Ducky's Dad
Explorer
So, it's a battery in a Pelican-like case, without a solar panel. For $1100? Holy moly!
PPG100 Portable Power Station Now Available
- Thread starter MidlandUSA
- Start date
Seems like Midland did a post and run and hasn't come back to answer any questions, which is a shame.
A friend saw these on the REI website and asked me about using one in his van, which is why I had the questions about them. Reading the FAQ on their website, it would take 48-72 hours (!!!!) to recharge with solar, too long to recharge from vehicle 12V and 17 hours to recharge it using the supplied AC adapter. So really this thing is only useful for weekend warriors who would charge it at home during the week, run it down over the weekend and then take it back home to charge. There is no practical way to recharge it while away from mains power. It is a bit disappointing that the Expo review didn't make this clear as this is pretty much a show stopper for most of the users here. Maybe Midland can correct me if I am wrong.
A friend saw these on the REI website and asked me about using one in his van, which is why I had the questions about them. Reading the FAQ on their website, it would take 48-72 hours (!!!!) to recharge with solar, too long to recharge from vehicle 12V and 17 hours to recharge it using the supplied AC adapter. So really this thing is only useful for weekend warriors who would charge it at home during the week, run it down over the weekend and then take it back home to charge. There is no practical way to recharge it while away from mains power. It is a bit disappointing that the Expo review didn't make this clear as this is pretty much a show stopper for most of the users here. Maybe Midland can correct me if I am wrong.
High Country
Member
Any update on these? Also be curious to see some homemade similar alternatives?
burningac1d
New member
Buy the Honda Generator. Reliable and does the job. I have not owned a "Goal Zero power station"--but have cru9sed with a boat which had one. He was very disappointed by its performance. It would not run his portable chest freezer reliably at Lake Powell--probably one of the best places to use solar energy in the US.
For a refrigerator, depending on size, 200 watts of 12-volt solar power necessary for running a chest type or medium Norcold 12 refrigerator with a Danfoss compressor. My personal experience is with a 200-watt solar panel on a 42 foot RV, with a 22 cu foot Refrigerator. run through an inverter system. I have also run both 12 volts refers, on up to 110 V AC 12 cu foot Refers thru an inverter also. I have liFePO4 batteries--which have a usable capacity of 200 amp hours on my boat, and run two chests refer/freezers: 55 liters and 45 liters. The current draw of each of these is in the neighborhood of 60 amp-hours per 24 hour period. How much power does a 100 watt or 200-watt solar power generate during daylight?
The "Power Station" is nothing more than a battery and inverter. You can put together a "station" which is better for a bit less.
If you just want to charge batteries--there are far better ways, involving solar panels, an MPPT controller. Probably best to go with a bigger battery bank, if you want 24-hour refrigeration.
For a refrigerator, depending on size, 200 watts of 12-volt solar power necessary for running a chest type or medium Norcold 12 refrigerator with a Danfoss compressor. My personal experience is with a 200-watt solar panel on a 42 foot RV, with a 22 cu foot Refrigerator. run through an inverter system. I have also run both 12 volts refers, on up to 110 V AC 12 cu foot Refers thru an inverter also. I have liFePO4 batteries--which have a usable capacity of 200 amp hours on my boat, and run two chests refer/freezers: 55 liters and 45 liters. The current draw of each of these is in the neighborhood of 60 amp-hours per 24 hour period. How much power does a 100 watt or 200-watt solar power generate during daylight?
The "Power Station" is nothing more than a battery and inverter. You can put together a "station" which is better for a bit less.
If you just want to charge batteries--there are far better ways, involving solar panels, an MPPT controller. Probably best to go with a bigger battery bank, if you want 24-hour refrigeration.