u/decade1820

I’d like to ask for recommendations about batteries.

Here is my setup:
- 320W 40V panel (Q Peak duo BLK-G5 320)
- 40A 12V/24V MPPT charge controller (TrakMax)
- 2000W 12V Giandel inverter

I’d like to run this for stuff in my shed at my new place. I’ve used this setup before in a portable manner and charged car batteries and ran a few things off of it. Everything is already hooked up in the shed except for the battery. I have connections and heavy gauge wires for everything.

Ultimately I’d be great to buy a 200Ah (or at least a 200A BMS) LiFePo battery. Preferably new. I know this will cost a bare minimum of ~$300 for what I believe would be a decent model. Maybe I am wrong and a medium quality battery would cost more, so please tell me if this is the case, and feel free to offer a brand you trust. The 200A BMS is required to use the inverter to its fullest extent.

However, I don’t really need to use the system like that. It would be cool to be able to use it for a microwave but I don’t really need that. It would just be nice to be able to run a few things with this system, like a refrigerator, or minifridge, tv, maybe a sound system in the shed.

Since I’m budgeting for $300 eventually, I don’t really want to spend more than like $70 on any kind of batteries right now. I saw a Facebook marketplace ad for Northstar 12V 100Ah sealed lead acid batteries for $80 that could supposedly discharge at 180A I’d need to run 2000W. It’s very hot (100F) where I am and the shed is even hotter, which is and do these batteries. I also thought about just finding a used car battery for like $30, or even trading two I have in my yard in at the junkyard and buying two junkyard ones for $30 when they subtract the core charge.

I know lead acid has all kinds of problems. I’d be willing to spend $30 to get it running though and I could tie the batteries in parallel. I’m hesitant to spend $80 on the large SLA battery knowing it will degrade quickly in a few years and also may have so much voltage sag it wouldn’t run things like a cooking hot plate or whatever. But I don’t really plan on using it for that.

What do you guys think? Where is an easy way to buy just a smaller battery to run things like a fridge that is not just a complete waste of money? If I am going to be wasting money I don’t really want to waste $80 on the larger battery. Is there a way to buy quality used LiFePo? None of this is essential so it doesn’t really matter if it eventually gives out. Thanks in advance!

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More info about why I built this system this way:

I started my system with the panel after it was gifted to me, then bought the MPPT. I could add just one more panel using 12V, since one panel already generates ~27 amps at 12V, and the MPPT is capped at 40 charging amps. I selected a 12V inverter for maximum battery interoperability and would like to keep that system voltage for now. I sized the 2000W inverter as I did so it can run any one appliance at a time that could possibly be plugged into a standard 120V 15A outlet. The system does a lot of room for expansion later but for now I’m keeping just this equipment.

There is a boat at my friend’s local sail club which is listed for free. It’s an Oday 23-2. The owner says he has a jib sail and main sail, a spinaker sail, and an extra jib sail and main sail at his house in storage.

I lifted the main sail and it looks good. The boat also has an outboard motor the owner said ran 6 months ago. It’s a 4 stroke 2006 Honda, probably like 6 HP.

The bulkhead is rotten, but I am a carpenter and feel confident in replacing it.

The only problem is the slip fee is $300 and a minimum six months, which I really can barely afford. I’ve been needing to get a second job though since I work a cushy government job and have plenty of experience in sales work so just need a satuday or evening job which I should have done a long time ago and need to do regardless.

My friends say the 1200 lb ballast is worth $1000, and the motor is worth $1-2k, and extra sails are worth $500-800 even used.

The boat has a raising keel which cuts it down to 2.5 feet. There’s no trailer.

I’ve been sailing like 6 times, held the tiller a few times, and worked the jib lines other times. It comes to me intuitively.

My questions are:

Is this going to cost a lot more than I think it will no matter what? For instance, are things going to add up and it’s going to cost $1-2k just to go sailing at all?

Is it going to be all consuming and take tons of time just to be able to get it into shape and learn to really sail (again I’m fast learner)?

Could I easily find a trailer for it to get out of the slip fee? Or is it going to be an incredible task finding one for $1-2k which is what I would want to pay?

Can I realistically sell the sails or is that super niche and takes finding the right customer? To my knowledge it’s a semi-popular boat with ~1000 models made.

Are there other things I’m not thinking of? I’m very handy and can fix all the electrical for instance. I can do basic engine repair too. The boat doesn’t seem to be in bad shape and friends say the hull is solid. It’s only leaking around the cable stays that tie into the bulkhead.

Please let me know what you think! I feel like I’ll never go out of my way to buy a boat so this is kind of my one shot I think. It appeals to me because I want to learn the skill and think maybe it could help if I move abroad (idk, SE Asia?). I would love to just be able to sail for fun and it not be a huge project and very long learning curve. I see it an instrument to learn to play, that’s all I want to do. Maybe I could get it in shape and sell it, maybe $2000? Maybe $1000-2000 more with a trailer if sold in spring?

Just trying to get as many opinions as I can. I do have a lot of other hobbies and have learned some things can just be all encompassing like old trucks.

Thank you!