Solar Generator Newbie

Randy, you are certainly not the only one to get fed up with cigarette sockets. Was exasperated repeatedly coming back to my campsite and finding the fridge had been off all day. I replaced them all with SAE type connectors wherever I could. The 12V fridge plug was cut and an SAE put on to replace it with no more problems. I use something similar to you when traveling with the fridge in the car. I also use a DC-DC charger but on a Renogy LiPo smart battery which is in a case with an SAE output plug added to it. I store the battery at half charge in the garage, then put it and the fridge in the vehicle when I head out, charging the battery all the way to my destination while I run the fridge from it. Seems to work very well.

 

Sadly, Cosmo has passed.

 

Oh my gosh, that’s terrible news. RIP Cosmo. Great eulogy video, thanks for sharing John.

 

Thanks Greg. Jackery won’t do anything for me so I listed it for sale today. Going to replace it with the Goal Zero Yeti Core 1000 which has Anderson Powerpole 12 volt outputs that I can connect my Dometic to. It was so bad I even tried duct tape to no avail!


Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core Portable Power Station, 1,000 W, Solar-Powered Generator (Solar Panel Not Included), USB-A/USB-C Ports and AC Outlets, Power for Camping and Tailgating, Emergency Power https://a.co/d/cOj5aG0

 

So Randy, did you cut off the Dometic 12V cigarette plug connector and replace it with the Anderson Powerpole ends??
Thanks

 

I will be. There are not any Anderson output ports on the Jackery. I complained to them up the chain to no avail. Outside of warranty period. Selling it and buying a Goal Zero Yeti Core 1000.

Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core Portable Power Station, 1,000 W, Solar-Powered Generator (Solar Panel Not Included), USB-A/USB-C Ports and AC Outlets, Power for Camping and Tailgating, Emergency Power https://a.co/d/4KrtBIp

 

I've been looking at possibly adding a SoGen too, and so am still in the info gathering stage, and I'm seeing some nice cyber Monday discounts an various online vendors. It appears the Goal Zero Yetti Core 1000 has Li ion NMC battery. In looking at the various Li battery types, it sounds like LiFePO4 has advantages in both life cycle numbers, and charge density over the others types, but may weigh a little more. Just wondering if there any other similar sized LiFePO4 power stations that may have the non-cigarette lighter alternative 12V connector type, or was there something else about the Goal Zero that made it more attractive to you ?
Thanks for your perspective!

 

You make a great point about NMC vs. LiFePO4, I missed that and may have jumped too soon. What attracted me to the Yetti was the steel case, flat top and storage lid for cords and of course, the Anderson output ports. The price was also very competitive. I ordered from Amazon though and it hasn’t arrived yet so could return it. Going to do some more research on LiFePO4 options. I’ll let you know what I come up with. Again, I caution everyone against the Jackery if you intend to run the Dometic. The cigarette lighter port is terrible, I even tried duct tape to no avail! Thanks for the heads up.

 

I went through all the paralysis by analysis last year when I purchased my sogens. My main takeaways was that LFP4 is a safer battery technology and it lasts many more cycles. I think if you're buying them for camping purposes, the life cycles don't really mean much given that your usage isn't a daily thing. It will stop working, or I will break it, or newer technology will replace it long before I ever use up all the cycles on a lithium ion chemistry battery. Remember, one cycle is a full charge from empty to full, not just each time you top it off.

One of the main issues for me was the size of the inverter and after that, the capacity. If you plan to run any high wattage electrical appliances make sure it has a large enough inverter.

 

Thanks John, the reviewer in this video makes a similar point.

 

That's a good point too. I may be trying to buy more cycles than I would ever use, but was thinking it could see limited use in a power outage as well, but then again, how often does that happen? Legacy power supply? LOL
Anyway, I was looking at this one, and while it does have some 12V barrel connector outlets in addition to the cigarette lighter plug, they are only rated at 3 amps max, and I think the Dometic CF35 can draw up to 7amps : https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-P...B9XB57XM/dp/B0B9XB57XM/ref=dp_ob_title_garden It would be nice if there was an easy way to add or replace the cigarette plug with Anderson plugs.
I noted in the video above that the reviewer emphasizes the lighter weight of the Li ion NMC vs LiFePO4, however the unit he is evaluating weighs 4.7lbs more than the EcoFlow linked above, for the same power capacity.

 

What I didn’t realize is that the Jackery is also an NCM. I think I’m going to stick with the Goal Zero as it will be dedicated to the Dometic. Will let you know how it goes.

https://www.yuenx.com/2021/review-g...1000x-vs-explorer-1000-which-battery-is-best/

 

Lion Energy: great surge capability, andersen plug, two usb (high/low), SAE, and two 110. Add on battery pack.

 

I’ll have a look, thanks!

 

Came across this article today, which I found informative: https://www.yuenx.com/2022/quick-lo...s-jackery-explorer-1000-1000x-1000core-1000c/
It sounds like you probably won't go wrong with the Goal Zero. The LiFePO4 Ecoflow appears to have some significant advantages, like much faster charging capability, lighter weight, a phone app for controlling / monitoring the power station, and the ability to expand with add-on batteries, but it doesn't have the more desirable Anderson connectors, and it also too new a company to have Goal Zero's dependability, and customer support track record, which are a major factors too. It sounds like Jackery has not kept up with the competition, and needs to do some major updating to get back into consideration with the other two.

 

I have an Ecoflow Delta Mini as well as an Ecoflow River Pro. I like using the app. It's handy and works without internet. I like that they can charge quickly. Both of mine are the NMC technology. I don't find it a problem to not have Anderson connectors. When camping I mostly use the AC inverter but I have used the DC plug. Never had a problem with DC but then I usually only it when stationary as opposed to moving/driving.

I've not had a problem with either of them so I can't speak to customer support. I used to spend time on their FB site when I was first researching. People seemed to get good response contacting the company through FB and getting problems resolved. But all of these companies are new with minimal to no track record so I'm not sure there are any standouts to speak of. And in many cases, you are actually communicating with people in Hong Kong so things can take longer to resolve.

One last buyer beware...Many of the printed "reviews" you find (any brand) are nothing more than corporate advertising copy presented to look like a review. They always come with an affiliate link where the website involved makes money if you buy through their link. Just be aware that very few if any of those are legitimate hands on reviews.

 

EDIT: The review video above is well done --- although I don't know how reliable he is as a source, I have not seen him before but very thorough.

Your points are well said about many reviews being nothing more than paid reviewers; I suspect most reviews on Amazon, Walmart, and e-tailers are bogus at least on products with a small number. Once you have thousands of verified purchase reviews, you stand a better chance.

None of this is new....there is a certain book about a certain religion that has been in the news recently. Back in the 80s "Walden books" would receive shipments from the publisher that, when they arrived in the store, already had Walden books price tags on still on them. Obviously, the publisher was using their adherents to buy the book to pump the "millions sold" number. Sadly, dishonesty is nothing new.

I think they are easy to spot, if you watch their reviews over time. If you see a reviewer talking about power stations nearly exclusively, and somehow they are all "awesome," there may be a problem. I hate to say this because at least a few of the content providers are guilty of this very thing, but I watch for their other content. Also, they are doing "1 day" reviews...you can't review something like a power station in 1 day or even a week of ownership.

But I know of several reviewers that do long-term reviews like this fellow, although I don't think this was a review unit to start....I could be wrong. There are also other nomads (Love your RV) who have had some pretty harsh words to say about brands we know.

Like all things...Caveat Emptor.

I'm starting to set up such a youtube presence and blog/review web site --- I hope I am able to keep my integrity and hope that my audience will hold me accountable for the same.

 

Very helpful article for sure. I went with the Goal Zero Yeti Core. https://a.co/d/iWJY4Pw At $899 it's $400 less than the Goal Zero Yeti 1000x with a few less bells and whistles like app monitoring and expansion capability. Both have the Anderson PowerPole outputs which I was after. Both are NMC. Note that on the Goal Zero the Anderson port is in a vertical configuration instead of horizontal. Happily I discovered that you can easily uncouple the positive and negative ends of an Anderson Powerpole male plug and reconfigure them into a vertical position. I successfully added the Anderson Powerpole plug onto my Dometic cord.

For solar panels, I went with two of the lightweight XSTAR SP100 panels. One to keep the Goal Zero topped off and one to keep the camper house battery topped off. They can also be daisy chained for 200 watts of charging. XTAR SP100: Portable &Foldable 100W Adjustable Solar Panel. With John's appropriate note of caution on reviews, this panel has gotten a lot of positive feedback. Note that these panels do not have a solar controller. If your camper does not have a controller you will need to use an external one. I use this one and it works great.
https://a.co/d/8t9Djx7

Together with my new Victron 100Ah AGM Super Cycle Battery I think I am finally set! It has been a journey and frankly, a bit of obsession! My wife is relieved this is over, ha ha!

Going to say again, do not get the Jackery to run the Dometic. The cigarette lighter plug will not stay connected even when stationary! I think there is a design flaw with their socket size even though they won't admit it! Happily I was able to sell both my Jackery and 130 watt glass (and very heavy) Zamp panel on Craigslist.

 

Yes it can. I should emphasize that this solution works for MY needs, but as pointed out previously, there is no one perfect power solution for everyone.

 

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