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diy solar

Comparing Portable Systems

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LochNess

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Joined
Nov 20, 2022
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47
Location
Oklahoma
Looking for a portable, pure sine-wave solar-charged battery power supply suitable for camping or travel.
Preferably an all-in-one kit with the PV matched to the inverter, yet If possible Id like to avoid a lot of proprietary connectors in favor of interchangeable parts from other makers.
Ideally it should be expandable, or at least hackable.
Capacity: Should be able to pass the Keurig Test (2000-watt coffee maker) without crashing.
I Dont anticipate the need for 240V split phase; 120V would be just fine.
Lots of USB jacks.

Is there a comparison article somewhere, or a topic I havent found on this forum that looks at different manufacturers options?
 
What you’re asking for sounds expensive. What is the kWh requirement?

IMO, you’d be better off building something yourself. If not I second Bluetti. Lots of different models with easily expandable components.

I have a kuerig maker that pulls 550 watts.
 
Lots of power stations meet those specs.

I have reviewed Geneverse, Bluetti, All Powers, Anker and several small, medium and large units.

Not that much difference but some have more bells and whistles.

I would recommend looking for a unit with LFP battery, UPS and can be charged from a larger solar power system of at least 800 watts.

You can also make your own with a 200Ah LFP, MPPT controller and a 2000 watt inverter and make your own cart. That will cost you about half of what a commercial power station will cost.

I am currently reviewing the new Anker Solix that is a mid sized unit that can have extra batteries and is fast charging that I really like.
 
Curious this self promotion is ok. I mean I do not have an issue with it but seems like others in the past were not cut this kind of slack. Please don’t ban him; maybe help him be more sly about it?

LochNess, how much do you want to get into portable solar production? A put together system offers benefits over some package piece.
 
KITROBASKIN said:
Curious this self promotion is ok. I mean I do not have an issue with it but seems like others in the past were not cut this kind of slack. Please don’t ban him; maybe help him be more sly about it?

LochNess, how much do you want to get into portable solar production? A put together system offers benefits over some package piece.
Click to expand...
How can you refer a product you haven't used?

I have used and still use those products under off grid conditions and can compare them honestly which is what the OP asked for.

I didn't include links or try to sell him on any of them and I actually promoted a DIY power station which is what I think DIY solar is about.
 
The new Goal Zero Yeti 4000 Pro is a beast and seems to be strong enough. 3600 watt continues, 7200 (!) watt surge. LFP, 4000 cycles.

But portable? Yes, it comes with a build in trolley handle and wheels, but carry it around? Rather not.

My experience with GZ is very good, a prehistoric Yeti 400 AGM runs still perfect. Jackery is also very reliable, some comes with long lasting LFP.

With Ecoflow (wrong SOC, loud fan, more watts on paper, less watts in practice) and Bluetti (SSC error codes, high temp warnings when not in use) I experienced a disaster, never again. Horrible support, I returned these batteries.
 
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Piecing together my own rig is not beyond the realm of possibility, and could end up being more versatile if my components are compatible. The main draw of a stand-alone kit is that all the components are already matched and there is less of a learning curve.

A critical requirement I didnt mention in the OP is that it must have no internet dependencies.
It simply makes no sense to have a system independent of one grid that wont work without another grid.
If its for camping trips or disaster recovery, I shouldnt have to go thru a server on the other side of the planet to charge a battery.
If it uses an app for control, I shouldnt need to set up an account to bluetooth something two feet away.

I didnt think to mention that until I saw the setup for a Mango Power E, but even with my current roof-installed system, that was a potential issue.
 
Well none that I know of are "hackable" beyond using a second battery connected to the solar charger input to charge the internal battery and honestly if you are looking to expand beyond the built in battery (which you 100% will want to) you will be cheaper off building your own setup.

Also it should be noted buying the portable solar panels that can come bundled with portable power stations often won't max out the solar input and are horribly expensive on a price per watt basis, all small scale solar is stupid high price per watt.
 
Solarcabin Channel said:
I would recommend looking for a unit with LFP battery, UPS and can be charged from a larger solar power system of at least 800 watts.

You can also make your own with a 200Ah LFP, MPPT controller and a 2000 watt inverter and make your own cart. That will cost you about half of what a commercial power station will cost.
Click to expand...

So if you were to build a 2Kw -ish portable system, what components would you pair? Would you go with some combo inverter/charge controller/etc or everything discrete?
 
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Solarcabin Channel said:
I am currently reviewing the new Anker Solix that is a mid sized unit that can have extra batteries and is fast charging that I really like.
Click to expand...

I looked very hard at the Anker SOLIX F1200 (PowerHouse 757) despite it falling short of my wattage expectancy, but it does seem to have some versatility as to PV and using recognizable power connectors. What was your take on that?
 
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