Power to a camp site

kimwhite2017

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I camp with my 6 year old son just the 2 of us. I'm looking at getting a power pack just to run some light and maybe a radio. I'm looking at a motor master powerpack 800. It has a built in radio but does anyone have any luck with these
 

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Bojib

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I use something similar. It's a Schumaker XP2260 Power Pack. I like it pretty well. Mine only has an 18 Ah battery. The one you have pictured is advertised as having a 28 Ah battery, so it should do a little better.

I usually use mine to power my CPAP machine for the weekend. That's about all the power it has though. It will run the CPAP for two nights, and charge a cell phone once.

I've been looking at putting together my own solar generator to use while camping, or for other times when I may need to have some electricity like power outages and such.

The basic concept I have with it is a larger deep cycle battery, something near the 100 Ah range, along with a 100w solar cell, and good size 12 volt inverter. There are plenty of how to's on the internet with places to buy the parts and such. Of course the price increases and decreases with component sizes.
 

MacGyver

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Jump boxes are handy enough - they're compact and relatively cheap. But that's where I have a problem with 'em. I've yet to see one short of (what I think are) overpriced Goal Zero products that I trust to last. I've owned two - one a no-name Chinese something or other and, like Bojib, a Schumacher. Neither one lasted very long, probably due to their being drained too deeply while out on extended camping trips. The AGM batteries in jump boxes don't like to sit for long when under around a 50% charge.

That all has a lot to do with why I went with a solar panel/controller/battery setup. I do have to say that I've become heavily dependent on 12 volts. I run a lot of stuff - LED lights, fans, inflators, charge cell phones and an inverter to keep a stereo going all day and half the night. (Yeah - I know - some don't call it camping. Camping is our code word for partying with people we only see a few times a year.) Anyway... the component setup I have is definitely overkill for your needs and way more expensive. But it's also more dependable because it keeps the batteries topped off. You could put a small system together that probably wouldn't cost as much as the box you're looking at. My panels are from a company called Renogy. I'm sold on their quality and prices compared to more well known brands. A 20 or 30-watt panel, a 12 amp hour AGM battery, a small charge controller and a bit of wiring and you could pretty much run your lights and a radio indefinitely.

OR - you could buy the jump box and do a product review to let us know how things work out. Sometimes simpler is better! LOL
 

briansnat

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That MotorMaster 800 is really expensive and the reviews on Amazon are terrible. I have on that was 1/4 of the price and does the job reasonably well. I think Mac's method above with the solar charger combo might be the best way to go, es
pecially if you are going out for more than a few days.
 

MacGyver

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I have two 100 watt panels and a 50 watt, 47 X 21.3 X 1.4 inches and 24.8 x 21.3 x 1.2 inches respectively. For what appear to be your needs, the 50 watt might actually be overkill. Then again, a bit of overkill is a good thing when it comes to solar. It allows you to stay charged even when you're not getting full sun for extended periods.

I think it would be good to mention that there are some mixed reviews on Renogy panels that I've read that aren't so favorable. But the majority of the lower ratings are from people who have installed them permanently on roofs. All panels, no matter what company they come from, lose efficiency when they heat up. According to some reviews, Renogy panels seem more susceptible to that than others. But, in a camping situation, I've got nothing but good things to say about 'em. They continue to charge, from damn near dawn to dusk, even in semi-shaded sites or overcast days. The best part about a mobile application, of course, is that you can move the setup as the sun goes across the sky, optimizing the charge no matter what conditions exist.
 

Bojib

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Lexington, KY
I was looking at the 50 watt, and maybe 100 watt for one specific reason actually. I had read that you should only consider that about 70% of the wattage to make it's way to charging the battery. So, for 50 watt, that would only be around 35 watts that's useful.

The reasoning was that there would be some loss through the charge controller. Then, it's rarely going to be perfect conditions with direct sunlight and clear skies. Also, depending on the time of year, I could have some pretty short charging days.

I also want something to grow with. For now, I'd just be charging the Schumaker Power Station. It has it's on 18ah battery, and I have an additional 18ah battery wired in parallel with it for extra capacity. Later on, when we aren't saving for a new house, I am going to buy a couple of larger deep cycle batteries, a large inverter, and I would like to have a jump start of charging ability with the solar panel I have already purchased.

I'll probably go with the 50 watt for now, for space saving, and it is more portable.

I think, we completely hijacked the thread, got off point from the original power station question.
 

Sean95

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Power To A Camp Site
We use a portable solar generator. After doing a lot of homework, I decided to purchase quality components and build my own.

It looks like most of the Goal Zero, River, ... brand name power supplies have a lot of features; but can't be repaired by the owner. We camp with kids and the family dog so there's always the chance someone will get tangled up in the USB cord. The brand names are neatly packaged power supplies that do not come with solar panels and if they do, the panels are not sufficient to recharge the battery in a reasonable amount of time.

We have field tested and modified our system to the point that it provides everything we need.
 

MacGyver

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I'm a big solar fan. Would really like to see some pictures of your setup.
 

Cappy

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yea, I get that message lots. Thats why I usually post links to our blog lots they pics are there and full size. It's troublesome to reduce em to post em.
 
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