Firefly not reaching 13.2 volts, not resetting to 100% SOC

[Dave Lochner]

If you are charging at .28C then you are exceeding the minimum level of .2C. The .28C is twice the recommended Charge rate for Trojans, however.

My conversation with OPE did indicate that .20C was acceptable, but not ideal. OPE suggested that there would be reduced cycle life if the batteries were consistently charged at a lower level.

If you were charging at the recommended charge levels for the Trojans, which is what I assumed since you said you were using the same charging routine, then you would not have meeting the minimum acceptable charging level and would be shortening the batteries life.

[sailorboy1]

I have done 0.28C on the firefly twice in a year and that acceptance lasted maybe 10 minutes

I am done with this. You guys do whatever you want with YOUR batteries.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Keelhauler

WOW!!!!! Where in the Hell did you buy Firefly’s for $200? You can’t hardly buy a car battery at Walmart for that. Impressive.

what

I paid a little under $500 each

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have done 0.28C on the firefly twice in a year and that acceptance lasted maybe 10 minutes

I am done with this. You guys do whatever you want with YOUR batteries.

How long the high charge current will be accepted is dependent on the SOC of the battery. A battery in a high SOC will not accept a high current for very long.

If the FF has not be given a restoration charge, i.e., a deep discharge and then a high current charge, the time it will accept a high level of charge current is shorter than usual.

[PaulCrawhorn]

Of course you "can" mix & match different model batteries and as a quality product they will stand up well to all the varying levels of abuse the batteries suffer on 99% of cruising boats out there.

But if you don't monitor and maintain your FFs strictly as per their specs, then you will not get the full value you paid so much for, might as well have just bought regular AGM like Lifeline or Odyssey.

[smac999]

I have never seen a battery limit…. The more batteries the bigger the charger you need though. To get a c4 charge.

The main distributor in North America has stoped selling them. As have other stores. Because of so many problems. So they will now be hard to get.

Originally Posted by Keelhauler

One issue that has occurred with Firefly batteries is that only 4 batteries can be connected in parallel. In addition each bank has to have the same length of cable going to the power buss. The cable length issue is the same for lithium batteries as well.

I have 4ea group 31 Firefly’s still new in the box. I was going to buy for more to complete my house bank but it seems Firefly International Energy has fallen off the face of the earth. No one answering phones or emails. Venders can’t fill orders.

With that I can’t mix match batteries. So I have to decide to keep or sell my Firefly’s and go a different route. If anyone out there wants four batteries I have them.still new in the box. PM me and we can talk.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by smac999

I have never seen a battery limit…. The more batteries the bigger the charger you need though. To get a c4 charge.

The main distributor in North America has stoped selling them. As have other stores. Because of so many problems. So they will now be hard to get.

It is unfortunate that OPE is no longer importing the batteries because of warrantee and supply chain issues. They are too small a company to handle the complaints they were getting.

Maybe if there is enough positive buzz in the marine world someone will step in to supply the batteries or to buy the brand and technology to make them.

Judging from some of the things I've read online, I think the quality control issues may be over stated, as big a factor may be poor installation and maintenance. Too bad, because they fit a niche in the market for coastal cruisers.

[PaulCrawhorn]

Stupid stupid for the new owner to not keep Bruce happy.

I was only recommending FF through his distribution network

Now I've put them in the Avoid bin.

[Keelhauler]

Has anyone heard as to what has actually happened?

[sailingunity]

I have two alternators (120 and 100) on my engine but only the 120 is connected. I have a Balmar external regulator, and considering the solar keeps us topped up most of the time, didn't feel like it was worth the expense of the extra regulator and centerfielder to make the second alternator work. Additionally, the regulator is on the AGM profile and is belt limited because I'm running V belts.

Right now my plan is to run the restoration charge at full sun and with the generator running, that should get us close to .4C.

[smac999]

Originally Posted by Keelhauler

Has anyone heard as to what has actually happened?

Bad quality and bad batteries. We throw out pallets of 1-2 year old fireflys every month. Now replaced with other brands.

I’m c20 testing used fireflys in the ~20ah range. (Instead of 116)

[Keelhauler]

What other brands? Who do you work for? As far as I know, the owner of Firefly International Energy has the Paton that he bought from Catapiller back 2011.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Keelhauler

Has anyone heard as to what has actually happened?

Caterpillar developed the battery and spun it off as a separate company. Around 2010 the company was sold to an investor who moved production to India and ran into quality control problems.

Ocean Planet Energy was the US distributor. OPE is a really small company. I visited the headquarters in March 2021 and it occupied a 2 room office on the second story of a building in downtown Bath, Maine.

Between the ongoing issues with warrantees and supply chain issues, OPE could not devote the time and energy to handle the claims and still provide the kind of service they provide. Last spring OPE ceased being the US Distributor.

Firefly's website was still up, or at least it was last night. I don't know what the future holds for the battery.

For many folks the battery is a great choice. It has met my expectations over the last ten months. If it does not return to the market place, it will be a loss for many boaters who do not want or can not afford LiFePO4.

After reading many of the comments on this and other FF threads, I can't help but wonder if many of the FF warrantee issues aren't really end user issues. Call me a cynic, but if someone just spent $500+ for a battery and it wasn't holding a charge, they might of course say they had properly installed and maintained the battery whether they did or not.

[Keelhauler]

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

Caterpillar developed the battery and spun it off as a separate company. Around 2010 the company was sold to an investor who moved production to India and ran into quality control problems.

Ocean Planet Energy was the US distributor. OPE is a really small company. I visited the headquarters in March 2021 and it occupied a 2 room office on the second story of a building in downtown Bath, Maine.

Between the ongoing issues with warrantees and supply chain issues, OPE could not devote the time and energy to handle the claims and still provide the kind of service they provide. Last spring OPE ceased being the US Distributor.

Firefly's website was still up, or at least it was last night. I don't know what the future holds for the battery.

For many folks the battery is a great choice. It has met my expectations over the last ten months. If it does not return to the market place, it will be a loss for many boaters who do not want or can not afford LiFePO4.

After reading many of the comments on this and other FF threads, I can't help but wonder if many of the FF warrantee issues aren't really end user issues. Call me a cynic, but if someone just spent $500+ for a battery and it wasn't holding a charge, they might of course say they had properly installed and maintained the battery whether they did or not.

In my 40 year with the military in the power generation field, I have found that 99.9999% of the time it was operator error that caused the equipment failure. Incorrect installation and lack of Preventative Maintenance. I purchased my FF Batteries from E Marine. I have emailed Jim Lighthouse the sales manager to see if I could get credit for different batteries as they are still new in the box. However true to nature they aren’t responding. So I either suck it up buttercup and use them as a single battery bank of 440ah of which my data calculation put me just shy of 400ah underway and less at anchor. As we refit I’m still a couple months out before getting to the electrical. The boat will be completely new. Wife (Admiral) and I are doing all the work ourselves. No better way to know you boat.

Your info on the company I have already discovered in my research. E Marine was getting their batteries direct from India. However they aren’t saying anything either. As to the status of the company. I doubt I will be doing business with them again. I’m sure their balls are in a vice over this too. So we’ll see. Thank you for you input.

[bcboomer]

I bought 4 Fireflys, 2 at a time and the second pair were bad. OPE were great to deal with after the local dealer wasn't. The bad 2 were replaced and all 4 have been great.
I'm sorry to see OPE discontinuing selling them but it is understandable.
Given how much LiFePO4 prices have come down I wonder if there is a long term market for Fireflys at the current price.