5376Wh LIPO battery and 5kw split phase inverter/charger from China for $1958 - good deal???

I attached the spec sheets.

I already have some mppt charge controllers so I don't need that.

What do ya'll think of these? I don't think I'll have to much trouble setting the charge voltage parameters around 51.2V

What do you think? This seems to be the "normal chinese inverter" I see everywhere with some slight changes. People seem to have pretty good luck with them.

50A AC charge would be a big improvement over my lead acids. I like the build in BMS as well.

Anybody bought something like this? Any thoughts before I pull the trigger?

Seller is ZLpower

price breakdown:

$440 - 5kw inverter

48v 105ah batttery $1195

Shipping, taxes, tarrifs - $329
 

Attachments

autostaretx

Erratic Member
The only issue i see in the inverter spec sheet is the operating environment.... (but reasonable with LiFePO4): its low end is 0C.
So if you're trying to run overnight and the temperature dips below freezing, what happens?
(a) inverter's self-generated heat keeps it happy?
(b) it shuts down (which the BMS may do for you)?
(c) is it willing to still bypass (feed from shore power) below freezing?

--dick
 

HarryN

Well-known member
There are a number of low cost inverters on the market. Typically they are designed to power resistive loads and not as effective for inductive loads. (motors / induction cook tops)
 
There are a number of low cost inverters on the market. Typically they are designed to power resistive loads and not as effective for inductive loads. (motors / induction cook tops)
I may be misunderstanding you but this is a LF pure sine inverter so it should excel at those tasks.
 
The only issue i see in the inverter spec sheet is the operating environment.... (but reasonable with LiFePO4): its low end is 0C.
So if you're trying to run overnight and the temperature dips below freezing, what happens?
(a) inverter's self-generated heat keeps it happy?
(b) it shuts down (which the BMS may do for you)?
(c) is it willing to still bypass (feed from shore power) below freezing?

--dick
Is it frowned upon to keep these in the climate controlled living area? What about insulating a storage container under the body and run a vent from the cab or place a heating pad underneath. The spec sheet says the bms reduces charging at 0C
 

marklg

Well-known member
Those batteries certainly do look interesting. I see a lot of similar ones out of China in the $750 - $800 range. The only concerning thing is that the 48V ones are about the same price as the 24V ones which are specified at half the Watt hours but not half the size. Unfortunately, I have seen batteries specified where they add the amp hours of the four 12V packs together, which is incorrect. So, make sure with an external monitor that you are actually getting the Watt hours specified. It's basically 1/4 the price of the Battleborns and similar, so that is somewhat concerning. I'd be much more comfortable with a US distributor that it could be returned to cheaply if there is an issue. I've come to believe that you can get good stuff out of China if you "know a guy". Otherwise, it is hit and miss.

Regards,

Mark
 

HarryN

Well-known member
I may be misunderstanding you but this is a LF pure sine inverter so it should excel at those tasks.
In theory yes, but it is common for low end inverters to just be poor at most tasks.

The reason that this happens is that pretty much anyone can have these factories slap any label desired on pretty much any inverter.

There is an EE on youtube that reviews inverters as hobby. It started from being frustrated with a purchase of a low cost inverter, opening it up, and then making a video of what was wrong with it and fixing it.

IMHO, imported inverter specs are the closest thing that there is to consumer fraud, but they manage to keep sliding through the cracks.

Here is an example of a 4 kW inverter that will actually run at 4 kW. It is called a "5000" but that is the volt-amps rating, now watts. That is actually a very decent price for a 4 kW / 48 volt inverter charger. IMHO, it is the inverter that Victron built their brand on, as the rest of their stuff is kind of average.


I don't usually use Victron components in my product builds, but that one is an exception. In fact I have one on the shelf in the box and paid more than that when I purchased it.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
There are a number of low cost inverters on the market. Typically they are designed to power resistive loads and not as effective for inductive loads. (motors / induction cook tops)
The "power factor 1.0" is the technical way of saying "pure resistive"
However it's an *output* statement, meaning that the inverter is trying to do a good job.
It does not necessarily mean that the inverter will do a bad job on inductive loads.

From your posted spec sheet:

InvertPF.png

--dick
 
In theory yes, but it is common for low end inverters to just be poor at most tasks.

The reason that this happens is that pretty much anyone can have these factories slap any label desired on pretty much any inverter.

There is an EE on youtube that reviews inverters as hobby. It started from being frustrated with a purchase of a low cost inverter, opening it up, and then making a video of what was wrong with it and fixing it.

IMHO, imported inverter specs are the closest thing that there is to consumer fraud, but they manage to keep sliding through the cracks.

Here is an example of a 4 kW inverter that will actually run at 4 kW. It is called a "5000" but that is the volt-amps rating, now watts. That is actually a very decent price for a 4 kW / 48 volt inverter charger. IMHO, it is the inverter that Victron built their brand on, as the rest of their stuff is kind of average.


I don't usually use Victron components in my product builds, but that one is an exception. In fact I have one on the shelf in the box and paid more than that when I purchased it.

Your telling me I can get a better inverter for 6x the price? Sorry, I don't mean to me a smart ass - just teasin ya. That is a very nice inverter I was just hoping to find something that would work for less. I can't see myself spending $10k on a lithium solar setup, at that point I may as well just use a generator.
 

HarryN

Well-known member
Your telling me I can get a better inverter for 6x the price? Sorry, I don't mean to me a smart ass - just teasin ya. That is a very nice inverter I was just hoping to find something that would work for less. I can't see myself spending $10k on a lithium solar setup, at that point I may as well just use a generator.
I guess what I am saying is that you would be better off buying a quality 1 kW inverter for under $1K than that one, or perhaps a good 2 kW inverter for $1500. Just MHO. For $500 you can always buy and toss it in a few months as needed.
 

borabora

Well-known member
Are you sure your solar charge controller supports 48V? Most do 12/24V but many fewer support 48V charging. For that matter, what is the nominal voltage of your solar array because most charge controllers can reduce voltage and only few can boost it. You need a serial configuration of panels to support ~58V. Not a big deal but keep it in mind.
Regarding the battery pack. It's probably fine. In past discounted packs from China have been built with used cells but they nonetheless work. Internal wiring and the BMS are guaranteed to not be of premium quality. I think that's okay if 1) you are not planning on pushing the discharge and charge parameters of the pack to the limit and 2) you are willing to service it yourself if something goes wrong. You are not very likely to receive satisfying warranty service if something goes wrong in 6 months.
Cheap inverters usually work fine with simple loads, good input voltage and when not pushed near their limits. But if it does break down you are probably SOL.
 

Top Bottom