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Post by tattoo on Jan 14, 2020 17:48:23 GMT
Oh no, now they are trying to back out of their promise for the partial refund, and even threatening me with paying for return shipping if they test the unit and find it to be working properly. I am on the verge of dumping all my Renogy gear onto eBay and walking away from this company. Yea that's the way they did me when I thought I had a problem with my 40a CC......... You could tell the guy at tech support was reading out of a book when I asked a question and when he wanted me to try something he couldn't vary any.............
Like I said I really like there product but not the company......... But they are like most companies today.......... It's all about profits and not the customer...........
I will say from what I have read on here the more complicated your system is the more problems people are having with them........
Best of luck............
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Post by mediadogg on Jan 14, 2020 19:37:07 GMT
Thanks!!!
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Post by Larrie on Feb 8, 2020 14:08:07 GMT
Just bought a new discounted lycan and mainly because marketing and user manual touted the bank of extra Batts for unlimited power, killer design. Then a day later began to look at getting a 2nd batt next month, spreading costs out. Noticed no where to buy one. Called support and the guy said they don't sell em. Thought, oh crap. I did confirm this fact with another call. The lycan is such a killer design, just can't imagine them not sourcing the batt from another maker. The 48v batt spec is exactly the ticket for external Batts with small gauge wire coupling. I did get a promise that I can return the new unit from the "misleading" statements about external batt swapping. Given no Batts will be sold, this is almost a bait and switch scenario until they pull the info about the bank of batteries... Given the discounted price, it's still a good deal, but thinking longer term about the internal battery. If they aren't going to source a 48v supplier for these, buying the lycan is like buying a disposable jackery, that is when it's Batts are exhausted. I'm going to send the new unit back. I won't invest is disposable devices. that would be like buying carbon zinc batteries... Larrie
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 8, 2020 22:34:40 GMT
Hang on, don't be too hasty. Be glad you did not get the battery. Even if you had one, you could not effectively use it. See my discussion above. The Lycan uses and charges the same battery. It does NOT charge one while using the other, NOR does it automatically switch to the least filled battery, NOR does it charge both simultaneously. So there was no scenario that I could figure out, where it was possible to actually create a library of charged batteries, unless you simply stopped using the Lycan long enough to charge all of them, and then went back to using one of them in real time.
BUT HERE IS SOMETHING EVEN BETTER: The Lycan will safely and correctly charge an external SLA 12/24 battery. Its power management system will take up to 300W of solar via MPPT, plus 100W from its AC adaptor, and SIMULTANEOUSLY charge its internal 48V Li-iron along with an arbitrary sized external SLA. You could literally have an infinitely large parallel external battery bank connected directly to a load or an inverter.
I "think" you could also connect the Lycan SLA charging output to one of those DC-DC chargers that has Li-iron support, and thereby charge Li-iron externally as well.
The Lycan is still by far the best engineered, most powerful and functional unit of its type, even after several years on the market. I have two of them. Minor drawback is absence of USB Type C PD, but just plug in one of those Cig lighter adapters for up to 60W PD.
Don't send it back! (the internal battery is likely to last many years).
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Post by Larrie on Feb 9, 2020 0:20:23 GMT
Well, let me tell ya that I've been struggling very much to find reason to keep it (just talk with my son), and I have rationalized no external, no switchable use that way. I'm just now concerned with long term support of even the internal battery given what they've told me, and what I've confirmed via this forum; no more batts are being produced. So it makes me think that there's no option for replacement of the internal when it no longer functions.
Hard to rationalize no possibility for a future replacement with a unit of this cost (even at the discount). I asked the last support person I talked with about a future, and he couldn't confirm there would ever be a supply; only a "warranty" supply exists. If no general replacement supply exists, no commitment from Renogy that way, it's just hard to swallow that. I could see in say 3 years from now that there are NO batts available, and if I had a warranty claim, the pro-rated money refunded me on the batt would be of little consolation with a dead end unit that now won't work for me. Think of it; this is an expensive appliance that should provide me with at least 10 years of good use, and especially with a user replaceable battery that is part of the design. The two Renogy suitcases that I'd use with the Lycan will provide much more life than that.
I'm not trying to be a difficult soul, and I'm only sharing what seems to be a very costly "generator" with no longer term future. My support ticket number is 102796, and if a Renogy representative would commit to a minimum of 10 years of a viable battery supply for my unit, I'll keep it - I won't send it back. I think anyone buying a refrigerator or a washer/dryer (of good quality) would expect that out of an expensive appliance. 1200$ on sale is still a lot to spend on a dead duck, and the Lycan, without a core component supply - its battery - OMG is clearly a dead duck at a very high price.
The whole concept of solar, of conservation of resources, is to build and supply products with a long life.
I had thought Renogy as a company was committed to that end.
Renogy, step up and find a supplier/a producer for these batteries.
It is a kick-butt design, OMG, stay with it. Make it even better, and at least provide a long-term and fundamental support for your products.
Larrie
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Post by Larrie on Feb 9, 2020 0:36:48 GMT
An alternative, albeit not inexpensive, would be to allow conversion to an internal battery that's a std 12v lifepo4. With no external swappable batt use, that would be an option to breath a long life into the units. Maybe that's what the ver 2.0 Lycan is to be?
My main concern though is with my new 1200$ unit, as yet unopened, unused.
Larrie
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 9, 2020 0:40:00 GMT
I've got my fingers crossed. As I said, I have two, so double the risk. The AC adapter is a stock item on Alibaba (for 48V motorcycle battery), so I'm assuming the battery is also not that proprietary. So, I will keep searching. Maybe Renogy will someday reveal their supplier or publish the API to the BMS. Perhaps one could build a substitute BMS that sits between the Lycan firmware and a more modern 48V battery. Worst case, buy another whole Lycan with a working battery when they go on final sale someday.
P.S. I guarantee if you open that box, you won't go back.
Oh, and forget swapping. If you ever open that device (following the manual) and reflect on the amount of shear explosive energy that lies between all those dangling cables, you will do what I did: you will quickly close the box back up, tighten all the bolts and forever leave it be. Why spend a risky 1/2 hour swapping out a 1KWH bomb. That is a maintenance / repair operation to be done every 5 - 10 years, not a swap.
Actually I was reading an article the other day that asserted that Li-iron battery literally never die. They just fade away, very very slowly if you don't abuse them. There is a huge market for used Tesla and other weakened batteries that are still good, just not 100%.
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Post by Larrie on Feb 9, 2020 20:47:17 GMT
My main point isn't a regular swapping of the internal. It's as you have suggested, a swap to a new battery in 5 plus years, and I'm not in the least intimidated by that action when it should come; I welcome that I would be able to do it. The lycan is designed for that! Given no supply of these Batts, that's not an option, my point. When the batt is majorly degraded, in 5 or so years, the lycan is a useless frame.
That's just wrong. It was designed to live on with a replacement batt, and its stated design, and price, reflects that ability.
Is the next renogy device of this type destined the same, premature fate (considering the design, the stated use, the high cost)? Not sure I'd trust renogy this way.
PS. Swappable, pre-charged Batts (all charged during available grid power when not using the lycan for power) and ready for use would provide for a very long period of lycan power when no grid power available and using the lycan - my intended use. The brief interruption to unhook and hook in these externals is no negative. Fact you could do it is a huge benefit. The first switch-over would be super fast, with the others having a minor pause in lycan back-up power.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Larrie
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 10, 2020 16:01:46 GMT
You are most welcome. Just FYI, I put my first Lycan into operation July of 2017 and have been using it virtually every day since. I would be surprised if the battery only lasted 5 years. As I mentioned before, unless they are abused or suffering a defect, Lithium iron batteries last virtually forever, with slow degradation based on usage. I understand your scenario for building up a library - just doesn't suit my use case. The one external battery that I bought, strangely would not accept a charge after a long period of not being charged. It is being evaluated by Renogy Support at the moment. I have requested a refund, but if they do not grant it and instead return the repaired unit, I will probably put it up for sale. Then I might buy a non-Lycan Renogy Lithium and charge it through a DC-DC charger (I need to confirm with Renogy that this will work). Alternatively, I could use one of those "drop in replacement" Lithium (such as Battleborn) and charge via the Lycan external SLA charge port.
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 10, 2020 16:19:48 GMT
QUESTIONS FOR ADMIN:
(1) What is the function of the RJ-45 cable to the Lycan battery? Is it a temperature sensor or communications for BMS (or both)? (2) If a battery with its own protection, designed to be charged directly from a 54V LI battry charger (that's what the Lycan AC adapter is - I found the identical one on Aliexpress) is connected to the XT-90 cable, will that safely work? (3) Would Renogy be willing to explore being able to install or attach one of its other Lithium batteries?
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Post by Larrie on Feb 11, 2020 2:26:50 GMT
You are most welcome. Just FYI, I put my first Lycan into operation July of 2017 and have been using it virtually every day since. I would be surprised if the battery only lasted 5 years. As I mentioned before, unless they are abused or suffering a defect, Lithium iron batteries last virtually forever, with slow degradation based on usage. I understand your scenario for building up a library - just doesn't suit my use case. The one external battery that I bought, strangely would not accept a charge after a long period of not being charged. It is being evaluated by Renogy Support at the moment. I have requested a refund, but if they do not grant it and instead return the repaired unit, I will probably put it up for sale. Then I might buy a non-Lycan Renogy Lithium and charge it through a DC-DC charger (I need to confirm with Renogy that this will work). Alternatively, I could use one of those "drop in replacement" Lithium (such as Battleborn) and charge via the Lycan external SLA charge port. I'd be happy to have even a single external battery. I may be interested in yours if I keep my new lycan and if you would be willing to sell a repaired/functional battery? I'm still pretty bummed out about the lack of spec batteries from Renogy. Larrie
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 11, 2020 15:00:19 GMT
Ok, let me contact Renogy to see what their assessment is. I've been looking around for a Lycan shell to put that spare battery into. If Renogy successfully repairs my battery, I might keep it instead of selling it, and then maybe offer to split the cost of a new Lycan with you. I would keep the shell and you would get the new internal battery (or the repaired external one - your choice). So, if you like that idea, let's think about it?
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Post by tattoo on Feb 11, 2020 15:18:35 GMT
Ok I have a question.............
After reading about all the good and bad about a Lycan in this thread it got me to thinking about them so I did some reading.........
They sound really nice but with only being able to take 300w of charging I was wondering how good they are in running things and for how long in the real world before they get run down.......
They didn't talk about that just the positives...........
Thanks
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Post by mediadogg on Feb 11, 2020 16:20:01 GMT
Ok I have a question............. After reading about all the good and bad about a Lycan in this thread it got me to thinking about them so I did some reading......... They sound really nice but with only being able to take 300w of charging I was wondering how good they are in running things and for how long in the real world before they get run down....... They didn't talk about that just the positives........... Thanks I think somewhere in this or the other Lycan thread, I reported some real world experiments with heavy appliances. In general I can say the unit is very robust. It can power up to 1200W from a single outlet, and has about 1KWH of storage (48V x 24AH). I haven't made detailed measurements, but I am reasonably confident that I am getting that capacity from a fully charged battery. You can charge the Lycan from both the AC and solar simultaneously. The AC adapter feeds 100W, so the total charge rate is up to 400W, assuming you are getting 300W of actual power from your solar input. I have a small inverter connected to a small battery and panel that runs the AC charging adapter from the afternoon sun. During my peak sun season, the Lycan is fully charged by between noon and 5PM, depending on clouds, etc. By then, my main panel array is not producing enough to run my computers real time (100 - 200W). Then the Lycan (on a timer) automatically kicks in to run the computers into the evening. Meanwhile, I use the Lycan to keep all the portable battery banks in the house topped up. I have battery banks stationed around the house, so that we can quickly charge a phone, laptop, tablet, etc. I have one big portable battery bank dedicated to my wife's devices for overnight charging, and one for me. The Lycan is used to keep the portable battery banks charged. It has a bunch of powerful 12V jacks and also USB. I have built some handy converters to upconvert the 12V to USB type C PD, and other voltages to directly charge power banks without using an AC adapter.
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Post by tattoo on Feb 11, 2020 17:47:29 GMT
^^^^^^^^^^ Thank you that was very helpful............. ^^^^^^^
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