I've long said that the modern "obsession with AC", and the big inverters running all of the time is a mistake. AC is useful for transmitting power over long distances, and is not useful where generation is local to the load. Yours was the first video I've seen where someone has also addressed this. My bus conversion will use a nominal 115 volt DC system, which will actually run almost anything either with no modification, or only minor modification.
Inverters shouldn't run all the time, they should have a ups to do that and it runs on grid , without wearing out the mosfets I've always wanted a 12ac or 24vac coming into the home along with 110/240ac Using ac for high wattage the rest for lighting, charging phones etc using the dc supply Way less power loss
The reason we have an AC grid is that only until fairly recently, DC couldn’t be converted to other voltages*. We needed AC power to convert to high voltages for efficient transportation and to convert is back to low voltages to use in our homes. Without high speed high power transitors, this could only be done with bulky transformers. DC-DC converters still use AC (or at least switched DC) to do the conversion. Because of the high frequencies that they use, these power converters can be both small and efficient.
Remember, when soldering XT60 or XT30 plugs, plug them into the other half to stop the pins from wandering around with the heat of your soldering iron, and let them cool before pulling apart... (Found this tip out the hard way).
Two tips... The fake XT60s will melt like this, but the *real* Amass connectors are glass fiber reinforced and do not melt. Second, if you dwell on a connection too long with low heat it will creep up the connection and the wire and melt stuff... It's better to have good soldering iron that can pump out the heat and get the localized area hot, soldered and get out... Just like heat affected zones in welding. 👍👍
I have no problems finding them... amzn.to/3BqSKW8 Just make sure it's got the Amass logo embossed in the side, make sure the listing shows that and then if you receive anything else, get a refund.
Remember, our videos don't have advertisements enabled for the first 48 hours, So make sure to have the Notification Bell set to "all" to see our videos without the Ads 👍
Now I know what DC to DC converters are good, awesome use of their application! Lastly, were you able to buy these things off of Amazon away from your home's mailbox?
@@Eduardo_Espinoza This is our home... I carried most of this stuff from Canada, but we can also ship to restaurants or other businesses of friends we make while traveling.
Excellent video! Hands-on experience is always the best. Most devices these days run on 5V, 12V (most common), or 19V (most laptops). And it looks like you have some 24VDC devices too. However, most of the DC-DC converters in your video have limited safeties and severe hazards are associated with them. I'll throw out some tidbits: * The fully potted DC-DC converters are pretty much universally NOT current-limited, even when they say they are. So for example, a 12-24V 3A DC-DC converter won't limit itself to 3A and can burn-up with larger loads, as well as burn up the thinner power wires commonly used to connect them up. These nearly all advertise safeties but what they are really doing is relying on the built-in safeties of the regulator chip (which is supposed to be a last-resort, not a first line of defense)... not a good thing. So I recommend putting an inline auto-fuse on the input or the output (I prefer the input, as close to the battery as possible) with an appropriate amperage rating for the wiring and the device. For example, I have some DC fans driven by a 24-to-12 potted converter connected from the battery, and I put a 2A auto-fuse inline with the power going into that as a safety. * I strongly recommend AGAINST using the larger un-potted, unenclosed, potentiometer-controlled buck and boost modules. These modules do have a fuse (that is usually too big), but the wattage ratings advertised are straight-out lies. You definitely need to de-rate as you did, probably by a lot more than 50%. The other problem is that the potentiometers are not temperature compensated, so the output voltage tends to drift over time, and the current limiting function tends to destabilize the output voltage rather than simply allow it to drop. * Just about all unpotted regulators are very easy to destroy, and to destroy the equipment they are connected to, if you touch the circuit board while they are operating. The reason is that there are high-valued feedback resistors used to sense the current and voltage and the designers were too-cheap to add in a fail-safe zener/resistor to the board. If you touch the wrong part of the circuit board (usually on the back, but in the front too), it completely messes up the current and/or voltage sensing and can cause the power supply to go nuts. * The digitally-controlled regulators and power supplies are significantly better, as long as they are in an enclosure. With the provisio that they still need to be in an enclosure and protected from fingers and you still have to de-rate the capabilities. The digital controls won't drift. Be sure to put an auto-fuse inline with all power supplies as close to the battery as possible. Do not rely on the low-voltage drop-out or current limit. * USB-C PD ports are awesome. They can generally do 5V, 12V, and 19V with simple (non-converter) adapter cables. USB-C actually negotiates the voltage directly so the adapter cables simply have a chip that negotiates the desired voltage and current limit and the PD port does the rest. They are definitely decent and they are all current-limited because the controller chip in the PD port is current-limited so the product designers can't screw it up. And also quite efficient (though the advertising still lies about the efficiency). Strongly recommended. -- That's it. Beware of the unpotted power supplies, and don't trust any current specifications or current limiting functions... use in-line auto-fuses to protect wiring and devices from combustion. I assume you have a fuse-block in your DC distribution box near the battery, yes? Shorts on too-thin wires that are improperly fused and connected directly to batteries are the #1 fire hazard for RVs and campers. It doesn't take much to turn a long wire into a line of fire. -Matt
I'm curious what your take is on feeding DC directly to existing power bricks in lieu of AC? If they are SMPS type, shouldn't they "just work"? The very first thing these PSUs do is rectify to DC... it seems DC should just pass straight through a typical bridge rectifier. If given sufficient supply voltage, should work, no?
@@equid0x Generally speaking, you don't want to do this because the power brick is designed for 120-240VAC. The peak voltage for 120VAC is 170V and the peak voltage for 240VAC is 380V. So even in cases where you can feed DC into an AC rectifier, you need to feed a very high voltage for the rectifier to operate properly. If you feed too-low a voltage into it, it will either refuse to operate or it will over-current the input-stage to the regulator. There are some power supplies that can take either an AC or a DC input precisely for this reason, and are specified to do so. But nearly all (99.99%) of power bricks don't, and you shouldn't feed them DC. This means the correct solution is to bypass the power brick entirely and get the proper DC-to-DC converter to supply the proper output DC voltage to the device. -- Also, not AC inverters are inefficient under load. In mid-sized systems where the AC inverter is always in use and under load, adding additional incremental loads won't actually be all that inefficient. The main time you want to use a DC solution is in situations where doing so allows you to turn the AC inverter off entirely.
So I wanted to add a few things - the first is that there are some risks with DC-DC step-down converters if they fail. I learned this the hard way when a step-down I was running a laptop from failed and let the (50V) input through to the laptop. I luckily had a spare laptop and the HDD hadn't been damaged so I could recover fairly quickly, but it was still sad. My solution to this is to include a failsafe curcuit after the step-down, just a high-power zener diode (or an equivalent zener-bjt-mosfet combination that can respond quickly enough) and a fuse, to dump voltage above the required output and use the overcurrent to blow the fuse. Second, is about core loss and the low power efficiency of DC-DC converters compared to Inverters. Inverters and AC PSU's almost exclusively use high frequency transformers for voltage conversion. these have a fixed conversion ratio and are generally run through their entire magnetic range at high frequency constantly while the device is under even light load (some have a shut-down which partially stops the cycling at no-load, but not all) and magnetic cycling of the core of any inductive device consumes power - the main cause of the 40W loss our man mentioned above. DC-DC converters like the one's he mentions above are usually using a storage inductor for voltage conversion. This usage mode only flutters the magnetic flux in the core by 5 to 10% under full load, and much less (
I really appreciate the depth of your comments above, @TreeLibrarian. I don't understand most of them, but definitely appreciate the thought and effort that obviously went into them. As a neophyte, what makes Jason's videos especially compelling is that he takes complex subjects and processes and makes them accessible to a wide audience. He's compelling to watch and an excellent teacher. And then there's the lovely Kara and Lincoln that are often featured in many of the videos. What's not to like about those two!
thanks, any tips where to start learning all this? Do you recommend learning physics basics or directly arduino projects? What would you do with a water destiller, like the VEVOR 750W 4L? Is there AC better?
@@valentin4711 Arduino projects won't teach you anything of what I described above - they're more about programming and digital control than actual electronics. Study power inductor design, look at the qualities of different core materials for different purposes, understand high-frequency transformer design (there's a seminal white-paper by a texas instruments enginer from the '80's that's just known as slup125.pdf - google it - that gets into the real physics of high-frequency transformer and circuit-board design for power circuitry, and basically everything uses it's principles to this day). Read component specification sheets, and try to work out what every value and graph in it actually means. Study MOSFETS and mosfet driver ICs, audio frequency analog design and BJT's, get familiar with the basic DC-DC and AC-DC topologies (buck, boost, forward converter). Basic electrical and wiring safety is useful as well. The infodump above was the result of >30 years of self-study and making things that blew up over and over until they stopped blowing up, and >15 years of off-grid experience as well. As far as the distiller is concerned, we have something like that which we use for coloidal silver production (which requires distilled water). We just run it from the inverter since the heater requires 220V and the fan is a 220V AC motor too. We just only run it when the sun is shining, and use the Big (5000W) inverter like we do for the bread machine so our Small(1000W) inverter doesn't get overloaded when the fridge tries to start (fridge start takes ~700W for ~5s). If I were to think about electrical consumption reduction for that device, though, I'd probably look for a way to boil from an alternative energy source (solar concentrator? wood-stove?) and blow air with a 12V fan attached to the top, but honestly that all seems like too much work and inconvenience to be worthwhile for something we use 3h/month.
Most routers take 12VDC as a source to use their own buck regulator for stable power, so anything DC 8-30V is usually good to feed them, you do not really need designed buck/boost regulator to supply 12V/3A stable source. (Just check the internals, you will find the regulator chip, read the specifications and you will know what you can feed into it)
Keyboard Commando here, I just want to say I've been waiting for this video for some time and it did not disappoint! You were very informative and I learned alot. I'm all about efficiency and already bought a DC12V laptop charger that charges my new laptop via USB C thunderbolt. Top work man, you're a freakin genius.... right I'm off to comment on someone else's video with a strong opinion on a subject I know very little about.
I am really thankful I found your channel. I went to school for electronics and have done a lot of what you have been doing with direct DC and getting rid of wall warts. I have rewired an entire small trailer adding solar and charge controller. However, you have shown me things I did not know existed or even thought about. Again, thanks Jason.
I’ve always been a techie my entire life and wound up with a career in computer science and engineering. Just subscribed and have to say you could definitely be a instructor in the industry. Very nice work.
A man after my own heart. I don't have an inverter in my van because I convert everything to run on 12v. The stumbling block at the moment is my nespresso coffee machine which has to stay at home. Small price to pay for being off grid with peace of mind! Love the video and thanks for sharing ! Ringo
I camp with an off-road trailer and ground tent. I created an 'umbilical cord' to go between the trailer, with it's 6v GC2 batteries and solar, and the tent. 12v outlets for lights (all LED) and usb charger for phones and tablets. There's also a cord for the 12v Dometic fridge so it can be moved around camp or in the back of the SUV and still run from the trailer's battery. I've also played with a 48v Nissan Leaf pack and have buck converters and fuse blocks to convert to 12v. I plan to set up a box containing the battery and cords running out to run accessories for other camping endeavors or other off-grid power needs.
This is so spot on. I've been pushing the use of DC in houses for years. I use 2 bus systems with one bus of 24 V for the kitchen area for fridges, deep freezers, microwave, kettles etc. You can buy these in 24V. And a 12V bus for all the lighting, wall plugs etc. You can buy tv/monitors which work on 12V. HiFi and alarm clocks which work on 12V. Up converters which input 12V to produce 19.5V for laptops. And also 12 to 5V USB converters are available every where. What most people don't realize is the high losses when converting from low to high voltages and also from high to low is immense compared to the efficiency when the input and output voltages are close to each other. I bought off the shelf a 12V to 5V USB converters which have a standby no load current of 5mA but are able to deliver 4amps at 5V. Interesting true fact here, a standard 24V 3kw inverter has a standby no load current of 2amps. So in one day it uses 24V x 2A x 24hours which equals 1152 watts. That's double what a 24V 150liter top loading fridge uses in a day. Or double what a whole house fitted with led lighting uses in a day. And that is not including the losses in the up and down conversation. DC is the only way to go with such installations but the solar panel shops won't tell you that because now you won't buy so many panels and batteries from them. Now when will the rest of the world realise this?
Enjoyed your video - I've been doing the same things at our off-grid cabin. In fact we only run 12V there, which is stepped down from our 24V solar battery system using a finned converter of the same type you show. Eliminating an inverter means we only need 400 watts of solar (we use tablets instead of laptops and there is not a microwave, washer, dryer or other large loads. We also have perfect southern exposure in a sunny, dry climate). We even have a video projector that runs directly off of 12V - just 25 watts. For our camper, we use a DC-DC Victron charger to charge while driving. It is easy to get 30 amps of battery charging while driving, and that is a regulated charge that automatically cuts when you turn off the vehicle. But again, thanks for highlighting this - I've always felt the odd man out in my distaste for running everything through an inverter.
Have you calculated the additional cost in fuel to run your DC-DC Victron charger off your camper's alternator? I've listened to Jason's explanation of why he's deleted his truck's alternator and wonder if the equation holds true for a typical gas-powered vehicle like my 4Runner, or if there's excess capacity being produced by the alternator that's currently being wasted and could be harvested to charge my two measly 100AH LiPo4's in my trailer. TY!
@@nathanshiba6866 Well, in foul weather you can charge while you drive with a DC-DC charger, or you can take a generator with you, or you can have a huge system. I chose the first option. I have a 220 amp alternator and there is no perceptible engine load increase while charging - I equate it to running AC and headlights. Certainly it is a drop in the bucket compared to the added fuel cost of towing the trailer to begin with. I do agree with him that you can't charge from the alternator effectively *without* a DC-DC charger - the "charging" wire in a 7 pin connector is a joke and the voltage is all over the place.
Converting diesel fuel to electricity is not very efficient. Despite the energy density of diesel being 45.5 megajoules per kilogram, which theoretically produces 14 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram. Assuming a very generous engine efficiency of 40%, belt efficiency of 98%, and alternator efficiency of 55%, the overall energy conversion efficiency is only 21%. Thus, when I fully charge my house batteries, it costs me $5.86 in fuel costs, assuming a fuel cost of $4.00 per gallon. Due to this inefficiency, I made the decision to disconnect my alternator control wire since early 2019 when we were in Northern Mexico. Instead, I've opted to power my engine and chassis electronics using solar and lithium batteries. Trying to charge 11.5kWh of lithium batteries from an engine alternator would take 10 to 12 hours, which isn't practical for me. Assuming the stock alternator could handle a 100 amp load for that long, I would still need to be driving or running the engine for many hours a week to keep up with the charging requirements. And since we're often stationary for a week or two, it's simply not feasible for me to use the engine for charging. I need to run from Solar and cut out inefficient or parasitic loads.
@@Everlanders At your scale you have a different problem. For those of us running a pair of LiFePO4s - maybe 2.6kWh - a couple hour drive is all you need and the additional fuel cost I can save by skipping Starbucks in the morning. Starbucks - the ultimate parasitic cost.
Another wonderful DIY video. I appreciate your specific language and showing brands. As I research my build that will happen in a couple of years you´re my go to guru.
New subscriber here. Thanks for this ( and all your other videos). My wife and I live off grid in Panama so a lot of your content is really useful. We used to live on a boat so aren't exactly newbies to this game but the landscape has changed so much since we left Scotland in '96 its great to have a resource for evaluating new tech and solutions. I'm very impressed with all the "toys" you have and how well you've managed to hide them in your truck. I always hated the clutter of gadgets around our small boat and tried to pack them away too. Shame I didn't find your channel earlier I would have enjoyed inviting you to visit our place before you left for SA. All the best with you adventures.
Stumbled in here. This is super ! Did not know this was possible, I use a powerstation in my van and now I am gonna try to get all things I use to 12 V. Thank you and greetings from Sweden.
Thank you for sharing your journey of Greatly improving your DC ecosystem. Another shout-out to the XT30 connectors! I especially thank you for the Public Service Announcement warning on the flyback voltage spikes in automotive environments. I see these in other service industries that deal with backup generators.
If only I had known of such flyback over voltages when I thought to power my Creative Labs computer speakers directly from the cig lighter port in my van since the speakers were 12dc.. They blew out after one power cycle. Turns out my van was outputting 14VDC! I learned to buy DC to DC converters after that even though I thought it very stupid and redundant.. I still do not have a replacement set of those nice loud handy Creative labs speakers today.. So lesson learned!
I’m going to argue the other side. This argument was given to me from a friend that is an electronic engineer for a defense contractor. I told him I was planning on doing just what you are doing. He told me that yes vampiric load is a real thing. However on average the efficiency that manufacturers have going from ac to dc is actually fairly good. Yes, I might have a big loss going from dc to ac and back to dc, however, it is worth keeping as such, and the reason is that keeping with your wall watts or manufacturer power bricks, will keep your warranty intact. So, what I’m paying in the form of extra power loss is a warranty tax.
I've been fitting out a boat, and my plan is to use USB-PD for DC distribution. Pretty much everything I have that runs off a DC wall-wart can run off USB-PD. There are outlets available that need a 12V input and will output any of 5V, 9V, 15V, or 20V, depending upon the handshake. And you can easily find USB-PD plugs that contain the necessary handshake circuitry.
🎶It wasn't me!🎶 😜 Perhaps too many links in one comment... I often discount these cheap products where the photo is actually a 3D render, but if you say you're using them and they're good, I'll try a couple out, maybe even make a video titled Jeff is Great!
Dude when I saw your solar panels retract the way they did my mind was blown, my eyes sparkle, and I felt some tingling on my heart. Your solar set up looks so cool. I’m so happy for you. 😆
Dude, this video was amazing. It gave me so many ideas. I’m probably gonna watch it 10 more times just so I can figure out how to use your ideas in my fifth wheel while we are at the desert. We are only there for a maximum of five days sometimes but I am trying to get all of our stuff to run off of battery for a long as I can.
Thank you Dean. Just so you know, you have already helped me much with your videos, by eliminating the need of 110 and converting to my new religion of 12 Volt. You have taken me one step higher to be able to do things I had no udnerstanding of and could not find the solution. THank you for your time and your videos.
A note about laptop power supplies: Some have three wire charging cables. The third wire is the communication to and from the laptop and will not work with just an up converter. Dell laptops are an example of such a power supply connection. You will need to get a car charger for the laptop (I found a third-party charger on Amazon). Need to do a video on this someday.
@@Everlanders hey friend, keyboard commando here - the reason those chargers are 'smart' is so you don't burn out your laptop battery by leaving it plugged in after the battery has been charged. most people just keep their laptop plugged in and don't think about battery maintenance. personally i just pull the battery and run off the plug anyway. just sayin.
That is true, but my issue was that I needed to recharge the laptop between service calls and then at times do paperwork in my mobile office. One time, while doing paperwork the vehicle battery went dead on me. Yeah, I know, that time cost me $70 for a jumper. So, I started playing around with coach batteries. Started out with gel cells and quickly found out that was not the way to go, did not last very long. Ended up with a boot buck converter to charge the LiFeoO4, three USB chargers, a battery charge/discharge monitor [30a] (this one is no longer made), and a car charger for the laptop. At 16ah, this would run my mobile office for the day without running the car. In the end was running the laptop, cell phone (Wi-Fi), I-pad, and a USB charger for the TP-link. So with this, was on a positive power budget.
this is still the most comprehensive and well explained video on the internet about going off grid. crazy how far ahead you were thinking a year ago. a lot of new houses now days are starting to get wired for 48v dc in addition to 120ac here. with usbc pd 3.1 starting to be supported, 48v usb-c has a lot of potential as a DC off grid standard. so many people already have solar and are starting to be forced into getting battery banks due to the now hostile attitude of utilities to net metering. u converted my 12v dc fridge to run off of 25v dc from a gan usb-c brick. more efficient but also the compressors they all use are actually 24v
With the newest USB-C update, up to 240W devices are supported, so hopefully more and more appliances start using the USB-C conneotor for power, making things a lot easier.
Hopefully not. 48V @5Amps coming out of 4 tiny tiny tiny USB-C connector pins doesn't bear thinking about....people are going to burn their houses down.
@@mal6232 I really hope that they took that consideratikn when they updated the standard. After a very quick search I found that they are at least very strict with the quality of the cables and connectors of the 240W standard. They removed the old 100W cables and now only 60W and 240W cables are allowed. I will look up this matter more when I have time.
That little 1500 watt boost converter is a pretty beefy and very convenient unit.... I use one to charge my lithium diy 72v golf cart battery using an old 36v golf cart charger as a power source.... They work really well and can handle a fair amount of current... I run mine at almost 10 amps at 72v with a 36v supply... Pulls 20 amps on the charger
I converted my desktop PC with an RTX3090 to run on 48-60V DC. I can game all day and run the air conditioner with my 10K solar array and 64 kilowatt hours of lifepo4. Been off-grid since 2014 in Texas.
Excellent. Got long-term eyes on an all-DC house setup, and this just chopped a bunch of time off the Learning Curve. Thanks a ton - glad I came across this channel.
Indeed i been thinking about doing a whole house dc setup for ages , everything used today is already dc powered so i see no point in having ac to dc conversions just for the sake of lower power uses and not having to rely on a over priced unstable EV charged world. Electrical grid is becoming more and more unstable .
Thank you. I was thinking about switching part of my house from AC to DC for efficient reasons (electricity comming from batteries) And you show us the how to. Thank you.
I just wanted to say that I've been watching your videos for a long time now. You're one of my favorite channels, I can't believe I found one that combines two of my fav things: electronics and overlanding. Thanks for making these!!
Spot on. I watched your video twice to ensure I didn't miss any tips. I was planning to start out on this route based on theory but great to see it put into practical use. I'm surprised no one has seemed to have made a PCB for a a panel to be populated with an assortment of these Chinese converters to have a multiple output DC to DC adjustable, selectively on/off switchable, RV central DC power station.
I too have found the wonders of the xt60 connector... Although I'm debating about switching a lot of stuff to the xt30 since I just like the smaller size. The xt30 seems to get cleaner installation, when doing the XT60s I feel like I have to heat shrink both conductors, often in a couple of sizes, and then heat shrink the whole kit twice, so I get a bit of heat shrink over the top of the connector itself to add and strain relief. Feel like it looks really good too.
Yeah, there smaller, but I like having everything universal... I could make XT60 to XT30 adapters I suppose, but they are still small enough in my book...
@@Everlanders oh yeah, def. you're in too deep !!! haha I feel like a modification to the connector that took smaller guage wire more comfortably It would alleviate all of my issue.
XT30 are sensitive to quality issues. On bad ones the pins will slowly bend inwards, reducing the spring force and causing a bad contact after a while. They can be bent back with a screwdriver, but this is hardly ideal. XT60 can have those issues as well, but is less widespread in my experience. In any case, always try to get good quality connectors!
Your videos and other tubers introduced me to electronics and self made dyi stuff, game changer thx so much! cutting out middle men, manufacturers and tweaking your own things feels so good.
It gives me a lot of confidence to see that you use the solutions you propose and can give feedback on the durability. The consumption of small loads was killing me and the typical UPS did not give me the necessary backup time. I already ordered my first DC to DC reducer to connect the internet router to my battery bank. Very thankful! If you pass through Chile, happy that you stop by to say hello. 🤙
@@Everlanders I´m in Santiago, so if you pass by, come to say hello! We can grill something (we always grill here) We live 30min from Santiago in a suburb.
@@Everlanders those exist, but I don´t see many around. the part in sapnish is "terminal de direccion" . try here :www.ford.valenzueladelarze.cl/repuestos-originales-ford
Been searching for a sensible well presented explanation on DC to DC as running inverters seems to use so much to take DC to AC to DC ! Barvo Sir a pleasure to learn from a experienced and knowledgable ' efficient' to above 85%
Wow, first time here. You have thought of everything. Super great job on your rig. I would love to see that in real life someday. Great job on showing how to convert AC to DC devices. I have been thinking about this very same thing. You have figured out the best practice for this and covered almost every possible challenge you might encounter. Well done, you have added a subscriber.
Great video. I've been converting many smaller "vampire loads" in my "on grid" house to run off DC power over the last years. Last month, I hit close to 20% of my energy consumption via DC power and then a bit over 20% from battery-inverter AC power. Biggest "conversion" I did recently was swapping an old upright AC powered freezer (~2KWH/day) to a 24V-DC powered chest freezer that's more like 0.3KWH/day. That wasn't a conversion per se, instead it was replacing a 30+ year old AC powered unit with a new DC powered unit. Videos on my channel if interested.
Interesting. I recently did a simple mod to my 12v cabin fridge where I installed a small axial fan (~1W) to cool the compressor, with waste flow directed over the condenser surface. I have been logging consumption for a year and so far it's about 15% improvement. Every watt counts. I am now doing the same mod to my full sized fridge, it's compressor peaks at around 50 degrees C, and getting heat out of the circuit can only help, especially for just one or two watts for the fan cycled with the compressor duty. I also expect it to extend service life. Cheers.
Yes, Fans on Fridge compressors and condensers are an instant efficiency boost, and most RV's are built with them boxed into a cupboard without adequate ventilation... I've probably installed 6 or 8 fans for people complaining of fridges not getting cold and running constantly...
@@alasdair4161 I was thinking of doing something like that to my old upright freezer, but it was going to be difficult to tap into the AC wiring to power the fan. The new DC freezer came with a fan built in that pulls air in through the condenser and then blows that over the compressor.
@@ajarivas72 Yes, very true. With my AC freezer, that had a wicked startup surge, well over 1KW. It took some effort to make my 1000W inverter handle that. The new DC chest freezer with the BD35 compressor peaks out just over 100W on startup. The controller ramps the compressor up to speed over a period of time to keep that inrush low.
Hello, i know this chat is rather large but bear in mind that it has valid points that many people don't think about. DC power really is the future , AC grid power is unstable with the Loads being placed on it , Texas is still facing major power related issues and i feel that the rest of the world may soon fall into this issue. ( Excuse my writing as i don't write much on RU-vid and often don't care about Grammar/ Punctuation or Spelling much, because in the real world not many people even care about these things. No one is perfect and i don't try to be perfect. ) When i get my own place i plan on converting the entire home to DC powered internally . I want to try and test if everything being on direct DC without AC conversions to see how much more efficient it is over AC power in the home. Hopefully it does not cost much to have a AC battery charger to charge up your batteries to cut your solar charging time in half because most cities wont allow you to go full DC. They try and make it illegal to live in cites where your not tied to the grid, They allow solar only if you grid tie which in my opinion in itself is also a waste of power. ( I'm not sure if someone can claim to be Amish to get around this government restriction or not. ) To think about going with a solar battery setup you don't loose power should the grid go down you still have your solar to keep you up and running. My cities power station is shutting down soon because its outdated and they installed a sub station and providing power from another plant which is far away and we have already been told to expect frequent power outages or get a whole house generator to make up for it which is only going to make Natural gas prices skyrocket even more Great plan right!!! I think not. ( The grid cannot support the amount of people it currently supported because of EV's becoming ever so popular not to mention more and more homes becoming more Electrical Only. ) Most if not all homes should have 48 , 24 , 12 , 5v and 3v taps available for a wider range of applications as most larger applications require 48V - 24V to operate . (48V) for Larger high current devices like air compressors where you can step up the voltages to 115 - 125 volts DC with less power drops as most motors can run AC or DC as long as the voltages are the same for brushed motors. There are many other things that can also use these voltages. Ceiling fans from the 1880s - 1900s Also used anywhere from 48V - 115V DC , You can find videos on RU-vid about these full sized ceiling fans. Could use 48V - 24V for Mini split A/C Cooling / Heating! Could even step down 24V to 20 - 18V for laptops with DC to DC converters or old school methods. (24V) for Kitchen Appliances like fridges , freezers even LED lights should you go with 24 volt versions instead of 12V , Well water pumps or Cistern water pumps / Rain water collection . Even in the city it would help to have a water collection system in place for emergencies. Or use it to have no water bills. (12V) for medium devices , like laptops or routers , Desktop PC's using the Pico PSU's ( which i think the largest one is 700 watts though i forget now ) , TV's and Monitors . Game consoles provided they use external power supplies (not sure how one would design a drop in switching power supply for these but probably doable, portable Vacuums , LED Light bulbs (E27 Socket for USA bulbs ). Yes you can buy 12V Bulbs that look and function like the AC powered variants using the same sockets normally used in House boats and campers. (5V) for smaller devices like Phones , Tablets , Routers that only use 5v, You can also buy battery powered lighting or security devices and eliminate having to buy batteries for them. (3V) for micro devices like Status LED's / Standby LED's / Night lights and control panel devices or things like garage door openers , sensors , Alarm clocks , wall hung clocks unless you go with winding Mechanical winding clocks etc. While i want to do all of this , i know the prices of said equipment and day to day items are double if not triple the prices of AC equivalent. So not sure how the future holds out for things like this with the current prices. As one says you trade the cheaper yet expensive AC power that you don't maintain for stupid expensive DC power setup where you have your maintenance.
This is amazing. I’ve always wanted to build something like this and go off grid myself, but I don’t have the free time for right now. You have such an impressive setup, I’m jealous!
Great comprehensive video. You covered so much stuff, and explained things well. Great idea checking voltage drop on load, on extended power leads where 9 amps involved. I didn't hear any advice on employing in-line fuses in the mods. Not all travellers would be as proficient at soldering and insulating plugs and leads as you, and some random shorts could occur over time. I'll share the video with a few folk in Australia.
Love it! I have spent the Spring upgrading our Solar and converting our Teardrop trailer to DC charging with the USB C 65w outlet and cables to charge our Macbooks Air and Pro and other USB devices. Thanks for the inspiration to keep going!
I have been searching for this exact video for a couple of days now because I could not get a straight answer from anyone else about running a laptop on DC. Also you have a pretty cool story. Thanks for sharing.
The little 3A buck/boost converters have a lot of ripple on the output. Adding extra chunky capacitors on the output helps clean them up a lot. And the same on the input, helps stop noise getting back on to your main supply.
@@Everlanders There are also boost converters in a similar board layout. But both the buck and the boost versions do not have clean outputs. The filter capacitors are undersize and really need a bit of extra help. I've run into problems with this in the past. Really useful little modules though.
I have to say, I like how you present the information. Because I don't know a lot about electronics. Yet you make it a little easier to understand. And hope your travel are safe.
Been trying to find a good guide on how to ditch my AC laptop charger, and this was exactly what I needed! thank you! Had you included a 3D printable case for the DC-to-DC converter I would have been blown away
I did this exercise in my office. 24V LFP battery on solar coming in, 2x RD Tech DC/DC converters, one running at 13V for 12V loads and one running at 19.50V for the laptop docking station. The problem is that when these devices interconnect, in anyway, as they all share DC grounds, which in some cases are "Earth referenced", your DC low side current will take any random path it chooses. Technically it will follow all of them and the current proportional to the parallel resistor network. What's the problem? Well, the 13.00V PSU says it's putting out 3.5A and the 19.50V PSU says it's putting out 0.0A. The laptop is running and there is 1 Amp of current flowing to it. It's just not coming back on the same cable. The clamp meter around the DC barrel jack connection shows a positive total current of 1 Amp. It should read 0. 1 Amp is going in via the barrel jack, but not coming back out of it. It is finding an alternate route via the HDMI cable to the main office PC and then from the USB hub powered from the 13V PSU to it's ground. The first issue is that any current limiter (or effects without one) are randomised. If I want to limit the current on that 19.50V PSU, well... even if I set it to 0.01A limit, it's still going to put out 1 Amp of 19.50V because it measures lowside. The 13.00V PSU is capable of 5 Amps. The 19.50V PSU is cable of 20A! The 13.00V PSU is absolutely NOT capable of sinking 25A. The other problem is, with that office PC being mains powered and mains earth referenced I can also supply a route for the DC return currents via... wait for it... the office radiator pipe. I suggest that while you have multiple of these feeding from a single battery you analyse where your currents are actually flowing.
EXACTLY THIS!! I am a huge fan of DC powering things. But you have to be very careful of their current limit implementation. I was going to simply point out that a boost converter can only current limit the voltages ABOVE the input voltage. So if you were to have a short the boost converter will limit the current and no longer boost to 19.5v (provided there are no ground paths via HDMI cables and USB-C hubs throwing off the negative side current shunt). But after the boost converter turns off all you have is a 20A fuse and a diode stopping the full force of the batteries from dumping into your delicate wires and laptop. Positive current shunts or isolated DC to DC are the only way to go. If those can't be used then you must put an adequate fuse on the positive output. Thanks for the comment. This is certainly a major oversight. Thankfully nothing bad has happened yet. But it certainly will at some point.
@@SuperBrainAK I rearranged things. I put the DC power into an AC/DC converter. 48V 10A. I ran the same PSUs from it. I ran the AC from an inverter. DC output current, about 2 Amps. DC return current about 1.5 Amps. Where did it go? It went via HDMI cables, PCs, Monitors and the entire house earth circuit, through the inverter and back to the PSU via it's "Earth to - bond". RCDs etc will very likely not detect any DC offset current. The reality is, in 99% of domestic installations of normal stuff it isn't a problem. When you start "grouping" DC components together and increase the amperage and the voltage drop/resistence ... as you would running multiple DC devices off a single PSU... the current goes up. The potential "stupid current" chances increase. Those two PSUs have occasionally made "protesting noises" like they are being significantly overloaded. Just for a few minutes, then back to normal. I fear, that while all the measurements they show and all the measurements I make, they are in fact sourcing or sinking far, far more current than is reported ,measured, intended or even safe. Could it end up sourcing and sinking "Mains AC fault current" through a DC barrel jack? That could cause a fire.
In the UK, my "Earth" reference is "provided" via the grid.... and any metal ground furniture/plumbing etc. That "Earth" reference itself if provided from the "neutral" or transformer "common" output, which will will be ground rodded at the xformer. If there is a grid fault involving that combined neutral and earth all 3 conductors, earth, live and nuetral become 240VRMS floating. The mega watt transformer is more than capable of supplying current though the dozen ohm "physical ground" in the neighbourhood, so power "stays on". Most trips fire, some dont. If you have a floating, non earth referenced, high voltage device like an electric car and it's charging point... "Death" is a real outcome of touching it during such a grid fault. So UK regulations on DC storage, DC charging and "off grid" installations is rapidly increasing.
Jason, not sure anyone should try to outthink you sir. You've pretty much thought of it all. I remember way back when you started this RU-vid channel and while I knew you were extremely smart, your camera apprehension is long gone. Great work and adventure!
Nice coverage, you've certainly inspired us to look into things further. So many important details you shared to make it easier, thank you. Wallwarts be gone!
You are spot on at 19:30, there are at least 2 different "12v" standards, one is automotive 12v which as you said is really anything from the upper single digits to 15 or 16 volts long term and surges/spikes up to 30ish. Another is I.T.E. (information technology equipment) 12v which is 12.0 +/- 5% so 11.4-12.6v
Great tips on the items to use. Was already migrating everything to 12v DC as with the dishy, laptop, etc. Soon no need anymore for the inverter. To bad is found this channel after the build. Maybe for a next build.
I also was excited about the XT60 connectors, but I've found that they require a fair amount of effort to connect and disconnect. I was reminded of this as I watched the amount of force you needed to use to connect or disconnect your DC connections! While I haven't changed from XT60 yet, I'm considering the small Anderson connectors or even the 12v barrel plugs. You probably WANT the difficult-to-remove XT60 for overland, but since you have so many barrel connectors in devices already, I wonder if you could have a single larger DC regulator (or maybe 2-3) and run regulated 5 volt, 12 volt, and 24 volt in multiple places in the vehicle, and then standardizing the connectors so you don't accidentally connect a 5 volt device to the 24 volt side. Now you avoid several individual regulators. But your point about input/output being close together might impact that. My thought would be: 5 volt -- just use USB-A or USB-C as the connector. Very standard, easy to get, solid enough connections. Maybe use USB-C everywhere then 12 volt -- IEC 60130-10 Type A: 5.5 mm OD, 2.1 mm ID (optional screw lock) 24 volt -- Not sure. A different barrel? Anderson? XT60? Polarized SAE Plug? Maybe the SAE Plug, as there seems to be a lot of available flush-mount connector options: amzn.to/44E9YMV Though Anderson Powerpole also seems like a good choice, though limited to 45 amps (PP15/45 - Up to 55 Amps) I think (1080/1320 watts at 24 volts). While your 19.5 volts for your laptop would need a boost (on 12 volt) or a buck (on 24 volt), many of your other devices could go straight from a wall connector into the device (CPAP, vacuum), and 12 volt appliances wouldn't need a dedicated regulator either. Maybe having all of them be separate devices is good though, you don't lose EVERYTHING. I wonder if inverter manufacturers will ever do what PC Power supplies already do -- offer multiple voltage rails out of the power supply: 3.3v, 5v, 12v, 24v. That'd be cool. Hey, I wonder if a beefy PC power supply that could run on 12v DC input could also just provide your multiple rails! You could even standardize the rig with Keystone wallplates -- they even have Anderson Connectors in Keystone! www.ebay.com/itm/255410569149 Plus 2.1mm 12v barrel: amzn.to/42p6igi And USB-C! You'd have to find some PD Power Delivery modules that would take 12v unregulated in and manage the PD negotiation... Heck... USB-C 2.1 standard for Power Delivery (PD) can negotiate multiple voltages, up to 240 watts at 48 volts, and voltages of 5 volts, 9 volts, 15 volts, and 20 volts using SPR, and 28 volts, 36 volts, and 48 volts with EPR! How wicked cool would it be if you could just have a single input of your house battery (assuming it is somewhere in the realm of 12.6 to 14.6 volts fully charged and maybe 10-12 volts near empty) that goes into a single device which can handle say 4 USB-C 2.1 outlets and negotiate exactly what voltage you need and deliver up to 240 watts of power per outlet!!! The challenge seems to be the hardware to split between 4 USB-C sockets and be able to deliver 240+ watts. I couldn't find anything that would accept 10-15 volts DC input and would output even 2-4 USB-C PD outputs. Maybe they exist, but I couldn't find one. With all the adapters on the market, you then could convert all your appliances to one of the standards statically and probably solve most of your issues. Even your Laptop at 19.5v could probably accept 20v negotiated by USB-C PD without harm, though who knows... Just thinking out loud.
This "feature" is because XT 60 is used and abused for RC where floppy connectors can cost a hobbyist lots of money. If you have non-failure-critical connectors, you can make them way easier to plug and unplug by sanding or filing the plastic outer surface of the mating connector to make the interference fit looser. You make a good point though; I should see if I can 3D print a thing to make them bigger/easier to grasp to help with this.
@@ElizabethGreene Agreed! I also think XT60 connectors are cool in the right situation. But in a camper, I'm really starting to believe that USB-C Power Delivery (PD) is the best option for future off-grid builds. Automatically provides 5, 9, 12, 15, and 20 volt output, and soon, 28, 36, and 48 volt! The hope is that inexpensive 12/24/48 volt devices that run off DC power, like the ones that currently exist in AC GaN Chargers and DC Battery Banks, will work with a "house" battery running at 12/24/48 volts and you can inexpensively install all sorts of USB-C PD outlets around your off-grid vehicle. You can buy cables that will have a USB-C plug on one end, and a 5.5mm x 2.1mm 12-volt barrel plug on the other end for your 12v items. There are also cool devices called PD Trigger Boards that you can configure to output 5/9/12/15/20 volts (I just ordered 10 of them from AliExpress for about USD$14 delivered). With this, you can skip all the buck/boost converters everywhere. If you've gone 48v in your off-grid system, you easily distribute DC power everywhere! I haven't found a good DC-input (not USB-C) USB-C Output PD device that would fit in a single gang outlet or an RV-style outlet. Basically I want something that accepts 12v to 60v DC input straight from the battery, and outputs whatever voltage your device needs. The 12v DC input might only output 5/9/12v DC on USB Type-C PD, but 24v and 48v inputs should be able to do the 15/20 volt PD output as well as the future 28, 36, and 48 volt output as well!
I'm a retired HVAC & control systems mechanic/ tech and I always hired guys that could think on there feet and if I have to explain unfortunately I can't use your services. Obviously you have training and applied ability that is a plus to keep you operational & safe in your journey and Good Luck.
I would love to see how long those drives last in the NAS. Obviously it won't normally be on while driving, but even powered off bouncing around will cause a surprising amount of wear and tear on them.
I live in a caravan on the streets of Melbourne in an industrial estate. I use a mix of diesel generators , solar to battery to dc to dc and ac converter. I have to use a cpap machine . Your video has given me some useful ideas to reduce generator run time . I use induction stoves and want to use a bigger ac converter . I need to be as efficient as possible as running a generator too long makes noise and this is a problem. People who own houses love to complain to authorities
@25:11 And the converter chain when using an inverter is much worse than you might think. An inverter goes from 12V dc to 400V dc than to 120V ac, then for example a noteboot powersupply convert to 120 ac to 350V dc and then to 19.5V dc. So, in this (realistic) example you have 4 steps instead of one.
Granted, transformers themselves are very efficient. The worst parts in the inverter are the modulator and the DC-DC converters, and of course the additional AC-DC supplies on the other end.
No like higher voltage Dc in like 48 or higher but yes I guess it is based on a ac inductive wave and whatever spark gap physics takes place in a magnetron
Thank you for this informative video, and inspiration to go after our dream. My wife, our baby girl and I are in a process of buying an RV to live in full time. I work remotely and by devouring your videos I am pretty confident that we can pull it off. Your videos have answered a lot of questions and concerns we had. Again, thank you.
Yep! I've certainly tried many of these devices. I often wonder about the "chinneseium" stuff. Sometimes I would buy 2 of something because I had no choice of better a quality item expecting the 1st one to fail at some stage & therefore having a spare, but to my surprise, I have ended up having a few spares I haven't needed (though there is always those other projects 😉) I think some of their gear is actually improving these days, though it may well be just luck of the draw? I remember back in the day anything Japanese was considered the same, they lifted their game & now they have set the benchmark in many things! Another great logical video. I like how you explain things that even some of us "old farts" can understand. Cheers from Oz !!
Yes, I would often buy 2 pieces just to have the spare, But as you say, the quality is actually pretty good and then they just get used for the next project,
Just be careful, some laptops communicate with the power supply over the “one wire” protocol and may report a charger error, or not pull full current when charging an operating at the same time
@@Everlandersyes... its hp... hp laptop using 3 wires, 2 cables are as usual for power, 1 cable for compatibility detection (it's hp policy, to force you buying everything from them, including its accessories)... but, dont worry... hp charger, is also switching... you can boost to at least to 100v, then like wall outlet, connect the dc boost to your hp laptop charger... 🤷♂️
Old timer trick. Learned this from my father. Put a drop of nail-polish on the trim-pot knob so it would not move with vibration or while handling. It it tough enough to keep it in place but if you want to readjust it easily breaks off. Hot glue after a while has a tendency to break off and superglue is too permanent.
DC power is something I look for when buying things. 5V or 12V (or even 20V) is great, it means easy battery power, and easy replacement if the adapter fails. Also moves the heat generation outside the product.
Wow, you have opened a world for me. I barely started doing renuable energy with a battery bank and a simple 100watt solar panel system. Your video has been saved for near future reference. THANK SIR!
Fun fact: I watch your video on Gigabyte GB-BACE-3160 computer with two LG monitors connected. All three devices have 19v inputs, but are happily working from 12v as well. In fact, I've connected them to a single 12v 5A wall adapter and they work fine. But if you power them from car battery with flutuating 11-15 volts, you still have nothing to worry about, as that's quite within device's working range. As for power, my setup currently consumes 3-4 Amps in total. One more benefit is that LG monitors (at least those that I happen to have) have a neat feature: they shut down backlight as soon as they detect pure black screen. So, when I don't put any window on a second monitor, it automatically "shuts down" because I use black desktop and no taskbar on it. More energy economy!
I agree fully. Best is to run stuff on DC. So much power is lost due to conversion. Even with my solar I take DC from the battery, invert it to AC, then plug in a device witch has it's own power supply inside to convert to DC again...... really silly how the world is designed. So first thing I did at home was to replace my AC lights with DC lights and run straight off the battery. I have several other devices I converted to DC. Most of these are low power devices but it makes a difference since I do not need my inverter on all the time.
20V Tool batteries with 150W inverter addons like ones Craftsman and DeWalt have are very handy for such things. USB powered lighting or normal LED bulbs using bulb to AC Plug adapters being powered by them are good options for power outages/camping etc so on. Granted 150W isnt a lot, but for providing light or backup power for low powered devices is nice.
Since our ExpeditionVehicle in 2003, 20v Black&Decker square-base flashlights are our exclusive source of light after sundown. Two decades full-time live-aboard. Never saw much purpose in complexity.
@@largemarge1603 For the past year now ive been getting into using 20V Craftsman tools with an assortment of their batteries. I noticed that they offered a 150w inverter for use with them so i thought id give it a try as the inverter also has USB-A and USB-C ports in addition to the AC socket, i make DIY USB power banks with 18650 batteries in addition to the large amount of normal power banks that i own so it basically allowed me to further expand the amount options i have for USB power as i tend to use USB powered COB LEDs and Light strips around the house, wayyyyy more power/storm outage lighting than i need but i love em lol. But my main use for the inverter is using those super bright 30w or so foldable Garage lights that use a normal light bulb base and an adapter that i mentioned before, WAYYYYY Brighter than any flashlight lol, can even use LED Floodlights which is pretty nice as well. Very handy to have these days even though i still have yet to actually use them in a power outage lol, which is a good thing i suppose.
I find your videos fascinating! You do so many cool things that I wish I could do and might be able to do with the instructions that you give. Thanks for sharing! I am amazed by how organized everything is in your truck! Great job!
Just discovered your channel in search of 12v accessory wisdom & ideas. Your delivery and that robot(?) arm got me to subscribe. As far as the content, it was like a breath of fresh air getting a real world take on some of these converters Ive been hesitant in buying. Thanks for that. I am not a mobile globetrotter, by trade im an infrastructure engineer but also a car audio guy that prefers to build it over buying it. Thanks!!
Have 400W panel 12V off grid in Condo. I harvest 1500 to 2200Wh a day in Philippines. (4.5 to 5 peak hours). 220V fans draw 55W. Replaced motor with 12V BLDC motor variable 20W to 4W. Runs 24/7 .5 kwh day. 220v inverter 9 C/ft fridge is manual defrost ( frost free use double the power) .4 to .5KWH day. ( Average ambient temp 30C ) Lighting $1.5 220v 31w Chinese disaster runs super hot. Using a AC dropper capacitor to 2.5W, the multiple smd led's run cool and give great spread of light. My 1KW toroidal inverter powers induction cooker, rice cooker. High drain appliances go direct to grid . Amazing what a 400w solar panel can do so much with the right appliances. Last monthly electric bill $2.50. 12v immersion cup heater 130w most efficient way to make a cup of solar hot coffee. Can use 220v induction for speed but not as efficient. Assuming purified water I raise water from 27c to 80c for coffee, no need to boil and waste energy. Also use timer to turn fridge off at 4.30am and on at 7.30am awaiting better solar production, avoiding battery drain. Great subject and channel.
You sir is living my dream I would love to travel as you do . The power converters you use I have bought the same kind over the years my last one was 12/ 24 for my mobility scooter to charge in the back of my car but it had to connect direct to the battery which meant running wires from the battery under the bonnet/ hood to the boot /trunk . I added inline fuses which kept blowing I have never been able to use it for any long period of time . Great video very informative thank you .
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I just subscribed! I purchased a ecoflow delta 2 and new to solar I was wondering what kind of loss their was from DC to AC and back to DC! It made know sense to me. But your videos helped a great deal! 👍
