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12 to 6 v battery switchout
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posts: 6288 		Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: 12 to 6 v battery switchout
    Posted: 04 Jan 2023 at 10:19am
Originally posted by offgrid

Of course  Li batteries blow away PbA's in all these areas and theyre so cheap now that for those of us who are a bit electrically handy they have become a almost a compelling upgrade. And since it's mandatory that Li's have a BMS for safety, you do t need to be a super conscientious operator as much with them. The BMS provides that last line of defense fircyou automatically.  
The BMS is one reason I really like my LiFePO4 battery setup. I don't have to worry about damaging my batteries or about adding water or other maintenance issues. Plus, I can have them inside where they are protected against the extremes of weather and against the one who would pilfer them off the A frame if they were outside.

The price has dropped tremendously if you don't go for the big names such as the one that has two of the letter B in its name. Even it has come down below $900 but it is still on the high end for 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Jul 2018
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2023 at 12:23pm
Check out some of the Li battery tear down videos on YouTube. What's in there is just bunch of Li cells and a BMS. So  you can just buy the Li cells and a BMS and make your own. Pretty easy, plus you get Bluetooth access to the BMS setpoints and datal if you want to track or change anything. If you do it that was the cost is around  $700 for a 280ah, 12V battery.

 Being lithium about 80% of that capacity is useable so 280ah is roughly equivalent to 2 series (edit) x 2 parallel 220ah golf cart batteries used down to 50% SOC, which will set you back about (edit) $600-700. So lithium batteries are really now (edit) about the same cost as low cost flooded lead acid. Not (edit) even considering all the benefits. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
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Posts: 6288 		Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2023 at 1:11pm
Not to mention the life should be much, much longer than the GC2 batteries. In the long run, the LiFePO4 batteries should be much less expensive although the up-front cost is higher.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2023 at 6:01pm
Whups, I had a math error in my previous post, (corrected). One DIY 12V (actually 13.2V) LiPO battery is the equivalent of four 6V GC2 batteries, not 2. So LiPO can now be as cheap as low cost golf cart batteries. Not to mention the longevity (4x or more), efficiency (around 10% better) and weight (1/5) advantages. And they don't emit dangerous or noxious gasses either, so you can keep them inside the cabin if you want to. And that solves the only real issue with them which is keeping them warm in sub freezing weather. Other advantages: negligible self discharge and no multi stage charge protocol like lead acid has. 

The weight factor is critical if you want a high power system to run a/cs or other big loads.  As an example, right now I'm planning a 48V 280ah system for my new to me RV, that's the equivalent of 16 GC2 batteries but will weight in under 200lbs vs half a ton of lead acid batts, which would of course be impossible. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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