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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2020 10:19am
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Been running my cabin for the day on the formally in the red battery. Going as strong as before. Good news.
Don't plan to make a habit of it!
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2020 11:10am
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Nice! Although it's not a good idea to make over draining a habit, it is good to know for a fact the redundancy is built in and it won't hurt anything if it happens. Any idea how many amp hours you are getting out of the battery? Or do you think you are getting at least a 100 amps out of the 138? Maybe more? Good job!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2020 11:39am
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No idea really. If there is a meter I can get I will. Not much drain, a couple of led lights off and on. At night two tablets streaming video, she leaves hers on all night, almost 24 hrs. Phone chargers, water pump..
As you say, good to know they have some built in safety. Always willing to take one for the team.
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Evang
Member
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# Posted: 11 Mar 2020 02:57pm
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somewhereinusa
I have downloaded the valence software from your site and it is requiring .net 2.0– an ancient version which cnat be installed given i have 4.8. What have people been doing as a workaround? Thanks
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2020 10:59pm
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Don't know. Did you install all three files? That's what I had to do to get it to work.
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 17 Mar 2020 05:58pm
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I got the AH meter off Amazon Everyone is talking about I guess. Well several videos on it: AiLi Voltmeter Ammeter Voltage Current Meter Voltmeter Ammeter 100V 350A. I paid just under $40 for the 350A version which also comes with longer com cable for display. Nice unit and easy install just take yer time and dont over torque anything. Heck of a deal compared to Victron unit for over $200! I set it to zero out from 240A so I don't totally drain the two batteries. Should run the furnace for 3 days without recharge? Ill know soon if they let me camp? Now to mount display..Anyway I recommend it..
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:22am
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Quoting: SHACKENIT I got the AH meter off Amazon Everyone is talking about I guess. Well several videos on it: AiLi Voltmeter Ammeter Voltage Current Meter Voltmeter Ammeter 100V 350A.
Time for me to get one too. So this is the hot poop? I'm only running 12v and probably never over 100 amps.
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:31am
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Yup. Just get the 100A version unless you anticipate to have more batteries/Amps connected at some point...However you may have to make a longer display cable with the 100A version.. Straight forward install and lots of videos out there 
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2020 10:46am
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Picture of shunt display. The LED screen only lights up when there is a draw then when there is no draw the display screen light turns off but you can read the data all the time. It is a neat unit. I'll post data on battery cycle comparison after recharge in a few days..
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2020 08:14am - Edited by: somewhereinusa
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After a few months of design changes, rewiring, dead ends, etc I'm finally ready to install my battery protection in the bus for final testing. If you remember I installed some LiFePo batteries that don't have any protection, just internal cell balancing. It measures external temps and voltages, uses that data to:
Disconnect batteries from everything
Turn on/off solar controller
Turn on/off compartment cooling fan
Turn on/off battery heaters
It also keeps a data log on a memory card and sends current data via bluetooth to my phone. It has 4 temperature sensors (may add more) and 3 voltage sensors. It also has a battery powered clock to keep track of real time and uses solid state relays.
I was having trouble with dropped temperature readings that would turn relays on/off at the wrong times. I finally figured that out yesterday and got 15 hours, over 5000 data entries with NO mistakes. If all goes well with testing in the next couple of days in the bus I should be able to make final installation and get on with my life again.
Here are a few pictures.
Overall view. Not quite the final version
Wiring diagram
Data as viewed on my phone.
It's in the bus now for final testing before I hook everything up.
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 20 Mar 2020 10:19pm
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Awesome job Somewhere! I'll take one!
Keep the updates coming
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Jeremy1626
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2020 01:27pm
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Has anybody hooked up the valance batteries in series without the External bms?
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Jeremy1626
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2020 01:30pm
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Here’s my setup. Looking to upgrade from 12v to 24v inverter. Was curious if anyone has put these in series?
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 08:24am
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Update.
I've added a temp sensor inside each battery. I just want to do some testing. There is now a total of 9. One inside the cover of each battery, cooling fan, heat, and outside temp. Probably overkill but, I like to tinker. The software is, I think, done. Everything turn on and off as it should. I had some problems with some of the temp sensor probes going off line above 200°. The ones I bought a couple of years ago are fine. The last couple lots of 10 all failed.
I'm working on final wire dressing etc, and final installation.
One note, someone on another forum found that the internal BMS only does active cell balancing when there is a computer hooked up asking for data. I plan on doing a computer check once a week until I have enough data to see if it needs done more or less often.
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2020 06:42pm
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This is all done and installed for testing except for actually hooking up the main relay. It has changed a bit since my first post. I've added a temperature sensor inside of each battery. It logs to a memory card and sends data to my phone via bluetooth. I was surprised to find that I can get the data from inside the house. Unfortunately, now that it's spring I can't test the cold weather part but, I did thoroughly bench test it.
Overview of system.
1. Arduino Mega
2. Voltage regulator
3. 9 DS18B20 temp sensors
4. Switchdoc labs INA3221 voltage sensor
5. 4 SS relays
Relay 1----Main Disconnect
Relay 2----Victron Charge controller
Relay 3----Cabin cooling fan
Relay 4----Battery heat
Temp sensor 1 Battery #1
Temp sensor 2 Battery #2
Temp sensor 3 Battery #3
Temp sensor 4 Battery #4
Temp sensor 5 Battery #5
Temp sensor 6 Battery #6
Temp sensor 7 Cabin temp
Temp sensor 8 Battery heat temp
Temp sensor 9 Outside temp
Relay 1 disconnects battery bank from everything *
Relay 2 turns solar controller ON/OFF *
Relay 3 turns ON/OFF compartment cooling fan
Relay 4 turns ON/OFF battery heating
*In all cases relay 1 turns on before relay 2 and relay 2 turns off before relay 1.
voltage < 9.5 open relay 1&2
voltage > 15 open relay 1&2
any batt temp 1-6 > 175° F open relay 1&2
any batt temp 1-6< 40° F open relay 1&2
temp sensor 7> 90° F close relay 3
temp sensor 8< 45° F close relay 4
temp sensor 8> 50° F open relay 4
Sends data via bluetooth to phone.
Used real time clock to keep track of date and time.
Saves data to memory card. Every ten minutes. If something triggers relay 1 and 2 logs every 10 seconds.
Overall system.This is mounted on back side of bedroom wall. Everything on left side of picture.
The batteries on floor of same area.
Screenshot of data on phone.
Another view of the control panel.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2020 06:57pm
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Impressive. But sure looks complex. If I figured that out this year I’d have to start from scratch next year to figure it out again
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2020 05:33pm
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^^Wow. If I did that it'd probably catch fire.
Quoting: SHACKENIT I got the AH meter off Amazon Everyone is talking about I guess. Well several videos on it: AiLi Voltmeter Ammeter Voltage Current Meter Voltmeter Ammeter 100V 350A. I paid just under $40 for the 350A version which also comes with longer com cable for display. Nice unit and easy install just take yer time and dont over torque anything. Heck of a deal compared to Victron unit for over $200! I set it to zero out from 240A so I don't totally drain the two batteries. Should run the furnace for 3 days without recharge? Ill know soon if they let me camp? Now to mount display..Anyway I recommend it..
On a simpler note, I bought one of these and need to hook it up. Just spend 4 nights at the cabin, a new record, including running my new 12v fridge.
So, the instructions, pretty good Chinenglish actually, say after installing you charge the battery, hit a button, then have to discharge all the way and hit a button, I guess to set the limits.
Not crazy about discharging my batteries all the way, does it have to be done?
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2020 08:16am - Edited by: somewhereinusa
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I know this isn't exactly a small cabin unless, you just consider it a cabin on wheels.
I'm pretty excited. I got everything wired and working yesterday. About noon I turned on the AC in the bedroom. At about 6PM the panels were still producing more than the AC was using. (Northern Indiana, slightly cloudy, some overcast).
I left the AC on all night set on 75°. This is what the state of charge was this morning at 6AM
* 12,000 BTU inverter type mini-split
* 6 255W solar panels
* 6 138 Ah Valence LiFePo4 12V batteries
* Home built safety for battery shutdown along with Valence cell balencing
All of this started about a year ago when I saw an ad for some used Valence batteries. At that time I knew nothing about lithium batteries or solar. Rough cost $5000 including batteries, solar panels and Victron inverter/charger and solar controller.
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generis
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2020 02:45pm
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Quoting: Jeremy1626 Here’s my setup.
Hey Jeremy, I'm using 4 of these in parallel also, same charge controller. What settings did you use for the controller?
Thanks sir,
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Jun 2020 02:43pm
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Hooked up my usage meter finally. Charged the batteries, set meter to 100%. Then set AHs. My two batteries are advertised 140 each. I have them in parallel so I set to 280. We'll see..
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meloj
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2020 12:01pm
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Quoting: shaoqingid No, I am applying to sell on Amazon. It takes a while
If you still need help with Amazon let me know. My company is an Amazon Agency Partner.
Amazon can be a bit slow with stuff but they need Lithium batteries for the US and Canada. We can't get barely anything in Canada on Amazon
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2020 04:27pm
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Somewhere - What mini-split do you have? We currently have an LG window unit and the 24V inverter pulls about 31 amps when the AC is on.
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2020 06:45pm
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Quoting: justinbowser Somewhere - What mini-split do you have? We currently have an LG window unit and the 24V inverter pulls about 31 amps when the AC is on.
I have 2 of these,an older model of this only 15 seer and no wifi.
URL
They only draw about 14A each.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2020 10:39pm
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Thanks. Had not heard of that one but have looked at Panasonic. So, 14A input to inverter at 12V? Pretty decent!
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2020 01:13am
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Looks Awesome! I wish I could do stuff like that but my home insurance would probably go up..
Did you ever find out if active battery balancing is occurring while not connected to puter via usb? That kindof of worries me if no balancing is occuring w/o being connected to computer....
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SHACKENIT
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2020 01:14am
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Good job! Those guages work great real happy with mine1
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2020 08:47am
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Quoting: justinbowser Thanks. Had not heard of that one but have looked at Panasonic. So, 14A input to inverter at 12V? Pretty decent!
Mine have Sanyo compressors which I was told it's important to go with Japanese compressors.
That 14A is max generally the run much less than that. Startup is 2A very slowly rising.Quoting: SHACKENIT Did you ever find out if active battery balancing is occurring while not connected to puter via usb? That kindof of worries me if no balancing is occuring w/o being connected to computer....
From what I can tell active is only when hooked to a computer but, I don't do it all that often.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2020 12:47pm - Edited by: paulz
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6 months later..
I hooked up one of my Valence batteries to solar this morning for the first time, using the default Li parameters in the SCC: equalization and float 0, boost 14.4.
I ran the cabin off it yesterday to discharge it some first, had 13.1 on the SCC display when I connected it. I have no load on it. Came up to 13.3 soon after but no sun on the panels yet.
I wondering how to determine the state of charge? With lead it's easier, more linear voltage drop. I have the meter above still on the other two Valences now running the cabin (no charging) but with that you enter the AH rating, so when it's charging/discharging it can't keep track, right?
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somewhereinusa
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2020 05:36pm
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I use a Victron BM700 it keeps track of amps used. Or you can use the Valence software.
There are other units on the market similar to the Victron.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2020 06:32pm
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State of charge is not so simple with lithium chemistries, they have a fairly flat curve until you reach the high & low ends of charge. I don't know which cell types they use in different battery models.
Some models can have their BMS' accessed which can provide more information on SOC usually. Alternately, using either a shunt or coulomb counter/meter, like somewhereinusa mentioned.
I read a while ago about people using a Raspberry Pi to access Valence BMS' but unfortunately I forget where I saw it.
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