The Marine Electronics Hub
At first glance, the SFK 275EX looks like many other 275-300 amp hour internal BMS lithium iron phosphate batteries. With Bluetooth communications, heating, long cycle life, and a good warranty it seems to compete well with other batteries. But, closer inspection reveals a battery with features above and beyond anything I’ve seen in similar form-factor and priced batteries. Not only that, it comes with a thorough and readable manual.
I have big things planned for upcoming battery tests. I’m working to evolve my testing of LiFePO4 batteries to match their evolution. Battery capacities are increasing, physical size is decreasing, prices are dropping rapidly, and acceptance is increasing. New options hit the market regularly and keeping up with the pace of change can be challenging. In the coming months, I will review quite a few batteries in different positions in the market and try to help readers decide which price point and battery is right for them.
As part of a well-engineered system, lithium batteries can replace generators and make life on a boat seamless with or without shore power. But they aren’t perfect. The battery industry continues to research improvements and alternative chemistries.
What voltage should I charge my LiFePO4 batteries? That seems like a simple question likely to have a single, direct answer. But, the actual answers are often unclear. Many LiFePO4 battery manufacturers recommend 14.6 volt absorption. But, that singular recommendation doesn’t account for numerous factors like managing a larger system, battery longevity, and more. Increasingly, we are seeing good reasons to lower charge voltages to 14 volts or below. But, what impact does that lower charge voltage have on capacity and charge time? Let’s take a look.
In January of this year, I published my review of the Epoch 460 amp-hour, 12 volt battery. My review was quite positive and reflected how the battery performed in my testing. But, once the battery was in the wild, reports began trickling in of troubles with some installations of the 460s. That lead to weeks of investigating the issues. At this point, I believe I have a solid command of what’s happening with these batteries and some of their limitations. While this better understanding of the batteries does serve to take a little shine off them, I still believe these are very solid batteries and capable of delivering excellent service. But, for best service, some tuning is required.
My wife Laura reads most of my entries. She often tells me that I write about lithium batteries too much. Well, sorry but what follows will be another article about another lithium battery. If it helps, this is one hell of a battery and I think everyone considering new deep-cycle batteries for their boat should know about it and consider it. That’s doubly true in light of the significant step forward in battery safety I found when I opened the lid of my evaluation unit.
In a short time, Epoch has made a name for itself producing high-quality batteries at a remarkable value. I first tested their 100 amp-hour batteries and thought they were the best blend of value, features, and quality I have encountered. In fact, there were only two areas I thought Epoch could improve upon. First, higher density, and second, external communications. Epoch seems to have addressed both those issues and more.
ePropulsion, a global leader and market challenger in marine electric propulsion systems and services, announced today the launch of their all-new X40 Electric Outboard, the future of clean, quiet and powerful marine propulsion, at this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show from October 25th – 29th, 2023. Weighing 20% less than traditional motors, the X40 offers 40 kW of power with 88.2% total powertrain efficiency. Using a proprietary algorithm, ePropulsion has also optimized over 20 key variables to achieve…
I’ve written a lot about Victron’s products. In fact, I’ve written enough that I sometimes fear my readers will see another Victron article and roll their eyes. But, yet again, I find myself with a compelling Victron product that I feel you should hear about. This time, it’s a battery charger. I realize you may not think of battery chargers as the most exciting piece of technology on your boat, but bear with me and read on to hear why I think you should be excited by this one.
Battle Born is possibly the most recognizable brand of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries in the market today. They’ve built a strong brand around their tagline of “Get out there, stay out there” and the concept that their batteries will help you enjoy your adventure. Their marketing concentrates on what their batteries can help you enjoy, not on the nitty-gritty of their batteries. That strategy has worked for them, even as others have advanced the capabilities of their batteries past Battle Born’s position.
