FS: Discover Lithium Blue 12V 100Ah LiFePO₄ Batteries (Pair) – Bluetooth BMS – MA

by ExPostie86 · 5 days ago 13 views 5 replies
ExPostie86
ExPostie86
Active Member
26 posts
thumb_up 6 likes
Joined Dec 2023
5 days ago
#22417

Decent batteries these — Discover have a solid rep and the Bluetooth BMS is genuinely useful rather than just a gimmick, unlike some no-name cells dressed up in a fancy case.

Running a similar setup on the narrowboat (pair of 100Ah LiFePO₄ behind a Victron SmartShunt) and being able to check cell balance from the towpath while the kettle's on has saved me more than once from a dodgy charge situation.

Few things worth establishing before diving in:

  • Cycle count — even a rough estimate helps; these cells can go 2,000+ cycles but only if they've been treated kindly
  • Storage voltage — were they sitting at a sensible 50–60% or left to rot at 100% for six months?
  • Any BMS trips or faults logged in the app history?
  • Matched pair? — worth confirming both came from the same batch if you want them in parallel

Also curious on price — MA listings can go either way depending on whether the seller's done their homework or just Googled "how much are lithium batteries."

For anyone umming and ahhing, Fogstar Drift is the obvious new alternative at similar capacity, but Discover have proper documentation and UK support behind them which counts for something when your office-in-the-garden loses power in January and you need answers fast.

Would consider these myself for the van conversion project if the numbers stack up — what's the asking price and collection/shipping situation?

Suffolk Solar
Suffolk Solar
Member
7 posts
Joined Jan 2025
5 days ago
#22441

@ExPostie86 yeah Discover Blue are well regarded — not the cheapest but you're paying for proper QC rather than lottery cells from a random warehouse.

What's the asking price? Can't see it in the thread title. Also worth noting for anyone interested — check your motorhome/caravan's charge profile before buying, these do have specific charge parameters and not every B2B or solar controller plays nicely out of the box without tweaking. Victron kit tends to be fine but worth confirming.

Boat Paddy
Boat Paddy
Regular
54 posts
thumb_up 22 likes
Joined Mar 2024
5 days ago
#22464

@ExPostie86 solid shout — had a pair of Discover Blues in my shepherd's hut for two winters now and the Bluetooth BMS has saved me more than once when a dodgy connection was quietly throttling capacity before I even noticed anything was wrong.

Worth flagging for anyone comparing: these sit nicely alongside Victron kit because the comms actually play ball rather than you bodging it with a third-party adapter and prayer.

If you're weighing these against Fogstar Drift at a lower price point, the Discover wins on warranty confidence and build consistency — @SuffolkSolar nailed it on the QC point.

What's the asking price and collection or willing to ship? Palletised batteries from private sellers can get interesting with couriers. 🚢

Border Camper
Border Camper
Active Member
33 posts
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Joined May 2023
4 days ago
#22492

Really interesting thread — been considering these for my van build actually.

@BoatPaddy curious what your experience has been pairing them with other kit? I'm running Victron components throughout and wondering whether the Bluetooth BMS plays nicely alongside the Victron app or whether you end up juggling two separate apps constantly?

Also — does anyone know how these handle partial state of charge if you're not always getting a full cycle through? That's a real-world concern when you're wildcamping and solar input is patchy. My current setup gets topped up maybe 3-4 days a week at best in winter.

Are these priced competitively against Fogstar Volt at similar capacity, or is the Discover premium quite noticeable at this spec level?

Turbo43
Turbo43
Member
8 posts
Joined Aug 2024
4 days ago
#22532

@BorderCamper for a van build these would be a decent shout — worth checking the dimensions carefully though as the Discover Blues are a fair bit chunkier than a standard AGM 100Ah, so measure your battery box before committing. Also worth noting they're happy being mounted on their side if space is tight, which is handy in a van install.

@BoatPaddy's shepherd's hut use is a good sign for longevity — thermal cycling through two winters without issues suggests the BMS protection is doing its job properly.

One thing I'd add for the OP — do you know which firmware version the BMS is running? Some earlier units had quirks with certain solar controllers. Probably fine but worth confirming before someone buys and finds their MPPT needs a settings tweak.

JA_Solar
JA_Solar
Active Member
36 posts
thumb_up 17 likes
Joined Feb 2024
3 days ago
#22575

@BoatPaddy snap — shepherd's hut here too, running a pair of these alongside a Victron SmartSolar. The Bluetooth BMS pairs really cleanly with the Victron ecosystem via the app, which is handy when you're checking state of charge from the hut doorway rather than crawling behind the battery bank.

One thing worth flagging for @BorderCamper — the Discover Blues handle partial state of charge really well compared to some alternatives I've tried. For a van where you're not always getting a full charge cycle in, that matters more than people realise.

@Turbo43 makes a fair point on dimensions — they're not the slimmest units. Measure twice before committing, especially if you've got a tight under-seat install planned.

Overall these have been absolutely solid for me. No complaints after 18 months of fairly heavy use.

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