Greetings:
I have a dual use case I'd like to explore with you.
a. Consider a photographer (me) who is traveling with more than a bike, less than an RV (I'm thinking mostly canoe, or car camping). I need power to recharge USB battery banks and lights, gps and camera batteries, charge marine/short wave radio, and possibly laptop. So we are talking primarily USB charging (battery bank, lights) and 120V use (most camera battery chargers - grrr, laptop, radios). I'm looking a for compact power system I can charge with a single folding 100W solar panel that won't take up much space in the boat/car, can handle some abuse (unlike a rigid 100W glass panel), and is at least water-resistant.
And I'm not this guy (
) who seems to have a system that works for him, but doesn't understand why his panel can't charge his Goal Zero 400 effectively. My Honda Clarity doesn't allow much of a power drain from the 12V lighter jack anyway.
b. I'm in the Pacific Northwest. When the "big one" comes, I'm likely to be without power for weeks. For quality of life and to stay informed, I want power for my USB lights and emergency radios, maybe laptop or tablets (and of course cameras). I'm not going to power a refrigerator - not enough food in there to last that long and justify the watts. Again, mostly USB and 120V power needs.
1. Components
a. Solar - for space and fragility requirements alone, I'm thinking a single 100-120W folding panel system. Being conservative, I'm going to guess they really only deliver half the power they are rated at (50-60W) like the small folding panels Will tested. So practically we are only charging a ~200Wh battery.
b. Power system. This is where my head spins. From all the great stuff Will has posted, it's pretty clear one can build something that nicely fits in a small suitcase that would handle my needs. Might even be able to get an MPPT and "safe" lithium battery (lithium iron) in there over the cheaper solution he posted (with a PWM and lead acid battery). But then compare that to a commercial solar generator like a Jackery, where someone has taken the time to compress the whole system into an integrated system I can fit in a large dry bag (could fit 2-3 in the same suitcase!), and my laziness overtakes my DIY/Yankee ingenuity.
But then there is the problem that Will's mini-generator buyers guide and tear-downs have shown. Most of these solar generators are ... scary ... and probably a waste of money. Even the star Jackery with regulated 12V out sucked at taking in power from a solar array, although it charged well from a car (they may have fixed the solar input problem - see http://www.diysolarforum.com/threads/jackery-explorer-240-quietly-got-an-input-upgrade-now-80w.1328/), and its USB outputs were not great. And those units that were good at being charged by a solar array (Rockpells, Expert Power) don't charge well by other means, are all over the board in terms of USB output, and have scary internal construction. So is any of these actually worth getting?
2. Staying "ready to go"
As implied, my use case is not the daily use with deep discharges that an RV or off-grid user would see. It's occasional deep-discharge use with lots of non-use standby. How do you keep these units (DIY or commercial solar generator) "ready to go" without degrading the batteries for when they are needed?
3. Clouds/shade
I'm in the Pacific NW. We have clouds and trees. Are any of the units without a MPPT worth considering in low-light efficiency situations? I need something that will charge fast in full sun, but still get some sort of a trickle charge to something in less-than-ideal lighting. What do I look for in a folding solar panel and USB battery bank that might at least do a good job at charging a battery bank when there isn't enough sun to charge a solar generator?
Example folding panels I am finding include: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FH85FW9, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074ZR3RNP, https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Foldable-Controller-Portable-Generator/dp/B07RRNCSJN, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SZMFP2/ref=psdc_2236628011_t3_B07RRNCSJN, https://www.amazon.com/SunPower-Connectors-Smartphones-Batteries-Generator/dp/B074DVRPXB
4. Wait for the new generation or build your own?
With feedback to their products like Will is giving, it sounds like new rafts of solar generators are on the way that might address many of the problems with the versions we have seen in the current crop. Build my own? Go with the new Jackery with the better solar power input (but I'd really like to see a test of it first)? Wait a year and just live with a folding panel and USB battery bank until then (think a version of https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/backpacking-or-bicycle-tour-solar-package.html with a 100W folding panel)?
5. 12V
Will makes a big real about regulated 12V power output. I understand the need for it to be regulated, but why would I need 12V for my use case? The solar generators already have an inverter built in. I have USB lights. I don't live in an RV, so don't have much use for 12V appliances (although my marine radio has a 12V charger, most of my other radios, battery chargers require 120V AC). So should I care about 12V other than as a "nice to have in case you need it" convenience?
I know, lots of questions here, and a rather odd use case to most of the people I see here. But I hope that some of you find it an interesting thought problem, and may have some advice.
Thanks,
Charles
I have a dual use case I'd like to explore with you.
a. Consider a photographer (me) who is traveling with more than a bike, less than an RV (I'm thinking mostly canoe, or car camping). I need power to recharge USB battery banks and lights, gps and camera batteries, charge marine/short wave radio, and possibly laptop. So we are talking primarily USB charging (battery bank, lights) and 120V use (most camera battery chargers - grrr, laptop, radios). I'm looking a for compact power system I can charge with a single folding 100W solar panel that won't take up much space in the boat/car, can handle some abuse (unlike a rigid 100W glass panel), and is at least water-resistant.
And I'm not this guy (
b. I'm in the Pacific Northwest. When the "big one" comes, I'm likely to be without power for weeks. For quality of life and to stay informed, I want power for my USB lights and emergency radios, maybe laptop or tablets (and of course cameras). I'm not going to power a refrigerator - not enough food in there to last that long and justify the watts. Again, mostly USB and 120V power needs.
1. Components
a. Solar - for space and fragility requirements alone, I'm thinking a single 100-120W folding panel system. Being conservative, I'm going to guess they really only deliver half the power they are rated at (50-60W) like the small folding panels Will tested. So practically we are only charging a ~200Wh battery.
b. Power system. This is where my head spins. From all the great stuff Will has posted, it's pretty clear one can build something that nicely fits in a small suitcase that would handle my needs. Might even be able to get an MPPT and "safe" lithium battery (lithium iron) in there over the cheaper solution he posted (with a PWM and lead acid battery). But then compare that to a commercial solar generator like a Jackery, where someone has taken the time to compress the whole system into an integrated system I can fit in a large dry bag (could fit 2-3 in the same suitcase!), and my laziness overtakes my DIY/Yankee ingenuity.
But then there is the problem that Will's mini-generator buyers guide and tear-downs have shown. Most of these solar generators are ... scary ... and probably a waste of money. Even the star Jackery with regulated 12V out sucked at taking in power from a solar array, although it charged well from a car (they may have fixed the solar input problem - see http://www.diysolarforum.com/threads/jackery-explorer-240-quietly-got-an-input-upgrade-now-80w.1328/), and its USB outputs were not great. And those units that were good at being charged by a solar array (Rockpells, Expert Power) don't charge well by other means, are all over the board in terms of USB output, and have scary internal construction. So is any of these actually worth getting?
2. Staying "ready to go"
As implied, my use case is not the daily use with deep discharges that an RV or off-grid user would see. It's occasional deep-discharge use with lots of non-use standby. How do you keep these units (DIY or commercial solar generator) "ready to go" without degrading the batteries for when they are needed?
3. Clouds/shade
I'm in the Pacific NW. We have clouds and trees. Are any of the units without a MPPT worth considering in low-light efficiency situations? I need something that will charge fast in full sun, but still get some sort of a trickle charge to something in less-than-ideal lighting. What do I look for in a folding solar panel and USB battery bank that might at least do a good job at charging a battery bank when there isn't enough sun to charge a solar generator?
Example folding panels I am finding include: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FH85FW9, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074ZR3RNP, https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Foldable-Controller-Portable-Generator/dp/B07RRNCSJN, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SZMFP2/ref=psdc_2236628011_t3_B07RRNCSJN, https://www.amazon.com/SunPower-Connectors-Smartphones-Batteries-Generator/dp/B074DVRPXB
4. Wait for the new generation or build your own?
With feedback to their products like Will is giving, it sounds like new rafts of solar generators are on the way that might address many of the problems with the versions we have seen in the current crop. Build my own? Go with the new Jackery with the better solar power input (but I'd really like to see a test of it first)? Wait a year and just live with a folding panel and USB battery bank until then (think a version of https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/backpacking-or-bicycle-tour-solar-package.html with a 100W folding panel)?
5. 12V
Will makes a big real about regulated 12V power output. I understand the need for it to be regulated, but why would I need 12V for my use case? The solar generators already have an inverter built in. I have USB lights. I don't live in an RV, so don't have much use for 12V appliances (although my marine radio has a 12V charger, most of my other radios, battery chargers require 120V AC). So should I care about 12V other than as a "nice to have in case you need it" convenience?
I know, lots of questions here, and a rather odd use case to most of the people I see here. But I hope that some of you find it an interesting thought problem, and may have some advice.
Thanks,
Charles
