Drop Ins with Bluetooth

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

in the end it comes down to fear and money

Agreed, so I have just chipped some more money and gone for the Bluetooth model because it will mean I can monitor closely the state of charge used by the trolling motor on our dinghy.

Pete

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by fourlyons

How important is it to pay extra for a drop in with Bluetooth, if it's a sealed case and unrepairable? And I assume I want Bluetooth data that gives me individual cell data?

Never buying another one of these again.

Had a brand new one go dead and when I tore it down found it was the BMS that was bad and had killed one cell out of eight and scrapped the battery. Manufacturer did not want to know about it for a warranty claim.

If you are going to buy them rather than a component build, make sure it's one where you can access the BMS and cells without destroying the case.

[SOLAR SUPPORT]

Since the cells and BMS of drop-in LFP batteries are generally not sufficient for excessive current needs, small capacity LFP batteries are connected in parallel as a solution to this problem. However, it is clear that as the number of parallel batteries increases, the possibility of experiencing balance problems related to the use of these batteries increases in the future.

Apart from the balance of the cells within the battery, the possibility of balance problems between the batteries increases. I think that the choices of large and smart bms, largest cell, largest battery, and least number of parallel battery arrays have advantages in this respect.

Even though sealing is not as important for LFP batteries as it is for LA chemistry, it is a necessary feature for the marine environment. However, this feature should not prevent access to the cell and BMS inside the battery. It is not easy to find a drop-in battery with an openable cover and leak-proof box.

[JimStarkey]

Originally Posted by fourlyons

How important is it to pay extra for a drop in with Bluetooth, if it's a sealed case and unrepairable? And I assume I want Bluetooth data that gives me individual cell data?

The Epoch Bluetooth app gives lowest cell, highest cell, and difference. But batteries with Bluetooth communications generally have CANbus communication as well which can feed state of charge to voltage regulators, monitors, etc. And while you may not want or need them now, you may sooner or later. Is it worth an extra $100 per battery? For me, it was.

[BAD ORCA]

I think Blue Tooth is nice for three reasons.

First, it gives you setting options you might not otherwise have access to although Victron negates a lot of this with their devices being so customizable.

Second, it can show you an accurate state of charge which is useful to compare with shunts and monitors to make sure they are accurate.

Third, it gives cell level voltage and temperatures which may be useful in spotting a potential problem with a particular cell early. It may not be important for weekend sailor or sailors who stay close to civilization, but maybe useful if your about to set out across an ocean on an extended trip.

I believe the Epoch app will seperate the batteries and give you individual battery data even if they are in parallel or series packs, contrary to what another poster mentioned earlier.

[NautiBits]

Here are pix of the Bluetooth app for the Epoch batteries, two 300ah in parallel.
Added the Victron BMV and solar snips as well. No CerboGX, yet!