The Cheap Way to Upgrade Your Solar Generator Capacity: REDODO LiFePo4 vs expensive add-on battery

This is the cheapest way to add capacity to your Solar Generator. Connect it to a Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery. There are some benefits to buying the expensive add-on batteries from the Solar Generator company, but this "hack" is by far the cheapest way to double, triple or quadruple your capacity.
Redodo Batteries:
Discount code: COD3 at checkout.
Redodo USA link: www.redodopower.com/?ref=Y5FZ...
Redodo Canada link: ca.redodopower.com/?ref=3QzOMmh1
Redodo Amazon store: amzn.to/404KfuV
Other items that are shown in the video, Amazon Links:
AimTom 100w Folding Solar Panel: amzn.to/3j4DSr3
Bluetti PV200, 200w Folding Solar Panel: Canada: amzn.to/3HEg0UC
U.S. - amzn.to/3DmezHT
Bluetti AC200Max Solar Generator: Canada: amzn.to/3wyMER2
BougeRV 53 Quart 12V fridge/freezer: Canada: amzn.to/3kNh27M
U.S. - amzn.to/3HlLfm2
Link for Bluetti and a $200 discount on the AC200Max: shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=224630...
Do you have products you think I should review?
Contact Info: Craig. Email: CruisingOffDuty@gmail.com

Пікірлер: 202

  • @Bowmans-Woods
    @Bowmans-Woods Жыл бұрын

    Redodo Batteries: Discount code: COD3 at checkout. Redodo USA link: www.redodopower.com/?ref=Y5FZU2lp Redodo Canada link: ca.redodopower.com/?ref=3QzOMmh1 Redodo Amazon store: amzn.to/404KfuV

  • @CherokezPittman

    @CherokezPittman

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing the discount code and links! In terms of solar generator capacity, the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series seems like a great option. It offers a massive 5kWh expandable capacity, powerful output, and fast recharging. Plus, with its waterproof technology and comprehensive protections, it's ready for any outdoor adventure. Definitely worth considering for outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers like us!

  • @shon88
    @shon885 ай бұрын

    Hello. I really appreciate your information. This has been extremely helpful and informative to me, and is helping me to get through a difficult situation. I have a Bluetti AC200L and just plugged it into my spare lithium battery per your instructions. I was down to 8 percent power on the Bluetti and wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the night during the current freezing storm with no sun for the solar charging. Thanks to you, I'll going to fine for the night. Thanks so much!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Glad to be of help

  • @christinagardener1889
    @christinagardener1889 Жыл бұрын

    I love how you explain it all so someone like me without any electrical background can easily understand

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad to help

  • @shagitup
    @shagitup4 ай бұрын

    Awesome stuff, thanks a lot! I picked up a 24 V 200 amp hour to supplement my EcoFlow Delta, Maybe a little overkill for that power station, but I have room to grow. Smartest thing I ever did and you saved me a ton of money!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    2 ай бұрын

    Glad to help

  • @christinagardener1889
    @christinagardener1889 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much for this info! I would love to buy an extension battery but not in my budget. This will work great for me!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad to help with cheaper expansion alternatives.

  • @rickdavid1795
    @rickdavid1795 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent idea. Thanks

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Most welcome 😊

  • @oskosh50
    @oskosh50 Жыл бұрын

    Great info ! Thanks

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad you liked it.

  • @dembaf7569
    @dembaf75696 ай бұрын

    Thank you very much for this very thoughtful information to us 👍👍👍

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    6 ай бұрын

    Glad it was helpful!

  • @robertlee6781
    @robertlee6781 Жыл бұрын

    For my application, going with two of the 12v/200 ah batteries in series is a no-brainer solution. I love the DIY solutions.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes. 2x200ah in series is huge extra capacity. Then charge the batteries when you have more solar than you need.

  • @DroneManMurphy

    @DroneManMurphy

    7 ай бұрын

    If you do what you describe does it increase the smaller units ability to handle higher amps?

  • @AquaTech225

    @AquaTech225

    5 ай бұрын

    @@DroneManMurphydoubt it. Because the built in inverter can only handle what it’s rated for. But you can buy just a dc to ac inverter to connect to the large battery’s. That can handle different amounts. Just depends how much ya willing to spend

  • @1GREATDANE

    @1GREATDANE

    5 ай бұрын

    Most 12 Volt to 24 Volt Step Up Converters at 10 amps are around $20 Bucks and Sealed. One I Found on Amazon has Quick Connections and Worked Straight Away on My Eco Flow Delta EF3 Pro 1300's using the XT60 Input Solar Port.

  • @bdmenne

    @bdmenne

    23 күн бұрын

    @@1GREATDANEcould you post a link or give a name to that product you found that can turn 12v to 24v from Amazon? Thank you

  • @rimasmeleshyus9486
    @rimasmeleshyus9486 Жыл бұрын

    Great information, thank you so much .Greetings from beautiful tropical Hawaii islands ⛵️ 🏝

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh, you had to mention Hawaii. Now I'm just Jealous. LOL. Thanks

  • @Electronzap
    @Electronzap Жыл бұрын

    Definitely a good option.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheap option, for sure.

  • @ItsEverythingElse
    @ItsEverythingElse Жыл бұрын

    I would def. recommend going with a 24V battery if you're going to be using it to recharge a power station. Assuming of course that the solar input of the station can use the increased power. You could also get a voltage converter.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes an up-booster taking the battery from 12v to 24v would double the charge rate and they are very cheap to add on.

  • @jamesdiggs6742

    @jamesdiggs6742

    11 ай бұрын

    Ty

  • @jamesdiggs6742

    @jamesdiggs6742

    11 ай бұрын

    Which voltage converter would you recommend?

  • @DroneManMurphy

    @DroneManMurphy

    5 ай бұрын

    I have a Renagy 12V 3000 Watt inverter on the way. Is there any way to use it in a 24 V system that would be practical? I know I can get step up and step down converters but if I put 2 12V batteries in series and make a 24V system then step down so it’ll work with the 12 V inverter I would be losing any benefits, correct?

  • @Hutch_Davenport

    @Hutch_Davenport

    5 ай бұрын

    If it can't charge off the power station it is not an increase in capacity. It might as well be a 110v wall plug.

  • @djaj423
    @djaj42311 ай бұрын

    great content, just subscribed. question? can i connect my solar gen to my house battery on the rv. Wondering with the charge controller connected to the house battery charging it and being connnected to it? thanks Craig, safe voyage.

  • @TheEagle157
    @TheEagle15710 ай бұрын

    Hello: Sounds like a good idea. , How do you recharge the Redodo?

  • @mark_luna
    @mark_luna6 ай бұрын

    Great video!! Thank you for the info. Thoughts on using a Dewalt power station utilizing the cordless batteries converted to AC to charge a solar gen.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks. As for charging a solar generator from Dewalt batteries? You would need a lot of Dewalt batteries to charge a solar generator. Not sure that is economical.

  • @hardtruth2039
    @hardtruth20398 ай бұрын

    The only issue here is not knowing how much you have left in the battery but I guess you could put a meter in line. We have a maxed out 25.2kwh ecoflow delta pro system with 3200w solar array and the smart home panel. I’m definitely going to look into this for emergency backup to my back up😂 belt and suspenders guy here.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    8 ай бұрын

    Ya. Not easy to know how much battery you have left except to check the voltage and ballpark it from that.

  • @POLYMATHEMPIRE
    @POLYMATHEMPIRE11 ай бұрын

    the reason why for example you get less power usage with a max 100 watt from the 12 v battery and you get the full 2000 plus watts from the bluetti is because it has it's own sine wave convert for ac applications. it's more or less an extra power station with wires that can connect it to the original power station. It' is not just a battery however you can more or less buy a cheap sign wave converter and turn your battery pack into a similar product for cheaper much cheaper,

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    11 ай бұрын

    Great thanks.

  • @allynonderdonk7577
    @allynonderdonk7577 Жыл бұрын

    I made my own batteries using cells from China. Salty Escape did a build series on what I did. You can basically doa 280 amp hour battery for $540 dollarsish. You' would need to invest in a hundred or so dollars in tools and wire for an install, but it is the cheapest way to go doing it yourself. These batteries are incredible for the price though, I'd buy some if I didn't go the do it yourself route. I missed you at the boat show in Annapolis this year, but going every year might be a stretch for some people. I'll be taking my RV this upcoming fall probably and boondocking. for a week or two. I set it up to carry two motorcycles, including an electric one. I have 2300 wats of solar and can run my AC 24/7 unless it gets really cloudy. Really thanks to my two 280ah lithium batteries.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    You have quite the setup with 2300w Solar. Nice! I am not much of a "build my own battery" kind of guy. I'm sure I'd mess something up. The people who like to do that stuff, great. It reminds me of the people that build their own computer from scratch. I've always been the "find the best deal on something that is well built" guy. :-)

  • @allynonderdonk7577

    @allynonderdonk7577

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods I do almost everything myself...sadly I also ran a computer store for 25 years....

  • @InTodaysVideo
    @InTodaysVideo Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Craig for this video. Just to be sure, can I connect that LifePO4 battery to either one of my Lithium Ion or Lithium NMC solar generators?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yep. As long as your SolGen has a Solar charging in port that has a range that includes 12V, you should be good.

  • @jcforeman1
    @jcforeman12 ай бұрын

    Do you have links to the connectors you use? Available on Amazon?

  • @1GREATDANE
    @1GREATDANE5 ай бұрын

    I like the Step Up Converter from 12 Volt to 24 Volt at 10 Amps for 240 Watts using The Solar Port on My Eco Flow EF3 Delta Pro 1300's and River 2 Pro Solar Generators to Top Them off at night when No Solar Options are available. *All 3 Units also Piggy Back to each other for Extreme weather Weather Conditions.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Step up converters bringing it from 12V to 24V will speed things up for sure. Other option is to put two 12V batteries in series making it the equivalent of one 24V battery.

  • @1GREATDANE

    @1GREATDANE

    23 күн бұрын

    ​@@Bowmans-WoodsTrue That Mate, I Have 4 24 Volt Systems here powering My Whole Ranch, Well Pump, Water Heater, Internet and Kitchen and Additional Bunkhouse and Shop / Barn.

  • @GavinNellist
    @GavinNellist Жыл бұрын

    Great video, I’d love to expand the capacity of my setup which is a ALLPOWERS S1500, but one question please, what equipment would I need to be able to charge the additional battery using my ALLPOWERS S1500?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Just buy a smart battery charger to charge from the Sol Gen When you have lots of solar.

  • @bretthumphries7911
    @bretthumphries7911 Жыл бұрын

    Great info, thanks. Redodo has a new, smaller 100Ah battery. Have you checked it out yet? Thanks

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    I was supposed to test one but it went out of stock. So I’m supposedly getting a 200ah to test. The new smaller smart battery hopefully comes later.

  • @bdmenne
    @bdmenne23 күн бұрын

    Sweet! I can charge my EF River 2pro with that 12v 200amp?? That saves a lot of room in my camper van.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    15 күн бұрын

    Glad it was helpful

  • @steves3688
    @steves3688 Жыл бұрын

    Just my FYI moment(I havent tested this tho...lol)... I think that when using one of the batteries to charge the bluetti you could increase the wire size and make your own wire adapter to go into the solar port to the battery - just wire gauge it correctly to handle the 15.2 amp max solar input rating...thus giving you faster charging, above the limited 100 watt limits of the car adapter. The MAX is rated for 15.2 amp solar input with voltage range of 10-145 volts. In the Bluetti menu you select between car charging and solar charging and that controls the limits I believe. So with that 12.8 volts x 15.2 amps = 195 watts...just need to ensure the wire diameter is rated for 20 amps...12 gauge I believe...this might help with improved recharge time. OR use the Enhancer D050S(still unsure what it outputs for a battery hookup)...just my thoughts and maybe some responses to whether it will work or not....

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    I have tried using the D050S and yoou still get 100W. To get 200W, you need to have the battery giving out 24V. So to 12V batteries in series.

  • @ccrews0612

    @ccrews0612

    8 ай бұрын

    You will be limited by the BMS on the battery

  • @bruceforster3709
    @bruceforster3709 Жыл бұрын

    VERY nice video and you explain things VERY well! I have a question: Based on what you're sharing here, which IS accurate, Could you spend $1500.00 on the new Power Queen 400 Amp (4800 Watt Hour) LiFePO4 Battery and then run at the higher rate like the Bluetti Add-on???

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the nice words. Well, no matter how big you build the battery, as long as it is still a 12.8v battery it will be treated by the Bluetti as a "Car charging" option so it will be limited to 100w. But if you put 4 of these batteries in series to make it a 48+v battery and connected it to the solar input you may be able to fool it into thinking you are connected to solar and get it to charge faster. You would need to make or buy a 48V battery to test that. Not saying it would work but it might. If you buy the D050S DC Charge enhancer, I know you can get 12.8V batteries to give you up to 500W charging as it ups the voltage but will draw down a battery fast so you better have a big Ah battery bank. In that case, you could build 4 batteries in parallel and have a 400Ah battery and use the DC enhancer to dual charge any of the large Bluetti Sol Gens. So you could have 900W of solar and 500W of battery charging simultaneously and have a total of 1400w of charging. That will charge the Sol Gen, really fast or allow you to keep using it at a decently high draw and still charge the Sol Gen. The only downside of that is that the batteries will not charge just by the AC200Max being attached to solar. The only one that allows you to use the battery for capacity and also allows it to charge from the AC200Max is by buying the B230 or B300 smart battery connected to the Sol Gen. When connected the AC200Max just treats it as one large battery.

  • @ronaldreyes-fn4xj
    @ronaldreyes-fn4xj5 ай бұрын

    Great Info.How about the AC300 connected to a cheaper battery?Hope you can share your thoughts.Thanks

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    When you say cheaper do you mean Lead Acid? It will work the same but lead acid batteries get damaged if you take them below 50% of their state of charge. And they generally are dumb batteries so they will let you kill them and do permanent damage. LifePo4 batteries will not be damaged by draining them down until the BMS shuts them off. So, I personally would never use a lead acid battery for this.

  • @Andrea-kx1mj
    @Andrea-kx1mj Жыл бұрын

    I would add that tou can use your bluetti and it’s solar panel to recharge the battery when you have solar.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, if you were charging your battery through the Bluetti at the 20A charge rate, you would need to have a lot of solar panels connected to charge your AC200Max and your LIfePO4 battery at the same time. I was sort of making this example that you have a short-ish power outage or you are going camping where you would have access to AC at some point to charge up your LifePo battery and will just use the solar to charge the Bluetti. The LifePo just allows you to go longer before charging.

  • @1texisbest
    @1texisbest Жыл бұрын

    Put a 1000 watt adjustable invertor on the spare . Plug it into the the ac charge on power pack .

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Ok. Thanks

  • @LADETROIT
    @LADETROIT Жыл бұрын

    I've been looking for a solar input switch, preferably Bluetooth. For a hands-free way to switch between batteries and solar. No luck yet

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Ya. You probably could create something if you are electrically proficient. I’m not.

  • @t0nkatsu
    @t0nkatsu Жыл бұрын

    How am I best to change the simple LiFePO4 battery? Should I have some controller between the power source and the battery? My ideal situation would be charging back from the Solar Generator once it’s fully charged.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    You’d have to buy a battery charger to efficiently recharge the LifePo battery.

  • @eu-neuwagen4024
    @eu-neuwagen40242 ай бұрын

    But how is the additional battery charged?

  • @InTheDirtAgain
    @InTheDirtAgain Жыл бұрын

    I have the Bluetti EB70S and use it as a UPS for our pellet stove because it was advertised as having pass-thru charging. Technically, that's true but have learned the hard way that it will eventually run dead after a week straight powering the stove..... even when plugged in. Bluetti has confirmed this and won't do anything about it (no partial refund, 2nd smaller unit, etc). Just like your in video, I bought a 200AH LFP battery for when the Bluetti is virtually dead and the power goes out so that my family can still stay warm and I'm away for work. Very disappointed, but can definitely use it for camping/overlanding. The EB70S will run down to about 60% when running a heated mattress pad on low overnight. Still a win, but the false advertising from Bluetti is a major disappointment. I expected better from them

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Sorry to hear that. I don’t have the EB70S to confirm that. A bigger unit with spare capacity like the AC200Max would probably allow for much longer run times and allow you to get through until you can charge it. Best to be oversized than just barely big enough. Especially for something important like hearing when you are away.

  • @InTheDirtAgain

    @InTheDirtAgain

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods @ 3x the cost, the AC200 would likely suit us just fine. But I wasn't about to risk this experiment at that price. Figured if the EB70S wouldn't do what I wanted with my stove, it would definitely work for camping.......and it does that great!

  • @debbiedogs1

    @debbiedogs1

    10 ай бұрын

    ​@@InTheDirtAgain- So doesn't your complaint have to do with your pellet stove (and the Bluetti doing its internal work) having a larger draw than the charge going in to the EB70S?? It is obviously doing pass-through if it is running for a week, because that is NOT a large power unit. Sounds like you just did not understand the specs of the unit and your stove when you bought it?

  • @InTheDirtAgain

    @InTheDirtAgain

    10 ай бұрын

    @@debbiedogs1 not the case, at all. My stove draws 500-ish watts when igniting pellets at start-up, but then drops down to about 60w after the flame has started and just the blower fan + auger is working. This is well within the specs of the EB70S. When talking with Bluetti, they confirmed that this model does not have a true UPS feature, but rather a pass-through charging feature. Cannot tell you what the difference is, but I just know that the included charger will eventually decrease its output over a week's time.

  • @thefpvlife7785
    @thefpvlife7785 Жыл бұрын

    BTW a trickle charge under load will extend your battery life.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    True. Every little bit helps.

  • @djaj423
    @djaj4236 ай бұрын

    awesome, so I could take my solar gen and use this method to attach to RV batteries that is being charged by solar and it would charge the solar gen, correct? Just connect the solar gen to house batteries with alligator clips?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    6 ай бұрын

    Yep. That is what I do with the house back I have on my boat. The boat batteries are charged by mounted solar panels and those batteries are attached to the Sol Gen to trickle charge it. Works good.

  • @AquaTech225
    @AquaTech2255 ай бұрын

    You can do what you did here through the 12v to charge. Or you can get a 400 watt inverter to connect to that 100AH battery. A plug the AC power cord to the inverter. An charge into the solar generator like that. An leave it plugged in. So instead of adding to it at a 100watt rate or whatever. Adding into it the AC route yould be adding in what at a 400 watt rate. Yould loose a little off the conversion going to AC. But if you’re running something higher drain. That big battery will keep up with the solar generators need. Well long as it’s at or about 400 watts of use. Still a lot more going in the AC route vs the DC route

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Yep. You could do that but an inverter loses power in the process so you will drain your battery much faster with the phantom draw of the inverter.

  • @yttimbabin
    @yttimbabin Жыл бұрын

    If you had a solar input, could you charge the external batter from the dc output?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    You can use the DC enhance

  • @inglesd90
    @inglesd90 Жыл бұрын

    You can get faster charging if you have higher voltage from your battery. Wire multiple batteries in series, or use a single higher voltage battery, and you would get the voltage to charge faster. If you wire your battery series up to 72V you will charge the bluetti at 700w.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yep. I’m aware. A cheap up booster can also take a 12v battery and up it to 24v to double your charge rate. But this was the simple solution for someone that just has 12v battery handy.

  • @1texisbest

    @1texisbest

    Жыл бұрын

    Faster charge with 1000 watt inverter on spare battey . Plug it into the ac charger on power pack . Charge it at 1000 watts . 100 watts pfft

  • @rickjamieson6605

    @rickjamieson6605

    11 ай бұрын

    Best solution without the heat related charge losses of voltage booster or conversion losses of double inversion DC>AC>DC.

  • @POLYMATHEMPIRE

    @POLYMATHEMPIRE

    11 ай бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woodsyou should have included that information lol, since that thing costs $20, you should make extra effort for others instead of jus tthe nubes

  • @forester057

    @forester057

    11 ай бұрын

    60 volts seems to be the highest it can take. Anything more is wasted since the limiting factor is the 15 amp limit. The bluetti will limit any amps over 15 (you wont know it). 60 X 15 = 900 watts. I’d stick with 48V at 15 amps = 720 watts. 48V Chargers are more readily available (for golf carts). Not cheap. A series of 4 - 12v batteries might be a better deal. Still not cheap.

  • @blazingspartan6027
    @blazingspartan60274 ай бұрын

    How do you set up the connection for an ecoflow to set up solar charge with the battery. Im trying to have an offgrid set up with it to run some heatlamps for a chicken brooder at night. I own a ecoflow river 2 pro generator

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    4 ай бұрын

    Sorry. Ecoflow has never sent me any units to review so I have no info on Ecoflow.

  • @claytonyoung1351
    @claytonyoung1351 Жыл бұрын

    What about the 12v/24v aligator clips adapter for lead acid batteries that bluetti makes that doesnt go in the cigarette port?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Sorry. Not sure I’ve seen what you are referring to

  • @Sochmo18
    @Sochmo18 Жыл бұрын

    I have a gz yeti 400 lithium which has just one 8mm input with max input voltage of 22v. Would it be possible to do this without a step up converter or with a 12v to 18v step up? I’m hoping I can run solar panels through a charge controller to a lifepo4 battery (50 or 100ah) and then connect the battery directly to the 8mm input on the yeti, with or without a step up converter. Do you think this would work or am I missing something? Thanks!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    The 22V is the max Volts it will accept. You should be able to charge it with a 12V. If you step it up to 24V, Im guessing your SolGen will not accept the charge as it will be too high.

  • @DroneManMurphy
    @DroneManMurphy7 ай бұрын

    If you do what you describe does it increase the smaller units ability to handle higher amps?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    7 ай бұрын

    It doesn't change any of the metrics of the solar generator. It just brings in power (as if plugged into solar) so that the Sol Gen can last longer. Increases time of use only.

  • @chrisharrell2449
    @chrisharrell2449 Жыл бұрын

    Good video, I would like to hear something on charging options in regards to these batteries, from my point of veiw I'm using a non grid-tide 3 solar panel array of total 1230watts but each panel facing in different directions so not to over charge at any time of day. I bought bluette ac200max to avoid me having to install charge controllers and inverters. with this type of battery you have shown means I need another charging sauce, could I utilise my exsisting panels somehow, also do you not have to go into bluette menu and change from solar imput to car charge to use the battery and again to go back to solar each morning, if the sun comes up?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    I’d put the 3 solar panels on angled platform on wheels and turn it to fave the prevailing sun vs having 3 panels pointing in different directions. Your way 2 out of 3 are not doing much. I dont you need to change anything. If it senses 12v coming in it assumes you are car charging. I’ve never changed anything in the menu.

  • @chrisharrell2449

    @chrisharrell2449

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods Sorry but 2 out of 3 working well is the whole point, as it is over paneled. at 1230watts when battery can only take a max 900watts input. and I Don't fancy climbing on my garage roof multi times a day, turning them. my main concern is is wind knocking over the panels as its a windy place where I live, and I worry I have enough weight holding down the panel frames to the garage roof,before some one says bolt them done! thats not a good practise as that may cause roof leaks, and if they had wheels on them, they would fly off the roof!

  • @Zkpe02
    @Zkpe0210 ай бұрын

    There are several ways to increase the wattage from the batteries. In a pinch, I use my 4 12v 100ah LifePO4 batteries that I just use a 1k inverter to power my Bluetti ac200p charger, yes I lose some wattage but with 400wh of battery not a big deal..

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    9 ай бұрын

    Yep. There are a bunch of ways to boost the volts to increase the charge rate.

  • @angelolamantia

    @angelolamantia

    9 ай бұрын

    That AC200 can take like 150 volts dc input, you don’t need the inverter. Run the 48volt directly to your dc solar input. You would get about 600 watts of charging, I think the current will limit to 12 amps.

  • @bkanegson
    @bkanegson5 ай бұрын

    Could one not run the 12v batteries in series to charge the Bluetti at 24v (2) or 36v (3) and therefore double or triple the wattage/ speed? (As opposed to using a heat generating/ less efficient buck converter)?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Yes I do series a lot. Charges twice as fast

  • @blessidunion
    @blessidunion9 ай бұрын

    I have an EcoFlow Delta Max and my cigarette lighter adapter has the solar output plug on the other end so it plugs into the solar input on the Delta Max. If the solar input max on the EcoFlow is 800w what would keep you from hooking it up there?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    9 ай бұрын

    Sorry. I don’t have an eco flow so I can compare.

  • @edtim3550
    @edtim35506 ай бұрын

    still remains the inconvenience and safety (=priceless). What happens when it's recharging time for the redodo : a lot of cable juggling. Sooner or later your going to clip on something wrong.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    6 ай бұрын

    Its as easy as clipping the red Aligator clip on the red and the black on the black. Not sure what the hard part is? As for charging the batteries. You can charge it with wall power when it is cheap or if you have the Sol Gen plugged into plenty of solar you can charge the battery with a charger from the AC of the Sol Gen. The battery just stores extra capacity for when you need it.

  • @MrTypepatrick

    @MrTypepatrick

    6 ай бұрын

    What I'm really looking for is a hack where we can plug the supplemental battery directly into the Bluetti supplemental battery port? Any thoughts?

  • @JamesSmith-uw1ip
    @JamesSmith-uw1ip4 ай бұрын

    Will this same setup work safely on a bluetti ac180? It has a 10 amp max input. Would there be any concerns with using the regulated charger switched to 10A.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    4 ай бұрын

    Not sure about the AC180. It is small.

  • @gregggoebel3916
    @gregggoebel39165 ай бұрын

    Can you leave the solar connected and running to to lithium batteries while the batteries are charging the solar battery ( Bluetti) via the alligator clip / xt90?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Not sure what you are trying to do? Here is how I do it. Have the solar go into your solar generator, when you have sun. Use the battery as simulated solar when it is dark or gloomy and you are not getting much solar. When the battery is dead you need to have a battery charger to charge it back up. There are cheap ones on Amazon for $40-$60. Assuming you have a decent amount of solar panels, on sunny days you may find that your Solar generator is fully charged and not taking in any more solar in. That is the perfect time to charge the battery (with the charger) from the AC coming out of the Solar Generator so that you can continue to have solar coming in. Free way to recharge the LifePo4 battery.

  • @lindaruth9978
    @lindaruth9978 Жыл бұрын

    I'm fairly new to solar so, a question: When you are charging a small Bluetti, is the power from the exterior battery used up first & when the battery is "empty" does the electricity then automatically flow from Bluetti internal battery? I have a teardrop camper and use the Bluetti EBPA3A to separately power our small refridge when camping off grid. Space is at a premium when using teardrops, however, I could fit a smaller exterior battery on the counter to charge the refridge through the night (and help on cloudy days). I just need to make sure that the method shown in the video will use one battery at a time to ensure I'll get the watt hours that I'll need and that the batteries change over automatically if I am asleep or away from camp. If they do so an added advantage for me is that my equipment will be small and light weight which is desirable for a 75 yr old women with arthritis. Hope this makes sense.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    The battery would help charge the Bluetti until the battery dies. It only flows in. Not back to the battery

  • @TheGbortnick

    @TheGbortnick

    8 ай бұрын

    O in this situation, the EB3a and other battery would run the fridge. What would be the best way to recharge the battery? I have 2 EB3a units, and wondering if solar panels to recharge the battery, could I recharge both eb3a units from the battery at night at the same time? Thanks

  • @fishjoy3216
    @fishjoy32168 ай бұрын

    How are you charging your 100ah battery? Solar? If so are you using the battery clamp cable that came with your panel? I have on that came with the clamp cable to solar connection but I keep reading you need a separate charge controller to charge the battery.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    8 ай бұрын

    I have a Battery Charger that I bought on Amazon for like $40. If I have lots of solar and my sol gen is full I dump the extra power through the battery charger to charge the battery.

  • @gw9502
    @gw9502 Жыл бұрын

    Very badic newbie question...how do you recharge the Redodo?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Well that is the downside. If you need to charge your battery you need to plug it into a battery charger or run solar panels through a MPPT controller to recharge it. It was meant as a way to add time to your solar generator if you have a longer than normal power outage. It is not as easy as buying the B230 or B300 expansion battery that can charge directly from the Sol Gen when plugged into solar.

  • @tome2806
    @tome28068 ай бұрын

    If your on a 30 day trip and get the redodo battery over the factory Bluetti b230 battery how do you recharge the Redodo because you would be able to with the bluetti solar??

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    7 ай бұрын

    When your Sol Gen is full just plug a battery charger in to charge your battery. You are storing what would be unused Solar power into the battery for later.

  • @tonyoreilly7196
    @tonyoreilly7196 Жыл бұрын

    Hi there, can I ask you do you still ride the sherman EUC, sorry to jump off topic...

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    In the summer, yes. I use to to get around on shore when I am on my sailboat in the summer.

  • @tonyoreilly7196

    @tonyoreilly7196

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods Is it too heavy to get in and out of the boat or would have bought something lighter, I am looking to get my next wheel and it's in the running, thanks.

  • @ChrisTheGr8est
    @ChrisTheGr8est Жыл бұрын

    DC to DC step up converter 12v to 24v and you can get more watts

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes. That is true. Thanks

  • @cscs237
    @cscs237 Жыл бұрын

    Do you need to attach a BMS to the 12v battery?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    No. The BMS is built in.

  • @ramhammer10-4
    @ramhammer10-47 ай бұрын

    What if you connected the 100 amp hr battery to a 1000 watt inverter? Then charged the bluetti with the 120 volt ac output from the inverter?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    7 ай бұрын

    You would charge faster but there is some inefficiency in the conversion and you would drain the battery much faster.

  • @richardszilagyi6239
    @richardszilagyi623914 күн бұрын

    I have the AC200 max and i have an LG Resu 3.3 khw battery. You think i can connect them together ?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    8 күн бұрын

    Sorry not sure.

  • @jamesdiggs6742
    @jamesdiggs674211 ай бұрын

    I have a 24v battery can I use it on my ALLPOWERS S700 ?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    11 ай бұрын

    You should be able to put that in to the solar in plug. The Sol Gen just sees 24v and treats it like solar power.

  • @angelolamantia
    @angelolamantia9 ай бұрын

    If you put 4 of the 100amp/hr in series you could charge the AC200 max at 750 watts. The dc solar input has no idea if it’s a solar panel or battery and it takes up to 145 volts

  • @tinysparky

    @tinysparky

    7 ай бұрын

    So I can connect this to my golf cart?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    2 ай бұрын

    Ya, just check your Sol Gen to see what it can accept before going too big

  • @Diycanada560
    @Diycanada5602 ай бұрын

    Having 4 batteries in parallel, does it increase the charging wattage of the power station or it stays at 100w?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    2 ай бұрын

    if you have 4x 12v 100AH batteries in parallel you will still have a 12V battery that charges the Sol Gen at the same slow rate. You will just have 400AH of capacity vs 100AH. If you want to charge faster you have to put them in series. 4x12v in series is a 48V system. Just make sure you read what the max V your Sol Gen accepts so you do not put too much through and potentially damage it. Although the MPPT should have protection against over Volts. The bigger ones will handle 48V, no problem.

  • @MrCharmz81
    @MrCharmz81 Жыл бұрын

    I keep seeing different methods of connecting, I seen somebody connect positive first than negative, are they doing it wrong?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    I don’t believe it should matter which order.

  • @user-xo3um8rm6z
    @user-xo3um8rm6z6 ай бұрын

    Hello Do you know If its possible to use Bluetti with car battery?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    6 ай бұрын

    Yep. Any battery gives off volts and the solar generator treats it like a solar input. It has no idea how the volts are created.

  • @raymondlaflamme1655
    @raymondlaflamme1655 Жыл бұрын

    One thing. I really don't like about Bluetti power stations is that their capacity is limited compared to other brands.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    The AC200max is expandable to over 6k Wh. If you want more you would buy the bigger AC300 with expansion batteries or the massive AC500. Just depends how big you want to go and how much money you want to spend.

  • @FirmTacticalSolution
    @FirmTacticalSolution Жыл бұрын

    Question: im installing an 8000 or 10k btu window unit to my off grid hubting cabin. The ma'am wants ac pretty much all day during our summer trips to keep her from murdering me. Im looking at a bluetti ac200max, 4 pv200 pannels, and a b230. Would i be better off gettinf another b230 or would these redodo batteries suffice to help keep me from getting murdered by a sweaty and overheating psycho?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    For plug and play and the ability to charge the expansion battery directly from your solar panels then the b230 or b300 would be the best choice. If you want to go cheaper and have a way to charge your separate batteries with an MPPT controller, then you could get a bunch of LifePO batteries and put them in series to get them to be higher than 12v and charge directly from the batteries. Eg> If you had 2x 12.8v 100 amp our batteries in series it would be a 25.6v battery and should charge your Solar generator at aprox 200W. 3 would be 300. 4 would be 400. Depends how many watts your AC will draw. Im guessing you will use the power faster than you can charge it back up. So you may nee a lot of batteries if you plan to run the AC all day.

  • @GSCMods
    @GSCMods16 күн бұрын

    Why not use an inverter on the spare battery to get full charging speed?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    15 күн бұрын

    This was about how to use just a battery to increase capacity. If you want to spend extra money for a stand alone inverter, you could do that. But it will drain your battery fast since inverters are power wasters.

  • @alexandraclark9160
    @alexandraclark916010 күн бұрын

    So can you put the batteries charging off the alternator and then hooked up to bluetti at same time?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    10 күн бұрын

    I guess you could do that.

  • @alexandraclark9160

    @alexandraclark9160

    10 күн бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods I was more so asking if you could and if so, how

  • @jackarrow-journal5317
    @jackarrow-journal5317 Жыл бұрын

    Can i charge the lifepo4 through the bluetti?

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    With a battery charger plugged into the Sol Gen you could. But not DC to DC.

  • @AdamNicholasSievers
    @AdamNicholasSievers11 ай бұрын

    Get a "power wheels adapter" for your drill battery brand. Wire a 5.5mm plug onto the end of it. I have a little 280wh rockpals gen and doing this with a 6ah Bosch drill battery adds 113wh.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    11 ай бұрын

    Ok. Thanks.

  • @stu3678
    @stu3678 Жыл бұрын

    Can't you hook up a 400 watt inverter to the redodo battery and charge the bluetti with ac power

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Ya. You could do that but inverters are notoriously inefficient converting. You would be converting it twice. From DC to AC and back to DC. Lots of loss along the way. Best to charge DC to DC.

  • @ramonhart2052

    @ramonhart2052

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods so how about connecting two 12v batteries in series’s to make a 24v and feed it trough the solar input or a dc to dc converter boost converter 12 to 36 v I saw a KZreadr name Jason noid doing it the other day vet simple and easy

  • @ovchannelag5238
    @ovchannelag5238 Жыл бұрын

    👍👍👍

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks

  • @vasik363
    @vasik36310 күн бұрын

    Idea is good for extra backup capacity. But it is not useful when you have several time per day blackout due to russia and you need to charge batteries once power restored. With such scenario additional actions are required to connect/disconnect charger. It is just for consideration for those who are looking for extra capacity...

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    10 күн бұрын

    It’s mainly for adding cheap capacity to a solar generator

  • @georgelo2576
    @georgelo25768 ай бұрын

    Really like your idea! Quick question: can I use a car battery to do the same? During emergency power outage, do this to extend the power my Ecoflow delta 2 power station? Thanks.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    8 ай бұрын

    Yes you can! But if it is a lead acid battery, remember you cant discharge it below 50% or you will damage the battery and a Led acid doesn't have nearly as many cycles. Many reason to switch to LifePo4 from LA. But in a pinch LA will still do the job.

  • @teresanietoaraujo2770
    @teresanietoaraujo277010 ай бұрын

    We have used the kzread.infoUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    2 ай бұрын

    Thats great

  • @onepunch7071
    @onepunch7071 Жыл бұрын

    If you got the Delta Pro, you won't have that problem since you can increase the capacity to 25kWh.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    You can increase the Bluetti’s too. This was more a video about, if you could afford the Sol Gen but not the additional batteries, this is a cheap way to add more capacity.

  • @AquaTech225

    @AquaTech225

    5 ай бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woodsthis is actually the smarter way not to just give away money

  • @Hemifan4266
    @Hemifan42666 ай бұрын

    The only problem is that the Bluetti wont recharge the Lifepo bat but will recharge the add on Bluetti batts....

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    5 ай бұрын

    Yep. Need an inexpensive battery charger for the battery for when you have a ton of solar coming in and your Sol Gen is nearing full. Just dump the unneeded energy into the battery.

  • @GraigLeatherbury
    @GraigLeatherbury9 ай бұрын

    The info / calculations you share do not take into account the inability to get 100% of the battery usage. Please consider looking up the practical / realistic usage formulas for your future endeavors.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    2 ай бұрын

    Its just to extend use of your solar generator in a pinch. No need to get hostile science guy. LOL

  • @ItsEverythingElse
    @ItsEverythingElse Жыл бұрын

    You may be surprised how little energy a 65" TV uses these days!

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    My 65" TV uses 45W when "off" and in the low 200W range when it is on. You don't generally care about TV watts when you are looking for the best picture. But to save money I have my TV plugged into my Bluetti with a smart plug that I can turn it off through Alexa. When I am using it, it runs off the solar power I have generated. :-)

  • @victory6422
    @victory6422 Жыл бұрын

    Confusing for certain:-/

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    What was confusing?

  • @SirHackaL0t.
    @SirHackaL0t. Жыл бұрын

    It’s a shame that the solar generator can’t charge the extra batteries like it can with it’s own batteries

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Ya, that is the downside to the cheaper LIfePO4 option is that you have to charge the battles separately when they die.

  • @bruceforster3709

    @bruceforster3709

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Bowmans-Woods That's not true. There IS a way to do it. You can be charging the big Bluetti from the Solar during the day when the Grid is up. The Bluetti, as you pointed out, has Pass-tzhru charging ability, so, you cn be charging the Bluetti from the Solar and then use the BLUETTI'S AC Outputs to run an External AC Charger to top up your external Lithium Batteries. I built a Solar Charging System that stays in my house, and use this method for my External Lithium Batteries that run lights in other rooms in the house. Is it AS efficient? No, but it WILL work.

  • @FTVG_inc

    @FTVG_inc

    Жыл бұрын

    @@bruceforster3709that’s still charging them separately as they can’t charge and discharge automatically, the best way to do it would be to use a 24v battery and an extra mppt charge controller. Hook up the power stations Solar input to the load terminals on the mppt and then you’ll have a system that keeps the power station at full charge and uses excess electricity created by the solar to charge the extra battery. And when the sun goes down the battery should in theory keep charging the power station until depleted.

  • @MrTypepatrick

    @MrTypepatrick

    6 ай бұрын

    @user-wu2nb4nv9f This is a very brilliant idea that I have been searching for a while! I don't fully understand as I'm a newbie to solar systems. I'm not sure how the supplemental battery would continue to charge the blue eddie? Could you please give me more detail or be willing to send me a diagram?

  • @BlueThailand
    @BlueThailand8 ай бұрын

    Ok, it is intellectually interesting but economically, it is not... The price of a 12V LiFePo4 100AH battery is about 200€ and you have to buy all others elements (cables, connectors, 12V->24V converter, etc..). And you will keep a problem : How to charge this battery ? At least, you will need a solar panel and a charge controler For only 90€ more, you can buy a second Bluetti EB3A. You will get a real and reliable second system as an extension and all the powerstation connectors.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    8 ай бұрын

    Alligator clips to an XT90 plug is all you need. Battery acts as 120w of constant solar. You connect to a 100ah LifePo4 battery and you have 4x your capacity. As for charging your battery. A $40 battery charger is all you need. Any time you have solar power and your Sol Gen is full just plug in the battery charger and dump the extra power into the battery for free additional power later. Otherwise your solar stops charging once your Sol Gen is full. Just a cheap way to add capacity to any brand of Sol Gen.

  • @jaycarneygiants
    @jaycarneygiants Жыл бұрын

    Don't call it a "solar generator". Generators make electricity. That does not make electricity. The solar panels are closer to the technical name of "generator". Those battery and inverter combos are in no way shape or form a generator.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    They have MPPT controllers so it efficiently produces electricity from any solar panel. That’s why it’s not called just a battery with an inverter

  • @Roadtriplus
    @Roadtriplus2 ай бұрын

    Too much talker.

  • @Glocktard
    @Glocktard Жыл бұрын

    I bought a 12v to 24 volt buck converter for my delta pro to do this same charging hack from a 12 volt battery. I get about 200 watts now for the car/solar input.

  • @Bowmans-Woods

    @Bowmans-Woods

    Жыл бұрын

    Ya. I think I will grab one of those cheap 12v to 24v up converters so I can get 200w out of the battery vs 100w. Perfect for use on my boat when solar is not cutting it.

  • @ItsEverythingElse

    @ItsEverythingElse

    Жыл бұрын

    You mean a boost converter. Bucks are step down.