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So now that I've replaced my laptop and gotten some of my data over, I can finally post some pictures of what I've been doing out here in the woods. So when I bought this place the electrical system was seriously borked, and I didn't know any better. I knew enough to know that a piece of...

So I started with preliminary designs and ideas in another thread, and then wouldn't ya know it a 1998 Coleman Pop-Up camper suddenly showed up in my driveway! According to the seller everything works! Except that the propane is disconnected... The battery was half hooked up backwards and...

So I needed a 24v case capable of 300Ah cells and Seplos wanted about $800 for their case and the special cables but no low temp cutoff, no heaters, no active cooling... weeeelllll... I have a welder! So first I got out the paints and painted them up real pretty... then drilled them like they'd...

So it seems to me there are basically 3 kids of people in the solar world; those who WORK with solar (installers, grid tie folks, etc.), those who USE solar (Tiny Homes, cabins, RV life, etc.), and those who PLAY with solar (people on a really tight budget, learners, old timers, etc.). For...

So I decided to raid my spare parts bins and make a new briefcase solar gen since I seem to have left my Jackery up at the camp somehow. I got most everything done today save the 120v outlet (that I thought I had the parts for in hand), just needed a little more cable management. 2x 40Ah...

Currently a placeholder while I wait for the parts, but my youngest nephew is going to be heading to Lineman's school in Idaho in a couple months, so I thought I'd grab him for a couple days and make him a proper "Work Truck Solar Generator". I came across this box the other day and things just...

So I figured now that I've made a battery before, it's time to step it up to a solar dolly. Utilizing a MPP 1012LV as the core system, a battery monitor, and a whole boatload of USB, USB-C, 12v car port, and a pair of regular 12v terminals, I figure it should be able to feed pretty much...

OK, /VENT: So it seems like every 3rd topic on here is another "Tweaking with the battery" topic. All over the place you'll see threads about such things as: My battery hit low voltage and it didn't turn back on My battery got cold and didn't turn on when it warmed up I had to log into the...

So every other thread seems to be about powering microwaves and aircon and water heaters as your "MegaPowerLoad", but being able to do a load of laundry is one of those things that I rarely see touched on (outside the Solar Clothes Dryer) and I'd had the occasional noodle in my head to do...

So because I'm paranoid, and I have a well known soft spot for the parking diesel heaters... I've always wanted to make a self-sufficient-as-possible emergency diesel heater-in-a-box. One common problem I see in the designs of other heater-in-a-pelican-case setups is that you still need to...

So, the camp trip is imminent and part of the plan (about half of it actually) is to clean up and un-cluster-fsck my electrical system. Here's what I'm looking at: The cabin started life as a 1972 Kit Companion 24ft travel trailer with a 50a electrical drop and a 12v battery (tiny little...

So since I'm building myself a more portable unit, I came across this: Evasive 12v 100Ah LFP battery - $169 Sure, it doesn't have bluetooth or low temp protection, but looking at Docan it's $240 for just that many cells, so I'll be robbing these for the guts. It's still a good deal though...

A new article on Arstechnica sheds some good light on CATL and the man behind some of our favorite cells. Thought people might be interested. The rise and precarious reign of China’s battery king

So I know when I started learning I didn't understand why AC and DC breakers were a thing. Having primarily worked with AC my whole life, I thought breakers were breakers. Then I started seeing all over the place about "Make sure they're DC rated breaker" and "Breaker Timing" and the such...

So for anyone who has been following my Napkin Math Thread and reading about me whining about how much the weather SUCKS at my house and that a 100w panel isn't enough to keep up with a 7w load... I did Something About That S@4T!! Since I had a couple dozen 208w panels I bought for other...

So I was faster than my internet connection and ended up with the wrong lugs. I needed 4AWG to 1/4" rings and got stuck with 1/0 × 1/2" rings. The company wants more in return fees and shipping than it cost me to buy them. Anyone need some that size? Pure copper, I've got 20 of them if anyone...

You only say that because you're not here taking cold showers. ;)

OK, I finally did it. I pulled the trigger on my first LFP battery build. I've got: JBD LFP 4s 120a form AliExpress (I wish it had low temp and BT, but it's a starter battery) 4x EVE LF280 cells from Docan Now I need to figure out a box. I saw the Interesting Napa Box from the other thread...

I'm a huge fan of the 12v systems, they're still very valid even in the world of 48v everything. Just adding the Class-T shunt is about $150, the cheapest coulomb shunt is about $50, so there's about $200 of the $500 price difference right there. Since most companies charge a premium for that...

So I got a couple used packs off a fellow member here to play with and started today. First thing I did was check the pinouts on the BMS to be safe and figure out voltage states... Uh oh! The jack that came with the packs is wired BACKWARDS from the JBD jack, and is the wrong shape. So I...

Hey @Will Prowse , I was watching yet another LiFe battery teardown and I wondered, what do you do with the guts from all those batteries? Do you slap new BMS's on them and re-use? Do you just have a shipping container out back stacked full of the cells? Or are you running a 24s/1bazillionP...

So I was wandering around YouTube and a reviewer threw in the Pecron E3000 as a wild card. Looking at the specs it really sounds too good to be true. From what I can guesstimate it runs 24v as a base which also sets it apart from most other 12v based units. 3.1Kwh battery 2Kw inverter 1200w...

So my other forum did a write up on new battery tech, I thought I'd throw it on here for y'all to read. New battery seems to offer it all: Lithium-metal/lithium-air electrodes

I've got a couple parts I'm not going to use and I'm hoping they'll find a good home. EPEver 2206AN MPPT Controller - $60 Used for a couple weeks before I replaced it, still have the box but lost the manual you can find here. JBD ZP08S002 8s 200a BMS with leads only. -$60 It's a dumb BMS...

So after my experiences with JK, I'm not using them anymore so I need recommendations on different brands of BMS. I need: 4s and 8s versions (I work with both) 120+ amps continuous Bluetooth Low temp protection Heater function/control I don't think such a beast exists lower than 16s but I...

So my other favorite news site ArsTechnica has posted a couple articles lately that I thought might go over well, so I figured I'd pass them along. Self Sustaining House On Wheels - The creators of a new “self-sustaining house on wheels” are hoping their strange-looking project will help spark...

So I could use some input on stepping up my cabin's power game. I have 2 separate systems up there now, a 12v system and a 120v system independent system. The 12v bus feeds lights, stove exhaust fan, and the 2 diesel heaters so it's completely separate from the 120v side. Current 12v...

You know how it goes, stuck on a boat for 14 months, gotta clear a LOT of land for panels, wife filed for divorce while I was out of town, changed "The Plan" on what I wanted to do for my cabin.. the same old sob story. So, I've got quite a few parts for the now scrapped 24v system I was...

What could POSSIBLY go wrong?! That's gotta be the sweetest, cleanest, safest, most awesome DIY grid tie setup in the world, and for so little money compared to wasting money on a "Professional"! Pshaw!

So quick question on BMS's and wiring. As I understand it, you need a 4s BMS if you're doing a 12v, 8s for a 24v, and 16s for 48v. Is that correct? If I wanted to change my 4 cell to a 4s/4p setup, is that still a 4s BMS? If I wanted to be able to convert it later to a 24v system, could I...