profdant139 wrote:
Great info -- very thought-provoking. Someone mentioned a generator. I have a Honda 2000 and almost never use it -- I run it at home to keep it tuned up. We camp in search of silence (since we live in the city). So the generator is more for emergencies than for convenience.
I will look into the BB self-heated unit. But I do have a question -- if I insulate the battery box, and we are camping in 25 degree weather (not that cold), I assume that the internal heater will cycle on and off, keeping the battery at 35 degrees, right?
If that is true, then the 1.8 amp draw from the heater will be fairly minimal, since it is not continual.
otrfun, if you have the time, could you tell us more about the DIY heater you made? You mentioned that it has a "Switchable control (thermostat or BMS)." Please forgive my ignorance -- what is a BMS?
Do you have a post or a youtube video describing your setup?
I like the idea of a separate heater that is not built in to the battery. I find that when features are bundled within a high-dollar purchase, one point of failure can trash the whole assembly.
BMS= battery management system.
Basically it's the protection for the battery cells. It could be...
HVD= high voltage disconnect
LVD= low voltage disconnect
High temp disconnect
Low temp disconnect
and possibly other things depending on which hasbeen used.
If 25f is the low and during the day maybe higher you should be able to easily come up with a solution to keep the battery warm. Theft might have to be thought about tho.
