BigSwede
The Credible Hulk
http://store.starkpower.com/12V-50A...ttery-LiFePO-Energy-Storage-Battery_p_42.html
12V LiFePO4 (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) battery, 50 amp-hours.
There are a lot of pluses here:
- 16.2 pounds for 50 ah!
- 2,000 cycles at 80% draw down
- because these can be drawn way down without damage, equivalent to a much larger ah rating AGM battery.
- "Expect 8-10 years of battery life that will reduce your operating cost by half compared to lead acid."
There are some minuses too:
- $499 at present, presumably will come down in time.
- Charging issues to be resolved: "It is best for the "UltraEnergy" battery not to be trickle charged but to use advance chargers that turns OFF charging current when the battery is completely charged at 14.6V. StarkPower sells "Smart" chargers for lithium batteries. Using lead acid chargers that charges up to 16V, along with leaving them ON, will damage the Lithium battery over extended time." So just hooking up to the alternator might not be a good idea. The smart chargers shown on their site are all 120V, we would need a 12V version.
- Not recommended for engine starting applications, not sure why, so you might need a lead-acid battery for starting duties. A standard simple battery isolator system might not work with a lead-acid (AGM or otherwise) starting battery and a LiFePO4 house battery combo.
12V LiFePO4 (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) battery, 50 amp-hours.
There are a lot of pluses here:
- 16.2 pounds for 50 ah!
- 2,000 cycles at 80% draw down
- because these can be drawn way down without damage, equivalent to a much larger ah rating AGM battery.
- "Expect 8-10 years of battery life that will reduce your operating cost by half compared to lead acid."
There are some minuses too:
- $499 at present, presumably will come down in time.
- Charging issues to be resolved: "It is best for the "UltraEnergy" battery not to be trickle charged but to use advance chargers that turns OFF charging current when the battery is completely charged at 14.6V. StarkPower sells "Smart" chargers for lithium batteries. Using lead acid chargers that charges up to 16V, along with leaving them ON, will damage the Lithium battery over extended time." So just hooking up to the alternator might not be a good idea. The smart chargers shown on their site are all 120V, we would need a 12V version.
- Not recommended for engine starting applications, not sure why, so you might need a lead-acid battery for starting duties. A standard simple battery isolator system might not work with a lead-acid (AGM or otherwise) starting battery and a LiFePO4 house battery combo.
