Sterling B2b charging is this what you would expect?

[Bustup15]

Using a Sterling B2b 1260
2 Lithium 150Ah
220w solar

Having recently fitted new lithium with integrated Bluetooth it's the 1st time I have been able to see real time charging rates.

Under solar only seeing upto 3 amp input in bright sunlight.
Edit: just washed the solar and now getting 4+A

Batteries currently at 60-70% discharge.

Noticed yesterday despite driving for a couple of hours there was not a massive gain in state of charge.

Tested this morning with engine running and input is between 10 and 12A

Is this what you would expect?

And then the hairdryer went on

 

[gerry mcg]

No, I would expect 60A into your ks-energy LiFePO4 battery at a low SOC.

I can't speak for the Sterling 1260, but I have a 200Ah ks-energy LiFePO4 battery with a votronic vcc1212-50 and I get a steady 50A input with the engine running

The voltage of the lithium battery climbs from 13,4v to eventually 14.4v as it reaches 100%SOC, then the B2B charging current tails off to 0A

 

[Bustup15]

and then the hairdryer went on

 

[andy63]

I would suspect your state of charge reading to be inaccurate.. and your batteries are in fact full... if your lithiums are depleted at all they will take a large current draw if you apply the correct voltage..only tailing off as they approach capacity..
that would be my first guess
Andy

 

[donkey]

I know nothing about this system but notice led lights on against 'sealed' & 'AGM1'. Should they be on?

Geoff

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[gerry mcg]

What is going on with the -42A reading? Is something connected back to front? Or are you drawing a massive current somehow?

 

[nicholsong]

You do not say what the alternator output is that is powering the B2B.

That could be the limiting factor.

 

[gerry mcg]

I know nothing about this system but notice led lights on against 'sealed' & 'AGM1'. Should they be on?

Geoff

I think that is showing the input charge, not the battery selection. The lights serve dual purposes depending what mode you are in (setup vs operation) the greenlight at top that indicates charging state is the one that indicates the lithium charging profile is selected in the setup mode)

 

[Tombola]

What is going on with the -42A reading? Is something connected back to front? Or are you drawing a massive current somehow?

hair dryer went on

 

[Tombola]

KS app is ropey at best of times. Did you do a full charge before installing/enabling the app

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[gerry mcg]

An example of My readings just now with just 175W solar, then with engine on and 50A B2B kicking in

 

[Guigsy]

RE: solar charging. If there's even a hint of a shadow on the panel, its output will plummet.

 

[autorouter]

I think that is showing the input charge, not the battery selection. The lights serve dual purposes depending what mode you are in (setup vs operation) the greenlight at top that indicates charging state is the one that indicates the lithium charging profile is selected in the setup mode)

The 13.0V and 13.4V LEDs are on, so that means the voltage is halfway between them, ie 13.2V. Similarly the second column shows the voltage as 13.6V (between 13.4 and 13.8). I don't know which of those two voltages it's using, with the Lithium profile. But they seem a bit low compared to gerry mcg's voltages.

Edit: I think the first one is the input from the alternator, the second is the output to the battery.

 

[Bessy765]

this is what we get driving with the hab air on, the minus sign is the output from the alternator no B2B fitted 200 amps of Lithium.

 

[gerry mcg]

Edit: I think the first one is the input from the alternator, the second is the output to the battery.

Agreed. I would expect the second column of charge lights to move up towards 14.4v as the battery approaches 100%SOC

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[Ditcha]

Using a Sterling B2b 1260
2 Lithium 150Ah
220w solar

Having recently fitted new lithium with integrated Bluetooth it's the 1st time I have been able to see real time charging rates.

Under solar only seeing upto 3 amp input in bright sunlight.
Edit: just washed the solar and now getting 4+A

Batteries currently at 60-70% discharge.

Noticed yesterday despite driving for a couple of hours there was not a massive gain in state of charge.

Tested this morning with engine running and input is between 10 and 12A

Is this what you would expect? View attachment 643132

View attachment 643133View attachment 643134View attachment 643135


And then the hairdryer went on

Should the capacity not be set to 300ah ? ( 2 x 150ah)

 

[Bustup15]

Should the capacity not be set to 300ah ? ( 2 x 150ah)

No, there are 2 screens, one for each battery

 

[pappajohn]

Using a Sterling B2b 1260
2 Lithium 150Ah
220w solar

Having recently fitted new lithium with integrated Bluetooth it's the 1st time I have been able to see real time charging rates.

Under solar only seeing upto 3 amp input in bright sunlight.
Edit: just washed the solar and now getting 4+A

Batteries currently at 60-70% discharge.

Noticed yesterday despite driving for a couple of hours there was not a massive gain in state of charge.

Tested this morning with engine running and input is between 10 and 12A

Is this what you would expect? View attachment 643132

View attachment 643133View attachment 643134View attachment 643135


And then the hairdryer went on

Second screen shot is only showing 150ah yet you say you have two 150ah lithium!

 

[Tombola]

Second screen shot is only showing 150ah yet you say you have two 150ah lithium!

the KS app shows each battery seperately and if getting a 30 amp charge will show 15 amp on each screen.
Same if discharging, double it. so the hair dryer was really pulling 80 amp

 

[chrish]

Looking at the picture of the Sterling B2B it look like you have a SCHAUT HSM 01 (High Current Module), This has a split charging relay built in and also has a limit of 30amps for connecting a B2B.
My guess is the split charge relay is still in circuit which effectively bypasses the sterling B2B.
I spent a long time trying to work around this when converting to lithium batteries and adding a 90amp B2B and in the end decided to remove the HSM 01 as it was effectively just a buss bar if you didn't need the split charge relay.

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[autorouter]

This has a split charging relay built in and also has a limit of 30amps for connecting a B2B.

I'm sure that's not right. Yes, there is a hefty 250A split charge relay built into the HSM01. The usual connection method is to disconnect the starter battery from the HSM01 starter battery input. Then connect the starter battery to the B2B input. Finally connect the B2B output to the HSM01 Starter Battery Input.

That means the B2B current flows through the split charge relay. Since the split charge relay is closed when the B2B is operating, and open when the B2B is not operating, then it all works OK.

I don't know what the upper limit is for the HSM01 B2B amps input, but it's a lot more than 30A. For example it is OK for the Schaudt WA121545, which has a max amps of 70A. Maybe you are looking at the HSM01 solar controller input, which is 30A max.

 

[chrish]

I wish I could speak German ! I did the conversion to lithium about 2.5 years ago, I decided to use Victron equipment as I already had a Multiplus, and Victron solar regulators installed, the bit that I couldn't find a decent way of doing was where to put the charge protect and battery disconnect devices into the circuit with the HSM01 which was why it was easier to take it out.
I agree with autorouter if you connect the B2B in the way described it should work correctly.. when I read/ translated the manual (it was only available in german then) I read Booster-Einstatz (Booster-Use) to mean the B2B .. which has a limit of 25Amps. So I apologise for any confusion caused by my last post.

The point I was trying to make (rather badly) was that if the B2B is wired direct to the battery the split charge relay will stop the B2B having any effect and could be the cause of the poor charging from the alternator.

 

[chrish]

I've just had another look at the picture and it looks like the feed from the Vehicle battery (black wire) and the red wire which I presume comes from the B2B are connected to the Starter Battery Terminal on the HSM01, from autorouters description of how to connect the B2B I would have expected the black wire to be connected to the input of the B2B rather than the HSM01.
I can't see enough of where the wiring goes to be sure though.

 

[Insider]

I wish I could speak German ! I did the conversion to lithium about 2.5 years ago, I decided to use Victron equipment as I already had a Multiplus, and Victron solar regulators installed, the bit that I couldn't find a decent way of doing was where to put the charge protect and battery disconnect devices into the circuit with the HSM01 which was why it was easier to take it out.
I agree with autorouter if you connect the B2B in the way described it should work correctly.. when I read/ translated the manual (it was only available in german then) I read Booster-Einstatz (Booster-Use) to mean the B2B .. which has a limit of 25Amps. So I apologise for any confusion caused by my last post.

The point I was trying to make (rather badly) was that if the B2B is wired direct to the battery the split charge relay will stop the B2B having any effect and could be the cause of the poor charging from the alternator.

Could it be that the voltage from the solar controller is fooling the Sterling B2B into thinking the batteries are already charged. Thus the 10 to 12 A going in referenced in the OPs first post is from the 220W solar panel. The maths if not the logic adds up.

 

[autorouter]

I've just had another look at the picture and it looks like the feed from the Vehicle battery (black wire) and the red wire which I presume comes from the B2B are connected to the Starter Battery Terminal on the HSM01, from autorouters description of how to connect the B2B I would have expected the black wire to be connected to the input of the B2B rather than the HSM01.
I can't see enough of where the wiring goes to be sure though.

I can't see the wiring well enough either. On my Hymer the starter battery wire is red, and the leisure battery wire is black, that would be more reasonable here I think.

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[chrish]

I can't see the wiring well enough either. On my Hymer the starter battery wire is red, and the leisure battery wire is black, that would be more reasonable here I think.

I've just had a look at the picture I took before making the changes to my Dethleffs and the starter battery wire is Red not black as I thought, however I still cant work out why there would be 2 cables connected to the starter battery input. Some more detailed pictures of the wiring would be very useful.

 

[Bustup15]

Cheers for all the input.

I need to get motorhome on the drive and empty the garage (2 ebikes, cases of beer, bog roll, etc. The batteries and B2b and associated kit are under the rear seats accessed via the garage.ade more diffict as the house is a building site and we are living in the motorhome !

Over the weekend I will update the photos and explain how it is currently wired.

 

[CamperJack]

I may be wrong in thinking this (I'm no expert)....

But will a b2b only activate when the engine battery is at a healthy capacity?

Could it therefore be that the engine battery is not so good, and therefore you're not getting much of a charge to the leisure batteries?

How old is the engine battery and what's it reading?

 

[Bustup15]

OK to try and answer some of the points raised

The solar provides input when the engine is not running - see previous posts for readings

The B2b does run when engine runs, input to leisure rises between 14-20A. The fan starts and led readings indicate that all is OK.

Engine battery has no issues, starts 1st time every time even after been laid up for weeks.

Black wires on original German wiring are positive and taped with red to avoid potentially cross wiring. New wiring is rad positive as UK.

 

[Raul]

Maybe daft question, but, have you checked you are on the right setting on B2B that allows the voltage to rise at a set point? 14,4-14,2? If it’s got low voltage setting, it will never increase the charge when that’s reached. All sources needs to have similar setting values to work in harmony.

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