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diy solar

How many power stations do you have?

jleblan1

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Jan 18, 2021
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63
I've got over a dozen. I've sold many and moved to mostly lifepo4 for safety and longevity.
 
I have 2. Ecoflow Delta 1st generation and a new Bluetti EB200. I like both. Too bad that Ecoflow does NOT use the lifepo4 in all their power stations. Why they only have it in the most expensive one is beyond me. Like you, I prefer the lifepo4. That was my deciding factor, along with what I could afford, in going with the Bluetti. If Ecoflow would put the lifepo4 in the River Pro or a new generation standard (not mini or pro) Delta, I would be all over it as my next power station purchase.
 
Kinda sad nobody else replied. I am beginning to think this section devoted to off the shelf power stations is the red headed cousin (or step child) on this forum. What kind and size do you have? What do you use them for?
 
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Kinda sad nobody else replied. I am beginning to think this section devoted to off the shelf power stations is the red headed cousin (or step child) on this forum. What kind and size do you have? What do you use them for?

I have
LiFePO4 units:
2 Bluetti EB55 units
1 Bluetti EB70 unit
2 Oupes 1100W units
2 Baudens 165wh units
2 Tzumi 160 wh units
2 Wattfun 300 wh units



Non Lifepo4:
3 Aviva 180wh units (found these for $10 at Marshall's store)
1 Aviva 450wh unit ($50 at same store)
2 ~1000wh Midland Units (for sale currently)
2 Bullbat 256wh units
2 Nexpow 300wh units
5 Ravpower 120wh Units

We are in a hurricane prone and overall very power outage prone area.
I use the smaller units to run table lamps, charge small devices, run modem/router
The larger units are used for intermittent use of window AC, 12v Freezers, small appliances like coffee maker and instapot.

We have 2 small inverter generators, but after a major hurricane gas is scarce to non existent for weeks. We experienced this in 2020 in southwest Louisiana.

I am currently selling little by little my non lfp units to get a few more lfp power stations. Im not sure enough of my abilities to safely build units with raw cells. Not sure how homeowners insurance would work if a self built unit caused a fire, ect. I also like the redundancy of multiple smaller units versus one huge system.
 
A bunch of them, two persons houshold:

4 Goal Zero Sherpa 100 AC (if we go by plane)
3 Goal Zero Yeti 150 (one modified to LiFePo4)
3 Goal Zero Yeti 200X
1 Yeti 400 (oldest, five years, first AGM inside)
1 Goal Zero Yeti 500X
1 Goal Zero Yeti 1000X

2 Jackery Explorer 240
1 Jackery Explorer 500
1 Jackery Explorer 1000

1 DIY „Electra 500“ LiFePo4

Ok, I‘m a bit giggly ?

Some mobile solar panels from 20 up to 200 watts, different brands. Can be daisy chained. All components (panels/stations) are working without issues about many years. See above, the old 400 is five years old, very good condition, battery is the first and ok, daily in use, kept always full at end of the day.

Our little house is 100% DIY off the grid, the power stations are a extra benefit, used in the shed, garden/yard, mobile, travel, RV (outside), etc. Mobile batteries are extreme versatile.

We avoid to use the inverter, 98% is DC.
 
I have
LiFePO4 units:
2 Bluetti EB55 units
1 Bluetti EB70 unit
2 Oupes 1100W units
2 Baudens 165wh units
2 Tzumi 160 wh units
2 Wattfun 300 wh units



Non Lifepo4:
3 Aviva 180wh units (found these for $10 at Marshall's store)
1 Aviva 450wh unit ($50 at same store)
2 ~1000wh Midland Units (for sale currently)
2 Bullbat 256wh units
2 Nexpow 300wh units
5 Ravpower 120wh Units

We are in a hurricane prone and overall very power outage prone area.
I use the smaller units to run table lamps, charge small devices, run modem/router
The larger units are used for intermittent use of window AC, 12v Freezers, small appliances like coffee maker and instapot.

We have 2 small inverter generators, but after a major hurricane gas is scarce to non existent for weeks. We experienced this in 2020 in southwest Louisiana.

I am currently selling little by little my non lfp units to get a few more lfp power stations. Im not sure enough of my abilities to safely build units with raw cells. Not sure how homeowners insurance would work if a self built unit caused a fire, ect. I also like the redundancy of multiple smaller units versus one huge system.
We have same nearly identical reasons for our power stations. I am in north Florida, so hurricane power outages are mostly my reason. However, living now out in the country, we have experienced more outages in a short amount of time verses when we lived in Jax (Jacksonville).
Finding a power station in Marshalls, bet that was a super unexpected find! I need to start looking more closely in those stores. They seem to have some neat stuff every now and then. Saw a 3 pack of bright adjustable flashlights in either TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Beauls Outlet seems to be in the same vein as those too.

How do you like the Bluetti EB 70? Is it that or the 70S? I am sitting on the fence on the Eb70S. If Eco Flow would put the Lifepo4 in their River Pro I would get one or 2 in a heartbeat. Sitting it out till next year or December of this year, should a newer product trigger a clearing out of the Eb70s. I would like to have 2 mid size and 2 bigger Lifepo4 power stations. I probably will get another Eb200. Like you, I 100% believe in redundancy. I want to see what the Eb200 can do with my small mini split in my 20 foot cargo container storm shelter. I wold only want to run the air conditioner for a couple hours. The Eco flow Delta does great keeping my small chest freezer going. Ultimate goal is to have enough power to run lights, fridge, chest freezer, some fans and air conditioner in container during hot weather. Never plan on using the heater part. Being able to run basics pretty much indefinitely would be the best outcome. We have a Honda generator I talked my husband into buying a propane kit for. That would be to charge the power stations when needed during 2 or 3 days without enough sun to charge them via panels.

Rav power, how has that been working for you? I also have been looking at the compact solar panels you can hang off backpacks or clothes line for charging phone or tablet.
 
I have a bunch when I started playing with solar.

5 X Rockpals 300W - These were cheap on Ebay being sold for parts that I pieced together to make good working units. The BMS is the Achilles heel for these. Replace the BMS and unit works perfectly again.

2 X Ecoflow Delta

1 X Ecoflow River Max

1 X Ecoflow River Pro

3 X Ecoflow EF-1500

I have stopped getting these as there is not one really "perfect" unit. Been piecing together and building my own setups now.
 
I have a bunch when I started playing with solar.

5 X Rockpals 300W - These were cheap on Ebay being sold for parts that I pieced together to make good working units. The BMS is the Achilles heel for these. Replace the BMS and unit works perfectly again.

2 X Ecoflow Delta

1 X Ecoflow River Max

1 X Ecoflow River Pro

3 X Ecoflow EF-1500

I have stopped getting these as there is not one really "perfect" unit. Been piecing together and building my own setups now.
What are your likes and dislikes of the Ecoflow River Max? What limitations did you find annoying? What did you use it for?
 
A bunch of them, two persons houshold:

4 Goal Zero Sherpa 100 AC (if we go by plane)
3 Goal Zero Yeti 150 (one modified to LiFePo4)
3 Goal Zero Yeti 200X
1 Yeti 400 (oldest, five years, first AGM inside)
1 Goal Zero Yeti 500X
1 Goal Zero Yeti 1000X

2 Jackery Explorer 240
1 Jackery Explorer 500
1 Jackery Explorer 1000

1 DIY „Electra 500“ LiFePo4

Ok, I‘m a bit giggly ?

Some mobile solar panels from 20 up to 200 watts, different brands. Can be daisy chained. All components (panels/stations) are working without issues about many years. See above, the old 400 is five years old, very good condition, battery is the first and ok, daily in use, kept always full at end of the day.

Our little house is 100% DIY off the grid, the power stations are a extra benefit, used in the shed, garden/yard, mobile, travel, RV (outside), etc. Mobile batteries are extreme versatile.

We avoid to use the inverter, 98% is DC.
Hi Ely, I think I recognize you from another rather large forum. What kind of fridge do you runin your off grid house? Is it run off the 2% of DC? I have read in forums and have seen in videos where a lot of people are running a regular fridge in their RV or tiny home. They get something like a Magic Chef 10 cf traditional freezer on top fridge as they are now energy star rated. There are no in the door ice machines, no computer screen etc. I don't hear much about Goal Zero or Yeti. That is probably why I remember you from elsewhere. It is nice to hear your experiences.
 
Hi Ely, I think I recognize you from another rather large forum. What kind of fridge do you runin your off grid house? Is it run off the 2% of DC? I have read in forums and have seen in videos where a lot of people are running a regular fridge in their RV or tiny home. They get something like a Magic Chef 10 cf traditional freezer on top fridge as they are now energy star rated. There are no in the door ice machines, no computer screen etc. I don't hear much about Goal Zero or Yeti. That is probably why I remember you from elsewhere. It is nice to hear your experiences.

The house runs via a DIY installation (15 kWh lead-acid and LiFePo4, 7 kW solar on the roof, 2 kW solar on the garage). The fridge runs with AC, it is a standard type (Liebherr, takes 140 kWh per anno, I‘m in Germany), light are AC too.

The power stations are a nice extra and not the main power supply.
 
What are your likes and dislikes of the Ecoflow River Max? What limitations did you find annoying? What did you use it for?
The Ecoflow River Max is okay for what it is. 600 watts inverter, 200 watts solar input. It is fine for light loads. The 200 watt solar input is what I would say is holding it back. So can't charge/passthrough enough if I am running bigger loads. To be honest I have never been able to get to the 200 watt limit. Using three 100 watt panels the most I can get is 178 watts. Annoying thing would be the app. There seems to be a lag and needing to refresh to "find" the device. I honestly don't use it much as I did anymore mostly because of the solar input issue.
 
1 x Nature Generator Elite
1 x Nature Generator
1 x Rockpals 1000 working
3 x Rockpals 1000 non working still troubleshooting

3 x Rockpals CN500

1 x Rockpals 500

1 x Rockpals 300

2 x Rockpals 250

4 x Paxcess Rockman 500

3 x Rockpals 330

13 x Paxcess 330

1 x Paxcess Rockman 300

18 x Paxcess Rockman 200

I bought most of these used or as-is, dead or for parts only on Ebay.

I have been able to get most of them recharged or if the circuit board is fried, I solder around the fried circuit to connect battery to dc outlets.

If built in MPPT or PWM circuit is fried, I bypass circuit and wire solar charge controller directly to battery.

It's been fun and I learned a lot dissembling them, fixing or repurposing them

I also have 20 x MobiusPower medical batteries - 12volt lithium 28.8 mah which I hook up a Renogy Wanderer 10 amp solar charge controller and I'm good to go.

To charge them, I have

4 x 230 watt Trina solar panels
1x 100 watt Grape solar panels
1 x 180 watt Natures Power solar panel and
1 x 100 watt Harbor Freight solar panel 4x25 watts

3 Epever 30 amp charge controllers

10 - Renogy Wanderer 10 amp charge controllers.
 
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I have a bunch when I started playing with solar.

5 X Rockpals 300W - These were cheap on Ebay being sold for parts that I pieced together to make good working units. The BMS is the Achilles heel for these. Replace the BMS and unit works perfectly again.

2 X Ecoflow Delta

1 X Ecoflow River Max

1 X Ecoflow River Pro

3 X Ecoflow EF-1500

I have stopped getting these as there is not one really "perfect" unit. Been piecing together and building my own setups now.
What set-up do you use to charge them?
 
Wall of Bluetti ...and Oupes
 

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I have half a dozen jump boxes with MSW inverters in them… various brands.
I have 4 rockpals 300 for parts I repaired with new BMS boards. Several packs from unrepairable ones… the BMS isn’t always what is bad on these beasts. I also have a pair of Walmart 80W solar generators and a few battery packs for cell phones that have 80W inverter in them. I have a few different APC and triplite etc Ups’s I have tinkered with. Also I have a nature power 1800 solar/wind generator I got cheap with a dead battery and built a custom LFP with 32650 cells… I gave away a few SG’S to family and friends. My latest is a Milwaukee top off M18 150W portable power box, and a Ryobi 40V kit.
We get a dozen or so outages each year… car wrecks, and weather takes it out most often.
 
The Ecoflow River Max is okay for what it is. 600 watts inverter, 200 watts solar input. It is fine for light loads. The 200 watt solar input is what I would say is holding it back. So can't charge/passthrough enough if I am running bigger loads. To be honest I have never been able to get to the 200 watt limit. Using three 100 watt panels the most I can get is 178 watts. Annoying thing would be the app. There seems to be a lag and needing to refresh to "find" the device. I honestly don't use it much as I did anymore mostly because of the solar input issue.
It seems people really dislike or like apps. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. Have you ever tried to run something like a chest freezer or even a fridge with the Ecoflow River Max? That was what I would have been most interested in, my chest freezer. I bet it could handle a standard 18-20 cf fridge for 3-4 hours.
 
I have 3 Swarey 500wh units and 2 bluetti eb70s, and thinking about getting a third to replace a Hopwinn ApolloF1000 that shorts as soon as the ac button is turned on. The eb70 is smaller but I know it works and charges quite quickly between uses . I use the two I already have to do all my cooking in my off grid cabin. The swareys do everything else and act as back up for rainy days. I want the other mainly so I have a chance at running some heating in the winter. An 85w greenhouse heater keeps the worst of the cold off but needs to be on most of the time if the temp drops to freezing. I have an 800w oil filled radiator if that doesn't suffice but I doubt I can generate enough solar to run that but I can use the power stations as electricity buckets and charge them in the outbuilding where my fridge lives that is connected to the mains. But I prefer not to have to do that.
At the moment I actually have surplus power and actively find myself hunting for things to use it for to keep the units ticking over. I find it ridiculously satisfying watching them charge!
 
As soon as I get the refund on number 6 I will replace it, probably with another eb70 as long as my work around of wiring a smaller panel in parallel wih the 24v panel that was bought for the faulty one doesn't turn out to be a bad idea.

So 6.
 
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