First impressions of BlackboxMyCar Powercell 8

[NotThatGuyThatOtherGuy]

I just had my installer install a BlackboxMyCar Powercell 8 to power my new Vantrue N5S with LTE module that he also installed.

The installer complained that the battery does not have any holes for installing it and only came with two strips of double-sided tape. This limited where he could install it to my 2023 Suburban, and he put it under the carpet below the passenger seat vent. After some driving with it during a summer heatwave, the temperature reported by the app is 58°C. This is well below the stated discharge maximum temperature of 70°C, but well above the stated maximum charging temperature of 45°C, so I'm going to have to find a different install location and have it moved, which seems less than ideal.

The app doesn't allow me to set the temperature units to Freedom.

Overall, the installer didn't have any other issues relating to installing the unit or connecting to the Vantrue system. He did recommending using the lower charge rate due to the fact that I'm running the vehicle all day long, so recharge time will easily recover the battery charge.

 

[kamkar]

I will have to agree on if possible, a slower charge should be used, i have never speed charged my electronic pocket turd, it get a little slow charge when i drive in my car, which like my use of the phone is not often.

The freedom units of speed / weight / length, well to me it seem like more of slave units these days as so few countries / people use them, and most inherited them from their once British masters that they either overthrow or at some point just packed up and left.
In my shooting hobby i sadly cater to the people on the ancient system, i really should not do that, but i do use fps and fpe and grains when i should use M/s - Joules and grams.

If i was Ukrainian for instance i would be all for ditching the Cyrillic alphabet as it is shared with absolute crackpots to the north, that once ruled Ukraine brutally.
Even if this is at least as big a jump as changing measurement system.

I had my 70mai power pack in my glove box in the old car, i am tempted to put it in the same place in the new car as there seem to be terrible access to below the dash / firewall.
Under a seat could also be a option of course, i maybe have people on the back seat 1 day of the year, and it is not anyone with feet like Goofy.

 

[Hack_man]

If I had to purchase another external battery it would hands down be the Viofo BP100 vs the Powercell 8.
I own both.
The PC8 self discharges 8% per day with no load. Perhaps I got a dud. The BP100 loss is less than 1% per day.
The BP100 processes warranty claims via a US address vs Canadian for the PC8.
The BP100 has a much better bluetooth range and also can receive OTA firmware updates.
Last I checked, the BP100 was less expensive.

 

[kamkar]

I just dug out my 70mai power pack, that been out of a car for a while, it was fully charged when i took it out a good month ago, but there is nothing on it now,
I think to be safe i will charge it here at home before i move it to the new car.

Just to be safe, as a old RC freak i have seen NIca batteries and lipo go kaboom and Poof in the case of lipo.
Mind you never see a LiFe battery go off.

But i recon it will be a while before the plug i ordered will arrive, holiday time here in Denmark ATM

 

[Hack_man]

I just dug out my 70mai power pack, that been out of a car for a while, it was fully charged when i took it out a good month ago, but there is nothing on it now,
I think to be safe i will charge it here at home before i move it to the new car.

Just to be safe, as a old RC freak i have seen NIca batteries and lipo go kaboom and Poof in the case of lipo.
Mind you never see a LiFe battery go off.

But i recon it will be a while before the plug i ordered will arrive, holiday time here in Denmark ATM

Well that is interesting. Evidently my PC8 is not the only LiFeP04 battery that self discharges over time.

 

[NotThatGuyThatOtherGuy]

The PC8 self discharges 8% per day with no load

My first several days with a standby mode not enabled on the camera the battery was at either 99 or 100. The app reported a load at 63 mA, which I'm assuming is the LTE module.

All battery chemistries will self-discharge, but the amount varies by chemistry and materials used (e.g., lead-antimony plates in lead acid battery will fully self-discharge in 3 months vs. lead calcium plates at 6 months, silica gel electrolyte at 12 months, and pure lead plates at, IIRC, 24 months).

 

[Hack_man]

My first several days with a standby mode not enabled on the camera the battery was at either 99 or 100. The app reported a load at 63 mA, which I'm assuming is the LTE module.

What exactly was the powered state of your camera when your PC8 app reported 63 mA? You said the app reported 63 mA but said standby mode was "not enabled" which I took to mean the camera was completely powered off since you said the battery stayed at 99 or 100 after several days.

 

[NotThatGuyThatOtherGuy]

What exactly was the powered state of your camera when your PC8 app reported 63 mA? You said the app reported 63 mA but said standby mode was "not enabled" which I took to mean the camera was completely powered off since you said the battery stayed at 99 or 100 after several days.

Without standby mode enabled, the camera powers off when the vehicle is turned off. The LTE module is separate from the camera in the Vantrue system.

 

[Hack_man]

My first several days with a standby mode not enabled on the camera the battery was at either 99 or 100. The app reported a load at 63 mA, which I'm assuming is the LTE module.

I'm surprised the PC8 held at 99 or 100% after several days when the LTE module consumed 63 mA which is 0.325 W in a 5V system.
In three days (72 hours) that would be 23 Wh. The battery is rated at 96 Wh, so I would have expected it to decline to 76%.

 

[NotThatGuyThatOtherGuy]

I'm surprised the PC8 held at 99 or 100% after several days when the LTE module consumed 63 mA which is 0.325 W in a 5V system.
In three days (72 hours) that would be 23 Wh. The battery is rated at 96 Wh, so I would have expected it to decline to 76%.

I drive the car every day and every morning it is 99 to 100.