Poor attempt at humor - Hank is a stand up guy and would only sell what he genuinely believes is required.

Bill Balme

No he’s not upselling. The bank is currently configured as 460 Amp hours at 24 volt so he is simply occupying the existing footprint of the cells we have. But I agree we should end up with a lot more useable power.
Simon

+x

 

Bill Balme - 7 Nov 2022

Hank will steer you right. Please say hello to him from me.
That’s quite a lot of AH - we only have 600 and we’re a heavy consumer… I recon Hank is trying to up-sell you!!! ;-)

Hank will steer you right. Please say hello to him from me.
That’s quite a lot of AH - we only have 600 and we’re a heavy consumer… I recon Hank is trying to up-sell you!!! ;-)

Bill Balme

Bill
The installation.has been designed here in White Stones by Hank George whom I am sure you know. I have no electrical expertise and have been trying to grapple with the science and Hank has been very patient. Most of the components are, or will be Victron, the batteries are Blue Heron 8 x105 amp hours and we are changing our alternator regular to a modern Balmar. Our wind generator regulator is 16 years old and cannot be programmed for lithiums and I believe we are having Victron DC / DC converter so that we can still use that.

I’ll post updates as the work happens. There are many new isolators and fuses going into our circuitry too. Here’s a picture of our shattered AGM.

Simon

+x

 

Bill Balme - 7 Nov 2022

What sort of system/components are you looking at Simon?

What sort of system/components are you looking at Simon?



Bill Balme

+x

 

Simon Currin - 7 Nov 2022

I’ve been following this thread for ages and we had resolved to replace AGM’s with AGM’s. However, we have now been convinced to take the plunge and move to LiFePO. In preparation for the installers arrival I have burrowed deep into the bilges to expose the entire bank and have found one case split wide open and one blown. I expect the split one was a result of frost damage. No wonder we have been using the generator so much!Installation starts tomorrow. Simon

Hi Simon,

Great idea!  It will really change your cruising life for the better for a long time to come.  Hope you have done your homework so you can keep up with the installer's ideas.  I'm happy to answer and questions or concerns based on our experience.  Pls let us know how it all turns out.

Dave McCampbell
SV Soggy Paws

I’ve been following this thread for ages and we had resolved to replace AGM’s with AGM’s. However, we have now been convinced to take the plunge and move to LiFePO. In preparation for the installers arrival I have burrowed deep into the bilges to expose the entire bank and have found one case split wide open and one blown. I expect the split one was a result of frost damage. No wonder we have been using the generator so much!

Installation starts tomorrow.

Simon

LINK TO HYBRID LiPo BATTERY DATASHEET

HYBRID LITHIUM BATTERIES


Many thanks Team OCC,

I appreciate your comprehensive consideration and most useful responses, in advance of my purchase.

For your further information, I attach the force4 chandlery link to these new batteries;

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/BOS/LE300-Lithium-Extension-Battery-System/29WZ

I’m most grateful for all your help and feedback, especially as my budget is tight and I endeavour to make use of my existing AGM battery bank.

Best wishes and fair winds,


Sonia
SY Salacia

+x

 

Stefan.Ecke - 2 Nov 2022

+x

 

Dick - 1 Nov 2022

+x

 

Sonia Johal - 1 Nov 2022

Thanks Stefan,That’s brilliant news, as these hybrid batteries are so much more cost effective than standard lithium phosphate batteries, as well as being safer than lithium ones.I shall stick to my plan and thanks so much for your kind reassurance.Best wishes and fair winds,SoniaSY Salacia

Hi Sonia and Stefan,
I hate to be a damp blanket, but I am not sure I would concur that any Lithium battery installation could (or should) be to the point where a skipper would call it “quite easy”. I invite others with lithium installs to weigh in.
I have been following lithium installs for a good while now and they have made significant progress, but I do not believe they are yet ready for plug ‘n play use. I know some of the “drop-in” lithium sales people would have it so, but I believe they are more interested in making sales than in a wise installation that is safe and reliable.
Firstly, A lithium install often demands a complete design and/or re-design of your vessel’s electrical system. This certainly involves every charging system, alternator and regulator, battery charger, solar regulator, etc. Wiring and fusing often need to be upgraded to deal with the increased amperage that can occur. And integrating the BMS (battery management system) with the various parts of the system to ensure safety and reliability can be quite challenging. There also needs to be plans to ensure mission critical systems (nav lights, GPS, etc.) are powered in case the lithium drop out in a load dump.
I also think at this time and anticipating a first long passage, that a skipper should be so well versed in lithium chemistry, installation management etc. that he/she could have done the install on their own, even if they chose someone else to do it (this is to facilitate trouble shooting when/if it is needed). I would also suggest reading the recent ABYC suggestions for lithium installations: I am not sure whether RCD/CE in the EU have suggested requirements as yet.
Again, I hope others comment.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Thank you Dick, that you remember me why I hate forums. You always find somebody who write something negative without reading the question. Sonia ask something about the LE 300 from the company BOS. Not more. So, read and anderstand. Stefan

Hi Stefan,
I am sorry I offended you. That was not my intention, although I knew, as I said in the first sentence, that what I was writing might not be received comfortably.
If I missed something and went down a wrong pathway, then I would hope that you could gently re-direct me rather than using me as an example of what is wrong on forums. I would also hope that you, as a fellow member of OCC, would extend to me the presumption that I was writing in good faith and I would also hope that my writings in the Forum reflect that my interests are searching for best and safe practices for a widely wandering sailboat.
I stand by what I see as the present state of lithium battery installations for a boat that is widely wandering and where safety and reliability are paramount. I wrote what I wrote as one cruiser’s thoughts on a mission critical system. I did not condemn lithium; I know friends who have done installs that are safe and reliable, but none of them would have described the install as “quite easy”, although I recognize that you experienced it as such.
I was writing for someone who is not a seasoned sailor doing their first offshore passage. A vessel mid ocean should have, to my mind, the mission critical elements of their boat be gear be bullet-proof: that there is a history of field reports over time substantiating safety and reliability. Lithium is changing rapidly, but I do think that those wandering widely with lithium are still what I call early adapters. I have friends, very experienced skippers all, who have done this successfully and they have worked hard and long to make it work.
I suspect most boats will be lithium powered in the not-too-distant future and, as is still occurring, changing and evolving, safety and reliability will be established.
\My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy