Racer

Hi P Are these items still on the market, if so would you consider selling the 5 Kw Microcare Inverter separately?

Anyone have a Microcare 5Kw 48v Inverter in good order for sale

Hi W I am looking for a Microcare 5kw 48v inverter. Your ad is old but maybe you still have one for sale, let me know? many thanks

Hi Deon What size, dimensions and price is a Mason 280 battery enclosure sincerely Racer

I am looking for a Daly Smart BMS Touch Display, LBSA used to sell them, does anyone have one for sale? Racer

Hi Ian, Are the 16 cells and BMS still available & asking price? I am interested thanks, Racer

Many thanks

Looking for a Microcare Battery Monitor Sensor like this one, 200 or 400 amp. Anyone perhaps have a spare or unused one they would part with?

Microcare MPPT 60 or 100A, 48v. Firmware for Lithium Battery

Hi 20VT, A long shot, almost a year ago, do you still have the60A Microcare MPPT for sale?

@Andy Y Hi, nice to hear from you. Good move to the Natal Midlands, nice climate and it is the Garden province. I actually changed direction once I found out more about the modular design of the Victron which required add-ons to get it working properly and the extra expensive cable to connect to the PC. I then decided on a MicroCare unit which has a built in display, is easy to set-up and importantly made in RSA. I went the LifePo4 do it yourself route and followed what others have done, using a smart BMS and it seems to work like a charm so far. I have no PV panels either, but will get some at a future date. I am sure my installation will also see me "till the end of time". Fortunately our estate saw fit to allow roof panels and a number have installed them and are happy with the setups.

@LouisvdwI wish to thank you ever so much for your patience and being prepared to provide useful advice to my query on a Victron inverter and batteries a month or more ago. I also thank other forum members who responded to my request with input. I finally decided to purchase a 3 Kw MicroCare Inverter from PE and 16 x LifePo4 cells from Lithium Batteries with a Smart BMS. The MicroCare charge/voltage settings used were recommended by Bain of Lithium Batteries. I installed the unit and the battery pack and commissioned it on 2020-10-20. It has worked for a month without problem and the batteries charge back to 100% after use without hassle. I have no interconnect between the inverter and BMS/batteries and all seems well. I attach photo's of the installation fyi. Take care.

Louisvdw Many thanks for answering my numerous questions, I have a few more to ask if possible: The non GX Multiplus with a DIY LifePo4 works for you. The Cerbo GX add-on comes at 5k+, can I avoid buying it or is it a must have for the Raspberry Pi? Where does your Pi connect to? As I am not going the Pylontech route, I would not need the VE.Can to Can-Bus BMS cable. I would actually like to get away with just the Multiplus and the MK3 cable and not have GX at this stage and use the "DIY" LifePo4, will this work? Bain (Lithium supplies) has a Smart BMS shown below, it looks similar to the one you have in your install photo. Is this the one to buy and does it have an interconnect to enable using the Raspberry Pi - Venus driver setup to monitor SOC? The Daly BMS seems robust but basic, with no takeoff's. Does the Smart BMS have voltage adjustments for high/low cell voltages and balance the cells or does it just monitor cell voltage? Does the Smart BMS have an internal cutoff relay or does the Raspberry Pi talk to the Multiplus to reduce charge rate? Many thanks

Louisvdw Back again, thank you for the feedback, much appreciated. I do not have an MPPT nor intend adding one at this time, I think you might have your BMS interconnect into the MPPT? I am only looking at purchasing an inverter with the USB MK3 cable. 3.2v 120Ah cells are available right now. Lithium also supplies a BMS, the model BMS does not have bluetooth or outputs to the inverter, would you like to comment on whether you think this might work, the responsibility is mine alone, I would value your opinion? They are out of stock on the smart BMS but if necessary I would wait. I phoned Victron in Durban and asked whether the non GX Victron model would charge the "DIY" Lifepo4 battery without any link between the Victron and DIY LifePo4. The advisor seemed to think it would be OK and would charge according the Victron Lithium settings or the user settings put into the charger. I did mention to the Victron adviser I would use a DIY LifePo4 with independent BMS. (from Lithium Battery) I have read of instances where the Victron has gone into "sleep" mode and does not want to wake up and the battery can be low after use, have you ever had that problem? Is there any advantage in me getting the GX model? The GX does offer remote monitoring but I don't necessarily need something that is a nice to have. Not sure whether it will assist in connecting to the DIY LifePo4. I cannot be far off ordering my components.

Louisvdw I apologize for this list of questions before I begin and I hope you can and will be willing to share your knowledge with me. A few items are unfamiliar to me and that is why call on the one who knows to reveal these secrets. I do appreciate your full install 48v Victron system and would like to copy it and use it in my installation if you don't mind. It did not take long to discover that where inverters are concerned, the more I know, the less I find that I know and I am most grateful to those on the forum who have interacted with me and offered valuable advice. I discovered after looking at the Victron Multiplus installation circuit drawings and following up with the supplier that if I purchase a Victron Multiplus 48/3000/35-32 "non GX version" I will not be able to use a Pylontech US2000B lithium battery without one of the GX add-ons as the VE.Can to Can-Bus BMS cable only works through a GX add-on which in turn enables the Pylontech to "talk" to the Victron. I don't want to pay for the more expensive GX version or the GX add-on which also comes at a premium. Your stated goals are exactly what I have in mind, to use it as a UPS initially and later add on panels when my budget permits. Back to your system. You have put together and assembled a DIY LifePo4 battery pack which is well within my capability to put together. Now for the questions: Any idea where I can buy LifePo4 cells similar to yours and what the approximate going rate is for them? The cells appear to be 3.2v each, what is the Ah rating? Is the Victron communicating in anyway with your LifePo4 pack? I have read your carefully provided installation details but am unfamiliar with the Rasberry Pi3. I hope to improve my knowledge of it and looked up the Rasberry Pi3 to learn that it requires an operating system install followed by the Victron Venus driver and so on. Where does one get the collection of wires that connect the BMS to each cell together with the connector that plugs into the smart BMS? (You provided the source of the BMS which I shall source. By the way is it OK to give card details when buying from China), I have to date avoided ordering from the East with a card. Where can the Bluetooth card and connecting plug to the BMS be bought? Where does one get the cellphone app from? What are the LifePo4 BMS settings and parameters? I gather these must be adjustable using Bluetooth on the android phone with an app. The BMS to battery connections are not 100% clear in your photo. Can you advise me on which wires connect where on the BMS board? I note the BMS board is connected (soldered I presume) on the negative wire only and the fuse is also on the negative. The negative cable looks too large to solder onto the BMS, is it soldered onto the board? Does the BMS not require input from the positive? I cannot clearly make out the connections, perhaps you could advise me on that issue? Also there are two wires that appear to have been attached on either side of the BMS, where do they connect? If I obtain the necessary LifePo4 cells similar to what you have and connect them as per your example, set the BMS which I trust you will advise me on and then connect to the Victron it should work? I don't see a connection from the BMS to the Victron, is that correct? Connected up exactly as you have done, does the Multiplus require any other settings which I see are done on the Victron app installed on a PC using the MK3 cable? I do trust you will not mind me asking further questions as I go along as it is inevitable that I will run into more brick walls.