Ecoflow power kit and gadget John you tube videos

[mistericeman]

Like the old saying for anyone in the spotlight famouse or wanna bees especially YouTubers any drama good or bad is a good day it gets them views and in return they get paid. YouTube is flooded with these people who now have all run out of content and cutting each other’s grass to make a living out of YouTube so if somebody farts the wrong way they make a video stick on YouTube with a sparkling of clickbait.. For one I now don’t watch any of it it’s all so repetitive. Some of them wanna just give motorhming up. If I had half the dramas and bad luck that guys got had I’d never look at a Motorhome again.

I have an attention span of about half a nano second for 99.99 % of the whole motorhome thing on YouTube etc ....

By and large it's repetitive stuff pored over usually by someone that frankly is more interested in their own opinion of how brilliant something is (usually after being given whatever it is by the manufacturer of said item )than a plain unbiased review ...
Some have presentation skills so polished it makes watching paint dry worthwhile .
As for ANY that contain "Vanlife" etc in the title or in the narration ...

To be honest it just feels like it's all been done to death now and folks are just scratching over the left overs ....
To be honest YouTube seems to be losing ground rapidly to tiktok etc ...

 

[1 Cup]

well ..... I avoid Click Bait. So not always a way in. And if I find a Video title WAS Click Bait, I don't bother with that channel again.

These people should be in the money ! Campervan vlog with good content and pet = 45000 if it's click bait or a big pair of ... or acttacted in van = 100000. I never go into the history I just look for my investment to turn a instrest . News channle = Richard vobes 2023 changed content January 2023 to news now has nearly 100000 views per vlog. @ 5 a week .500000 I'm now watch 5 a week at average 10 mins. Im Liked and subscribed
in December 2022 with 20000 max veiws per vlog at 1 a week.from mr vobes.

 

[Admin]

As a complete moron on this stuff maybe you should do the maths for us please?

I use EcoFlow a lot and I’d like this made a bit clearer if that’s ok with you Phil.

John's issue was with a cable provided with an EcoFlow Power Kit. There are no issues with the EcoFlow power banks.

Not sure if this is clearer, but this is a full explanation.


The battery-to-battery charger inside the Power Kit is rated at 1000 watts.

The input voltage should be between 13.2v and 14.2v depending on the alternator and state of charge of the leisure battery. With a SMART alternator, it could be down to 12v before the ECU starts charging again. For this calculation, I will range from 12v to 14.6v, which should give the extremes on most vehicles.

1000 watts / 12 volts = 83.33 Amps.
1000 watts / 14.6 volts = 68.49 Amps
The expected current draw is between 68.49 Amps and 83.33 Amps, not 60 Amps.

When calculating cable, you must remember that you fuse for the load and cable for the fuse:

Max load = 83.33 Amps. This means that the fuse must have a greater value than 83.33 Amps. Midi and Mega fuses come in 80A, which is too small, then the next size is 100A.

Fuse size = 100A. This means that the cable must be able to carry more than 100A so that the fuse blows before the cable fails. If this cable is not in free air and can dissipate heat (like being enclosed with other cables), it would need to be 25mm2 to carry 100A.

Cable size = 25mm2. Now we have a problem in that this cable is fixed at 6 metres long, which with a 25mm2 cable would have a 6.42% voltage drop (0.77v). The charger is a B2B so the lower voltage won't matter to the charging, but it will matter to the charge sensing. The Power Kit does not have a separate input to signal that the engine is running, so it relies on reading the starter battery voltage. Let us say that the Power Kit B2B engages at 13.8v and disengages at 13.2v which is common. As the B2B starts charging, it could drop the sensed battery voltage to 13.03v and disengage the charger. The voltage would then rise, and it would cycle again, and again, and again. To solve this possible issue, the cable size should be increased to 50mm2.

Hopefully, this has answered the question of whether 13mm2 fits the purpose in this case.

PS

If we went for 13.2v as the lowest charging voltage for the B2B, it still works out at 50mm2 cable for voltage drop.

 

[Admin]

These people should be in the money ! Campervan vlog with good content and pet = 45000 if it's click bait or a big pair of ... or acttacted in van = 100000. I never go into the history I just look for my investment to turn a instrest . News channle = Richard vobes 2023 changed content January 2023 to news now has nearly 100000 views per vlog. @ 5 a week .500000 I'm now watch 5 a week at average 10 mins. Im Liked and subscribed
in December 2022 with 20000 max veiws per vlog at 1 a week.from mr vobes.

Video views mean nothing; you can buy 10,000,000 views for a video, you can buy likes, and you can buy comments. This is why YouTube is ONLY interested in audience retention, or how long people watch your video. Clickbait videos often have bad retention, and so do not get paid much. Youtube does not pay you based on how many people click on your thumbnail. It is far more complicated than that.

 

[wildebus]

....
Cable size = 25mm2. Now we have a problem in that this cable is fixed at 6 metres long, which with a 25mm2 cable would have a 6.42% voltage drop (0.77v). The charger is a B2B so the lower voltage won't matter to the charging, but it will matter to the charge sensing. The Power Kit does not have a separate input to signal that the engine is running, so it relies on reading the starter battery voltage. Let us say that the Power Kit B2B engages at 13.8v and disengages at 13.2v which is common. As the B2B starts charging, it could drop the sensed battery voltage to 13.03v and disengage the charger. The voltage would then rise, and it would cycle again, and again, and again. To solve this possible issue, the cable size should be increased to 50mm2.

Hopefully, this has answered the question of whether 13mm2 fits the purpose in this case.

PS

If we went for 13.2v as the lowest charging voltage for the B2B, it still works out at 50mm2 cable for voltage drop.

It seems a strange design choice to have a B2B input on a quality bit of kit that solely relies on supply voltage level sensing to engage and disengage. Apart from getting potentially very incorrect info on the real Starter Battery/Alternator voltage level, it would suggest that there is no way of controlling if the B2B comes on should you happen to put a battery charger on the Starter Battery. (I've had that issue in the past with a Redarc charger which was voltage-sensing only and where charging the Starter Battery actually drained it down for a few hours as the Mains Charger connected to the starter was smaller than the B2B).
Are you sure there is no control input that would/could be used for B2B activation? I really would have expected something there you could connect a switch, an ignition line or a D+ signal to.

As a general comment, I think a 6M cable for the B2B seems rather excessive for the installation talked about. Looking at the location position of the components, I would have thought a 4M cable set would certainly be long enough including the various routings. I don't know if this pre-made cable was special in terms of connections? I am sure one (LB) end was proprietry, but the other (SB) end will likely be Ring Terminals and easily remade after shortening. Having a shorter cable would make a significant difference in what cable size was needed.
Ignoring the supplied cable gauge, do Ecoflow have cable length options or is it a "one size fits all" setup regardless of installation?

Something I did wonder also regarding the cable supplied... I understand this kit is all made and supplied in China? Now when you get the typical Inverter from China with DC Cables, not only do the cables tend to be a bit undersized, the actual quality of the cable itself is often poor, and very often copper-coated Aluminim rather than pure copper, which in itself means the cable can carry less than the 'real stuff'. What is the Ecoflow B2B cable made of?

 

[Admin]

It seems a strange design choice to have a B2B input on a quality bit of kit that solely relies on supply voltage level sensing to engage and disengage. Apart from getting potentially very incorrect info on the real Starter Battery/Alternator voltage level, it would suggest that there is no way of controlling if the B2B comes on should you happen to put a battery charger on the Starter Battery. (I've had that issue in the past with a Redarc charger which was voltage-sensing only and where charging the Starter Battery actually drained it down for a few hours as the Mains Charger connected to the starter was smaller than the B2B).
Are you sure there is no control input that would/could be used for B2B activation? I really would have expected something there you could connect a switch, an ignition line or a D+ signal to.

As a general comment, I think a 6M cable for the B2B seems rather excessive for the installation talked about. Looking at the location position of the components, I would have thought a 4M cable set would certainly be long enough including the various routings. I don't know if this pre-made cable was special in terms of connections? I am sure one (LB) end was proprietry, but the other (SB) end will likely be Ring Terminals and easily remade after shortening. Having a shorter cable would make a significant difference in what cable size was needed.
Ignoring the supplied cable gauge, do Ecoflow have cable length options or is it a "one size fits all" setup regardless of installation?

Something I did wonder also regarding the cable supplied... I understand this kit is all made and supplied in China? Now when you get the typical Inverter from China with DC Cables, not only do the cables tend to be a bit undersized, the actual quality of the cable itself is often poor, and very often copper-coated Aluminim rather than pure copper, which in itself means the cable can carry less than the 'real stuff'. What is the Ecoflow B2B cable made of?

Some of the questions you have asked here I asked at the product launch.

Q. Is there no signal cable for D+ or ignition?
A. No, the unit is clever and works it out.

Q. Can you limit the current for smaller alternators?
A. Yes, you can do this in the settings.

Q. Can you shorten or extend the B2B cable? (In Steve Radford's Kontiki, they are 11 Metres long)
A. No, you can only use the official B2B cable, and you cannot adjust it.

And this cable does not come with the kit you have to buy it for £120.

 

[Boris7]

John's issue was with a cable provided with an EcoFlow Power Kit. There are no issues with the EcoFlow power banks.

Not sure if this is clearer, but this is a full explanation.


The battery-to-battery charger inside the Power Kit is rated at 1000 watts.

View attachment 117849

The input voltage should be between 13.2v and 14.2v depending on the alternator and state of charge of the leisure battery. With a SMART alternator, it could be down to 12v before the ECU starts charging again. For this calculation, I will range from 12v to 14.6v, which should give the extremes on most vehicles.

1000 watts / 12 volts = 83.33 Amps.
1000 watts / 14.6 volts = 68.49 Amps
The expected current draw is between 68.49 Amps and 83.33 Amps, not 60 Amps.

When calculating cable, you must remember that you fuse for the load and cable for the fuse:

Max load = 83.33 Amps. This means that the fuse must have a greater value than 83.33 Amps. Midi and Mega fuses come in 80A, which is too small, then the next size is 100A.

Fuse size = 100A. This means that the cable must be able to carry more than 100A so that the fuse blows before the cable fails. If this cable is not in free air and can dissipate heat (like being enclosed with other cables), it would need to be 25mm2 to carry 100A.

Cable size = 25mm2. Now we have a problem in that this cable is fixed at 6 metres long, which with a 25mm2 cable would have a 6.42% voltage drop (0.77v). The charger is a B2B so the lower voltage won't matter to the charging, but it will matter to the charge sensing. The Power Kit does not have a separate input to signal that the engine is running, so it relies on reading the starter battery voltage. Let us say that the Power Kit B2B engages at 13.8v and disengages at 13.2v which is common. As the B2B starts charging, it could drop the sensed battery voltage to 13.03v and disengage the charger. The voltage would then rise, and it would cycle again, and again, and again. To solve this possible issue, the cable size should be increased to 50mm2.

Hopefully, this has answered the question of whether 13mm2 fits the purpose in this case.

PS

If we went for 13.2v as the lowest charging voltage for the B2B, it still works out at 50mm2 cable for voltage drop.

Perfect explanation of why I always go to Allen at RoadPro for any electrical installation on any of my vehicles

I did ask Trev for advice before my recent solar/lithium and inverter upgrades but as much as I’m sure he knew what he was talking about Allen was easier, just dropped the van in and it came back all done.

 

[trevskoda]

A over complicated bit of kit and well over priced, but then some folk a gadget people and love being in the mire, my sys works 100% and is so easy to do with a length of battery cable a relay and switch, no fly by wire cr-p here.

 

[wildebus]

Some of the questions you have asked here I asked at the product launch.

Q. Is there no signal cable for D+ or ignition?
A. No, the unit is clever and works it out.

Q. Can you limit the current for smaller alternators?
A. Yes, you can do this in the settings.

Q. Can you shorten or extend the B2B cable? (In Steve Radford's Kontiki, they are 11 Metres long)
A. No, you can only use the official B2B cable, and you cannot adjust it.

And this cable does not come with the kit you have to buy it for £120.

I don't think the unit is that clever actually. I think it is a poor bit of design in that aspect.
What gauge is the Radford cable?

Got to say, every new snippet of info I hear and read about the Ecoflow kit makes me think less and less of it

 

[Admin]

I don't think the unit is that clever actually. I think it is a poor bit of design in that aspect.
What gauge is the Radford cable?

Got to say, every new snippet of info I hear and read about the Ecoflow kit makes me think less and less of it

Steve has two 30A Victron Orions running on 70mm2 cables. His van has a smart alternator so I used D+ to enable the Orions.

 

[mark61]

A over complicated bit of kit and well over priced, but then some folk a gadget people and love being in the mire, my sys works 100% and is so easy to do with a length of battery cable a relay and switch, no fly by wire cr-p here.

Over complicated and overpriced, compared to what? Other portable power banks?

 

[Admin]

Over complicated and overpriced, compared to what? Other portable power banks?

We are not talking about a portable power bank; the Power Kit is a hardwired power system for vans and buildings:

EcoFlow Power Kits for RV & Off-Grid | EcoFlow

Ecoflow Power Kits are modular power solutions made for your RV, off-grid build, or anywhere you need complete customization and easy setup.

www.ecoflow.com

 

[wildebus]

Steve has two 30A Victron Orions running on 70mm2 cables. His van has a smart alternator so I used D+ to enable the Orions.

I thought you meant he had the Ecoflow kit installed. He stayed Victron didn't he? Wise move.
Taking the 70mm2 cables to Busbars so you can drop down to the piddly cable the Orions can accept then?

You staying 'Team Blue' for the new van build?

 

[1 Cup]

My victron b2b

Steve has two 30A Victron Orions running on 70mm2 cables. His van has a smart alternator so I used D+ to enable the Orions.

has never put out 30amp for more then 3 mins drops down to 23 amp ish at 40%lb

 

[Admin]

I thought you meant he had the Ecoflow kit installed. He stayed Victron didn't he? Wise move.
Taking the 70mm2 cables to Busbars so you can drop down to the piddly cable the Orions can accept then?

You staying 'Team Blue' for the new van build?

I took 70mm2 to the blue sea isolator, then came off that with two fused 16mm2 cables.

Yes, I am staying with team blue. I am going to do a post soon about the electrical system.

 

[Admin]

My victron b2b


has never put out 30amp for more then 3 mins drops down to 23 amp ish at 40%lb

You need a cooling fan on it.

 

[Reikiman]

i’ve set my van up 240 volt wise, a 13 amp plug to plug into the ecoflow delta 2 the lead from this goes to a 2 pole change over switch, the other lead coming out of the change over switch is connected to the hookup lead, these are the two 240 volts into switch, obviously not at the same time, the load from the switch then goes into a 240 volt consumer unit this serves several sockets, so if i’m wild camping i turn the switch to ecoflow supply this enables me to have 240 volts, then if i choose to visit a campsite with electric hookup i can the switch the change over switch an 240 system will work off that, also enabling me to charge the ecoflow up to full capacity in aprox 1 hr 1/2, yes the are quite expensive but i converted my van, so this was my mindset from the beginning ,

 

[Nabsim]

Like the old saying for anyone in the spotlight famouse or wanna bees especially YouTubers any drama good or bad is a good day it gets them views and in return they get paid. YouTube is flooded with these people who now have all run out of content and cutting each other’s grass to make a living out of YouTube so if somebody farts the wrong way they make a video stick on YouTube with a sparkling of clickbait.. For one I now don’t watch any of it it’s all so repetitive. Some of them wanna just give motorhming up. If I had half the dramas and bad luck that guys got had I’d never look at a Motorhome again.

It’s really amazing how so many of them recently had a night in a supermarket car park or think how good the Delta2/River2 whichever one really is.
One bit in Johns video though it’s an unknown (at least to me) brand of power Bank that would run his van on 12v during the changeover.
I do like the thinking behind the power wall stuff, someone with absolutely no knowledge should be able to fit the system to their house or van. Just needs the teething problems sorting I guess. While to a lot of us it is overpriced I expect there is a market waiting for it to break in to. Don’t forget places like America you can get an A class van cheaper than a Sprinter conversion. Over here most of us realise they are builders vans

 

[Nabsim]

My victron b2b


has never put out 30amp for more then 3 mins drops down to 23 amp ish at 40%lb

Yours is going into Lithium isn’t it? Should put out max til full. My Votronic certainly throws full amps with engine running, have seen 39amps on the BVM but that will be with some solar as well

 

[QFour]

I have an attention span of about half a nano second for 99.99 % of the whole motorhome thing on YouTube etc ....

By and large it's repetitive stuff pored over usually by someone that frankly is more interested in their own opinion of how brilliant something is (usually after being given whatever it is by the manufacturer of said item )than a plain unbiased review ...
Some have presentation skills so polished it makes watching paint dry worthwhile .
As for ANY that contain "Vanlife" etc in the title or in the narration ...

To be honest it just feels like it's all been done to death now and folks are just scratching over the left overs ....
To be honest YouTube seems to be losing ground rapidly to tiktok etc ...

I have to agree the YouTube videos are getting to be very boring. Every man / woman / other and his dog / cat etc seem to have a video channel with various tips, trips and disasters.