by Justin Gray
Here are the answers to all of the questions that we've heard regarding the Lithium Cube Line (blog will be updated as additional questions are asked). This covers all 3 of the new Lithium Cube Models:
- Lithium Cube 325 (#8832)
- Lithium Cube 500 (#8834)
- Lithium Cube 1200 (#8836)
Lithium Cube 325 | Lithium Cube 500 | Lithium Cube 1200
Lithium Cube 325 Solar | Lithium Cube 500 Solar | Lithium Cube 1200 Solar
Note: If only a single spec is listed, then it is applicable to all Lithium Cube units.
Battery & Charging Questions
What type of battery is in the Lithium Cube?
LiC02 Lithium-ion battery
What size is the battery?
Lithium Cube 325 has a 324Wh battery
Lithium Cube 500 has a 515Wh battery
Lithium Cube 1200 has a 1166Wh battery
How many cells are in the battery?
Lithium Cube 325 has 20 cells
Lithium Cube 500 has 48 cells
Lithium Cube 1200 has 72 cells
What is the battery lifecycle?
The battery has between 500-1000 recharge (life) cycles.
What is the battery voltage?
Lithium Cube 325 is 14.4V
Lithium Cube 500 is 14.8V
Lithium Cube 1200 is 21.6V
Can this go in carry-on baggage on an airplane?
No, current TSA regulations do not allow this to be brought aboard aircraft in carry-on luggage. "Lithium batteries with more than 100 watt hours may be allowed in carry-on bags with airline approval. One spare battery, not exceeding 300 watt hours, or two spare batteries, not exceeding 160 watt hours each, are permitted in carry-on bags. For more information, see the FAA regulations on batteries." (regulation as of 06.2021)
Can I charge the Lithium Cube with a car battery charger?
No, there is no way to connect a car battery charger clamp to the Lithium Cube. Even if you could, the battery charger would have to accept Lithium-ion batteries.
How can the Lithium Cube battery be charged?
All Lithium Cube models include an AC (wall outlet) charger and a DC (Cigarette Lighter Accessory socket) charger. A solar panel, wind turbine, or water turbine can all be used to recharge the Lithium Cube.
Both the Lithium Cube 500 and 1200 models can also be recharged using the USB-C input.
Does the Lithium Cube have a BMS?
Yes, there is a Battery Management System (BMS) onboard that regulates the input and output.
I heard that you can charge the Lithium Cube with 2 chargers at the same time? How does that even work?
It is true that the Lithium Cube 500 & Lithium Cube 1200 can be charged by 2 different inputs at the same time.
There are a few ways that this can be accomplished, but the end result is the same; the Lithium Cube will charge faster than if only one input was used.
One way that this can be accomplished is by plugging in the AC or DC charger into the charging input on the front of the Lithium Cube. At the same time, you can plug in a charger to the USB-C input port; this will decrease the overall time it takes to recharge the unit.
How long does the Cube take to recharge (in hours)?
* The above chart is approximate and based on a fully depleted battery and under normal operating conditions.
What are the AC Charger specs?
Lithium Cube 325 accepts 100-120V @ 50-60hz input, 19V - 3.4A (65W) output
Lithium Cube 500 accepts 100-120V @ 50-60hz input, 19V - 3.8A (72W) output
Lithium Cube 1200 accepts 100-120V @ 50-60hz input, 24V - 5.0A (120W) output
What are the DC Charger specs?
The included DC Charger is ~12V input (your car outputs ~12V).
What are the Input Charging port specs? What size is the port?
The input charging port accepts DC barrel connectors and a voltage range of 12-24V DC. The dimensions of the input ports are:
Lithium Cube 325 is 4.0mm x 1.7mm
Lithium Cube 500 is 4.0mm x 1.7mm
Lithium Cube 1200 is 6.5mm x 3.0mm
How often does the Cube need to be charged? What happens if it sits in storage for a year?
We recommend that the Lithium Cube is recharged after each use, or every 6 months of storage. After sitting in storage for a year, there will be some discharge, but the unit will be good to use and should be recharged as soon as possible.
Lithium Cube 325 | Lithium Cube 500 | Lithium Cube 1200
Lithium Cube 325 Solar | Lithium Cube 500 Solar | Lithium Cube 1200 Solar
Solar Questions
How do I connect a solar panel?
If using an Anderson Power Pole type connector, you can plug it directly into the Lithium Cube 1200 Anderson port. On the Lithium Cube 325 and 500 models, you'll want to use the included Anderson pigtail adapter.
What type of solar panel can I use?
As long as the panel is made for 12V systems and outputs a nominal voltage of 12V (standard type panels), any solar panel can be used whether it is monocrystalline, polycrystalline, or thin-film type.
What solar connectors are compatible?
Anderson Power Pole Type connectors are ideal. MC4, DC power Ports, and other DC connectors are acceptable but may require an adapter (not included).
Does the solar panel need a solar charge controller?
No it does not as the Lithium Cube has a built-in MPPT solar charge controller.
What type of solar controller is inside?
All Lithium Cube models are equipped with an MPPT Solar Charge Controller.
What's the difference between MPPT and PWM Charge controllers?
In short, a PWM or “Pulse-Width Modulation” controller is the most common and widely used controller type with less efficiency. MPPT or “Maximum Power Point Tracking” controllers are able to optimize the output of the solar panel and extract an additional 15-30% more power than a PWM controller.
What is the largest size solar panel that I can connect?
Lithium Cube 325 accepts up to a 60W panel
Lithium Cube 500 accepts up to an 80W panel
Lithium Cube 1200 accepts up to a 100W panel
Can I connect more than one solar panel to the Cube?
You can connect more than one panel to the Solar cube as long as the maximum combined wattage is not greater than than the maximum allowable input for the Cube model (see above question).
How do I connect more than one solar panel?
To achieve this, you can wire the panels together or use a "splitter" (a "Y" shaped cable that allows the panels to be connected together).
You can connect two 6V panels in series to make the output 12V. For example, two 6V, 40W panels wired in series would equal 12V, 40W.
You can connect two 12V panels in parallel to make the output 12V with the combined output being the panels wattages added together. An example of this would be two 12V, 50W panels wired in parallel would create an output of 12V, 100W.
Do I have to max out the solar panel capacity when charging via solar?
No, you do not have to match the maximum allowable panel to the Lithium Cube. For instance, if we're looking at the Lithium Cube 500 which has a maximum solar input of 80W, you can certainly use any size panel up to the maximum of 80W. The only detriment to using a smaller wattage panel would be slower charging.
Is the Anderson pigtail adapter included?
On the Lithium Cube 325 and 500 models, yes the Anderson pigtail adapter is included. The Lithium Cube 1200 has Anderson connectors built in to the unit and does not come with a Anderson pigtail adapter (the adapter for the 325/500 will not fit on the 1200).
Inverter Questions
What are "AC Outlets"?
AC or Alternating Current outlets are those 3-prong receptacles that are commonly found on the wall in your house. These provide 110V-120V and power most of your household appliances.
What type of inverter is inside the Cube?
All Lithium Cube models feature a Pure Sine Wave Inverter. PSWs are the purest form of sine wave there is.
What are the inverter running specifications?
Lithium Cube 325 is 300W continuous and 350W peak
Lithium Cube 500 is 500W continuous and 600W peak
Lithium Cube 1200 is 1000W continuous and 1350W peak
Why does the fan come on? What causes it to turn off/on?
The fan will come on briefly when the AC power button is pressed as a "test" cycle. During normal operation, the fan will automatically come on once the unit temperature reaches 104°F.
What is the difference between pure sine wave and modified sine wave?
This is a lengthy topic (more here), but the gist of it is that Pure Sine Waves (or PSW for short) are the purest sine waveform and allow appliances to run as intended. PSW provides less cycling which allows for cooler operation and with less noise.
Modified Sine Waves (MSW) are "manufactured" since waves which allow for operation of most appliances, but at a slight cost. You may get a "humming" noise when using these inverters, while some devices won't operate on MSW, but they tend to be significantly less expensive than PSW Inverters.
Can this be used overseas (a frequency & charging question)?
The inverter outputs 120V @60hz. The AC charger (input) has an acceptable range of 100-240V at 50-60hz which means that the Cubes can operate 60hz appliances, but are able to be recharged from most AC power sources world-wide.
Lithium Cube 325 | Lithium Cube 500 | Lithium Cube 1200
Lithium Cube 325 Solar | Lithium Cube 500 Solar | Lithium Cube 1200 Solar
Output Power Questions
What is the difference between the USB power ports?
"USB-A" is your "standard" USB port. This is the one that you think of when you hear the word, "USB port".
USB-C is a relatively new USB power port that is symmetrical; meaning there is no “right side up or upside down”. This port is also smaller than USB-A and is widely adopted as the new standard.
What is the difference between "PD" and "QC" charging?
QC (Quick Charge) charging is through the USB-A ports and uses a high voltage & high current to quickly charge devices that support QC protocol.
PD (Power Delivery) charging is through the USB-C ports and, like QC charging, requires a high voltage & high current to charge devices. The big difference between QC and PD charging is that PD charging currents are higher than those from QC. The higher current supports laptops and other devices with a larger power demand.
What is USB-C "input/output"?
USB-C input means that the Lithium Cube accepts an incoming charge current (for recharging). USB-C output means that the Lithium Cube can supply power to recharge your device (like a phone or a tablet).
Are the 12V outputs regulated?
Yes, the 12V DC socket and 12V power ports are regulated.
What are the "DC power ports" used for?
The DC power ports can be used to output regulated 12V DC power just like the DC Socket. You may opt to plug a 12V DC accessory cord directly into the port or use a 12V DC Socket adapter like the one we sell here.
Can you operate the DC power ports and the DC Socket concurrently?
Yes, all of the DC outputs may be used concurrently as long as the combined maximum amperage is not exceeded. The Max for each unit is detailed below:
Lithium Cube 325 maximum combined DC output amperage is 8A
Lithium Cube 500 maximum combined DC output amperage is 10A
Lithium Cube 1200 maximum combined DC output amperage is 10A
Does the Anderson port allow power in and out?
No, the Anderson port only allows for input power to the Lithium Cube.
What is the pigtail adapter used for?
On the Lithium Cube 325 and 500 model, an Anderson pigtail adapter is included so that a solar panel with corresponding Anderson connectors may be plugged directly into the charging (input port).
Operational Details Questions
What do the symbols on the LCD display mean?
How much does it weight?
Lithium Cube 325 is 7.1 lbs.
Lithium Cube 500 is 11.7 lbs.
Lithium Cube 1200 is 24.5 lbs.
What is the operating temperature range?
32°F - 113°F (0°C - 45°C)
What is the storage temperature range?
14°F - 149°F (-10°C - 65°C)
What is a "pack-flat" or "flat-pack handle"?
This is a feature where the carrying handle folds down flush with the top of the Cube. This allows for a flat surface where items can be placed on top of the lid.
Lithium Cube 325 | Lithium Cube 500 | Lithium Cube 1200
Lithium Cube 325 Solar | Lithium Cube 500 Solar | Lithium Cube 1200 Solar
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