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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / New LiTimes on standby
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Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 01:38pm
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EQ will not go lower than what is set for Bulk but the timer for it needs to be set to zero. Sorry my bad should have put it that way. Must remember that these SCC's were made & programmed prior to Lithium becoming popular & affordable.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 01:44pm - Edited by: rachelsdad
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So 3 of 4 still say standby. I'm going to hook each up individually to see if the CC and inverter work.....more putting with bolts and cables....

Oh and thanks EQ Time is 0

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 02:03pm
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They all fire up CC and Inverter on their own. I'm going to leave them w.inverter off see if the "BMS" works

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 02:17pm - Edited by: Steve_S
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They can be in Stand-By mode which means they do not need/want charge anymore. This can be the result of BMS settings, often is. Again I am not a LiTime brand expert. The batteries should still be showing full voltage with #4 still tracking juice. Some of their BMS' have BlueTooth capability for a Phone App that let's you get in and see exactly what is going on inside the pack + allow you to set various parameters. I MUST TELL YOU that more often than not, default settings from a manufacturer are "terrible" allowing for charge up to 3.7 VPC (Volts per Cell) and having low volt cutoff at 2.000vpc (both that harm cells). Sme have Active Balancing that need to be set properly for the profile while some have passive balancing that is virtually useless on cells larger than 50AH in reality.

Once they have all been fully charged up and allowed to settle and balance between themselves (takes a couple of time of being in Float for a couple of hours) they will naturally balance & stay that way. PROVIDED the wiring and connections are proper & correct, such as wire length and AWG etc.

The most common issue with banks using multiple packs in parallel is that people are not precise with the cable lengths (very important) or using identical wire. Even 1/0 Coarse Wire is NOT at all the same as 1/0 Fine Strand wire and will cause different resistance & voltage drops which is really bad JuJu.

I used to use Royal Excelene Ultra Fine Wire Welding cable with a little over 1000 strands of pure copper (1/0) but switched to Kalas FlexWhip that has over 1200 Segmented Strands and a lot less resistance & voltage drop. Every line is within 5mm difference and all Lugs used are Nickel Plated Heavies (more $ than tinned) which will never corrode.

Gee Wiz... here I am again, sharing & teaching - body may be failing bad but the brain box still at 100% (unless I am forced to use the horrible pain management crap, which I resist until absolutely needed). I HATE PHARMA !!!! likely because I am one of the Glaxo-Klein Pharmaceutical Victims from a few years back.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 02:56pm
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Yessir...good wiring...hope you approve, no bus, but all equal length

All readings within past hour...finally some sun!
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FishHog
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 04:18pm
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Quoting: Steve_S
Reminder, I am near Algonquin Park Ontario where we get -35C/-31F and 30cm+/1' snowfalls as a matter of course in winter and that's just typical for us.

Virtually all SmartBMS' will prevent charging of batteries that are below 0C/32F, sometimes a bit higher temp like 2C/35F. Batteries can still output full power below those temps, just can't charge.


True, I'm in Sudbury, so probably just a bit colder than you. I guess if I trusted the BMS to never fail I'd do that. I'm just more of a "shut it all off where I know its fine and nothing will go wrong for the months I'm away type". Should be OK and I know its OK are different for me, but I'm away for long periods.

Glad your still hanging in there Steve and always value your input.

Atlincabin
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 07:02pm
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FWIW, the folks at LiTime help are pretty responsive to emails, and even somewhat helpful, should you need to go that route.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2025 07:43pm
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I did email them but due to time difference we couldn't connect in time

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2025 05:26am
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So you charged them but there still in standby mode?

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2025 05:57pm
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They've been charging since I last posted but I can't get to the island due to weather.

I did leave inverter off but I'm thinking about putting it on to have the system "work".

I'm sure my big mistake was having the CC set at my old Chevy Volt setting of 24.

I'll take the canoe over before it gets dark. The wind is supposed to die down.

Really cruddy weather so not sure how much charge it got but it should be nice most of the following week

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2025 06:07pm
Reply 


They've been charging since I last posted but I can't get to the island due to weather.

I did leave inverter off but I'm thinking about putting it on to have the system "work".

I'm sure my big mistake was having the CC set at my old Chevy Volt setting of 24.

I'll take the canoe over before it gets dark. The wind is supposed to die down.

Really cruddy weather so not sure how much charge it got but it should be nice most of the following week

groingo
Member
# Posted: 11 Jun 2025 09:28pm - Edited by: groingo
Reply 


Well, my approch to a misbehaving battery is a little different, one of mine went dead overnight for some reason showed zero life on multi meter and charger so tried my LFP charger nothing tried my Lithium charger (yes there is a difference) so I pulled a Fonzy, I gave it a gentle smack in top of the battery and it came to life and started charging but now the battery needs to be smacked every now and then and the maker BTR Power is totally silent when it comes to warranty since the battery is just 3 months old! P.S. It also works with the LFP charger....with a smack!

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 11 Jun 2025 11:16pm - Edited by: MtnDon
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Internal loose connection??

Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 12 Jun 2025 02:55pm
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Agree with MtnDon, may have a loose connection internally and that is NOT good at all, as it will create a hot spot & quite potentially a lot worse. You need to open that box up and check everything... It is NOT a TV with a bank of Tubes which needs a whack occasionally. The RCA Victrola fix does not apply to new battery tech.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 28 Jun 2025 09:02am
Reply 


So almost month later with very little use three of four are at 100% 27.6 volts and 100 amps in standby.

One of the middle batteries is at 96%, 26.6 volts and 92 amps....cycling between standby and discharge. I have 10 lights on, very cloudy but all bulbs are 4w, 60 equivalent LED.

All my cables are identical.

I still have my charger up here, should I disconnect and bring it back to 100 or see if the sun will bring it back.

It's cloudy and 61 f in the ADK'S

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 28 Jun 2025 09:31am
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Here are the readings on a cool cloudy morning
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FishHog
Member
# Posted: 28 Jun 2025 01:04pm
Reply 


Quoting: rachelsdad
I still have my charger up here, should I disconnect and bring it back to 100 or see if the sun will bring it back.


That is what I would do. Sounds like you might have an unbalanced cell, so setting your charger at like 27.6 or so and letting it sit for a while (lower amps if you can) and see if it balances.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 28 Jun 2025 04:58pm
Reply 


Well I hung a ceiling and lo and behold the sun was out....I hadn't noticed as I was inside.

But I just checked....everything is at 100%
Why the heck would one drop?

I had lights on and a radio, not exactly a heavy load.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 28 Jun 2025 05:40pm
Reply 


Well I hung a ceiling and lo and behold the sun was out....I hadn't noticed as I was inside.

But I just checked....everything is at 100%
Why the heck would one drop?

I had lights on and a radio, not exactly a heavy load.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 29 Jun 2025 08:41am
Reply 


You may be reading 100% but that could be 'off'. Performance is the real indicator. If you have 1 battery that is false reading or has a poor/bad cell that shuts down charging by hitting hvd too soon it will drag the whole bank down.
I'd pull the suspect out and run off the rest to charge alone and also see if performance of the remaining bank improves.

rachelsdad
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2025 07:13am
Reply 


gcrank....makes sense but tough to tell with 10kwh bank and a low draw.

Maybe I'll do the Will Prose thing next weekend and plug in a blow dryer and see how they act....assuming the BMS readout are worth anything.

If that battery indicates anything different I'll pull it.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2025 12:53pm - Edited by: gcrank1
Reply 


I could see burning out a hair dryer on a lengthy run, my wife would be Oh So Unhappy with me.....
How about an electric space heater, they are made to run hours on end.

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