The Sun Fun Kit Experience. Building your own dream battery in 30min?

I always wanted a good case for my battery cells. So far, I have still used them in the same cardboard box they came in. I found the Sun Fun Kit system and it looked really good and exactly what I had in mind: compact, thought through and for a great price.
So, having this kit now on my workbench, is this the right case for my batteries, is the SFK a good choice in comparison to all the other alternatives on the market?
Let's deep-dive into the SFK 'Ready for Cells Kit', exploring the SFK-app, heating options and the whole logic behind this idea.
Battery Kits, Battery Cells, Pre-Build Batteries & Accessories from Sun Fun Kits. Use the coupon code OGGA at checkout to get 6% off the product price: www.sunfunkits.com/
Of course, Sun Fun Kits is NOT from California🤦‍♂️. Yes, there is an another LA in the US 😏
Hope you enjoyed the different music anyway which came from
Robert Humphrey - Good Vibrations (Beach Boys cover) & Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks cover)
/ robert-humphrey
(Both songs are licenced under the Creative Commons License for commercial use)
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/ offgridgarageaustralia

[@extremeacc101]

Excellent video German Andy from Australia building American battery case with Chinese cells. Uniting us all in one big happy off grid world. Love your work keep it up your videos are getting better and better. Inspirational. Thank you

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot, I still have to test one of Paul's batteries. Would love to give him some feedback on his build.

[@extremeacc101]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia An excellent idea. We are having outstanding results from his batteries. He has just personally delivered another batch of around 24 units. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3apk6iHZZZ9bZo

[@michaelmurray9940]

Awesome video Andy, and I love your "Australian" humour. Thanks for joining us in sunny Australia

[@batterynerd8779]

It‘s no problem for me, to have a sponsor. This is actually quite a good kit. You should invest the money you made in the new battery bank. Thats the deal :)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

A lot of material I show on my channel is sponsored or I paid a reduced price. If it fits the DIY, solar and battery vibe, why not. A lot of people are building 12V batteries and are in the same dilemma and haven't got a case to mount all the accessories. The SFK is perfect for that. New battery bank is coming ;)

[@s.mendez7160]

Awesome production quality video. Great narration, attention to detail, and of course, your sense of humor. Thank you!!

[@JayDee25895]

What a pleasant man to watch and listen to...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot! Made my day 😎

[@dc1544]

that was very cool thank you Andy. Oh yeah the Beach Boys rock also

[@DutchAussieProductions]

Thanks for the video, Andy. Very enjoyable to watch. The SunFunKit looks well made. Have a nice day.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you.

[@Tech4UbyJames]

Louisiana guy here.... Hmmmm Thanks you Andy for another great video... Keep them coming.... Oh and i have one of your shirts i am going to wear in my videos

[@nekotherion7317]

Love your videos Andy. Amazing work as always.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you!

[@sailorray69]

Thanks for putting a smile on my face

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you!

[@excillisbank2611]

Tous simplement magnifique et vidéo drôle et technique super moment de sourire 😂 permanent sur chaque chapitre. Merci ANDY 🐸

[@anggwapo7525]

Very nice video again Andy! I like the combination of product review, technical evaluation and humor:-)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot for your feedback!

[@UsernamePassword85]

Finally!!!! Been waiting for this!!!! Woooohooo

[@KeithvanDijk]

Love the video Andy. A very interesting product, so neat and tidy. The last 3 weeks have not been much fun weather wise here, lots of solid cloud every day, very little input. Looks like you're going to get a lot more of that wet stuff falling from the sky too. Stay safe, stay dry.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Capt K. Yeah, heaps of rain in the last 4 weeks here. Another flood is predicted, they are forecasting. I need SUN!

[@KeithvanDijk]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Your videos are fun and informative at the same time. Ordering 4 of these for my new 48v battery bank. Can't wait.

[@StansE250]

These are a Clever bit of kit ! Kudos for them, Creating such a Useful product. Too $$$$ for Me, but, it sure makes for a Tidy build for folks. LOVE your vids, and contagious disposition 😊

[@KeithvanDijk]

This just has to be my all time favourite AOOG video. I'm like a kid waiting for Santa Claus to come. Those nice SFK people in sunny hot California are sending me 4 x V3 kits, can't wait for them to get to dark and gloomy South Australia.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you. It's a great kit, I'm still using it every day.

[@touringwithtyrone4933]

New subscriber and I love your videos. Particularly this one. You make a daunting subject interesting and entertaining . I’m going to have a crack at this setup for my 4WD

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you for your feedback. The SFK battery is great and it will be ideal for your 4WD.

[@about2088]

Lmao “the other L.A.” Shout out to Louisiana, Baton Rouge specifically 😂

[@jamesmason7124]

Wow Andy, that looked fun putting together that battery, please notify SFK that the heater pads should be in-between the cells. This was your best show yet Andy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot James. I guess SFK is reading here as well...

[@sandy1234853]

hahaha love that humor at the beginning

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

...and the end?

[@sandy1234853]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia 😂 ofcourse.

[@keithcress1335]

Had a blast watching this one Andy. Hilarious "LA confession" at the back. Loved the whole thing.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot Keith. We need to change boring reviews and spice things up a bit. I always try to think out of the box and come up with new ideas to keep everyone entertained.

[@johndaleolsen]

Enjoyed the sun fun kit build overview AND the Werner Herzog imitation in the beginning:-)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Was this a Werner Herzog imitation? I didn't know that...

[@davegeorge7094]

That's next level !

[@fldutch]

Nice kit - i like it - would have saved me lot's of time thinking about how to arrange it all in my minicamper :). And don't mind about that California tune in your video - i really enjoyed it. And also learned that LA stands for Lousiana - great!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot. Yeah, I think it's great for camping, RV, 4WD and also stationary battery storage. I always have these cells sitting around and it's a hassle without proper case.

[@japdog9]

hi , i only found you 2 weeks ago , but now you are my favorite solar show , love you personality , funny and informative , with a accent . keep up the good work . also it never gets cold in QLD . lol looks like your in Tasmania . lol 😀

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Oh, thanks a lot, Paul. I appreciate your feedback and kind words. What accent though? 😉

[@dredre9484]

Thankyou Andy always wondered about this kit

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Now you know 😉 Honestly, it is a great kit, well thought through and easy to set up even for beginners.

[@lennieadi]

Great video Andy. Keep em coming buddy 👊🏾🇯🇲🇬🇧

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks, Lennie

[@lennieadi]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia welcome mate. How much kit again please?

[@jackoneil3933]

Excellent, fun review Andy, even without the sun. I'm looking forward to more practical product and application videos like this. Btw, there's also a third 'LA" in a part of the U.S. that many consider a separate country, with it's own borders, language, and culture, and that's 'Lower Alabama"

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Jack! Yeah, I just learned about the LA as well here from someone. 😁

[@jackoneil3933]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Cajun Country. home to Crawdads, Alligators and poverty.

[@williamfairley2502]

Andy you're a born salesman, love the vid.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks William. I'm not selling anything, just sharing my experience. They were so kind to offer a 6% discount if others are interested. I'm not telling anyone buying it. But it's good, I really like this kit!

[@gumpster6]

The intro/outro had me rolling... love the sense of humor. Great review Andy. It's great that you are one of the major battery channels and companies are willing to send you their products for review. Interesting product they have developed - might be just the thing for those who are not ready for your level of DIY.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, it's very beginner friendly and easy to build for anyone. Once you have done one, you want to build more and more. I also started with a 12V system and look at me now 🤭

[@stevesays8705]

Great Soundtrack!

[@johnbell1859]

Great review Andy, love the battery very nice. 🇬🇧

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks John. It's really great. I'm going to build the other heated one as well at some stage. Just need more batteries first...

[@johnl3239]

Very happy with my 304ah EVE SFK battery!

[@kswis]

I dig the new music. And the intro. Pretty artistic guy Mr Andy

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you.

[@gregorymcleod]

The cooler is the bag with no heater just buy a Aldi cooler bag put some ice in put beers inside.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Great Video.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I want an electric cooler to connect to the battery! Solar powered 😂

[@TheGalifrey]

Barley Paper is the correct material to use as a spacer in these kits. It is what they use in commercial packs. Be nice if they offered 24 and 48v kits

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for the info. They are working on these other systems, I believe. Will be amazing. Lots of people in the 4WD, RV and boat world still use such 12V batteries. Very compact size for almost 4kWh of energy.

[@bennojax]

Yeaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh „BOMBENFEST“ ……. 💪😎💪

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Immer bombenfest!

[@TrevorFraserAU]

Nice! Looks like a great kit. Hope you're doing well Andy down in sunny hot Antarctica...

[@evil17]

Good review Andy, as usual u make it entertaining too. Haven’t read all the comments, but my take from this is: it would be nice to have 24v & 48v versions as I am sure they would hit a big market with all the AIO systems coming out now,like Andy’s. I see you have a server rack version on its way for further review, so good on ya’s for that. The heaters temp range & power usage seems a bit excessive to say the least, for Australian conditions anyhow. I have made a lengthy comment about other possibilities for this elsewhere, but a adjustable software fix probly shouldn’t be in the ‘Too Hard Basket’, to do,. A thin separator sheet between each cell would be nice for peace of mind, & some more BMS kit options, many of us here, seem keen on the JK BMS after some of Andy’s great experiments, but there are many other BMS’s also that even if just the plate was available to accomodate different brands people would buy them and wire their own up, but having some of the more budget friendly options is good for many of us too. , Cell fit maybe a bit on the tight side, but you could consider maybe a cam type adjustable end block/plate, that could be cranked up too firm the cell set in once in place, this would also give an advantage if/when a cell may need to be replaced & make it easier to get the cells & separator sheets in & out if needed. Overall, nice job SFK! Looks good, strong, sturdy, we have been waiting for something like this, the documentation looks great, the graphics and details look pretty good, customers will appreciate that. Looks very professional for a DIY kit. Look forward to seeing Andy’s reviews of ur other gear, server racks, etc, & a nice touch to offer a 6% promo code OGGA with this review, nice product, good review, Thanks & Cheers

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot for your great comment, Evan. Always much appreciated. I like the SFK kit very much and found it to be a good fit for many people looking for a proper 12V case where all accessories are been mounted nice and tidy.

[@dennis_m]

Very nice kit Andy. they should make the mount for JK bms as well. It seems SFK are the only one selling true Grade A EVE cells to retail customers. Hope they expand the cell availability outside NA.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

At least their cells are certified.

[@dennis_m]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Waiting for the 4S JK BMS experience sharing Andy!

[@john_in_phoenix]

I'm pretty sure they are located in Louisiana rather than California. I have 4 of their batteries and I am waiting to purchase 4 more, so I am satisfied with the product. Make sure the cells are discharged before you try to put them in, it helps. Since I put the first set in wrong, I can assure you that you can remove them, but it will take significant time and effort.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks John. Yeah, it's this other LA 😉 The cells were at 30%SOC when I installed them. Not sure if totally empty makes a difference.

[@lexicase8805]

This was corrected at the end of the video 😉

[@john_in_phoenix]

Yes, got halfway through and had to go for some surgery. Now I have finished the video and see he did correct it, still a fun California themed video. I had my own cells and BMS, so I just got the basic kit (part v2 and has the v3 lid). The cells I used were not matched cells, and basically I just left the balance cables installed, and open the lid and can plug in the active balancer if necessary. The great news is that I can lift these batteries and four of them fit on the bottom of my Rubbermaid cart, and an all in one MPP inverter goes on top. I have some matched cells that are 304AH ready to build a 48v version (the 150A JBD is the only BMS rated for that). I am very pleased with mine, great option to build a high capacity battery that you can lift. Fortunately I have no need for a heater, just the opposite.

[@lexicase8805]

@@john_in_phoenix damn, hope the surgery went okay! And yeah those active balancers are good but only if they are connected in that upper knee of the charge curve. I was using the 16s version with a victron bmv712 and using the relay contacts in the bmv712, connected some small twin core wire to the balance board, it has a small solder pad that says "run" which you can desolder and then add a switch or relay trigger as i did. That way i had the bmv712 commanding the balancing to turn on at 98%soc and off below that, so it would only ever balance when fully charged, and it was fully automated and controlled by the battery monitor that i was using anyway. In your case you could connect the balancer permanently and just add a switch to the case. I dont think ill be needing my active balancer anymore though as i have the 2a active balancing built into the new jk bms ive got for both my 16s house battery and also for my 280ah eve cells im about to put together with the newly released 4s jk bms. Cant wait for Andy's review on that!

[@davidyee152]

Good intro Andy 😂

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

Never seen this one before, because I'm not interested in 12 Volt over priced batteries or battery boxes, but, it was worth watching, for the humor and vibes..Los Angeles La is a city and Louisiana La is a state...Just for the Americans out there, I'm sure everyone else in the world knows...Like most things...

[@maxmeyer7299]

Super start...wird immer besser...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Danke, Max.

[@CollinBaillie]

So, how would these kits handle a series connection, should I need to build a 24v system?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Up to 4 in series with the JBD BMS...

[@dr.projectx5142]

This is neat would like to do this as a replacement for the lead acid in my bolt ev cars 12v to life4po battery.

[@awo1fman]

LOL "Off Grid Garage Antarctica". Is there any way to program the active balancer or add a switch or a circuit that will only enable the balancer at a certain threshold?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, you can add a switch to the balancer and operate it from the outside if needed. There is a soldering blob on the balancer PCB which can be replaced with two cables and a switch.

[@MrBellda]

Thanks for sharing Andy, great product Sun Fun Kit's (🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸), however the shipping fee to Australia is horrendous 😞

[@davidpenfold]

Great kit, thanks! Not sure it's useful for my current setup but it looks very cool. Living in France, I'm upset you haven't found a Louisiana meme though!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks David. I could have found one but was running out of time. Next time 😆

[@Tek69]

Nice work Andy 👍

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you.

[@coleman6131]

@Off-Grid Garage I'm planning to build one of these kits. Would it be better to leave the active balancer off of it?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have now left it in and use the battery often. I rarely fully charge it though as it is always between 10-70% I would say. Just leave it in and connected and see how you go. If you regularly fully charge and see a huge imbalance at the top, you can always open the lid and quickly disconnect it again. Leave it there for maintenence once or twice a year.

[@dreupen]

To answer your question regarding the JBD heater configuration, yes it is configurable. It is actually that same low Temp disconnect which one usually set in the BlueTooth app (typically 0 degrees C). When the BMS senses the low Temp, it turns the battery off and connects the BMS Heat terminal to the BMS output ground (by-passing the BMS altogether, for good or bad). When the low Temp returns(i.e. goes away), the heat terminal is disconnected and the BMS turns the battery back on. I had fun testing my JBD SP04S034 200A BMS verifying the heat terminal operations.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Great info here. So the heating power function does not get measured by the BMS?

[@freelyroaming]

Nice video Andy. I can't wait to build a Sun Fun Kit battery myself! And yeah, Louisiana is also LA! I am actually in LA (the one in California) now. Came back from Europe after living there for 4 years. Maybe we will make our way to Australia (or i guess now Antartica?) at some point.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks a lot, Dan. You've been around a lot so what do you actually call home now? If there is one...🤷‍♂️ Yeah, come to Down Under, lot's to see and explore here for your guys.

[@freelyroaming]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia ha since I commented I have been moving around again. Right now I'm at a lake in Montana 😁

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@freelyroaming great lifestyle, really...

[@rickytapper9779]

Does anyone know how to turn off the active balancer without opening the box so it isn’t on all the time?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

A separate switch?

[@vickipps6821]

What a brilliant idea 💡 I like to try build one

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It is a great kit. Try it, you will love it.

[@vickipps6821]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia thank you Andy just hope I can get it in South Africa

[@sfkenergy]

Thank you for the great review! We will take your feedback and make improvements in our upcoming products! OGGA coupon is 6% off🙂

[@t3chb0y67]

No product placement please, Andy 😥

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@T3chB0y You didn't say anything when I promoted the JK-BMS? Both fit perfectly into the DIY topic of the channel and the SFK is very useful for a lot of people wanting to build their own 12V battery including myself.

[@Sylvan_dB]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia I thought this was a great review, and will continue to support as long as you are clear about who is paying for the gear you review. And by the way, it would be good if you were to pin this comment from Sun Fun Kits so it is easier for others to find.

[@mwolrich]

SFK - hope your working on that cooler element for Andy’s beers 😁

[@scoleri]

Love the drama. Great Videos.

[@wenhaowong5549]

if you are not in high vibration environment this setup is good to go. From my experience , even i add an additional 0.18mm pvc sheet between each cell, it will still have the chances to worn off if you are in high vibration environment, and this will cause some short circuit to the battery. If the battery is for portable purpose, solid separator between each cell is a must for me,

[@john_in_phoenix]

You should try one before you decide that. I have 4 of them, vibration is not a concern. You might be able to get them to fit if you fully discharge them and wrap them with kapton tape.

[@SoundzAlive1]

Hi Andy, thanks perfect for me on my boat. BTW if they add a cooling option on the case it would be better to have the cooling panel on the top lid as the cooling air will flow down. Your funniest episode yet! André in Sydney

[@sreekumarUSA]

@Sounds... Sir.... there's not even 1 mm space for the battery to reside peacefully in that Commercially available battery container How can any one add a Peltier device into the container for "cooling"? besides... a 40mmX40mm Peltier device (ThermoElectric device) consumption is approximately 6 Amps. That device would easily drain the LiFePo4 cells down to ZERO sooner that you expect. If you are attempting to assemble 4S LiFePo4 cells (12.8v Configuration) please make a container larger than what you saw, with Sturdy Acrylic sheets, (contact TAP PLASTICS) and NO Active Balancer, permanently connected.That would drastically effect the battery. Give the inner dimensions to TAP PLASTICS. they will assemble the Box for you. good luck and 73s...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Andre. A cooling option for these bags would be amazing. All this cold beer on your boat, right?😉

[@iFreeStylinVids]

Awesome kits! Would love something similar for 16s setup!

[@john_in_phoenix]

Just get matched cells and use the 150 amp JBD BMS (rated for series connection) and you are done. I use Anderson connectors for the batteries, and they work great. I can also lift the individual batteries, not something I can do if they were all in a single case.

[@iFreeStylinVids]

@@john_in_phoenix I already have a 16s setup with a homemade battery box. To switch to this I’d would have to buy 4 BMS’s and extra cables which gets expensive and adds more points of failure. I have no need to move the battery so I don’t see any benefit of a setup like that.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They are working on a 16s setup, I believe.

[@iFreeStylinVids]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Awesome! I’ll keep an eye out.

[@leonardoramos3601]

Wow😀😀😀

[@L1vR-1948]

👍 Thanks :-)

[@Michael-AUS]

Andy, can you connect these batteries in series/parallel, to expand the system? If so, how many (in series/parallel)?

[@Foxfried]

the jbd can do 48v so i think it can.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, you can, They are selling them in packs of 4 so I assume this is not just for parallel connections.

[@krishayesaudio]

Awesome! Any chance of a 8S 24v version?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They are working on this apparently.

[@todamnbad]

a bit off topic for this video but I would like to build something like this but the cells I have are a little concerning to me, I have some cells that have a strange looking smoke/frost look inside the cover over the vent, do you have any pictures of what a vented cell looks like?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

There should be no condensation or liquid below this little plastic window. Where did you buy the cells? Hope you didn't overcharge them at some point?

[@todamnbad]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia they are new grade A "supposedly" it's part of a DIY kit, there is no liquid or condensation just a white smoke stain looking thing, I have not charged them yet but the cells are bulged near each anode and cathode

[@JayDee25895]

We also have a Las Vagas in New Mexico

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

And we have Texas in Australia!

[@poser8587]

That's sweet and all but daylight to 10:00 PM may or may not be 30 Min in Australia. Not too sure guv.

[@carlh2007]

no capacity check? i saw someone else check the capacity of the cells on these and they were not up to scratch

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

This is a DIY Kit and I used my own cells which we have tested in a past video already.

[@jameshancock]

Now if they'd do a rack mount kit without batteries we'd be really set.

[@sfkenergy]

In the works, but it will have cooling & heating climate control.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Watch this space. Coming soon here on the channel...

[@jameshancock]

@@sfkenergy excellent! Really would love to get control of stacks of batteries I have now. Rack seems perfect.

[@dj-aj6882]

What is the ptoblem with the DALI?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I made a couple of videos about their BMS. Not great... kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmPUd3ygeK5raJI

[@RomanoRafaelCruz]

Can i connect different bms with same ah? Thank you

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Not sure if I understand you correctly. The BMS does not need to match the capacity of the cells but more the charge and discharge current of your load mainly.

[@RomanoRafaelCruz]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thank you sir! god bless

[@awo1fman]

I wonder if you could swap the foam in the ends for something a little thinner (or shave it down) and add the plastic sheets between the cells for high vibration environments? Or even just to be really safe. I couldn't tell for sure whether the metal brackets above the foam would interfere with the top of the batteries.

[@john_in_phoenix]

I don't worry about vibration causing problems. If you had one yourself, you would understand. Those cells are not moving, trust me. I had to discharge my cells to get them in.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

SFK emailed me when I had trouble getting the cells in that I could shave off the foam a bit with sand paper if needed. But it all worked well as it is, just need a bit encouragement to get these cells in. It's a nice and tight fit!

[@dtvking]

I don't see the problem with the active balancers. I have used one for my 24v 120Ah battery, connected permanently for 2 years. The average balance of cells is 0.008v across the whole voltage range. When I saw your video about this issue I went to look for the 2 shorted connectors to fit a switch but after looking at the BMS charge readings I didn't see the point, sorry. Great content as always Andy, keep up the good work. Thanks

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for sharing Mark. I will show the problem in my next video. It may depends what kind of cells you have and if they are very well matched.

[@dtvking]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Hi Andy, they are 3.2V Lifepo4 prismatic Batteries in a 8S format Resistance: 0.3mΩ BMS balancing turned off Looking forward to the next video

[@MrLeavemikealone]

Maybe you had it right from the start. Letting that case warm in the sun might soften it enough so the cells would drop in a little easier? Even so; I'm with you and like a little breathing room for my cells. There seems to be no room for expansion/contraction.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, that works if you you have sun 😉 he cells still can expand in this case. Only the foam on the left and right compresses them. The problem was, these aluminium blocks at the tob are exactly as wide as the cells are. Below that, the cells can expand into the foam left and right.

[@MarkRose1337]

I'm happy to see relevant product reviews on this channel!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Absolutely. If it fits the DIY vibe and may be interesting for others (and me)... I'll share experience.

[@ashkebora7262]

Aren't the Beach Boys from Florida, specifically the Keys? ... Oh wait, looks like Hawthorne, CA! Must've crossed my memories what with the song that shall not be named.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Don't make this whole think worse than it already is, hahaha.

[@sreekumarUSA]

051022/0021h PST🇺🇸 051022/1722h 🇦🇺.... Danke schoen Herr Andy. I'd STILL prefer your way of building LiFePo4 cells. It's clean, simple, practical and cool. Cool in sense.... air cooled 😀😀 besides the whole setup can be viewed from outside and replacement is easy. Why even struggle to insert a cell into an unfitting container; with ever so many items stacked up and enclosed? The Active balancer eternally connected? No further comments. Pardon my outburst. I couldn't help it. Take care n be safe, 73s...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Sree. The cells will fit in nicely when they are new. I did this built on purpose to show the challenges some may have. The box is totally suitable for a 12V battery setup and I like the 3D printed parts very much. It is 100x better than many other batteries I have seen where they stuck foam and glue in to hold everything together.

[@bryanspears2045]

What would be the reason for needing LiFepo batteries heated to 70F?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That's the temperature where they perform best, charging and discharging.

[@TBL_stevennelson]

It would be great to add a shut off switch for the active balancer

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes. Or have it automatically turn on above 13V.

[@charlesball6519]

LOL, I was about to say that the company is out of Louisiana.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I saw LA and started thinking about CA 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@edwardvanhazendonk]

Thanks for creating a funny but serious review of this unit in your own unique way!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Edward.

[@SiriusSolar]

LA. lol wait a minute, I thought that stood for Lead Acid?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Don't confuse me!

[@YouTubeviolatesmy1stamendment]

I mean it's nice but it's just kind of all the parts you need I don't know if anybody is aware of this or not but these same cells and a BMS will also fit inside of a group 27 lead acid battery case

[@sergeyblinov4957]

About cell's insertion into a battery case. Maybe, a bit of liquid silicon oil would help to ease insertion.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I was thinking of something soapy to get them in easier but did not want to use any liquids inside this box.

[@evil17]

I was wondering about using a little wipe of liquid hand soap or Vaseline, not sure if that is toooo greasy tho, perhaps SFK or someone could bring out an aerosol application for this purpose.

[@mikeunum]

@Off-Grid Garage - One more CON: the 65V in the Battery Voltage Setting and NOT 3.65V !!!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, that was a weird one, not sure what happened there!

[@Foxfried]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia It almost looked it was reporting the over voltage backwards?

[@mattjayne5231]

Would love to see a similar company offer server rack versions for 16s battery configurations

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Watch this space!

[@ronwest7930]

I had a similar idea of a kit like this a long time ago. So I caused this to happen. Great minds think alike.

[@Sylvan_dB]

@@ronwest7930 Does that happen to you as well? You think of something, then later you see that someone is producing your idea!

[@ronwest7930]

Yes, I told my kids that a good business would be a toilet paper plant and a few months later someone built one a few miles away.

[@dougg8280]

Los Angeles...Louisiana, hopefully the nice people of Louisiana aren't too insulted 😂

[@marco1862]

You can buy A couple of peltier elements and build your own beer cooler, ad an smaller battery to make more room for beer and your good to go.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Peltier is really bad and a wastes a lot of energy. I want a little compressor for this setup. Like in camping fridges.

[@evil17]

Yes Andy, & I have seen very small compressors somewhere, about the size of a coke can & smaller, with supposedly high variable outputs, I thought these would be perfect for this type of use, especially if used with inverter tech. I saw these somewhere (Ebay, Google, not sure?) a few years ago now & thought I would have seen them hit the market for camp fridges, and maybe small a/cons, etc by now.

[@johnkillen588]

Andy, i have watched a lot of your vids and YOU JUST AINT WELL hahahhahahhahah

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank John, much appreciated!

[@jimduke5545]

Looking for: a) a little more space between cells for a sheet for short circuit protection, b) 24v box/BMS configuration, c) REC or other can bus options, and d)

[@jimduke5545]

…d) not much else! Nice kit. Great review

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Jim.

[@nickldominator]

As someone from Louisiana, I can tell you SFK is definitely located here given their address and phone number :)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I know, I said this at the end of the video 😂

[@jamieclarke321]

These SFK guys really need to calibrate the flow rate on their printers

[@MrRossi1805]

Isn’t it usual to use lubricants initial is to tight?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

In some cases maybe 🤭

[@Christian76S]

Prices of some options of these kits are ridiculous. It looks like the dot has slipped backwards.

[@timmunro3679]

Wouldn’t you want a heating setting to be much lower to simply switch on at 1 or 2 degree and off at say 5 degree so you are protecting the lower temperature damage? This would allow situations like camping/off grid to save on excess power usage with the heater.

[@awo1fman]

This is a good point. It seems like a bit of an oversight. Having the heater on indefinitely might make sense for a stationary system that has a permanent charging connection (even if it's only active part of the day like solar) in order to prolong the life and give maximum performance. But for camping and other mobile applications you really want to conserve power as much as possible and only warm the battery when it's necessary to keep it usable or prevent damage. It shouldn't be difficult to make it a range instead of a single set point. It's a software issue, not a hardware one.

[@evil17]

Totally agree, Tim & Mark, yes this was my 1st thoughts also, so SFK please take notice, many parts of Australia could all but never require a heating feature, & if so, please consider a software fix to allow more user definition, ie: a variable low temperature range for charging & discharging, cant this chemistry discharge to -20C & charge above 0C, it would make sense to have parameter settings just a degree or two above these extremities with high temp range settable as well. Also, a Intelligent &/or Soft type heater source that can sense the temp changes & ramp the heaters power up from say 20w - 100w as/if required would be a cool feature to help save unnecessary battery power usage & still keep batteries at a safe temp range, regardless of, if it is charging or discharging. This SFK DIY kit idea looks pretty decent overall & tough/rugged as Andy has shown, I like it but agree with another commenter that they should include a JK BMS kit &/or some of the other more reputable brand BMS’s for placement too. Good review Andy, I give it 4 frogs too. Nice job SFK, Im sure you will see a boost in sales from us Aussies after Andy’s review. Cheers

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Hence they have the non-heating option for their cases as well.

[@timmunro3679]

The amount of energy used (above using it for a safety requirement around 0 degrees) in these higher temperatures to increase the efficiency of the battery probably offsets these benefits (ie it will cost more energy to heat than you get from improving efficiency). I've only seen battery heating in these types of batteries to be used to avoid freezing damage occurring. Efficiency heating occurs with cars that have much bigger batteries. This current application makes no sense to me.

[@JT-cf4kk]

Why Daly bms is not good, why nobody uses Daly anymore?

[@HexaMasterSK]

Hey Andy, what was that at 10:05? Closed my eyes for a while, looks like you are trying for short :D

[@kgsalvage6306]

Antarctica! Your funny 😂. I wish China made instructions as good as the US does. How did you get away with using the Beach Boys and not get a copyright against you? Fun with Sun! 😎

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's a cover version, link in the description ;)

[@matthewknight5641]

Andy do you know of anyone that sells a battery box that holds 16 280k cells. I have the new cells but i need a good box. Let me know please

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

EEL makes such boxes as well. Link on my website: off-grid-garage.com/diy-kits/

[@bildad1234]

Pretty cool kit there. Mate as there are a lot of people like myself only using 12V systems for camping and such. Could you do a video on oversizing a panel array for solar charge controllers. I thankyou for answering my personal question on this in the comments of one of your other videos, but there is zero videos on this subject relating to DC charge controllers. Explaining what would happen with short circuit current event to input of charge controller. Everything I have read on forums seems to indicate that Voc has to be absolutely adhered to whilst Isc doesn't seem so critical. When output current from controller is limited to say 20A on a 100/20 controller but I have 400W of solar available, eg 2*200W 45Voc 5.4Isc panels in parallel, then my input into controller would be 45V/10.8A. Even though my 12.8V LFP can only use a maximum of 256W at 20A draw, does the remaining available 145W get dissipated as heat or simply unused. I think a video on this would create a lot of interest for those wanting to get the best performance out of their controller, especially for those poor cloudy solar days. Just a suggestion, love your work! Stu.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Hi Stu, thanks a lot for your comment and suggestion. I can certainly make a video around this topic. Great topic!

[@veggiemate01]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia This is my first post after watching many of your informative and enjoyable videos....thanks mate. You are so watchable :) Also interested in building my own battery but this kit looks like a great idea for a first timer. Btw, I would also love to see a video based on Stu's suggestion. It just so happens that I have exactly the same setup. Cheers Cam

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@veggiemate01 Thanks, Cam. The video is on my list 😉

[@SiriusSolar]

I wouldn't do the double washer thing. instead I would put the nut holding the bus bar down and then with the remaining threads of the stud that are still sticking up I would use another nut to hold the balance wires down. I'd still use washers wear beneficial but at least the nut holding the main bus bar down wouldn't need to transfer all the force through those tiny little balancing rings. of course this isn't really an issue on a small battery like that but with some areas as your bolting things together there could be thousands of amps flowing through a similar connection!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Never seen such a set up before but could be an option...