Not a Self-build, but a Tweaker
- Thread starter wildebus
- Start date
Millie Master
Forum Member
Neat work
Tookey
Forum Member
Apologies as you will have mentioned these new batteries somewhere else but what are they? I am going with the type you recommended for my particular needs but I am still interested
wildebus
Forum Member
Alpha are bringing in a new range of Lithium Batteries that are very well priced for the features and capacity. They are the "Poweroad" brand and a few different flavours. Examples:
100Ah Poweroad BASE - £499
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
100Ah Poweroad INFINITY - £599
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
This model adds the ability to monitor via a Bluetooth App and more importantly add multiple batteries in a bank by parallel conecting
100Ah Poweroad INFINITY SubZero - £649
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
Same as the Infinity but also adds internal heating pads which lets you charge the batteries when the temperature is down to -20C (this would damage the typical Lithium Battery
FWIW, I plan to get the INFINITY SubZero. I need to parallel them (absolute requirement); and both the ability to charge below zero and equally (probably more?) important not having a battery that could be damaged by inadvertantly attempting below zero is a feature worth paying a bit extra for.
100Ah Poweroad BASE - £499
12V 100AH POWEROAD BASE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY - Alpha Batteries
Poweroad - Time to go Lithium
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
100Ah Poweroad INFINITY - £599
12v 100AH Poweroad Infinity Lithium LiFePO4 Battery with Bluetooth Monitoring - Alpha Batteries
Poweroad - Time to go Lithium
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
100Ah Poweroad INFINITY SubZero - £649
12V 100AH POWEROAD INFINITY SUBZERO LOW TEMPERATURE LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY WITH BLUETOOTH MONITORING - Alpha Batteries
Poweroad - Time to go Lithium. Subzero version for extreme cold with charging capability up to -20c
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
FWIW, I plan to get the INFINITY SubZero. I need to parallel them (absolute requirement); and both the ability to charge below zero and equally (probably more?) important not having a battery that could be damaged by inadvertantly attempting below zero is a feature worth paying a bit extra for.
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SquirrellCook
Forum Member
Still trying to get my head around spending £2596 on a hand full of everready's
Millie Master
Forum Member
Still trying to get my head around spending £2596 on a hand full of everready's
I couldn't and most certainly wouldn't ever spend that much on batteries, instead we moderate our consumption of electricity when away in 'Millie' in very much the same way as we do at home!
When away, yes we have a 12v Waeco fridge which I wish I had never fitted and apart from that we don't have a TV, the only radio & CD we have is the one fitted in the dash which runs off the van battery and we use next to no lighting and apart from my most beloveds 'I' phone and 'I' pad needing charging occasionally, I am contented to sit reading or we have the occasional game of Scrabble.
Phil
mark61
Forum Member
Same here, well not the £2500 worth but still a lot of money for batteries.Still trying to get my head around spending £2596 on a hand full of everready's
Still, I have made the decision that when my LB's give up, they'll be replaced by Infinity sub zero's or whatever the equivalent is at the time. Hopefully a year or two away yet, might even be on next van by then.
wildebus
Forum Member
Continued the Audio installation today..... Something that I have fitted to all my Campervans, and also have sold literally hundreds of is my Drive/Camping Radio Loom (click here for info on that). ...
Switch is now in place. I positioned it so if it is clicked forward (I) it is the "Drive" position and in the backwards (II) position, it is the "Camping" position.
Drive/Camping Kit by David, on Flickr
The Ducato Centre Console is a bit of a weird size - width wise it is a standard DIN size, but height is a bit taller than a Double-Din.
So installed an Adapter Kit (https://amzn.to/3dadTXs) and fitted a 'Pumpkin' Android based Full Screen Head Unit
Still need to adapt the panel that is designed to fill in between the radio bezel and the fascia (the radio frontage is a bit oversize than 2-Din) to tidy the gap but nice and secure.
Pleased with the unit. Got Sat Nav via Google maps (as shown above) and being essentially an Android Tablet can install the various apps from the Play Store. so for example got Audible for Audio Books, Amazon Music for music streaming as well as USB Connectivity, YouTube (only stationary use of course!).
Another handy app is the AutoGas App. With this on the unit, can search for LPG and then navigate to an LPG station via the Nav program
Dead handy
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wildebus
Forum Member
I am guessing the £2500 is rounded from the £2596? so 4 x £649 (100Ah Infinity SubZeros)?
wildebus
Forum Member
I might have mentioned 4 at some time, but no, I will be fitting 2 or 3 probably. I must admit I have enjoyed having a big battery bank in the Campervan ... 645Ah Lead-Carbon means well over 400Ah usable if you need it and that "use what you want" ability is relaxing
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
I'm 24 volt and with the Betty build I'm doubling up on Murky's capacity. So 4 would get less of a hammering by the multiplus.
wildebus
Forum Member
Makes me think .... I wonder if worth me switching to 24V Bank? I could get a 12V-24V B2B. MPPT will change by itself. And a decent DC-DC converter to feed the 12V circuits is not expensive.
Tended not to in the past for simplicity and flexibility. Hmmm...
BTW, you have a possible alternative option than 4 x 100Ah Poweroad Infinity Batteries ... could go for 2 x 200Ah Poweroad Base Batteries? They don't support parallel connection, but are good for serial, so could suit your setup quite well and save £600?
wildebus
Forum Member
Changed my batteries and I *think* it is better, but not a lot! moved from "knackered" to "slightly less knackered"
This is the original 2 x 100Ah AGM Battery Bank
Voltage dropping from 12.4V to 10.7V in 18 Hours with an average current draw of under 0.3A.
Seemed pointless keeping those in so took out and in their place put in a 75Ah SLA (Sealed Wet Cell) Varta battery and charged it up ...
Same kind of current use (basically this is the Raspberry Pi and MiFi charger)
Voltage dropped from 12.23V to 12.01V, so while still pretty poor, would seem to be noticably better.
You might think there is some other current draw that is not being recorded for this kind of drop, but the battery is connected via the BMV Shunt to the rest of the system, so unless the BMV is dodgy, that is the actual current (and there is nothing running inside so pretty sure it is just that).
This is the original 2 x 100Ah AGM Battery Bank
Voltage dropping from 12.4V to 10.7V in 18 Hours with an average current draw of under 0.3A.
Seemed pointless keeping those in so took out and in their place put in a 75Ah SLA (Sealed Wet Cell) Varta battery and charged it up ...
Same kind of current use (basically this is the Raspberry Pi and MiFi charger)
Voltage dropped from 12.23V to 12.01V, so while still pretty poor, would seem to be noticably better.
You might think there is some other current draw that is not being recorded for this kind of drop, but the battery is connected via the BMV Shunt to the rest of the system, so unless the BMV is dodgy, that is the actual current (and there is nothing running inside so pretty sure it is just that).
SquirrellCook
Forum Member
My Varta's in Murky loose their volts really quickly, but are still able to deliver current. These were replacements under warrantee. I still have my original set and they are not much worse
wildebus
Forum Member
Just have to see. The Varta is old as well and one I took out of an installation when I fitted new batteries into a T5 so I know not to expect too much from it and won't worry about the "normal" rules of not taking below 12VMy Varta's in Murky loose their volts really quickly, but are still able to deliver current. These were replacements under warrantee. I still have my original set and they are not much worse
Seeing these kind of numbers is so different to what I see in the Campervan with the Lead-Carbon batteries in it. They are just incredible! When I tested the Relion 100Ah LiFePO4 and one of the Northstar 210Ah Lead-Carbon, I found they delivered the same power and recharged back to full in the same time.
And leading on from that comment, another new battery coming in from Alpha might be interesting to you if you don't have payload issues (I am going Lithium in my new Motorhome primarily due to Payload limitations) and want to save some cash?
12V 110AH Expedition Plus Lead Carbon Gel Ultra Deep Cycle Battery (EXP12-110C) - Alpha Batteries
Ultra Deep Cycle Lead Carbon GEL Battery
www.alpha-batteries.co.uk
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wildebus
Forum Member
Well, looks like the old Varta battery is not much of improvement ....
Wow! Battery is really shagged!
Last update was 30 minutes ago. I would think the Raspberry Pi has now died due to the low voltage.
Will just have to wait until I get some more temporary ones to tide me over until the actual ones I want arrive in the UK
Wow! Battery is really shagged!
Last update was 30 minutes ago. I would think the Raspberry Pi has now died due to the low voltage.
Will just have to wait until I get some more temporary ones to tide me over until the actual ones I want arrive in the UK