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Thread: Solar voltage?

  1. #11
    LHBA Member StressMan79's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LowKey View Post
    While I have NO real world, hands on experience with them, on paper I rather like NiFe batteries. They're spendy and have poor power to weight ratio compared to lead acid batteries (and they cost more than 3 times as much but I like that they're far more tolerant of mistakes/abuse and that they have an obnoxiously long service life.
    +discharge@1.4v/cell but charge@1.71v/cell, that means that for every watt you make, you only get out 1.4/1.71=82% watts. That and your equipment has to operate through a wide range of voltages. Most eqipment is made to run on much smaller variations from lead/acid. I went with golf cart batteries.

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  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by LowKey View Post
    While I have NO real world, hands on experience with them, on paper I rather like NiFe batteries. They're spendy and have poor power to weight ratio compared to lead acid batteries (and they cost more than 3 times as much but I like that they're far more tolerant of mistakes/abuse and that they have an obnoxiously long service life.
    I like them, too. ironedison.com is a US company that sells them for a lot. They have a US competitor who sells for the nearly identical price.

    I found a company in China that sells what looks like the exact same cell, except for the IronEdison logo. So I shopped alibaba.com and found another Chinese company (Seawill), and the cost is about half of IronEdison's price before shipping.

    Out to squeeze every last nickel, I calculated how many Chinese Yuan they'll get for the dollars quoted. Have you noted the exchange rate shifted recently? If it is to my advantage when I'm ready to buy, I plan to reduce the price a little, maybe 5%, compute how many yuan that is (using the rate at the time of the last quote), and offer them that. Of course, I'll be buying those yuan for fewer dollars if the exchange rate is going my way.

    I have yet to hear of anyone saying their NiFe batteries were spent or used up or reached the end of their useful life. I'm focused hard on getting that kind of battery, and while the 30% tax credits are still in effect (until 12/31/2019)

  3. #13
    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
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    Harbor Freight makes a drill that looks just like the Milwaukee Hole Hawg which costs twice as much. Of course, it doesn't hold up to the real thing in any regards.

    Just because it looks like a ____________ doesn't mean it's a ____________.
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

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  4. #14
    LHBA Member BoFuller's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rreidnauer View Post
    Harbor Freight makes a drill that looks just like the Milwaukee Hole Hawg which costs twice as much. Of course, it doesn't hold up to the real thing in any regards.

    Just because it looks like a ____________ doesn't mean it's a ____________.
    Ditto Bro, ditto.

  5. #15
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    That HF drill might do the job just fine to build a house or two (personal experience here). Those HF style batteries need to last as long as the real batteries to be a bargain.
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by rreidnauer View Post
    Just because it looks like a ____________ doesn't mean it's a ____________.
    You are quite right, Rod. But I do know that none are being manufactured in the US, so those US sellers are getting NiFe batteries from overseas. I suspect there is a hefty profit in those published US prices, so the lower Chinese price is credible.

  7. #17
    LHBA Member Timber's Avatar
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    Well try and find who the best China manuf. of batteries you can buy. A good search on google with some reading might do the trick. Find the best batteries ...then find who makes them.

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