DenCo 12V 5.5Ah DIY LiFePO4 Battery Kit v1

Detailed build instructions: https://dm.url.lol/diy-build 

Building your own LiFePO4 battery can lead to a sense of satisfaction and pride. You can feel a kinship with other DIY makers and builders, and know exactly what went into your creation as it powers your activities. The things you learn from building this kit can apply to other battery building projects, potentially taking you further if you should decide to source your own cells and parts for custom builds.

This is a DenCo 12.8-volt 5.5 amp-hour 4S Lithium Iron Phosphate Do-It-Yourself battery kit that you build yourself. The cells are in a pack holder and pre-spotwelded by DenCo. These cells are sourced directly from LiFePO4 cell suppliers.

This battery kit uses a DenCo common port 20A BMS (Battery Management System). The DenCo/Daly BMS provides short-circuit protection, overcharge protection, over-discharge protection, over-current protection, and charge passive cell balancing. These cells are capable of 18A continuous discharge with a 20A BMS.

This is a powerhouse in a little package.

This battery kit has a single Anderson Powerpole 30A pair for output and input (charging). It is a flat battery pack that works best in scenarios where the battery is in a pack, pocket, or compartment out of sight. It has no buttons, ports, or displays that can be accidentally pushed while stowed away.

It is best used with QRP (low watt) radio transmitters, but can go up to 18 amps in current for powering mobile and portable QRO rigs. The battery was designed by DenCo primarily as a companion battery to portable VHF mobile radio deployments, but can be used for all sorts of other devices that need 12-13 volts of consistent reliable power. Recommended consumption rate is around 6 to 12 amps.

Tools that you need to build this kit:

• Safety glasses
• Anderson Powerpole crimper
• Wire cutter/stripper that can strip 22 gauge and 14 gauge wire
• Small flathead screwdriver or Powerpole extraction tool (for pushing Powerpoles into
  housing)
• Flat-head tweezers
• (Optional) Small piece of fine grit sandpaper
• Hard plastic card like a credit card
• Flush cut micro cutters
• Soldering iron with fine point tip
• Spool of electrical solder, preferably 63/37
• A multimeter to measure voltage
• Low power heat gun or hair dryer

Cell Specifications:

• 71 watt-hours capacity
• Nominal voltage: 12.8 volts
• Charge 14.6V 6A max
• Discharge 18A max
• Cycle life: 1C 100% DOD ≥2000 cycles, resulting in 80% capacity afterward
• Discharge operating temperature -4 to 140°F (-20 to 60°C)
• Charging operating temperature 32 to 140°F (0 to 60°C)
• Storage temperature -4 to 113°F (-20 to 45°C)

BMS Specifications:

• Brand: DenCo/Daly 4S Common Port LiFePO4 BMS
• Discharge 20A max
• Charge 10A max (but do not exceed cell specification of 6A)
• Balance current 30mA ±5
• Short circuit detection delay 250 µS
• BMS standby power consumption 100µA

Due to lithium battery shipping restrictions, this item only ships to the continental United States.