Interesting product, Jason. I feel this would be MUCH better if it also charged the AC200L from your alternator (The Pecron 500w and the EcoFlow Alternator charger do a good job at that) Imagine if the 48v port on the AC200L was bidirectional, that would be SWEET! Thanks for breaking down this unit so simply. Excellent job!
i do not think the pecron 500w is all that great. only getting like 250 maybe 300w from it and i see a lot of c/o of it being to hot. now the ecoflow alternator is impressive and has app that can be used and really a great product. wish we had that for all of them ... its such a game changer
Great review as always. Watching this reminds me that I don't own any products by BlueEtti. It seems to be a constant battle between BluEtti and EcoFlow, like Ford and Chevy. Always enjoy your videos, even if they do not apply to me because I learn something even though I learn more by watching. Thank you for your time and effort.
This is a specialised product for one model only. I really like your concise and thorough style of reviewing. I also respect your impartiality. Thanks also for offering the consultation services.
Yeah, it's use case is a bit small since it's only compatible with the AC200L right now. Who knows what future products it will work with. Thanks for checking out the video, David!
Yeah it'd be nice if it was more generic / programmable so it could also be used with the 25amp connector on the AC200Max, or step down 24v to 12 on the AC300 And 500
Hello So the D-40 will charge the 200 L from the alternator so you tried alternator from a van or truck to see if the d-40 is charging from alternator i was watching Ty Fenwick on another video he was saying altenator charging was not working i was just wondering if you have done this thanks
This product is a little off in left field. I mean...it could be useful for a few things I showed in the video but I think people want a fast way to charge the AC200L, not a separate battery.
It's an interesting product but very limited in the power stations it works with. Only the AC200L. I was hoping you could also charge the AC200L with the alternator input too. Bummer.
I suppose this is great for charging van house batteries, but how do we charge the 200L when driving? It's also very cheap to have that pig tail hanging, why not a proper built in connector like the one next to it???
Jason I have to admit the admit the only reason for buying the D40 was to have power for my 12V DC s in my items heater, lights etc the D40 output is only maybe only 20 Amps. what do you of think of using a LED power source to convert AC current to 12V DC to supply power to the rest of my camper?
Hi Jason I did a asqme with you before about the D40, but I have another question. If I was to use the D40 to charge a LifePo battery and the AC200L was being charged by 240V shore power, when the AC200L is at 100% will the extra shore power trickle down through the D40 and charge up my LifePo as well??
From my understanding, the AC200L will charge the LFP battery any time the D40 is connected. So if solar/grid power is connected, both batteries will be charged (AC200L & LFP battery)
This is a silly product. It decreases the 12v output @ 20A max vs the 200max with a native 12v output @ 30A. It won't allow the reverse flow of power back into the Bluetti, so IMO charging a 12v house battery is such a low use case that it is laughable. If the 12v output was the full 40A or even 30A plus it was a high output DC to DC charger that could charge the Bluetti, then it would be useful. But as is, this takes the newer Bluetti's off the shopping list for 3 different projects I have.
I modded the battery so it's more useful. I have a voltmeter, usbc ports and the Anderson ports. It was pretty easy to do since the battery lid is held on with a silicone like glue, they just pry off if you are careful. Here's the video from awhile back: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A_siXJlW2nA.html
Good overview Jason. Not sure what the mindset is at Bluetti, as the EcoFlow recent release of their DC/DC charger allows flow in both directions. Most people might think the Bluetti D40 was to charge their power station (ie. overlanders), so for us the D40 is useless. The EcoFlow product is pricy (here in Canada), but makes the install pretty easy and great to be able to view from EcoFlow app. Unfortunately for me, I bought the Victron DC/DC 12/24V converter to recharge my Delta 2 Max (via solar port). It is cost effective and also a simple install. But the EcoFlow solution allows the power station to charge the main battery. In any case, I think Bluetti dropped the ball here.
This makes zero sense to me! I bought the AC240 because of the 30amp 12V DC plug (and the IP rating). I also bought the 210 battery and this thing rocks! The AC240 actually started my 15k btu AC unit in my trailer with no soft start, no problem. I was shocked. The AC200 Max and my Ankers 767 could not start my AC. The only unit I have that could start it is my delta pro. The 200L was a big no for me, would buy a Max, 240 or ankers before I would buy the L. The 48V step down is ridiculous and a waste of a DC plug. Just my 2 cents.
yes, I agree, the AC240 is the ideal setup (for me at least), apart from capacity. That threw me. It's a significantly bigger box. Surely they could have fit more cells in. I'm thinking it was partly a marketing decision so as to not cannibalize ongoing sales of earlier units, particularly the 200L, with this D40 unit just hitting the market now. If the AC240 had been 2048Wh or more, it would have been perfect for my needs. I want the ability to be mobile without having to take along an extension unit.
If U were 2 tear down a 240 U would understand why it’s bigger. To get the IP rating there is a lot going on inside, and it’s like a box within a box (probably why others haven’t done an IP rated unit). Paired with the 210 U get almost 3700 WH. I bought both for about 2200 bucks and @ around 61 cents a WH thats a great deal for a unit that has an IP rating and a huge surge rating. The only thing they could have done better is put some wheels on it to make it more portable. But for me I have it installed in my RV so I don’t really move it much (and I have a cart to move it around). But I do agree it seems like a big unit for only 1500 WH. But the 210’s are much smaller so thats a good thang. To be honest I would never buy the 240 on its own, but U start adding batteries and it becomes a legit unit!
I’m not sure I fully understand this thing but it seems like the 12V 30 amp output on the Bluetti AC 200 Max was a better alternative. Seems like they are charging $200 more for an inferior product. They should just switch back to that.
It looks like I made the right decision when I opted to sell my AC200L. I guess what I envisioned when I plunked down the money was an external device that offered three, maybe four separate 12v outlets that could be used to power multiple high draw fixtures and appliances at once. Fortunately it was on sale when I purchased it, so it wasn't difficult to recoup what I laid out.
The D40 is $200, I suggest people looking to get 12v supply for their whole van/trailer get the AC200Max instead of the L. Using the AC200Max for 12v power only requires a $30 RV cable adapter from Bluetti. I like the AC200L but the missing 12v30amp output was a deal breaker for me.
I'm wondering if you need to always put the D40 in load mode and will it stay in load mode because you'll always be using 12V DC to power your 12 V system in your van. One thing you didn't mention is that you can charge the AC200L if you have your alternator connected to the D40 and disconnect it from the 48 V port you can charge the A200L and from what I know around 300 watts. I have a AC200L and think it was a bad move to remove the 30 Amp port like they had on the AC 200 max. it's a proprietary design that leaves anyone who thinks that they can use the AC200 L to handle their 12V DC load is mislead. this is a terrible design and Bluetti is going to be sorry they made it this way. With Ecoflows new DC-DC $600 charger, when they made a universal cable to fit all generators that will be the game changer in my mind with Bi-direcretional charging.
The D40 puts out 13.4v in load mode so connecting that output to the AC200L input for 'car charging' will only give you around 120 watts. It won't speed up 12v charging on the AC200L. It would be no different than charging with a 12v socket in your car.
Probably be simpler to buy an MPPT and DC to DC converter. A 20A DC to DC goes for less than $100. A 20A MPPT can be bought for less than $90. Both would work for any equipment 12V battery and wouldn't be tied to Bluetti proprietary connector and accessory.
Hey there - I mentioned in an earlier comment that I purchased the D40 with your code and I plan to replace my dual battery system with the AC200l and D40. The problem is I'm only getting a little more than 200 watts with a Victron Inverter. Is there a better alternative for Alternator charging? Regardless, you were spot on with the D40. It really is a good product.
You probably need a higher input voltage to charge faster. This unit here puts out a higher voltage (42v): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NqnYaqMwktE.html Not sure if it will solve that issue though. Too many variables to factor in.
Thx Jason, I own both the D40 & 200L. The D40 has some good potential but does come up short (no pass thru, doesn’t charge 200L, 20a limit) There are work arounds but are just that. I don’t like having to manually change from CHARGE Mode to LOAD Mode, so I will most likely leave the D40 in Charge mode and wire my DC Fuse panel to my expansion or house battery. Not clean for single App monitoring/control. Overall, I think Bluetti missed the mark, plus botched the role out.
Too bad Bluetti is trash. I had to use my "6 year" warranty as it wasn't charging through solar properly. Took about 10 emails and 3 weeks of back and forth. Eventually gave up and sold it to someone who didn't care about solar input for discount. Never again.
Thanks for sharing your feedback about their customer support. I wish it was a positive experience for everyone but unfortunately I hear about these cases still every now and then.
@@zodiacfml I was hoping they were going to make a DC to DC charger just like EcoFlow or Pecron. No biggy though… the Pecron charger apparently works just fine with non-Pecron power stations.
Not bad. I think for the price and since I do not have the 200L I would just go with one of the dc to dc chargers. Not quiet as useful as the ecoflow one that just came out, but you have to have ecoflow delta 2, delta 2 max or the pro I think to make it work with the power station. I know it will charge the power station at 800 watts and I think it will also charge your car battery at 800 watts. Not sure how good that is for the alternator though.
Great thoughts! I also agree that 800 watts is a bit high for a normal alternator. Luckily the Ecoflow mode is fully adjustable to the charging speed you want 👍
i think this guy had to be made because of the number of people that wanted 12v out instead of the 48v that this unit outputs, so in that aspect it fills that need, for those that do not need the 12v out, they can skip the extra cost.
I think it's been in the works for a bit. Maybe they have other 48v accessories they are planning to support? Still pretty limited since the AC200L is the only power station with this port right now.
I think this is the first review of this. I know it is the first that I have seen. I know people on facebook are complaining that it limits you to 20 amps if you do not have solar added.
It has a 20 amp input limit in general. It will pull 20 amps from your alternator and 20 amps from solar (see the second scenario testing section, charging RV house batteries for the exact results).
This is the video where I modded the PowerQueen battery with the cool connections on it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A_siXJlW2nA.html This is the video of me reviewing and testing it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ukjez9qPazA.html
Okay, so does the D40 charge the AC200L or not? I’m not sure if I saw that in this video. It was mostly the D40 charging other devices from the AC200L.
In the beginning I mentioned that the D40 does not charge the AC200L. Bummer they didn't design it that way. The 48v port on the Bluetti is only for outputing power.
At least they have the new AC240 with the high amperage output! I feel that feature is super useful so it would have been nice to have that on the AC200L.
@@Jasonoid i don't know about 300 watts, the sticker on the back of the d40 states 12v 20amp max, that's 240 watts and not 300 watts for a standard load (load mode) not charging a battery... maybe I'm wrong.
Hi Jason, It's an other good review. I think in the moment the ecoflow a hint because they leave the solar accessible when car charging. Pecron, Bluetti take the solar port. it's a big downgrade. But did you see the Etaker fast charger fleet 1000??? I think it's better then all other option for many generator. He have in solar input 12-48V 20A 500w max, a car alternator input 300W/400W/500W for combine 1000W possible output. Don't find the output voltage of this charger, but the etaker M2000 generator have an input of 20-50V. Look it work with many other generator... Now possible with one device too keep solar and good car charger. And did you see the M2000 unit with semi-solid batteries.
The only problem is that most alternators won't handle 1000 watts being pulled from them. That's like 80 to 100 amps! You'd have to have a large upgraded alternator installed.
Since you already have the Pecron smart car charger, you could tie the D40 and smart car charger together at the house battery or vehicle battery to recharge both the house battery and the 200L simultaneously while the vehicle is running. Just make sure that the smart car charger is set to 13.5 turn on voltage. Great review. Hopefully, you will get the other little Bluetti box to allow PV inputs of 120V and down converts it to
I mean, it would be best if the D40 just did all that out of the box on it's own but yeah, I have lots of products where I could assemble something to get a sweet setup for car camping. I am really looking forward to that 150v to 60v solar buck converter from them. I think it will be compatible with other brands as well (I hope).
Interesting. I’m using a Renogy 12V 20A DC to DC to charge my AC180 via my alternator but the output voltage is very low. This looks like it could offer a 10x improvement.
This only charges 12v batteries. It won't improve the charging speed on a power station. The voltage output is also low (13.4v) so you won't see an improvement over what you already have.
Not with the D40, design failure in my opinion. This product will charge your power station faster with your alternator though: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NqnYaqMwktE.html
@@Jasonoid I have a Tacoma with a gofast camper and installed a dual battery system a while back. I'm using a redarc DC to dc charger and an AGM Batter under the hood. I have a 200L so instead of replacing the AGM Battery, I will remove it and use the bluetti combination for overlanding and camping. I'm also adding a victron dc converter to be able to charge the Bluetti from the alternator. all in the costs are clos to the alternator charger ecoflow just announced. I"m kinda disaspointed that the load output is 20 - I though they wold try and match the 30 amps from other units but with the battery charging option, I think that will work best for camping and reducing complexity. thanks again.
@AlternativePower903 I don't choose favorites between different brands of power stations so I don't get offended by someone dissing on a brand, even if it's Bluetti. I do like to hear what's actually happening so I can provide some feedback on what I think is happening or help to make it better. No brand I have ever tested has ever gotten 100% rated capacity. Usually they get around 85% or less on capacity. I have a full spreadsheet and grading system showing those numbers on each model I test.
