Fogstar Drift App (1 Viewer)

[headlight]

Anybody having problems with the app ?
I received 2 x 105AH Fogstar Drifts today.
I down loaded the app on to my phone but no matter what I do my phone just searches and searches and doesn't connect.
I have also down loaded the app on to my tablet but that won't connect either.
I have Bluetooth and location turned on on both devices and have uninstalled and re-installed the app several times on both devices but still no joy.
I can connect to other devices via Bluetooth no problem.

 

[Raul]

Can you explain what you mean please ?
I have never seen cell voltages above 3.55v on either battery.
The only time I saw high pack voltage was on the initial charge at home on one battery and although the app showed 14.7v my multimeter showed 14.4v when the charger was on and 13.4v when it was off.

Divide 14.7v by 4 gives you 3.675v. If bms cell over voltage protection is set at 3.65v then it activated the protection, regardless of you multi meter readings. It matters what the bms see at that point in time. Whether the 14.7v is calibrated for accuracy or not, it doesn't matter. It will work with the values it sees.

 

[AdrianChen]

I have recently changed to a van that uses a compressor fridge and wanted more battery capacity, if KS still did the original underseat battery I would have got a second and paralleled it, sadly the new one will not play well in parallel with the original, so reluctantly, my only option was change to a different battery completely... hence the Fogstar 300ah Drift replaces it.
There is still one cylindrical cell based underseat battery on the market, but for the life of me, I can not remember which manufacturer it is... but it is pricey! 1300 odd..

Ecotree???

 

[headlight]

Divide 14.7v by 4 gives you 3.675v. If bms cell over voltage protection is set at 3.65v then it activated the protection, regardless of you multi meter readings. It matters what the bms see at that point in time. Whether the 14.7v is calibrated for accuracy or not, it doesn't matter. It will work with the values it sees.

I don't believe what the BMS is reporting is correct.
I think what the shunt and multimeter is telling me is correct.
None of my charging methods can deliver 14.7v as they are set unless there is a fault with them.
I don't believe there is a fault with my MPPT or B2B.
The Fogstar charger, which has only been used once on each battery, states it charges at 14.4v.
It could be faulty I suppose although my multimeter didn't show anything untoward when using it.

 

[Peavy]

Pretty sure the roamer 230ah seat base are cylindrical cells. The 460ah came well after their first seat base generation.

If i may, I can answer that as I've looking into the subject recently
This is the datasheet for the Roamer 230 SEATBASE 3.

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[Raul]

If i may, I can answer that as I've looking into the subject recently
This is the datasheet for the Roamer 230 SEATBASE 3.
View attachment 855798

I stand to be corrected, from somewhere I had in my mind they did use cylindrical cells. Maybe I have mixed up with others.

Note that is generation 3, so the first generation may had cylindicals, or I genuinely got mixed up.

 

[Raul]

I don't believe what the BMS is reporting is correct.
I think what the shunt and multimeter is telling me is correct.
None of my charging methods can deliver 14.7v as they are set unless there is a fault with them.
I don't believe there is a fault with my MPPT or B2B.
The Fogstar charger, which has only been used once on each battery, states it charges at 14.4v.
It could be faulty I suppose although my multimeter didn't show anything untoward when using it.

The bms can report wrong capacity until it sees it full, it may give you other bogus info, but, in terms of cell balance, cell triggers and cell voltages it will be right. And it does protect despite giving you bogus info, not all functions are wrong.
In terms of voltage calibration, thats another matter, if it over reads thats ok, if it under reads thats not so good. But if you say your meter showed 14.4v and bms said 14.7v it is possible that over reads a little. Not a bad thing, it will just keep the battery in check before it gets to real 14.4v This could be your charging disconnect cause, before it hits a real 14.4v. Back down your absorb to 14.2v and it will not hit the high voltage protection.

 

[Ian_H]

I have found this in the battery protection history in the app.
BATTERY 1
View attachment 855754

BATTERY 2

View attachment 855756

So battery 1 has had 14 cell over voltages, 1 cell under voltage and 1 pack over voltage.
Battery 2 has had 5 cell over voltages and 1 cell under voltage.
Batteries are in parallel, charging sources are Fogstar 20 amp lithium charger, 14.4v charge and Victron MPPT and Sterling B2B both set to lithium 14.2v charge 13.5v float as per instructions.

The fact that most of the trips have been cell rather than pack over voltages may mean that they are not well balanced. I'd keep a close eye on them as they charge up over 14V, I think its only then you really see the cell differences.

 

[headlight]

The bms can report wrong capacity until it sees it full, it may give you other bogus info, but, in terms of cell balance, cell triggers and cell voltages it will be right. And it does protect despite giving you bogus info, not all functions are wrong.
In terms of voltage calibration, thats another matter, if it over reads thats ok, if it under reads thats not so good. But if you say your meter showed 14.4v and bms said 14.7v it is possible that over reads a little. Not a bad thing, it will just keep the battery in check before it gets to real 14.4v This could be your charging disconnect cause, before it hits a real 14.4v. Back down your absorb to 14.2v and it will not hit the high voltage protection.

My MPPT and B2B are both set to lithium 14.2v charge and 13.5v float, as advised by Fogstar, do I need to change those settings?
The Fogstar lithium mains charger says it charges at 14.4v and can't be changed.

 

[jwells]

Well that does seem to be a Fogstar problem then, because there is, or has been conflicting information on their website!
I had mine set to 14.4v initially for charging using a Victron charger, since changing to 14.2 again recommend on the website I have had no further problems!

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[rob0114]

I had numerous cell over voltage warnings on my new 230ah Fogstar - I contacted customer support for another issue & when they noticed told me to adjust COV value to 3.65 from 3.6V - no more COV's

 

[headlight]

Oops my earlier post should have said 14.2v charge for the MPPT and B2B not 14.4v.

 

[Raul]

Oops my earlier post should have said 14.2v charge for the MPPT and B2B not 14.4v.

Stay with 14.2v

 

[headlight]

Well I didn't get the batteries to cycle at home.
They kept turning charge off when charging, and turning discharge off when discharging.
After a couple of days I gave in and contacted Fogstar.
They offered to swap the 2 x 105AH batteries for a single new 230AH.
The new battery has just arrived and I have put it on charge to begin cycling it.
No problems so far and the app connected straight away.

 

[headlight]

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[jwells]

Glad your problem is hopefully sorted! Now you just have to fit and forget - well eventually!!

 

[headlight]

Glad your problem is hopefully sorted! Now you just have to fit and forget - well eventually!!

Fingers crossed
It will take a while to charge and discharge it lol

 

[Pausim]

Well I didn't get the batteries to cycle at home.
They kept turning charge off when charging, and turning discharge off when discharging.
After a couple of days I gave in and contacted Fogstar.
They offered to swap the 2 x 105AH batteries for a single new 230AH.
The new battery has just arrived and I have put it on charge to begin cycling it.
No problems so far and the app connected straight away.
View attachment 860560

Batteries always behave better when listening to the hi-fi.

Fingers crossed
It will take a while to charge and discharge it lol

Not something a customer should have to do. I am going to to buy from KS Energy instead of Fogstar.

 

[headlight]

Batteries always behave better when listening to the hi-fi.

Not something a customer should have to do. I am going to to buy from KS Energy instead of Fogstar.

Later on I will soothe it with some gentle

 

[jwells]

Did Fogstar say to cycle the replacement battery?

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[headlight]

Did Fogstar say to cycle the replacement battery?

Yes it was recommended that I cycle the battery to "sync" the BMS as apparently it needs to "learn" the battery.
Also not to stop charging at 100% SOC but to let the battery continue charging until voltage reaches 14.4v.

 

[Peavy]

Later on I will soothe it with some gentle View attachment 860582

That's a serious collection of axes
All of them look great but I love that white explorer

 

[headlight]

That's a serious collection of axes
All of them look great but I love that white explorer

It's got EMG's in it and from when I went through a bit of a James Hetfield stage.
The "V" is probably my favourite though

 

[headlight]

Did Fogstar say to cycle the replacement battery?

Fogstar have just rung me and said that as its only a single battery set up now as opposed to parallel then it shouldn't need cycling, just charge up fully and fit.
They did say that the BMS might be a bit inaccurate until its got half a dozen cycles on it so as the battery is home and won't get fitted until the weekend I will put few cycles on it anyway just to give it a head start.

 

[jwells]

I am sure you will find your Fogstar to be very good! How many companies would contact you, they certainly seem to be getting it together now. Certainly other people shouldn't be put off buying from them!

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[StillGoing]

I don’t understand this cycling of Fogstar batteries. I just installed mine and used them.

Before we had a BMS with Bluetooth, nobody had a clue what was going on inside a battery.

I think we’re in danger of having too much data and not all of it is very accurate. This applies to any make of battery.

I've come to the conclusion that any BMS will be inaccurate when it comes to how full a battery is, especially at low levels of charge and discharge. Even a shunt will be inaccurate if the internal heating comes on in a battery.

I hardly ever look at my BMS and just rely on my shunt.

 

[Pausim]

I don’t understand this cycling of Fogstar batteries. I just installed mine and used them.

Before we had a BMS with Bluetooth, nobody had a clue what was going on inside a battery.

I think we’re in danger of having too much data and not all of it is very accurate. This applies to any make of battery.

I've come to the conclusion that any BMS will be inaccurate when it comes to how full a battery is, especially at low levels of charge and discharge. Even a shunt will be inaccurate if the internal heating comes on in a battery.

I hardly ever look at my BMS and just rely on my shunt.

The internal heating should run from the incoming charge not the battery’s stored power. If it uses stored power a flat battery is likely to cause more problems than just inaccurate readings. I agree that too much information is making people worry.

 

[Ian_H]

The internal heating should run from the incoming charge not the battery’s stored power. If it uses stored power a flat battery is likely to cause more problems than just inaccurate readings.

So the shunt will record a charge going into the battery when it is just heating it....

 

[Pausim]

So the shunt will record a charge going into the battery when it is just heating it....

True but better that than flattening the battery.

 

[Just smiffy]

Well I didn't get the batteries to cycle at home.
They kept turning charge off when charging, and turning discharge off when discharging.
After a couple of days I gave in and contacted Fogstar.
They offered to swap the 2 x 105AH batteries for a single new 230AH.
The new battery has just arrived and I have put it on charge to begin cycling it.
No problems so far and the app connected straight away.
View attachment 860560

About time….. but I’m afraid I would have got my money back and bought another brand… gook luck.

I am sure you will find your Fogstar to be very good! How many companies would contact you, they certainly seem to be getting it together now. Certainly other people shouldn't be put off buying from them!

Contact is good but they have been giving conflicting information…. It’s put me off, I won’t be buying one after the service this OP has received…

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[headlight]

About time….. but I’m afraid I would have got my money back and bought another brand… gook luck.


Contact is good but they have been giving conflicting information…. It’s put me off, I won’t be buying one after the service this OP has received…

I don't think that the service I have received was bad, I think I was just unlucky having the problems I've had.
Certainly Renogy were much much worse to deal with and I would definitely not buy from Renogy again.