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GNFO

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Everything posted by GNFO

  1. GNFO
    Keep in mind I'm not an electrician. According to some of the guides I've seen, they would actually recommend thicker than 4/0, but that seemed excessive for the short runs and the fact that the existing cables were even thinner. The advantage of the busbar is that you could have thinner cables running from each battery and a thicker cable to the motor controller, but again my 1/0 cables seemed thicker than what the UTV even came with. I'm sure EVSupport has better information and can correct me. For the charger, I didn't do anything. Since my batteries have a CANbus connection to enable BMS self balancing between themselves, I just let them charge as installed off of the Delta-Q charger through the sevcon.
  2. GNFO
    I used 1/0 AWG cables between the batteries and kept the final cables that connected the batteries to the motor controller. I was originally going to use a busbar like Chris Murry shows, but my battery maker specifically showed their batteries connected in parallel directly with each other in their videos, so I assumed they had designed them to handle it that way. A busbar requires longer cable runs (and therefore thicker to reduce losses). There's nothing wrong with that and I'm sure there are good arguments for it but I chose not to mess with the stiffer cables and added installation. Haven't had any issues in two years. FYI, I installed the charging port like Chris Murry did, but put it on the forward passenger side of the UTV since that's close to the onboard charger and I didn't have to run a wire through the drive shaft tunnel. I had actually done that first when I bought the UTV, before I even thought about switching to lithium batteries.
  3. GNFO
    Thanks to EVSupport for the suggestion to check the 12V battery. I haven't had any problems with any of the 12V accessories including the winch, but out of curiosity I unplugged the UTV and turned off the main pack batteries (they have an on/off button, the US version doesn't have the "big red button" disconnect.) By the end of the day the 12V battery was reading 6V. The moment I turned the main pack back on I could tell it was charging the 12V battery, so the fact that I leave the UTV plugged in was masking the declining state of the 12V battery. Briefly looked for a lithium replacement because of the longer lifespan, but couldn't find one that I was sure would work with the charging designed for the lead AGM battery. So just replacing with the same.
  4. GNFO
    That's too bad. For our benefit would you mind sharing the details? Doesn't seem like it would be the batteries and there aren't really a lot of components to check, so a month seems like a long time for the dealer to troubleshoot.
  5. GNFO
    EVSupport has a better idea of the specifics, but your second sentence is essentially correct. There is a 12V system and a 48V system. How you get to 48V doesn't matter: 8 Discover lead batteries in series, two 24V batteries in series, or even just a single 48V lithium battery, it doesn't matter from just the standpoint of getting to 48V. (Total storage and available continuous amps for maximum motor power is a different matter of course). That 48V is used for the motor controller and runs the DC-DC converter for topping off the 12V battery. As I mentioned, I didn't change my 12V battery when I converted, and that was two years ago. I'll probably check the 12V battery health like EVSupport mentions, but everything has been working just fine so far.
  6. GNFO
    Getting into the area of specific battery BMS here, so probably need to go off of info from someone who has used LiTime or even better if the manufacturer has provided that information on their website or answered your questions. Although my ReLion batteries came with a charger as part of the bundle, I haven't used it since it's an external golf cart connection charger and they had also provided me with a DeltaQ algorithm built specifically for their batteries. Also, I knew that the CANbus connections between the batteries specifically enabled communication between the individual battery BMSs for auto balancing. The batteries also came with over 50% charge on them. I don't see anything on the LiTime website description about balancing over Bluetooth, but I did see that they have a new version with CAN connections although it still doesn't mention balancing. I would specifically ask them the question.
  7. GNFO
    Just like EV cars, there are 12v architecture devices (like lighting) and controllers. The 12v battery provides the startup power to the controllers, and like EVSupport said it doesn't have to be very big since the main batteries top it up through a DC to DC converter.
  8. GNFO
    No problem. I don't know how far you go for the hunting, but if you look at the very first post I did in this thread I did do one longer trip beyond my property. It was a spring day with two people, and the whole trip was in 4wd low over pretty bumpy and hilly terrain. I don't think I went over 5 mph due to the landscape. I estimate I would have had a range of about 12 miles under those conditions with my four batteries/120ah. Anything flatter and smoother should yield much better range, maybe even double or more if you can use medium or high 2wd. The rest of my usage has been just on our wooded 5 acres - fairly decent slope and hauling full loads of firewood, sometimes also towing a 500lb log splitter at the same time. Never used more than 30% of my battery during the day. I would recommend adding a digital readout gauge so you have a precise idea how much charge you have. Maybe the Bluetooth part of those LiTime batteries can take the place of that, but having the readout is nice.
  9. GNFO
    That's the way I read the specs anyway. It still seems like most batteries are only rated to 100A continuous even when they're bigger. That's why I had to wait a long time until the ReLion GC2 form factor batteries came out, so that four of them in parallel let me get up to the 400A max of the UTV motor. They were the only game in town at the time and were pretty expensive, but at least their BMS and the CANbus connections between them are first rate. The 320A combined total of those LiTime batteries is pretty good in most cases and they are considerably less expensive. And as I said, in both our cases we can add additional batteries if needed. For me, I haven't ever run my batteries below 70%, but I only run on my property and I can plug in every night.
  10. GNFO
    Depends on your situation. Total price seems about the same, but as I read the specs, it seems like the two 100ah batteries will only give you ~200A continuous output, whereas the four 30ah batteries will together provide ~320A continuous output. The four GC2 form factor batteries will also be easier to mount, since they are the same size as the existing Discover batteries (although you might have to alter the hold down plates if the tops have different protrusions). The 100ah batteries would require some kind of modifications to make them fit. I'm sure they will, but it will take some working out to do. The only advantage to the two 100ah batteries is they will provide more total power storage, so if your biggest requirement is total range on relatively flat ground, go with them. Otherwise I think the GC2s are the way to go despite the lower power storage. If you decide you need more range, you can always add up to 4 additional batteries (for a cost of course).
  11. GNFO
    I didn't change either of those and everything works just fine. I'm still using the original 12v battery.
  12. GNFO
    I would also add that it depends on the replacement batteries you select. The company I used (ReLion) had a custom algorithm they made just for their batteries and sent me the file and instructions to flash the Delta Q charger. That was all I needed to make the charger work like before.
  13. GNFO
    Out of curiosity, those batteries state a max continuous of 60A each and 100A for 10 seconds, so per just the specs you should be seeing 240A continuous and 400A for 10 sec. Are you actually getting better than that? Also, how are you fitting 4 people in that thing? 🙂
  14. GNFO
    Since it's unique to just the particular situation of starting the day at the top of a hill with a full charge, couldn't you put it in neutral and just use the brakes until you get to level ground? After that regen won't matter. That's essentially what EV cars do if they start with 100% batteries, it's just that the computer interface with the BMS is better so it's automatic. Changing the regen of the UTV would probably take a motor controller software change.
  15. GNFO
    I almost wrote that it depends on the use but I didn't want to make my comment too long. I can certainly see the need for a gas engine if you're traveling a long ways and away from civilization for days. I suppose portable solar panels and battery storage would work if you're traveling to a single campsite and are staying there for a while, but I'm not such a purist that I think that would be practical in most cases. But for local work use around a property/ranch/farm, electric is ideal.
  16. GNFO
    Don't know if you resolved this, but when I did my conversion with ReLion batteries, they actually had a custom profile for the Delta-Q charger they sent me to upload into the charger. I don't know what brand you used, but maybe check with the battery maker technical support?
  17. GNFO
    Yes, just a standard heavy duty 15a plug. It can run a little warm, so stick to heavy duty hardware. I actually completely replaced the end of mine by running it to an RV type receptacle I mounted on the right side. Just cut off the plug and wired it to the receptacle. Now i just plug an extension cord into the side of the UTV.
  18. GNFO
    It's gotten simpler since that first post now that GC2 form factor batteries are available. But to your comment, this is a one-time thing and is frankly because HiSun went with older technology batteries when it came out. Now to "fill up" I just plug in to an outlet at the end of the day. No going to the station to fill up cans of gas, no fumes, no noise, no oil changes, no maintenance issues with all the additional little parts that keep a combustion engine going and tuned up, no worry that my UTV sat too long between uses and might not start or the gas needs stabilizer. I can even run electric loads like the light bars I installed without leaving an engine running and worrying about the little 12v battery. I've even considered adding a 2000W 48v dc to ac inverter to run power tools.
  19. GNFO
    At least from what I can see, the first one doesn't ship to Australia, but maybe that's just what I see from the US with an Australian shipping location selected. What I see ships from Poland for some reason. Regarding a 50A output, that's a problem. You'd need 8 of them and space would be an issue. But maybe you're on the right path. I was wondering if something from the wild world of Alibaba might have something for Australia. It's just hard to pick good from bad and sometimes shipping has a customs or minimum order cost you can't see right away. Customer service might also be nonexistent but it depends. I bought two Tesla frunk actuator kits in 2020 from a company in Hong Kong and the guy actually answered a question I had in the middle of his nighttime. He had to do chat only because talking would wake up his wife and kid! That's more dedicated than I would be.
  20. GNFO
    Might also add that this whole thread was started by @didgeridoo, but they haven't visited the site for over a year now. Despite the name, I suspect they are in the US and not Australia but those batteries came from Bigbattery.com. They don't have an AU website and for international shipping they say you have to contact them on a case by case basis. They do seem to have more options now than when didgeridoo did the conversion and some of them could actually get up to the 400a max, just not with the GC2 form factor.
  21. GNFO
    Yeah, I already discussed this one when @HiSUNFarmboy mentioned it earlier in this thread. That recall was 1-1/2 years ago and they had already fixed the problem just before I bought my batteries. Unfortunately I think ReLion only had a distributor agreement with RJ for Australia. I'm guessing the logistics and cost of getting lithium batteries into Australia is "challenging" for various reasons. Probably why ReLion had to use a distributor in country instead of selling directly, or why the battery lineup on the LiTime website is so much more limited in the Australian version vs the USA version. I don't know if HiSUNFarmboy found an alternative, since he's on your side of the world. Seems like you, him, and @mark walkom are all dealing with the same roadblock. A year and a half ago here in the US it took me a while to find batteries that could be put together for 400a continuous. There are multiple alternatives available here now, but unfortunately the Australian market seems to be lagging. Not much help, I know. You actually have an importation problem instead of a technical problem! Osney's solution might work for you if you can find a surplus/salvage Low Speed Vehicle (that might just be a US term) or EV battery, but from a technical standpoint it's not for the faint of heart.
  22. GNFO
    Well, at least you got a definitive answer - even if it is that they are covering their legal behinds. Doesn't help you, but I don't think they're looking to the future. As "applications" go, powering a UTV isn't much of a stretch beyond their original intent of golf carts. I don't think the other battery you mentioned is much of an improvement on theirs. If you are at the point of having to pick something right now, 200A will work most of the time, but steep slopes with a heavy load might be challenging.
  23. GNFO
    Don't have a lot of examples of 200a batteries, but from what I've seen here none of the 100a (or lower) batteries seem to advertise a limit to just the amps of a single battery. It is probably why some (like the ones I use) will bother to say what maximum number of their batteries can be wired in parallel. Since Giant does advertise that up to four of their 200a batteries can be wired in parallel, that's why I would want to actually ask a technician from their company instead of just a customer representative. Exchange emails with someone who actually knows the internal logic of their BMS.
  24. GNFO
    It is possible that this manufacturer has decided to program its BMS this way to limit their liability. I found this article to be helpful: https://www.master-instruments.com.au/tech-talk-article/3/explaining-the-limits-of-lifepo4-batteries-in-parallel.html On its own, there shouldn't be a limit to parallel batteries increasing the available amps, but manufacturers can be worried about variations in individual batteries leading to an overdraw on the better performing battery. If all the batteries in parallel have the functionality for their BMS to communicate with each other, you wouldn't need to worry about charge balancing and such. My 48V ReLion batteries have a CANbus system for that precise purpose, although they still limit the number of parallel batteries to 8. If what the manufacturer of the batteries you're looking at is saying is true, they don't do that and are minimizing their warranty risk. If you have no other options, 200a will work (and I see they allow a surge of 400a for 5 seconds), but you might have to go slower on the hills. The original Discover batteries only shows a max continuous of 100a (for 88 minutes), although I was able to find info elsewhere that they have a max discharge of 1050a for 5 sec. Can't really tell how long they could theoretically put out 400a, but I doubt it's for long. Of course, the Giant rep may also not really understand what they're talking about and are playing it safe. Maybe ask for further information from an actual engineering contact in the company? Just not sure if the person you talked to was only customer service with a set of info sheets in front of them.
  25. GNFO
    That looks pretty good as long as you can make it fit. Two of them would give you a lot of range. Just make sure you get bigger cables to parallel them so they can handle to current. I doubt the regen is capable of 400A. That's the max the motor can take as an input, so regen is going to be no more than ~60% of that max due to different losses in the system. Probably even less than that, and I would guess the motor controller would limit the regen anyway because the old Discover batteries wouldn't have been able to handle it.

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