diy solar

diy solar

Would you buy an "open box" Kodiak?

I've had a Kodiak for a couple years now. It's used about 3-4x /month - and it's been rock-solid for me. I have a bigger DIY rig, but the form-factor on the Kodiak is great - light, small, solidly built, and the shoulder strap is a nice touch. I often take it camping, tailgating, and for powering mobile sound systems. I've never really pushed it to failure - but have definitely measured momentary peak loads well past 1500w and it's not flinched. Being able to add external batteries was the primary reason I bought it - sadly, you can only use lead-acid (though, Inergy's new Flex battery can be added). The other downsides are the unusual solar input (Neutrik - which is actually a decent connector, just not common), the PWM controller instead of MPPT.

There are definitely more efficient/better products coming on the market (including Inergy's new Flex modular system), with better warranties - so hard to know what a fair price is.
 
Thank you! I ended up buying it... Paid $600 including shipping. I remember wanting one so bad I would have traded my grandmother for one a few years ago. There are plenty of things that seem less than ideal about it compared to newer products but the rock-solidness is still surprisingly rare to find and I'm on a deadline, which rules out a lot of things. I've had my eye on a few devices and actually bought the Monster X on Indiegogo which I am fairly certain I will never receive, and completely certain I won't receive within the time frame I need. If there were anything newer that I trusted that was in the price range per wh and would ship in time I would have gone for that, but I found only "crapshoot" products meeting that criteria.

I also have a Kyng Power 1000wh unit; I used one for a year that was amazing, seemed like it was gonna go forever, so I bought a second, and the first immediately died. It was pandemic time by then so I couldn't get it replaced, and now it's not made anymore because the factory apparently went under in the COVID crash. I need about 2000wh (I am full time in a short school bus) so between the two of them it will be enough. Assuming this Kodiak is good. I'm nervous, it's not a small amount of money and I just wasted $900 on the Monster X (unless I can twist their arms into a refund) but it seemed like the best option right now, and right now is what I needed.
 
I've had a Kodiak for a couple years now. It's used about 3-4x /month - and it's been rock-solid for me. I have a bigger DIY rig, but the form-factor on the Kodiak is great - light, small, solidly built, and the shoulder strap is a nice touch. I often take it camping, tailgating, and for powering mobile sound systems. I've never really pushed it to failure - but have definitely measured momentary peak loads well past 1500w and it's not flinched. Being able to add external batteries was the primary reason I bought it - sadly, you can only use lead-acid (though, Inergy's new Flex battery can be added). The other downsides are the unusual solar input (Neutrik - which is actually a decent connector, just not common), the PWM controller instead of MPPT.

There are definitely more efficient/better products coming on the market (including Inergy's new Flex modular system), with better warranties - so hard to know what a fair price is.
I still don't understand why you can only use lead-acid . Unless it has to do with charging. I get that part.
 
The short-answer I've been told (and I think this is what Inergy says) is that the Kodiak's battery is Lithium NMC - and I guess the BMS/charge profile would have balancing issues with a battery of another chemistry/capacity. Though not sure why lead-acid isn't an issue, but say, a Lifep04 is.

I haven't yet had the nerve to "try and see what happens" - but curious if others have.
 
The short-answer I've been told (and I think this is what Inergy says) is that the Kodiak's battery is Lithium NMC - and I guess the BMS/charge profile would have balancing issues with a battery of another chemistry/capacity. Though not sure why lead-acid isn't an issue, but say, a Lifep04 is.

I haven't yet had the nerve to "try and see what happens" - but curious if others have.
So as long as you are not charging it you are good? If you connect a battery pack about the same amp hour for discharge only it should work. Maybe someone will try it and post about it.
 
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