High Quality Solar Generator Advice Please

[efmrrt]

I'd doubt that the Rockpals with even work with the Resmed adapter - most likely d/t the high amps that's required. I would only use the AGM jump pack in an emergency with the CPAP. Well I hope we have everything figured out for you.

Good luck,
Bud

 

[Just John]

Hello everyone. I would like your advice as I have now learned my lesson. I did my research and on paper what should have worked did not work in reality. I use a CPAP machine every night. A main goal in purchasing a portable solar generator was for powering the cpap in a tent camping or power outage situation. I bought a Rockpals 300 and guess what, the 12 volt DC circuit goes in to protection mode and will not run the cpap at all. The specs say it will but reality says different. My NAPA Carlyle automotive jump starter box will run the cpap, but that has an AGM battery in it and is made for high current draw to start a car. The 12 volt port inside it is unregulated and simply connected directly to the AGM battery and is live all the time. I am working with Rockpals to return the 300 solar generator.
I would like your advice please. I can use the online chart from ResMed to get a ball park draw figure for DC and I can use my Kilowatt to get a figure for AC. I have been bitten by the poor quality control bug of the low quality market. Which brans make high quality products that you can depend on? Which brands have high quality control? I understand I may pay more, but I would rather pay a few dollars more for high quality than to deal with “I hope this will work” again. Thank you for your help.

One more suggestion, a Duracell 660. Costco online has by far the best price. AGM 55ah battery, lugs on the back so you can add another battery. It has a solar input, but will only accept a single 100 watt panel. When I reviewed it, Duracell says you can also use the lugs to attach a real solar charge controller as well as an additional battery. Handles up to 1400 watts (they say, but will certainly run a refrigerator a few hours). When using the built-in solar charge controller, they don't tell you, but you must turn off the unit or it won't connect the charger. It is pretty bulletproof. Also very heavy.

 

[CircuitsActivated]

One more suggestion, a Duracell 660. Costco online has by far the best price. AGM 55ah battery, lugs on the back so you can add another battery. It has a solar input, but will only accept a single 100 watt panel. When I reviewed it, Duracell says you can also use the lugs to attach a real solar charge controller as well as an additional battery. Handles up to 1400 watts (they say, but will certainly run a refrigerator a few hours). When using the built-in solar charge controller, they don't tell you, but you must turn off the unit or it won't connect the charger. It is pretty bulletproof. Also very heavy.

Thank you. I saw this 27 minute review of it on YouTube. I liked the idea of how you can add external batteries to it. One of the things I was wondering about was its AGM battery. My understanding is that it is not good to draw the battery below 50%. That would make its safe useable range on its internal battery about 330 watt hours would it not? Not trying to debate, just learn as a newbie. Knowledge is power so I will look into this again as well. This is fun.

 

[Just John]

Thank you. I saw this 27 minute review of it on YouTube. I liked the idea of how you can add external batteries to it. One of the things I was wondering about was its AGM battery. My understanding is that it is not good to draw the battery below 50%. That would make its safe useable range on its internal battery about 330 watt hours would it not? Not trying to debate, just learn as a newbie. Knowledge is power so I will look into this again as well. This is fun.

This is my understanding as well, the Duracell representative said 80%. Additional AGM are cheap and readily available, the Duracell representative said you could add two external batteries. It's ok for what it is. It does run my evaporative cooler.

 

[CircuitsActivated]

For those of you who grew up watch or still watch the Dukes Of Hazard tv series....I say in my best Rosco P. Coltrane voice “Good new, good news”. Last night I basically said ”the heck with it”. I plugged my cpap in to the 120 volt inverter on the Rockpals 300. It was either gonna power it ir I would wake up in the night because I could not breathe. The Rockpals ran the cpap for eight hours and used 60% of its capacity. The Rockpals 300 has a 280 watt hour battery in it. That means the cpap used 168 watt hours in eight hours. If I did my math correctly that means my cpap averages a 21 watt load, correct? Now I ordered a new P3 Kilowatt 4400 meter which will arrive today. I have never owned one before. I can confirm the results with that. That Kilowatt meter will also help me figure out other 120 volt loads for a friend who wants to buy a backup generator but does not know how much wattage they really need. The NAPA jump box will charge the Rockpals at 30-36 watts in a pure emergency ( little sun for a Rockpals solar panel) even though that is not a good idea. As of right now it seems the Rockpals 300 will do what I need it to do. It will doing only for one night but that is what solar panels and 12 volt cigarette adapters for the truck are for.

 

[Q-Dog]

Good job.

 

[CircuitsActivated]

Good job.

Thank you very much. That means a lot.