Sailing Jibseavideo
LITHIUM UPGRADE: POWERING EXPEDITION SAILBOAT FOR ENDLESS ADVENTURE (AND APPLIANCES) - Ep 216
November 24, 2024 · 20 min · 22K views
What this video covers
The crew of the aluminum expedition sailboat Gypsy 2 upgraded their electrical system from 1,000 amp-hours of AGM batteries to a 1,120 amp-hour lithium bank, consisting of four 280-amp-hour Leetime batteries.0:44 To ensure longevity, the installation includes a low-temperature cutoff feature and a redundant 210-amp-hour AGM starter battery.2:16 The charging setup utilizes two Victron isolated DC-to-DC chargers for alternator input and three MPPT controllers for solar, which are networked to communicate.11:42 Before connecting the lithium batteries in parallel, the crew charged each unit individually to 100% using solar power and allowed them to sync for 24 hours.6:00 The installation routes the negative leads through a shunt to ensure accurate monitoring of current draw.10:38 This increased capacity supports several high-draw AC appliances, including a 1,350-watt espresso machine, a 900-watt air fryer, and an 1,100-watt immersion blender, all powered through an inverter.14:02 The upgrade allows for deeper discharge cycles compared to the previous AGM setup while maintaining off-grid independence.1:28
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