Can you charge the batteries with AC current from a wall outlet? Or the system will only use the electricity from the outlet to power appliances? Also I am buying a cable extension solar 12 awg 30a, but what I need for a tishi hery solar panel is a 10awg. Can I use the 12 Awg instead of the 10awg. The reason I want to buy the 12 Awg is 100' cable for 31 dollars vs 10awg 31 dollars 20'?
I just ordered a 12 volt 300 ah LiFePo4 battery, a 60 amp MPPT charge controller, and a 2000 watt inverter. I`m gonna mount it on a dolly like this. Still studying about how to wire and fuse it properly. Spent my last bit of savings on it because I`m living in a very rural area on disability with no transportation close enough to the Gulf to get serious hurricane damage and long power outages. I hope to upgrade the charge controller in the future and get more panels for quicker charging. I`d like to be able to easily charge it in 4 hours and be able to power an air conditioner all day without draining the battery. I only have 490 watts of glass panels and 100 and 120 watt folding panels right now. I`ve never done anything like this but have to learn if I want emergency power. I have power stations for everything else like a chest freezer, dorm fridge, lights, etc.
Good build and tutorial. The 2nd best thing about the video is all the knowledgable people that are watching and commenting which in turn fine tunes the project with a wealth of ideas and experience. Commitees do, at times, serve a purpose
Thanks! That's one of the reasons I love doing videos of this kind of thing - the immense amount of feedback, ideas, creativity, suggestions, etc that come out of it! I end up learning a lot and that info is also passed along to anyone else who watches/reads through :)
Thanks again. I can understand the time you utilize in producing such audio-visuals is highly commendable and appreciated much by me and of course, many other people. I too enjoy reading the comments, suggestions and modifications from the general viewers who are experienced in these fields. Thanks to them, also. Looking forward to viewing many more , such presentations, in the future. Take care and be safe. 73s... 121720/0425h PST, California.
After getting my appetite going for a solar build, I have been watching many different videos on the subject. I must say, you did an excellent job of putting this 24v system together. For non-electrical folks, these inverters and no-work batteries are the way to go! This is the exact type of setup I need for my workshop located on 5 acres wooded property. I plan on building a new home myself. Solar power charges up my batteries and will keep my shop cool & warm, as needed, by tapping off the sun and getting me through each evening. I will start my new 24v solar system this week! Thanks!!!
NICE! I did the same thing with a few differences: I used scrap pine wood planks, side by side secured together with a couple of 1x2 strips running horizontally to the pine wood. The strips were cut and positioned to fit between the hand truck vertical supports which adds stability from side to side movement., I also used the conduit strap tie down things. I am cheap so I use my wood junk-pile for this project. I used 1.75" wide velcro and ran them under the batter box pieces of wood prior to securing the wood down. Put them together with a little force and they secure the batteries down. This allows me to lay down the hand truck and ensures the batteries (2 BattleBorn) will not fall out. I opted to run an extension cable from my MPPT/Inverter a/c out and use a standard cord female plug (the other end of the power extension cord). I wanted to keep cables/cords away from the batteries and close to the ground. I have a surge protector attached to the truck with velcro (see next para) which I plug into the a/c out line. I added same 10"-ish velcro strips, secured with a 1.5" washers to the back of the wood to secure extension cables, solar cables, power strip. I screwed them down with the ends loose. Coil up your cables and put one end of the velcro through the coil and attach the other end to secure the cable/cord. Works great! I also screwed in a couple of strong rare earth magnets to the back of the wood planks (pre-drilled from mfg). I use these to secure tools needed to disconnect the battery, change power in out power lines, etc. I used two 2" rectangle magnets for the tools, they will not fall off unless you slam the hand truck forcibly into the ground! I put a couple of extras for a flashlight holder. I also attached DIY capacitor charge/discharge tools for if and when I need to work on the batteries, change cables etc. You could also mount a small toolbox/kit with velcro. I used a two-way battery disconnect switch box (?) and fuses. I turn off the MPPT/Inverter and then disconnect the battery with the switch. I put pivoting wheels at the base of my unit. Makes it easy to position when on smooth surfaces as you finagle it where you want it to be. It rests on the 4 wheels, but when tilted, you move longer distance with the two hand truck wheels as normal. Love the system, tested it out with solar panels, ran fridge, TVs, etc. I also bought two Bluetti solar generators. One 1500 watt and one 2400 watt. This will allow me to minimize cord runs, have back-up units in case one goes down, and are more portable the the hand truck. I take the smaller one when I go out to the desert.
Very nice build! One item that I would change is how you mount that power pole connector. Take a small piece of 1/4" plywood and sandwich it in between the connector and board. This will eliminate scraping your knuckles against the plywood when removing the battery connector. Those contacts are actually silver plated and to insure positive contact you might want to use a silver polishing cloth on a stick to polish the actual contact side if you see any tarnish build up. The connectors contacts are removable it it is a royal pain in the butt to get them out. Also using shrink tubing with the internal sealant is recommended for these connectors. It will keep out moisture and prolong the copper to connector life.
Yeah I saw you had similar setup. I promise I didn't steal the idea LOL. These inverters are great. I just wish they would get the idle consumption down a bit...
@@LithiumSolar yeah that's the biggest problem with them. And some of the fault codes are annoying. Very easy to modify and work with SBMS though. Super cheap for the output. A fraction of the price of other similar inverters
I've been researching and put off by most home off grid solutions, but this portable hand truck concept has me very interested. As a Naval weapons engineer I do have big reservations on your weak use of fasteners making an expensive investment prone to falling apart from the plywood, the overall concept, use of components and arrangement are outstanding. Bravo Zulu
You're absolutely right, I could have used better fasteners. If I were to do again, I'd likely use a piece of metal on the back so I can use machine screws with nuts and lock washers. In this particular build, it worked well, but I can see how vibrations and wear over time would cause failures with how the equipment is mounted.
Great project. If a contractor wanted reliable quiet power, this would be a great build for them. A generator is annoying and unneeded with this, and this power station would allow the contractor to easily plug in three or four ground-mounted solar panels and sustain a jobsite for weeks. Weather protection is the next problem to solve. Do you think this would be better than a Bluetti station?
You also really should have an AC breaker before the outlets. This not only ensures your setup is "more safe" regardless of the inverter you choose but allows you to disconnect the AC outlets from a running system if you need to repair them. Many inverters have "overload protection" and even "fail to offline" (where you need to manually power cycle it to restart) but many don't actually have physical breakers that break the circuit in case of a short or overload. This breaker could also be a GFCI breaker so as to keep with your design. In my home hybrid setup I have a transfer panel powered by my inverter but even though it too has "overload protection/etc" I still run it through a UL tested breaker first so I can always point to that and say my circuit is protected by a UL tested component that is approved in my country.
A GFCI breaker should have been used, otherwise using 3-prong plugs with a system that can easily become ungrounded is hazardous and not to code. The ground wire must be a permanent connection, or else "grounded" outlets are useless, and foster a false sense of security. And do I really need to say why push-in connections are never a good idea? That shiny faceplate can't hide shoddy workmanship and ignorance of safety for a portable system.
It has physical breakers at the ac output of this unit. No need for another breaker. Gfci is smart given the application, if you can ground it properly.
@@StringerNews1 The ground wire doesn't need to be in the ground strictly speaking it simply has to be another path back to neutral that bypasses the GFCI. Once current bypasses the GFCI on the return it will trip.
I would love to see a full price on this build. I'd also like to see it hooked up to panels and how to hook it up to panels. I'm think of using something like this on an off grid set up.
Outlets that have you wrap the wire around the screw are not necessarily a cheaper outlet. In fact, it is still far better to wrap the wire around the screw when you have the option because it tends to be far less susceptible to vibration since as long as you wrap solid wire in the correct direction with a hook formed and you close the hook it isn't going to fall out when you tighten the screw. Ten years ago you couldn't hardly find a commercial or spec grade outlet with stab-in or back wiring options. The newer commercial outlets that have the push-in terminals in the back that you then tighten the screw to clamp down the wire are far better than the old push-in spring-loaded stab-in type but they can still have problems over the long term. Back wiring is legal but that doesn't mean better. For the purposes of this cart it is plenty fine to back wire the outlets but in a home or other building install, wrapping the wire around the screw is still the most preferred for longevity and safety of the connection, even if it takes a little bit longer to do. I only use back wiring as an option if I don't have enough wire to work with and I am replacing a receptacle or switch to avoid having to pull new wire or use a pigtail to lengthen it.
Young sir this is one of the best builds I've seen, rivaling some of Will Prowse' builds, great job! You could add a hinge-mount 100-180 watt solar panel so you can charge it while powering tools on the job-site in sunny weather. I've built two solar power 12v generators with CALB LiFePo4 battery cells integrated inside a Coleman cooler on wheels, great to have around! Consider a follow-up video with exact cost breakdown with current date as costs are coming down more and more. Keep up the high-quality film-making!
Very good job as always. To your comment about gfci rated outlet - I bought a powerstrip attached to an inverter, with a gfci and overcurrent protection. Also a nice upgrade would be a 12v system for jump starting a car, pump tires or add usb charging while using the tools. But all in all great video and I loved your comments on where to get stuff
@@smlocaldog Thanks for the reply. I am based in germany, so thats the one I am using: www.amazon.de/Kopp-Steckdosenleiste-Mehrfachsteckdose-Silber-Schwarz-228120012/dp/B00BIZ8A8A/ref=sr_1_5?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=1QGMXTGT7GV6D&dchild=1&keywords=fi+schutzschalter+leiste&qid=1601789788&sprefix=fi+sch%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-5 But I found some well rated ones on amazon.com too
Sir is there any way you can update the list for all the parts we need to build the portable power cart ? Items on the list are not available anymore. Thank you. And this video is a big help. And thank you for explaining it in simple terms.
I would say you did a good job. The only thing you missed was putting on a solar panel charge into action. You should have put something on there where you could plug in some solar panels
Thanks. You could put some MC4 leads on the solar input terminals. I have a new version of the power cart with LiFePO4 batteries where I connected MC4 leads along with an entley separate video just on the topic of connecting solar panels :)
Awesome info ..I would like to copy this... Thinking about framing "around" the carry plate of the hand truck on three sides with 2X4's and then cover with a plate of 2X4's to set the batteries on. With that foundation for the batteries to sit on then attach your upright back plate to the foundation the batteries are on and keep the whole thing separate (not attached) to the hand truck...Like moving a fridge around..Hand truck freed up to move say another pair of Batteries to double capacity. Thanks
cool stuff. i didn't see your other video, but i like how you came back with a more 'diy' friendly setup here. just a quick two-cents on the base plate piece of plywood that you attatched with brackets. certainly an effective option out of what is available. if one wanted to employ some slightly-more-than novice tools, they could secure the plywood through the bottom of the steel plate, with counter sunk holes and proper heads. probably too much work for this build imo. and that is because i think the better option would be to put a few dabs of epoxy or adhesive that is rated for a metal-to-wood bond under the ply, before you mount the brackets. it is a quick and easy addition to your method that will surely extend the life of the bracket's tight hold. they would be just fine if the thing doesn't get moved alot, i would imagine they would require some tightening every now and then. being that they are the only secure points for a heavy load, there is inherent stress associated with them already. but even further, they are connecting two different materials that could possibly wear at different rates. these and any other issues would be helped alot by just a few dabs of JB weld. i believe it would take a considerable amount of the load off of the brackets, tightening the entire setup and hopefully locking it all in, leaving the brackets to relax as they share the load with the glue bond instead of taking all the weight as they shift around to hold things together. i know this is a way long-winded for such a simple suggestion, haha, but i guess i'm a nerd and appreciate both understanding things and explaining things. i'm an artist and contractor and work with my hands on everything i can. lately, i have been progressing on my engineering, planning, and execution on my projects. so there is my justification for a few paragraphs instead of a few words. hahaha great video man! i finished it out as i am writing this, and i found it very informative and on the money. i learned alot, which was why i came for this anyway- part of my on-going research for a future setup of my own. i'll have to look back over the electrical part of things, but i know that you explained it in a way that was to the point and less confusing than most guys. and i know there was something in there that was a 'puzzle piece' for me, so thank you. fun stuff. enjoy the eclipse everyone. blessings out to everyone as we walk into the new world together. remember, the good things of this reality are ours to have, but we must claim them.
Very well-done video with excellent and very helpful info! I recently had solar panels installed on my home and I've been looking into solar battery systems like the Tesla Power Wall and the Generac Power Cell - but both of those options are way too expensive and for their very high cost they do not provide sufficient enough kWh power output for long-term power outages of say 30 hours or longer. What you've demonstrated here is a far less costly way to put together a battery-powered emergency backup power system that would be ideal for my home for short term power outages of just a few to several hours or so - with enough power to keep my oil-fired furnace operating to provide heat and hot water, and to provide power to light key areas of my home like the kitchen, bathroom, and master bedroom - all of which have low-power LED lighting. Here's a question I have about extending this battery-powered system's output duration: Can you plug this system into AC for charging while you are using the power from the outlets on the system to power electrical loads? I'm thinking about a scenario where there is a power failure right after sundown, where there's no output from my home's solar panels, in which case I'd like to cycle my 3.8 kWh Propane Powered Generator on and off as needed instead of having it continually running) to keep this unit charged as needed, to extend its output duration - especially should the next day be completely overcast to the point where it will significantly reduce the output of my home's solar panels.
Very nice build and a great substitute for a 2kw gasoline inverter generator. If I built one of those, the only thing I would have done differently is invest in a couple of cans of spray paint for the wood - maybe even Plasti-Dip - to give the entire build a little nicer appearance. Obviously, this is not something you're going to want out in the weather, so the paint would purely be for aesthetics. Well done video, too! Thanks!
Really interesting project and great to hear the solar hookup ideas near to the end. I am looking for a source of these batteries in México. I could also imagine a grid-tie inverter, with a switch-over between town power and battery power. This is what I need, when there are town brown-outs! I'd only suggest that you move the inverter down and put the outlets at the top, so as to lower the center of gravity of the assembly. I understand you need the space for the heavy cables etc. It just seems a little top heavy. My designs are static but I like your ideas!
Really quick clean build, with enough power to run most power tools. If you connected them to a few panels you would be able to get a full day's use out of it. It could also make a good backup for a 24V solar system.
One upgrade: a power meter for the battery. About $40 gets you a good power meter with shunt. Wire it up to the battery, and it can track the state of charge of the batteries, power input and output - tonnes of useful information that you might want to have on a power rig like this one.
You have of had a separate receptacle box with the CFGI and a outdoor cover plate to hide the CFGI. Then daisy chain the power the CFGI first. Good idea I like it, and your instructions were clear. I think I will built mine with two charge controllers linked together. I want to have a single 50 amp 240 Volt outlet, but I think I might need 6 battery packs for longer duration. Northern Tools and Equipment has dump cart rated for 1200-LBs and only $224 dollars. Ideally I would mount the solar panels on the cart as well, but I might need a bigger trailer for that. My ideal is to build a fail over for electric power that can also go camping with us.
About 8 years ago....I built one of these using a 800 watt inverter and 12volt deep cycle battery. I submitted my design to "go fund me" (if memory serves me correct) and the idiots there turned it down. They apparently thought I bought it instead of building it. Mine used a folding cart, weighed about 45 lbs. and test powered a weed eater, lamp and small TV separately. Ideal for those small emergencies. But that again....was eight years back.
Yes, there's a problem Houston ! The hand truck dolly should have been the big Appliance hand truck dolly so it couldve hauled a bigger system ( just kidding ) ... But honestly ,it would be safer to have used nuts & bolts to secure the plywood to the hand truck . The inverter may accept a G.F.C.I. breaker , be worth checking . Nice work , Thanks 4 Sharing !
I tried wiring a GFCI outlet to the same MPP 2400W inverter he used, and it did not work. There is apparently voltage between the neutral wire and the chassis ground on this inverter, so the GFCI tripped immediately. When I wired the outlet ground and neutral to the neutral output on the inverter, everything worked fine, as expected. Not real happy with that, as it requires keeping the inverter chassis and batteries floating from any ground to be safe. I'm guessing it isn't possible to tie the neutral inverter output to ground without blowing up the inverter? What was your experience? How did you wire your GFIC outlet?
NackDSP - you can try disconnecting the ground wire from the GFCI. Believe it or not, a ground wire is not required for proper operation of a GFCI. The GFCI detects current differences between line and neutral wires, and trips when that current difference between those two wires gets too high; no ground needed to perform that.
I like parts. Tis dolly is going to someday tip over, backed into or be drop. You have one most expensive, fragile part high up, better put the inverter as low to battery's and run all power cables( have lots extra ) to top . This lower center gravity. put two steel bars , protect everything in front. if did fall it not the 1-2,000 parts first. Good Build, lower the inverter. Mpls Mike
You seem to have attracted a lot of “experts”, so let me see if I can help you out here: 1: Since the system isn’t permanently attached to the electrical grid, the NEC doesn’t apply. 2: The quantity, quality, and wiring methods used for the 120V outlets, as well as the gauge of wire used, are all correct and would be legal for a residential branch circuit installation. 3: The manufacturer of the inverter will say whether or not there should be external over current protection between it and the branch circuit. What does the manual say? 4: It doesn’t need a ground rod unless you attach it to the permanent wiring of the house, and having one would actually make the system more dangerous by potentially completing an electrical path through anyone standing on the ground. 3: The wiring to the batteries is correct, apart from the crimp-job. 4: There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for not using a GFCI in that system, especially “it doesn’t look as clean”. It’s unnecessarily hazardous without one and you ought to know better. If you want all 4 outlets in one enclosure, use a GFCI, 3 decora outlets, and use a cover plate for 4 decora switches. This is a common setup. 5: This build isn’t going viral because it looks expensive and complicated. Your toolbox video did because it looked simple and attainable to the lay person. Source: Just trust me.
P.P.S. The American GFCI and the British RCD are essentially the same thing. The term “ground fault circuit interrupter” is disliked by European EE’s because it makes an assumption as to the path of the fault. American EE’s dislike the term “residual current device” because the term “residual” is used differently here, and the term “RCD” is less intuitive as to its function. “Residual” would more-or-less translate to “Transient” in the U.S.
Thank you for your feedback. The GFCI issue will be resolved shortly in a follow-up video. I see now that was a mistake. The manufacturer does not make mention of whether or not an external breaker is required, but I'll be taking care of that issue as well. Check back in a few days :)
@@LithiumSolar The built is great and to the code for stationary application,but when it comes to mobile/portable not so much In portable applications solid core copper wire will break real fast due to vibrations and premature insulation wear as will continually rub on metal surfaces. "Please Get Rid of the Romex Wires ASAP" You can use the same wires as in the extension cord, as they are stranded...also replace the outlets and boxes with outdoor nylon rated ones (the less metal for the wire to rub against the better) Please don't take my comment as a negative. I just want to help ;) Keep them videos coming
Awesome comments and feedback I love it! I have a little bit of a question though so the GFCI perspective of your feedback is interesting because just before that you comment how dangerous it would be to have a ground rod in said system.. The input to the inverter has a grounded cord which is the only path to earth ground as I believe to be true you don't want another ground rod ... However the NEC is not to be ignored in any form or fashion the understanding here would be how they define separately derived systems. It would be up to the manufacturer of said inverter in their manual as you stated previously, as to whether the system is considered to be separately derived from the inverter output which in my experience many of them are or should be of a separately derived system.. This being said the best change for this power cart would be to investigate whether in fact the inverter has a bonded grounded neutral... If it's not a separately derived component then it would always need to be part of a system it cannot be a system within itself as it's not creating the bond necessary for personal protection on the neutral. GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupt so if the cart is lacking a connection to ground how would a GFCI operate correctly it would not operate correctly in my opinion you would be subject to mini nuisance tripping events it would give a false sense of security as it does not have a ground reference unless it's plugged in it needs a circuit breaker or a 20 amp single pole switch for which would disconnect the phase current but keep the neutral and ground connected to the inverter in this case a GFCI would operate as it's part of the grounded bonded system. Peace brother
I built a similar setup. Only rated for 1000 watts but I did use an inverter/charger and two deep cycle batteries, it's a great setup. In the winter it stays in the house for use as an uninterruptible power supply. I heat with a pellet stove and this will keep the stoves electronics running for days I. The event of a power outage. It also goes camping with me to provide power when needed at the camp site. It will run a mini fridge for 2 weeks on one charge. I do want to upgrade to an inverter/charger with a solar input.
Gotta buy the welder cable lugs. They vary from other brands that are used for multiple things. I use crimp supply. Phenomenal welder cable and their lugs are solid copper and awesome. Also I found the welder cable heat shrink is amazing too. Has adhesive inside. Rock solid and looks great!
Very very good video. You explained everything great. Looks awesome. I just finished reworking my Dewalt 12v battery packs from nicad to lithium. I want to create my own solar banks for a new garage. I’ll take a look at your solar project. Thanks for your expertise. Dan Bell.
Yeah, I just bought a 24v 1500 watt AC inverter that costs almost what that MPP one did. On a plus though, mine only uses about 0.5 amps with no load. As Will Prowse has shown, the standby no load consumption on the MPP is rough. Not sure if the similar Growatt ones do much better or not. One of these days I'll break down and get a spot welder as that is kind of the main thing holding back on more custom battery work. Battery Hookup is basically like a drug dealer I feel for solar/battery people. I have to get a few every couple weeks it would seem. haha
The entire system is not grounded. You need the metal box wired into earth for a proper ground. If energy is dumped into those grounds, it stops at your metal box. I suggest a large ground wire that runs down the unit and has a metal spike that can be poked into the ground wherever you go and have it tee off to a ground plug that is missing the plug in prongs to ground into house grounds.
You don't need to literally ground the ground wire. Just bond it to the neutral lug on the inverter. Current that returns via the ground wire will bypass the GFCI and trip the breaker. Hint: this is how GFCIs work in your home panels (your neutral and ground are bonded in your panel)
@@DardanelleNews No problemo. The ground and neutral ultimately terminate in the earth (hence "ground") but all you need for a GFCI to trip is an imbalance on one of the two legs going into it (typically your neutral/live).
complain complain complain "it doesn't have wheels" it's a dolly and they come with it, you're weak. "i don't have tools", go buy some "i don't have power tools" don't need some. buy some from flea markets, garage sales etc. don't borrow neighbors unless you dish out $20 for troubling them. i don't lend my tools. learn by making mistakes that way when you've made you DIY you'll walk a little taller and in touch with your inner caveman alpha male. Photovoltaic / Solar Thermal Technician here. i approve this video.
Give the total project cost. Even approximate. Also, recommend hard rubber wheeled ( harbor freight) hand truck. Flat tire will render your cart useless.
@@LithiumSolar it is absolutely functional, no doubt! And a cool project, loved it! But when ppl chain the grounds recep to recep that way they are always hard to deal with and then it's also hard to keep terminals apart if you work on it live. It's also more difficult to change a bad one if you need. I prefer a parallel style line to each tucked neatly in the box. I'm not a fan of daisy chain grounds in multi gang outlets at all lol But that's just me as a long time service guy and from my time as a professor looking at ppl do things a million times and taking it back apart or inspecting it.
You did a very nice job with the build and I really enjoy your videos. Unfortunately, here you have unwittingly made an electrical hazard. Your AC outlets are NOT grounded unless the extension cord is plugged into an AC outlet that is grounded. This means that any electrical short failure in any device that is plugged into the outlets and depends on a ground connection to shunt stray current to ground and trip a breaker is defeated. It would be safer to route the AC thru a GFCI to reduce the risk of electrical shock and include a warning at the outlets about the state of the non standard grounding of the device.
Thanks for the feedback. The inverter is supposed to have short circuit protection on the output. Also, I'm not understanding how this is any different from the mountains of other portable "solar generators" that do not have a connection to earth? Would they all fall under the same category as well (assuming no GFCI)?
@@LithiumSolar Grounding is an imperfect protection when compared to GFCI, in grounding, if a live wire on a drill motor with a metal casing for example were to come loose and energize the casing of the drill, the case being grounded allow sufficient current to flow to ground as to overload the circuit supplying the drill upon plugging it into a grounded outlet and thus not allow the metal case of the drill to remain energized. GFCI is an order of magnitude better protection against the potential of AC leaking thru any path other than the intended neutral but is has its own quirks which can made it unsuitable in some applications. In regards to generators, solar or other wise It would be prudent to ground the device to an earth ground given the potential hazards of a portable AC power supply IMO but your mileage may very :)
@@LithiumSolar Assuming no GFCI: A floating ground (no earth connection): You can touch only a hot wire or only the neutral without a shock because there isn't a complete circuit, it's like touching only one terminal of a battery. You only get shocked if touching both. But WAIT! Just because you didn't make an earth connection doesn't mean there isn't one! If you power any device with a metal enclosure that is internally grounded as any proper metal enclosure tends to be and it is in any way touching ground or touching something that touches the ground as most things do, then there is a path to ground, albeit maybe a very high impedance one. Now if you touch the hot wire while you are touching the ground (are you floating in mid air?), you may get a shock, or you might not, depending on how low the impedance is to earth ground. A lower impedance increase the current that can flow from a constant voltage source and if it is low enough, you can get a dangerous shock by touching a hot wire. You probably aren't intentionally touching hot wires, but something energized might be damaged at some point and something you would intentionally touch might get an accidental connection to a hot wire. If this connection isn't a very low impedance short, it might not draw enough current to trip a regular circuit breaker, but can still supply enough current to hurt or even kill an unsuspecting human. A circuit breaker trips on, say, 15 amps, and slowly at that. It only takes a few miliamps to kill you. Also, inverter short circuit protection does't trip from a few miliamps. An intentional low-impedance earth ground somewhat lowers the risk to you by ensuring that your body has a higher impedance to earth ground than the ground wire's impedance to ground. This might not be enough to trip a breaker in high-impedance shorts between ground and hot, but it still leaves a lower impedance path to ground than your body, potentially lowering stray voltages caused by the high-impedance short between hot and ground. A properly hooked up GFCI would be much more sensitive to these currents and would be tripped by much smaller currents than a regular circuit breaker. This would greatly improve the safety by ensuring that even high-impedance shorts between hot and ground will trip the GFCI, further reducing the odds of a damaged hot wire somehow causing even a small current to flow through your body. An intentional earth ground is often not used with portable generators, but if you look at actual instruction manuals of commercial units, you'd see that they often tell you that you should connect an earthed grounding rod to the generator's ground wire.The manual for the gasoline powered generator I bought from Lowe's, for example, states that Lowes and the manufacturer are free from any liability for events up to and including your death if you don't use a buried grounding rod, among other safety requirements. Even if you don't use an earth connection for your grounding wire, a cheap little GFCI breaker or first outlet goes a LONG way to reducing the risks to you. They literally save lives.
If you don't have a crimp tool one method that works really well and clean is to heat up the metal terminal with a torch and pool some solder and flux in it then shove the cable in to it and let it cool. This makes a very secure connection without a crimp tool.
Nice build. I'm using the same hand truck for my build. I had trouble figuring how to secure my (2) 100 AH AGM batteries to the hand truck. Your video gave me some good ideas. Thanks..... btw awesome batteries but $$$$$!
Good build but I would spend a few bucks more and upgrade the tires on that to foam filled ones. Very easy to do and saves a lot of headaches when the tires are flat and you don't have a pump or compressor. I would also recommend using a through bolt with fender washers for the clamps holding the plywood to the hand truck. Fender washers will spread the load over the wood better and lessen the chance of the screws pulling out of the wood in the event it gets hit or is subject to a lot of wind.
Congratulations on your model. I like the easy way you explain its assembly as well. Is there an "assembly and play" kit available of the components (excluding the 2-wheeler and plywood)? My tool set is very limited. Thank you.
Great build. What was the total cost? I was thinking of one of these builds for a trailer build. But I want the portability for future cabin and moving to the house for battery back up. Either one of these or something like an Ecoflow plug and play unit. What are your thoughts since you are more of an expert?
I have seen your video and I love the way that you use the batteries and of course the converter to get ultimate power through your sockets and of course not only that you got to charge it with the extension cord to put it to charge now at the end of the video with the solar panels behind you you said you can actually connect that into your MPP I'm wondering instead of those big panels that you have there can you hook up one and use that as a travel spot like if I wanted to travel with it could it be done and how would you set that up and connect it can you please give me details of it and to find out where I can get one of them solar panels thank you Manny
It's standard branch circuit wiring. All of the lines are connected together, all of the neutrals connected together, and all of the grounds connected together.
Your video is excellent and simple to understand with your detail. You are an exceptional teacher. One question I do have is the outlet wiring topic matter. You mentioned the bare copper wire was the ground. I thought the black wire was the ground. Could you explain? For example: 1. Is white wire positive? 2. Is black wire negative? 3. The are wire can be a ground without casing over wire?
