Hi - My new to me camper has an IOTA DLS-45 converter. I plan to install my 3 160 watt solar panels and my Victron 100/30 charge controller, as well as my 2 100 AMP LifePo4 batteries. I'm looking for opinions on whether I need to purchase the IOTA optional IOTA IQ-LIFEPO module that plugs into the converter, or will my Victron charge controller along with the basic DLS-45 converter do the job for me? Any thoughts appreciated
Gary In Michigan
StirCrazy, it’s not the couple of bucks, more that I read a few people that said it was worse for lithium batteries than just using the converter without it. Definitely a no-brainer if it really works appropriately.
ok so I did some digging into it and it doesn't seam to work that great unless your using battle born batteries as they call for a 14.7 charge voltage.
with others the issue seams to be that when you are applying 14.7V you might get lucky and have enough line loss in your system to drop it to 14.6V but if you don't then its very likely your BMS will shut the charging down as at 3.65V is where most over voltage protection is set at in a BMS so 4 cells that is 14.6V now the issue won't be while its charging but rather if the cells are not perfectly balanced then one cell might hit that 3.65V ceiling before the others and trigger the BMS over voltage protection.
for me, I would spend the extra money and put in a replacement converter, but if it isn't really a big deal to use it plugged in and you have enough solar to keep if fine....... I went two years with out using the converter in my truck camper, because I didn't know, or rather couldn't find the LI switch on the board and because early boards never had it I figured I had a early one. as it turns out they made two styles of Li capable board after the non Li ones and they have different ways to do it and I just found out about the second way and that's what I have, so now I can plug it in if I want.
so you don't need to run out and do the converter right away as the most it will do is under charge the battery, oh but turn off any equalization if you can. there seams to be more "new" converters trickling onto the market that might be worth waiting for, or or can go to a multitude of converter chargers that allow you to totally customize the voltages
for the 30 bucks its a no brainer, buy it and have everything set up properly.
