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So, it’s started! Batteries ordered, just waiting confirmation & then the big wait. Excellent dialogue with Colin, who turned the quote etc round within hours.

I’ll be busy though in making space for them. I currently have 10 Pylon US2000s arranged in 2 x stacks of 5. Plan is still to have 2 stacks, but each stack will have 3 Pylons and a self build. Start with one and then add the second stack. I’ll be looking to dispose of a pair of Pylons now and the other pair when the 2nd self build is completed. Why two stacks? I have a pair of Lux ACS3600s arranged in master/slave config.

So, eBay or Gumtree? Answers on a postcard.

eBay worked well enough for mine, though wait for a special offer weekend on the listings fees or you'll find it gets expensive quick!

With any luck though you'll get repeat customers for when you want to sell the next batch, I have someones details now who wants my remaining 3 so no further fees there

And congratulations on the purchase! Looking forward to the progress reports

Lincs Robert wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:19 pm So, it’s started! Batteries ordered, just waiting confirmation & then the big wait. Excellent dialogue with Colin, who turned the quote etc round within hours.

I’ll be busy though in making space for them. I currently have 10 Pylon US2000s arranged in 2 x stacks of 5. Plan is still to have 2 stacks, but each stack will have 3 Pylons and a self build. Start with one and then add the second stack. I’ll be looking to dispose of a pair of Pylons now and the other pair when the 2nd self build is completed. Why two stacks? I have a pair of Lux ACS3600s arranged in master/slave config.

So, eBay or Gumtree? Answers on a postcard.

Congratulations, well played Sir!

Joeboy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:31 pm

Lincs Robert wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:19 pm So, it’s started! Batteries ordered, just waiting confirmation & then the big wait. Excellent dialogue with Colin, who turned the quote etc round within hours.

I’ll be busy though in making space for them. I currently have 10 Pylon US2000s arranged in 2 x stacks of 5. Plan is still to have 2 stacks, but each stack will have 3 Pylons and a self build. Start with one and then add the second stack. I’ll be looking to dispose of a pair of Pylons now and the other pair when the 2nd self build is completed. Why two stacks? I have a pair of Lux ACS3600s arranged in master/slave config.

So, eBay or Gumtree? Answers on a postcard.

Congratulations, well played Sir!

And thanks for your diligent work - which got me thinking and then motivated to go ahead.

Caesium wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:22 pm eBay worked well enough for mine, though wait for a special offer weekend on the listings fees or you'll find it gets expensive quick!

+1 for the listing offer as it only cost me £1 to sell my spare one, normally its around 10%.

Definitely ebay. I sometimes look at auctions of pre-owned pylon batteries and people pay crazy money. Often pay 5-15% less than a new one costs.

ducabi wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 3:11 pm Definitely ebay. I sometimes look at auctions of pre-owned pylon batteries and people pay crazy money. Often pay 5-15% less than a new one costs.

Not so long ago I saw a VERY old US2000 listed for £1200. It didn't hang around for long! That was when no one had batteries in stock and you had to wait 3 months or longer...

Ok, so today’s status is that I have a DPD tracking number from Colin in China who tells me they have been shipped. It’s not showing on there as yet though. 45 days from yesterday will make delivery during the 1st week of January.

Given that I need to make space for them, I’ve started that activity as well. SWMBO thought I was mad earlier as I was in the kitchen loft space - “watching & thinking”. I’m glad I did, as one tidy up later I can now see how it could all fit together. I’ll also be able to shorten the main DC cable run from the Pylon stack to its Lux unit by about a metre or so. I’ll move first & then shorten as a separate activity I think. And typically I can’t find the lugs supplied with the unit. The manual describes them as M6, so I’m assuming a M6 lug with a 6mm hole? I’m torn between buying the £10 crimp tool you hit with a hammer, or a £27 ish hydraulic crimper which seems a lot more elegant for just a little extra.

I’m going to keep the existing DC wiring “as is” from the Lux to the Pylon stack - just shorten the cables. I’ll then “plug in” the Chinese stack via a Frankenstein fuse/switch. That seems to be the way that Joe has done it - albeit with the extra Busbar, which I won’t be using.

I still can’t make my mind up where to order the active cell balancer from. The units on Amazon & eBay all “look” to be the same and vary in price from low £50’s to about £75 or so. But are they actually the same? Fuse holders, fuses and heatshrink etc all ordered.

After I’ve rearranged things above, I think I’ll get to grips with the container for the cells. I think a large sheet of plywood from B&Q & then have them chop it up into the various pieces with their precision saw. Ok, so the ply will be a bit more expensive than a builders merchant, but it’s a fair bit of work which they will make that bit easier I think.

That’s it for now.

Rob

Stinsy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:40 pm

ducabi wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 3:11 pm Definitely ebay. I sometimes look at auctions of pre-owned pylon batteries and people pay crazy money. Often pay 5-15% less than a new one costs.

Not so long ago I saw a VERY old US2000 listed for £1200. It didn't hang around for long! That was when no one had batteries in stock and you had to wait 3 months or longer...

It takes about a month for the shipment to cross Eurasia then clear into DPD UK system where you'll hopefully be sent a mail I went hammer version and no regrets.

Caesium posted a link to a cell balancer via Ali so I went for that.

Lincs Robert wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:16 pm And typically I can’t find the lugs supplied with the unit. The manual describes them as M6, so I’m assuming a M6 lug with a 6mm hole? I’m torn between buying the £10 crimp tool you hit with a hammer, or a £27 ish hydraulic crimper which seems a lot more elegant for just a little extra.
Rob

The terminal size needed is for 25 sq mm cable with an M6 (6mm) hole. The switch fuse uses 25 sq mm M8 (8mm) terminals IIRC (I can go and check in the morning).

The hydraulic crimp tool is one heck of a lot better and more reliable to use than the hammer type, as it will form a proper hex shaped crimp all around the cable. I have had one of the cheap Chinese made hydraulic crimp tools for many years now, it's never missed a beat.