensive. Only advantage I see for Li is weight. I'll pass.

[@billryland6199]

The major advantage for portable operation is the LiFePo4 battery's output voltage does not drop much in transmit mode. Lead acid batteries drop a lot when high currents are drawn.