Greetings! I am new to this whole thing but have been rashing people on carbonite and googling for weeks. I need some more (somewhat expert) opinions on a setup so managed to find this place.

I apologise in advance for what might be a wall of text and unnecessary information.

What I need to power:

• 2x PC's max loading a game in a stressed environment
• 2x Network switchs / One is a 5Ghz Access point
• 2x LED high refresh rate monitors (240 and 144)
• 2x Phone chargers
• Wireless phone charger

=Peak at 600W and it averages around 420-450W. Checked with Kill-o-Watt

The above is excluding a 43" UHD TV and two routers. One LTE and one ADSL. As far as my testing goes the TV will never be on when the PC's are on so I have excluded it from the normal readings. Its around 95-100W (probably even less). The routers are low power at around 15W each. So average wattage should be a round 500W to be safe.

Duration: For now its just to stop losing power during the 2 hour load shedding cylces. Sometimes its twice a day but with a 4 hour gap inbetween, its just getting extremely painful to work from home in a small office (especially online work) with dancing around load shedding.

I am trying to work off around 4 hours of loadshedding incase we ever hit higher stages or if there are two in a row.

Potato maths time:

8 Cells x 120Ah x 3.2v = 3072
0,8 = 2467Wh or around about with excluding efficiency loss and such. So going to just say 2300Wh worth of storage.

2300Wh / 500W = 4.6h (or around 4h30m not sure how to work that out exactly)

I am not sure how to work out charge time. But with the RCT inverter it should be 3 hours? maybe? Possibly? No?

Shoutout to PJtheKILL3R from Carbonite, as they have honestly been a lifesaver getting this potato this far.

The Setup in Mind:

• R5,350 RCT 3000Va/2400W Inverter Charger (now out of stock on takealot)
• R7,600 LiFePo4 Batteries (8x120Ah 3.2v from Lithium Batteries SA)
• R2,400 8S to 20S 300A LCD BMS with LCD from AliExpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33014476298.html?spm=a2g0o)
• R700 Battery Fuses

Total = R16,050

So overall I just need some advice on this system I am building. I can't seem to find a good BMS locally so I have had to look at AliExpress for alternatives. Which sadly will cost ~$80 shipping to avoid going through the local post office, and the 3 month+ wait, chance of getting lost etc... This along with the RCT inverter being sold out on takealot, I am kinda lost for finding parts once again.

Hi 

You can try Full Circle Solar for the inverter  FCS 3Kva-VP- 3000w at R6499.00. II am almost sure it is made by Voltronic as is the RCT. As far as the batteries you could opt for two 12v Life batteries in series. You would also pay tax on an overseas order.

Hmmm. Have you been on the lithuimbatteries website recently? They are not getting any stock soon. Aliexpress likely also won't ship within the next month - they haven't shipped any of my orders this year.

2 hours ago, P1000 said:

Hmmm. Have you been on the lithuimbatteries website recently? They are not getting any stock soon. Aliexpress likely also won't ship within the next month - they haven't shipped any of my orders this year.

Sorry already forgot to add that I have the batteries already. I managed to grab the last 8.

Really? I wonder why Aliexpress haven't announced anything yet.

46 minutes ago, ghostR said:

Really? I wonder why Aliexpress haven't announced anything yet.

Well, I am reading a bit between the lines from different sources. They do have a notice somewhere that says everything is delayed, they don't have an end date for when things will start flowing as normal, and that you are free to cancel your order if you do not accept those terms.

Some other companies have said that nothing is moving, even in China, and if they started again on 10 Feb, they only expect to be up and running and restocked sometime towards the end of March. But then the "holidays" got extended again to 17 Feb.

Both aliexpress and the other company also have a note that says not to ask how things are, just to wish them good health, or something along those lines - which leads me to believe that they are really not allowed to divulge what is going on there...

On 2020/02/13 at 10:42 AM, P1000 said:

Both aliexpress and the other company also have a note that says not to ask how things are, just to wish them good health, or something along those lines - which leads me to believe that they are really not allowed to divulge what is going on there...

Will see if that is the case since I have to order a BMS from AliExpress due to no local stock. Thanks for the info!

You can actually buy lithium cells from takealot?

21 hours ago, netstrider said:

You can actually buy lithium cells from takealot?

Huh? Got mine from Lithium Batteries SA. But you could probably find a few on Takealot, for quite a bit more.

 

On 2020/02/14 at 8:33 PM, ghostR said:

Will see if that is the case since I have to order a BMS from AliExpress due to no local stock. Thanks for the info!

Good news - I got a number of shipment notifications on Friday, whether they make it out of China we still have to see.

Luckily SAPO will quarantine them for free for an undisclosed period if time, like all packages they handle, so they should be virus-free by the time I receive them.

3 hours ago, P1000 said:

Good news - I got a number of shipment notifications on Friday, whether they make it out of China we still have to see.

Luckily SAPO will quarantine them for free for an undisclosed period if time, like all packages they handle, so they should be virus-free by the time I receive them.

That's good news! SAPO always quarantine thing for free, didn't you know? Best premium service. Heck they even make sure you have 6 months to make space for your ordered package.

Jokes aside, this will hopefully mean local people have stock again or I should just place my own order, although I would be worried since I am getting express 10-17 day shipping via FedEx.