Best Lithium Values based on Capacity, Size & BMS Features

[16ACE27]

I am concluding to get a Victron Energy Smart Shunt.

However, I am looking to avoid the remote display as you have pictured. Am I missing something? Do you not have Bluetooth app on your phone?

In my case, maybe the biggest reason I can see having the shunt is because I already have the app and use for the Orion XS. Why not also see the exact SOC, Voltage and current usage. But most of all, I really want to see the calculated remaining capacity or hours.

I also don't care for the install that is involved with the round display monitor. I have seen some videos where some that have both say they use the phone app 90% of the time. All the info is on one app screen.

The final point, much like I did with RVi, I did not buy Tire Patrol & Command Center initially but over time I had both fall in my lap for $0.10 on the dollar. I may do the same for Cerbo GX. Victron Energy path for me was in part strategic so no need to both the round display and possible Cerbo GX. If I ever did get a Cerbo GX, it would make my main wall and only to give the coach a more modern look, but at $500 I will never own Cerbo GX.

His display is from the cheaper $35 battery monitor shunt system. The Victron SmartShunt does not have an attached display.

Some people like the Bluetooth connectivity and having all that info on a variety of APPs on the phone.

Some people like to have all the info at a simple glance to a common display area, like a custom dashboard.

I fall into the latter group, perhaps CN does as well. When I want status info I want it now - I don't want to have to break out my phone, open an APP, wait for it to connect and then see status info.

 

[ducksface]

I have two old android phones that live on my dash while being always hooked to power.
One runs torque and iExit.
The other can run two different GPS map programs and jbv2 for the valentine.

A $10 yard sale android makes a great and easily visible static display for Bluetooth apps.
Many androids do split screen so you can have the shunt and the battery app showing at the same time if you can't reach the display to swipe.

Also,
I took a look at the shunt app and I do see value in the app so thus, the shunt. It allows for lots of little tweets. I was hasty about the stunts lack of value when you have smart batteries. For the small amount of money the shunt adds some stuff the battery software doesn't have.

As I said before
Once I know the system I'll probably not look at any of the battery information any more times than I look at the propane tank guage.

 

[dkoldman]

His display is from the cheaper $35 battery monitor shunt system. The Victron SmartShunt does not have an attached display.

Some people like the Bluetooth connectivity and having all that info on a variety of APPs on the phone.

Some people like to have all the info at a simple glance to a common display area, like a custom dashboard.

I fall into the latter group, perhaps CN does as well. When I want status info I want it now - I don't want to have to break out my phone, open an APP, wait for it to connect and then see status info.

If I wanted to pay $60 more, Victron Energy makes a mode BMV-712 that has the round display and the bluetooth app. But it involves wiring which I was reluctant to do because of where I may have to put it.

Right now I have House & Chassis battery voltage already on the wall The EC-30 AGS). No SOC, but it has been fairly accurate akin to the battery display.

Plus the BMV-712 is not Ip-65 and in my case the shunt will be in battery compartment. I am thinking to buy the IP65 version of Smartshunt.

I agree with you about pulling out the phone, it is in part why I will never buy Onan EC-AGS+ as it is App only :nonono: But since I have the Orion XS DC2DC I having kind of got use to running the app while I drive. In my case the Smartshunt will simply be added to that.

But at the end of day, for $100 bucks I can see the value of a Smartshunt. Really easy install compared to that DC2DC.

 

[dkoldman]

I shunt lie

I ordered the Victron Energy Smartshunt today.

https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/smart-battery-shunt

I am gonna be content with using the Victron Connect App that I like thus far. If I must have a Wall Display it will come in the form of the colorful Cerbo GX down the road later; after the Chateau Nomad pays off some bets ranging from poor choices around waxes, solar, LI-BIM, DC2DC, Starlink, T Mobile etc. As I think about it, I may have enough future earnings from the Chateau to get a new RV

 

[dkoldman]

Found use for VMax Tank AGM

So today I found a use for one of my vMax tanks 125ah batteries.



The engine metal cage cover is held in place by an epoxy that has sheared around 3 of the 8 perimeter connectors. I found during a routine inspection underneath the engine. I will repair with JB weld, but I needed someone or something to hold the metal grid out while the JB Weld cured. The AGM battery work great. A Lithium battery could never do this as it is too light :coolsmiley:

 

[ducksface]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2HFJQP...94ZP8U2L&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_ii

THESE will fit in the bongo underfloor area that ties the right and left forward bin together.
My bin is roughly 55+"side to side, 28+"front to back and 5.5" high.
I looked last year and this size wasn't around for me to find.

FIFTEEN of these will fit in there and take up no bin space.

Kind of specific and you sure don't need fifteen, but this is a way to get the weight centered on the chassis and to not lose any bin space.

If I go past 600ah I soon have I'll buy these for that area.

 

[dkoldman]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2HFJQP...94ZP8U2L&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_ii

THESE will fit in the bongo underfloor area that ties the right and left forward bin together.
My bin is roughly 55+"side to side, 28+"front to back and 5.5" high.
I looked last year and this size wasn't around for me to find.

FIFTEEN of these will fit in there and take up no bin space.

Kind of specific and you sure don't need fifteen, but this is a way to get the weight centered on the chassis and to not lose any bin space.

If I go past 600ah I soon have I'll buy these for that area.

I kind of wish I had forced myself to mount my single 300ah in a manner that if it worked would have allowed me to easily add a 2nd 300ah. But on paper I can see needing more than 300ah so I just let it go accepting the extra space.

I will have to measure, but if I wanted 100ah or 200ah more; this would be great. But the 300ah in that Newtipower can't be beat for size.

My plan is when I ever change out the chassis battery, I will take it all part and see if I can't remount the NewtiPower to accept a 2nd one. or maybe one or two of these minis.

 

[dkoldman]

I received my Victron Energy Smartshunt IP65 today. I can keep in the battery compartment that is basically clean, but I don't have to worry about dust or water.

Easy install. So far the unit is working really well. I already see advantages as to how I can use. I set the discharge floor to be 14% to align when my genny will come on. So what that should do is pretty much tell me what time to expect my AGS to start. That is badass :coolsmiley:

Side note: I was in part fearful of buying Victron Energy products because they don't have any technical support that I was able to find. You must contact your selling dealer for support. That is normally a no no for me, but after 2 products, I can see why they don't need direct support of their products because it just works out of the box.

I think I am done for now. I will just focus on using my new toys

 

[ducksface]

I am about to embark on more electrical:
Adding 12v outlets
Adding high speed c chargers to dash and bedroom
Hardwiring the rear dash cam
Put a 110outlet in the bathroom wall for the seat warmer.
A 12v fuse box inside the battery area for attaching auxiliary things somewhere besides the battery terminals
AND
I still haven't installed my dc to dc charger and it's fan. I'm contemplating adding a second dc to dc for 100a charging. Three hours to full if I've used half of the available battery, by using the alternator and simultaneous(or seprate)150 from the generator/inverter charger if I'm not running the ac...that's 90 minutes for a 325 fill(theoretical).

I think my new Lithium bim isn't working. My chassis battery isn't charging and I don't think it was charging my coach batteries when driving.


So, can I run a small wire from my coach batteries to my chassis battery and use it as a trickle charger?

 

[Bob Nodine]

I am about to embark on more electrical:
Adding 12v outlets
Adding high speed c chargers to dash and bedroom
Hardwiring the rear dash cam
Put a 110outlet in the bathroom wall for the seat warmer.
A 12v fuse box inside the battery area for attaching auxiliary things somewhere besides the battery terminals
AND
I still haven't installed my dc to dc charger and it's fan. I'm contemplating adding a second dc to dc for 100a charging. Three hours to full if I've used half of the available battery, by using the alternator and simultaneous(or seprate)150 from the generator/inverter charger if I'm not running the ac...that's 90 minutes for a 325 fill(theoretical).

I think my new Lithium bim isn't working. My chassis battery isn't charging and I don't think it was charging my coach batteries when driving.


So, can I run a small wire from my coach batteries to my chassis battery and use it as a trickle charger?

If you replace the BIM with a Blue Sea ML-ACR it will connect the two battery banks together if there is a charging source available from either side. It has three modes selectable by a switch, Manual, Auto, and OFF. In manual it connects the two battery banks together. This would be normally used for an emergency start scenario. In Auto it monitors the voltage on either side and connects the two banks together when appropriate. If in OFF the battery banks are disconnected and will not connect. The OFF position can be used to keep the alternator from charging the Lithium's if you are worried about over heating the alternator. So far we have not encountered that situation. That would only be a concern if you have been dry camping and left the campground with the Lithium's down and the generator off. If you have a DC to DC then this would never be an issue. Personally I do not see a need for a DC to DC as I would not start the driving day with the Lithium's down. If I found that necessary I would just start the generator before starting the engine or disconnect the two battery banks.

https://tinyurl.com/2ayqscmh

 

[16ACE27]

If you replace the BIM with a Blue Sea ML-ACR it will connect the two battery banks together if there is a charging source available from either side. It has three modes selectable by a switch, Manual, Auto, and OFF. In manual it connects the two battery banks together. This would be normally used for an emergency start scenario. In Auto it monitors the voltage on either side and connects the two banks together when appropriate. If in OFF the battery banks are disconnected and will not connect. The OFF position can be used to keep the alternator from charging the Lithium's if you are worried about over heating the alternator. So far we have not encountered that situation. That would only be a concern if you have been dry camping and left the campground with the Lithium's down and the generator off. If you have a DC to DC then this would never be an issue. Personally I do not see a need for a DC to DC as I would not start the driving day with the Lithium's down. If I found that necessary I would just start the generator before starting the engine or disconnect the two battery banks.

https://tinyurl.com/2ayqscmh

I've used their "Add-a-battery" kits in boats for years which include an ON-OFF-COMBINE switch and a separate M-ACR. Works great with two FLA battery banks. The question is: How does the M-ACR or the ML-ACR (which you linked) work with lithium voltages or a mixed FLA/lithium setup. Does the "L" stand for lithium?

 

[Redsand]

I opted for 2 of the Renogy 100ah AGMs in parallel a couple years ago and I think I paid around $400 at the time. Lithium seemed way too expensive at the time but I see prices have dropped considerably. The two AGMs seem to be OK for our needs but when it comes time to replace I might just make the plunge. Of course there's the issue of updating the charging system cost as well. I have in reality only 100ah of usable power to keep from damaging the AGMs but the idea of have 300ah using lithium of usable power is an eye opener. The big river company has these at a really reasonable price.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY1PBTB...IJ57U2&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it_im&th=1

 

[dkoldman]

I am about to embark on more electrical:
Adding 12v outlets
Adding high speed c chargers to dash and bedroom
Hardwiring the rear dash cam
Put a 110outlet in the bathroom wall for the seat warmer.
A 12v fuse box inside the battery area for attaching auxiliary things somewhere besides the battery terminals
AND
I still haven't installed my dc to dc charger and it's fan. I'm contemplating adding a second dc to dc for 100a charging. Three hours to full if I've used half of the available battery, by using the alternator and simultaneous(or seprate)150 from the generator/inverter charger if I'm not running the ac...that's 90 minutes for a 325 fill(theoretical).

I think my new Lithium bim isn't working. My chassis battery isn't charging and I don't think it was charging my coach batteries when driving.


So, can I run a small wire from my coach batteries to my chassis battery and use it as a trickle charger?

Not sure which dc2dc you are going with, but there is irony as to how I got the Orion XS 50 amp unit. The Orion 30amp unit is what I was told was the best, but all of the reviews were filled with how that model overheats. So much so where some dealers were selling fans to go with them, so I passed on Victron 30amp Orion in favor of a 40amp Renogy. Bought it and literally while it was in transit I learned of the new Orion XS 50amps. It is 99% efficient and zero heat, no fan, so small that it just blew my mind. I sold the new never opened Renogy 40amp DC2DC for more than I bought it for.

Given I rarely dipped below 50% on 125ah capacity of my previous vMax tanks, I don't see dipping below 50% of new 300ah capacity. So that may mean with heavy usage it would take me 3 hours to refill the 150ahs consumed while driving and/or using genny / SP.

I got lucky on a need to have sustained voltage while the alternator is running that forced me to pass on the on/off cycling of a Lithium BIM.

With the exception of my Harley, I have not have much need or been a big fan of trickle charges. When I was showing my wife how the SmartShunt worked, the true SOC dropped to 99% while we were testing things. So I then shut everything down to see the time remaining go up to 10 days, this was with the inverter still ON, then turn on SP and power went to 28amps positive charging the battery. So I guess my point is that while a trickle charge can serve a purpose, I just believe with adequate capacity recharging should never be an issue, at least the way we use.

It is still fairly new, but while I have seen my Orion XS at the 50amp max for charging while driving or engine running, it has never been for long as it will drop to the 20s and 30s quickly.

 

[MLP-THOR]

2. The Samsung TV died. I took it apart and didn't seen any obvious failures. I found where I could buy new power supply board and new main board for $40. But I have no guarantee it would power up. I bought a new Samsung just like we had from Best Buy. It only lasted 4 years. The OEM Insignia only made it 6 months.

I had a neutral loosen up in my power reel on my SOB fifth wheel. Killed my washer/dryer circuit board, fridge, microwave, and Samsung TV. The TV need a power board. I found a used one on EBAY for $8 and free shipping. Well for $8 I took a chance. It is still working today in my wife's office. I replaced the Samsung with another from Costco. A close out that they only had three of and two inches larger for $68.00.

 

[dkoldman]

I had a neutral loosen up in my power reel on my SOB fifth wheel. Killed my washer/dryer circuit board, fridge, microwave, and Samsung TV. The TV need a power board. I found a used one on EBAY for $8 and free shipping. Well for $8 I took a chance. It is still working today in my wife's office. I replaced the Samsung with another from Costco. A close out that they only had three of and two inches larger for $68.00.

I bought the a replacement power supply board and main board with the exact board serial numbers NOT the TV model number off Amazon, but the main supply board was off by one connector The seller just gave me a refund and to keep the parts. I replace the power supply board but nothing happened.

I had paid $250 for a new one still in the Box from Best Buy buy the 15 days to return was coming so I just installed it. I may be a main board away from having two TVs, but I will likely trash the YV and old fridge on Monday. I like how the new TV setup by itself using Smart Things. I just pulled out my phone and off it went. If the old TV were to start working it will not go back in the RV

My RV has gone through an unplanned modernization that I am really liking. I don't have any more I want this for my RV on my list any more. Well maybe I get lucky and the Pioneer Radio will go out so I can get an Android unit? Damn I wish WBGO had put in an Axxera in my RV :whistling:

 

[Bob Nodine]

I've used their "Add-a-battery" kits in boats for years which include an ON-OFF-COMBINE switch and a separate M-ACR. Works great with two FLA battery banks. The question is: How does the M-ACR or the ML-ACR (which you linked) work with lithium voltages or a mixed FLA/lithium setup. Does the "L" stand for lithium?

It works fine. It has sat plugged into shore power in my garage 24/7 for several months now. I keep a close watch on the liquid level of the flooded chassis battery and there has been no boil over or loss of fluid. All through the float level of the Lithium charger for the house batteries is a bit higher than a standard float voltage for lead acid batteries it does not seem to be a problem. We are sitting in a campground as I write this plugged into shore power. The Lithium house batteries are 100 % and so is the chassis battery. Below is a screenshot of the Bluetooth voltage monitor I keep on the chassis battery. The ML in ML-ACR stands for magnetic latching contactor. Once the state is set it consumes no power and the contacts are held by a magnet. A pluse from a 12 VDC source changes the state.

 

[ducksface]

I'm going to buy the latching unit.
My coach and chassis batteries are in the same bin(passenger front) so it'll be an easy hookup.

 

[16ACE27]

Quasi-Real World Test In Progress

It's been about 36 hours since we lost power. The MH is in the driveway running the fridge off the inverter and my 500 AH of LiFePO4 batteries and we're currently at 54% remaining.

It's not really "Real World" because we're not in and out of that fridge or using anything else in the RV except for lights occasionally.

I'll let it ride probably until late tomorrow until I plug the RV into the running generator to recharge overnight.

 

[Chance-THOR]

It's been about 36 hours since we lost power. The MH is in the driveway running the fridge off the inverter and my 500 AH of LiFePO4 batteries and we're currently at 54% remaining.

It's not really "Real World" because we're not in and out of that fridge or using anything else in the RV except for lights occasionally.

I'll let it ride probably until late tomorrow until I plug the RV into the running generator to recharge overnight.

I’m curious where your motorhome’s generator fits in on what you’re doing to get by through outage? Sounds like there may be another generator running.

Also curious how much power your fridge consumes. Sounds like you have residential which often average 1 to 2 kWh per day.

Hope you get power back soon. I was without power for an entire week recently. Generator, even very small one, was a blessing.

 

[Beau388]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2HFJQP...94ZP8U2L&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_ii

THESE will fit in the bongo underfloor area that ties the right and left forward bin together.
My bin is roughly 55+"side to side, 28+"front to back and 5.5" high.
I looked last year and this size wasn't around for me to find.

FIFTEEN of these will fit in there and take up no bin space.

Kind of specific and you sure don't need fifteen, but this is a way to get the weight centered on the chassis and to not lose any bin space.

If I go past 600ah I soon have I'll buy these for that area.

Here were the Minis I bought. I only installed them yesterday, but the came with 80% charge. I load tested then and they checked out. I will post the complete story next week when I finish the complete install.