Why was Charger capacity reduced ?

[chl]

WOW Montserrat?
Cool place to live…

Nice place to visit, living there has its challenges since the volcano woke up!

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[chl]

Do you have a place to go when the Volcano blows.?????

I just visit there, but a couple times I was there when ash was falling and sulfur gasses made breathing a problem - I keep gas masks around just in case.

The ash is really nasty - silica so breathing it can be harmful, and it comes down with rain, so like wet snow, only heavier, has caused some roofs to collapse!

Then there is the pumice that sometimes falls, and even small rocks like gravel sometimes.

When things get hairy they evacuate areas in jeopardy - they monitor the activity and have warning sirens when things get dicey.

Down in the valley (Belham Valley) below my house a good distance away, when it rains hard, they get lahars, mud flows essentially, with boulders sometimes!

OMG, what fun.

The ash fall in 2010 on my steps.

Someone got this pic from a passing airliner when it blew in 2010 and dumped a lot of ash on my area.

 

[chl]

Do you have a place to go when the Volcano blows.?????

When Air Studios was there, and Jimmy Buffet recorded on Montserrat, his band rented our house - it was my parents house back then and they rented it out to the musicians who'd go there to record.

The first band to record there was The Climax Blues Band and they stayed in our house - their album Real to Reel has on the inside of the cover a pic taken on our porch at sunset with the band and entourage having diner.

Other notables stayed there, including Twiggy, but our guest book got pinched at some point with all the signatures and comments, alas.

A very quiet and friendly place if you every want to escape the commercial vacation spots in the Caribbean. See:

https://yvetteleeagencies.com/

or

https://www.airbnb.com/montserrat/stays

I need to do some work on my place to rent it out again, so not listed right now.

I love the mangoes there! I have many mango trees to pick from!

 

[RLXXI]

Well that would be my other house...it's in the tropics and the trade winds blow pretty much all the time - a rare day when there is no wind. And my house is near the top of a hill (Lat and Long: 16.7471N, 62.22605W, elevation: 328 ft above sea level).

I barely use 10kWh per day there, mostly for ceiling fans and the big draw is the refrigerator, sometimes run the washing machine once a week or so - the sun and wind dry the clothes, have a gas range, LED lights, not much used by the TV and stereo.

A small turbine VAWT (vertical axis) is what I am considering.

But actually there ARE turbines designed for low speed wind - whether they are worth it depends a lot on your energy storage capabilities and energy needs.

I haven't kept track of the wind speed at my house. Next visit I'll see what I can determine.

But there is a pair of commercial wind turbines up on an adjacent hill (St Georges Hill) that were operational producing about 200kW before the volcano became active again beginning in 1995 and then had a major catastrophic event in 1997. They are too close to the volcano dome now to be repaired and made operational.


There is no grid-tie available yet - they keep talking about implementing that but things move slow on "island time."

That is one thing holding me back from installing solar and wind there, that and the costs of shipping and import duties. Then there is the risk the volcano will get active again - been quiet since 2010, at the surface anyway. Below ground, still growling.

Volcanic ash is very acidic, producing acid rain that is good at dissolving metal quickly. And it is heavy. That is one thing to consider if I put solar panel on my roof - I have a lot of south facing yard I could utilize instead which would make cleaning ash off panels easier.

Then there is the possibility of a hurricane - Hurricane Hugo was a direct hit at cat 4 or 5 and shut down Air Studios Montserrat for good in 1989.

Always something..

Don't take my word for it, go ahead and buy one but don't be surprised you wasted your money.

All it takes is a simple Google search and you'll find out how many others wasted theirs.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I know I’m running the risk of being run out of town and shot at dawn for not find the answer to my in a previous discussion. Sorry!

Can someone tell me why the older Lightning had a 80a AC charger onboard and why it was reduced to 48a?

Simple question, simple answer please.

Cost.
Bigger charger, heavier components.

Majority usage also doesn’t support 80A. Most cars sit idle for 10-12 hours. At 131kW for the ER, that’s 40-55A from empty to be full.

80A could also complicate multi EV support. It would require a massive 400A main panel since we can’t adjust charging speeds.

Personally I’ve had 80A charging in my Teslas, and 80A on the Lightning. I like the option, and it’s helpful in the - crap forgot to charge moments, but otherwise I turn down my EVs charging rates. Tesla charges at 12A/240, Kia charges at 28A/240V, and the truck charges between 30A/240 and 80A/240 depending on which charger I plug it into.

If I leave the truck and Tesla at 80A, the Kia at 48A, I may be able to get by based on timing but I’ll trip my panel breaker when they’re at full speed - and that’s on a 400A service.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

Well that would be my other house...it's in the tropics and the trade winds blow pretty much all the time - a rare day when there is no wind. And my house is near the top of a hill (Lat and Long: 16.7471N, 62.22605W, elevation: 328 ft above sea level).

I barely use 10kWh per day there, mostly for ceiling fans and the big draw is the refrigerator, sometimes run the washing machine once a week or so - the sun and wind dry the clothes, have a gas range, LED lights, not much used by the TV and stereo.

A small turbine VAWT (vertical axis) is what I am considering.

But actually there ARE turbines designed for low speed wind - whether they are worth it depends a lot on your energy storage capabilities and energy needs.

I haven't kept track of the wind speed at my house. Next visit I'll see what I can determine.

But there is a pair of commercial wind turbines up on an adjacent hill (St Georges Hill) that were operational producing about 200kW before the volcano became active again beginning in 1995 and then had a major catastrophic event in 1997. They are too close to the volcano dome now to be repaired and made operational.

There is no grid-tie available yet - they keep talking about implementing that but things move slow on "island time."

That is one thing holding me back from installing solar and wind there, that and the costs of shipping and import duties. Then there is the risk the volcano will get active again - been quiet since 2010, at the surface anyway. Below ground, still growling.

Volcanic ash is very acidic, producing acid rain that is good at dissolving metal quickly. And it is heavy. That is one thing to consider if I put solar panel on my roof - I have a lot of south facing yard I could utilize instead which would make cleaning ash off panels easier.

Then there is the possibility of a hurricane - Hurricane Hugo was a direct hit at cat 4 or 5 and shut down Air Studios Montserrat for good in 1989.

Always something..

You can grid tie wind using SMAs system, hydro as well. You can even create a microgrid and flip between solar, wind, hydro with emergency generators and grids.

At today’s solar prices, and residential wind prices. It’s simply not worth it. The vertical axis, the low profile vortex generators, etc etc. you’ll deal with either noise, low generation, high initial cost, high repair cost, trouble finding knowledgeable installers, or all of the above.

If you have the space for it, solar is hard to beat as of today.

A good use case is to look at the Lincoln Financial field of the Eagles. They installed vertical turbines and they lasted about 10 years before being removed due to the maintenance and repair needs and ultimately replaced with solar.

 

[chl]

You can grid tie wind using SMAs system, hydro as well. You can even create a microgrid and flip between solar, wind, hydro with emergency generators and grids.

At today’s solar prices, and residential wind prices. It’s simply not worth it. The vertical axis, the low profile vortex generators, etc etc. you’ll deal with either noise, low generation, high initial cost, high repair cost, trouble finding knowledgeable installers, or all of the above.

If you have the space for it, solar is hard to beat as of today.

A good use case is to look at the Lincoln Financial field of the Eagles. They installed vertical turbines and they lasted about 10 years before being removed due to the maintenance and repair needs and ultimately replaced with solar.

Until the utility allows it there, no net metering or otherwise connecting to the utility grid is presently allowed.

I could go off-grid but I'd need a battery storage system.

Wind turbine designs have come a long way and now there are designs with few (or no) moving parts.

These have been designed based on a variety of ideas, and some are in production. Less to no maintenance issues when no blades or complex moving parts like gears are used/needed. And when designed to last a long time.

There is the EWICON (electrostatic wind energy converter) concept, and the solid state wind energy transformer, though these are apparently still under development, and may not be suitable for small scale installs.

Then there is the blade-less gear-less Vortex-induced Vibration Resonant Wind Generator a weird wiggling column (a giant dildo looking thing, lol) with magnets inducing electricity in coils, cheaper and simpler than the bladed wind turbines. The cost for a 8 ft model would be about the same as for a solar panel and produce 100W - but it operates as long as there is some wind and so will work at night unlike solar panels.

I was considering something like the IceWind FREYA, a bird friendly, vertical design for residential use producing up to 600W, and designed to last over 25 years with little or no maintenance. Waiting for prices to come down though. They have a on grid system for around $4k with 1.5kW inverter. More expensive than solar, but can run 24/7 unlike solar, as long as there is wind, so produces at least double the total energy of a similarly sized (watts) solar panel.

Also considering the Halcium Power Pod, now called the power shell, although it has internal moving parts. They have an interesting map showing how much the Power Pod versus solar would produce at various locations around the world. Generally at least 2 times more from the power pod. Still in the development stage however. See: https://www.halcium.com/

These were discussed in this video from 2021 (?):



Ideally I would avoid needing a battery storage system because, like conventional mechanical wind turbines, they have a limited useful life, depending on various factors, and are expensive.

I would prefer a solar installation with net metering to minimize cost and maximize life span.

On the island, they have been running diesel generators for years and have scheduled rolling outages and unexpected ones too. It's pathetic.

Because they have a volcano, and because a uni in the UK needed a test bed for it, they sunk millions (of the UK's money) into geothermal with limited success...still not on line after 15+ years, a real boondoggle imho.

Meanwhile a neighboring island, Antigua, has had a solar farm running their airport for years.

Back in the 90's they did have a small wind farm (2 turbines) that operated successfully until the volcano put the kibosh on it. Up on the high hills, the wind is wicked and nearly constant 24/7.

 

[chl]

Don't take my word for it, go ahead and buy one but don't be surprised you wasted your money.

All it takes is a simple Google search and you'll find out how many others wasted theirs.

I never buy anything without doing due diligence.

I do take on-line reviews (and google results)with a grain of salt, sometimes they make good points, but sometimes they are just haters, like so many reviews of the Lightning, you know?

I have an electrical engineering background so I feel pretty confident I can evaluate the technological aspects of stuff.

But I am also a rather cautious and skeptical consumer sometimes - sales people end up hating me, lol.

Not questioning the validity of your comments, I have considered all those same issues myself which is why I haven't bought or built a wind turbine up to this point and wondered if anyone here had any good or bad practical experience with them.

As the years go by, technological things do tend to improve.

When I first started engineering school back in the 1980's, most commercially available solar panels were not even 10% efficient as I recall and people who installed them back then were told they were wasting their money. Look how much their efficiency has improved to this date!

And as a patent attorney in the field of computers and electronics since the 1990's, I never underestimate the inventiveness of the human brain to solve problems and make better things.

However, as a nearly 74 year old human being, I never underestimate the other side of the human race either, e.g., greediness.

My preference for vertical turbines is because allow the rotation to be on a magnetic levitation system reducing wear and tear, they are also quieter, plus they capture wind from all directions, though they generally have less output. Still holding off until they become more cost effective of course.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Just recently joined the Lightning fam with a 2025 Flash and even though my dealer sent me home with the Charge Station Pro it sucks my truck can only accept 48 amps. As I wait on my install there are zero benefits to having a 100 amp circuit put in then correct? Just stick with 60 amps?

 

[K6CCC]

I have a 2024 (also 48 amps). I set the dial inside to max 48 amps (position 5 if I recall) and wired and breakered it for 60 amps.

 

[RLXXI]

Just recently joined the Lightning fam with a 2025 Flash and even though my dealer sent me home with the Charge Station Pro it sucks my truck can only accept 48 amps. As I wait on my install there are zero benefits to having a 100 amp circuit put in then correct? Just stick with 60 amps?

Yep 60a. Just plug it in when you get home, when you're ready to leave in the am you'll have a full tank. I got my Flash about a month and a half ago and they finally just today got the charger installed. Would have been 2 weeks sooner had the 1st contractor not been greedy and tried to charge me $1,300 for a complimentary install. I obviously declined their quote and Qmerit hooked me up with another local installer, took them 4 days to get here and done.

$0.00 cost.

 

[chl]

Just recently joined the Lightning fam with a 2025 Flash and even though my dealer sent me home with the Charge Station Pro it sucks my truck can only accept 48 amps. As I wait on my install there are zero benefits to having a 100 amp circuit put in then correct? Just stick with 60 amps?

For you current vehicle yes.

Maybe down the road Ford will again have a vehicle that can charge at 80A.

I did not know they were going to make the change to a lower amperage when I installed my FCSP on a 100A circuit.

But since I bought the supplies myself (wire, conduit, breaker, etc.) the cost difference between a 100A circuit and a 60A was not huge.

The FCSP was made for #3 AWG hots and #6 AWG ground, so the terminals and torque specs are for that wire.

If you change to 60A wiring (for a 48A charge current) your electrician will have to make sure 1) the terminals are ok for that (probably are) and 2) that he uses the torque for the smaller diameter wire which will be different (less torque for smaller diameter wire).

You are getting a free install, right, so if you go ahead and have it wired it for the full capabilities it won't cost you anything more.

In the future, you might be able to use a different EVSE and vehicle at a higher charge rate, and you will be prepared.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

For you current vehicle yes.

Maybe down the road Ford will again have a vehicle that can charge at 80A.

I did not know they were going to make the change to a lower amperage when I installed my FCSP on a 100A circuit.

But since I bought the supplies myself (wire, conduit, breaker, etc.) the cost difference between a 100A circuit and a 60A was not huge.

The FCSP was made for #3 AWG hots and #6 AWG ground, so the terminals and torque specs are for that wire.

If you change to 60A wiring (for a 48A charge current) your electrician will have to make sure 1) the terminals are ok for that (probably are) and 2) that he uses the torque for the smaller diameter wire which will be different (less torque for smaller diameter wire).

You are getting a free install, right, so if you go ahead and have it wired it for the full capabilities it won't cost you anything more.

In the future, you might be able to use a different EVSE and vehicle at a higher charge rate, and you will be prepared.

This is exactly my debate should I future proof a little better because the cost isn't a lot in an extra $400

Might be worth it (as I wait on Qmerit)

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