Author: HOBOTECH Tom

JACKERY Solar Generator 300 Plus LiFePO4 UPS Power Station Review

Posted on by HOBOTECH Tom

JACKERY Solar Generator 300 Plus LiFePO4 UPS Power Station Review

 

–>WATCH THE REVIEW HERE <–

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intro

  • Jackery has been releasing new LiFePO4 models left and right in order to play catch up with the rest of the industry. Their latest offering is the Solar Generator 300 Plus which includes a bundled 40w solar panel in the same box that charges the Jackery (get this) through USB-C!. But, is it any good? Let’s find out!

Features

  • Battery Capacity/Tech/Cycles: 288 LFP rated 3000 cycles to 80%

  • Size/Weight: Comes in at 9 x 6 x 7 inches at 8 and a quarter pounds

  • Design/Display: The display is Jackery’s standard micro generator LCD that shows input output watts, state of charge percent and icon along with other warning icons

  • Inverter Size/Type (constant/peak) and #outlets: 300w pure sine with a single 15A outlet

  • Ways To Charge (and times for each): AC at 230w in about 2 hours, from the included 40w solar panel in about 10 hours, and from optional 12v car charger in about 5.5 hours.

  • 12v Output Types: Sports a single 12v 10A cig lighter accessory socket

  • USB Output Types: Offers a pair of 100w USB-C ports , one of them is bi-directional and doubles as the solar charge port, and a single basic USB-A port good for charging your dinosaurs

  • Other Features: The 300+ does sport a basic 20ms switching UPS Mode and support for the Jackery WiFi and BT app.

  • Warranty: The SG300+ rocks a 5 year warranty on both the power station and the included solar panel.

Testing

  • DC Battery Capacity Test (time lapse): 263wh/288 for a very respectable 91%

  • AC Battery Capacity Test (time lapse): 240wh/288 for a less than average 83%. In all honesty, I don’t think anyone buying a palm sized power station is really going to care much about the power consumption of the tiny 300w inverter. That being said, no one is really going to care either about how much power it uses at idle over X number of hours so we’re going to skip those tests for this model.

  • Sine wave check under load: 120v 60hz

  • Inverter capacity test (max): 380w <1s

  • Cooling ability test (rated @ 5mins): 330w pass

  • Inverter fan noise db: 47

  • Max Charge Rate @ watts/volts: AC 230w; DC 12v 55w; 24v 110w; 28v 115w

  • Charging fan noise db: AC max 43db ; Solar db na

  • Simultaneous charging ability: charges slower

  • Pass thru / UPS: pass

  • DC Output(s) Max Rate: 10A 11.7v

  • 12v output(s) regulated: 12.3v

  • USB output rate check: 185w combined 2x 100w PD

  • Wireless/other output: na

  • Amp interference test: fail

    • AM radio test: very noisy inverter

    • EMF test: >90 (very high)

  • Light demo: SOS

  • APP/solar test: done

My Opinion

  • What do I think about the SG300+? Well, it’s a Jackery. It does what a Jackery does best and everything it’s supposed to do at a reasonable price and with a 5 year warranty.

  • I applaud Jackery for the first time this decade to actually change the solar input from the wonky 8mm “8020” barrel plug to finally use a bidirectional 100w PD port for charging. The included 40w panel might be too small for power users but is just enough for basic use, and I really like the weather proof magnetic design. It’s too bad they don’t include legs to aim the panel.

  • If you’re in the market for a 300w micro generator then it’s a great buy. It’s an even better buy during Jackery’s holiday sale.

Pricing and Competition

  • Product Price with current discount:

    • The SG300+ with 40w panel retails for $399 but it is on holiday special with an exclusive HOBOTECH $100 off code for $299.

    • If you want the Explorer 300+ without the 40w panel you can nab it on the same holiday special for $239 with HOBOTECH code. These offers are good until 12/31.

    • Jackery is also offering a limited time special on the 300+ where you buy one and get the 2nd one half off. So if you’re looking for that last minute gift it would certainly make a great one.

  • Who’s It Aimed At? (market focus):

    • This is an entry level unit designed for the most basic use such as charging phones, tablets, laptops, and maybe a few lights, a radio, small TV, or fan. It can be used for a CPAP machine for a couple of nights with the heated humidifier turned off. Don’t expect it to run kitchen appliances unless they are under 300w.

How to buy

 

PECRON CHRISTMAS SALE! E2000LFP E1500LFP Solar Kits $1234

Posted on by HOBOTECH Tom

 

 

PECRON CHRISTMAS SALE! Grab these hot holiday deals before the end of the year.

E2000LFP SOLAR KIT $1234 use code XMASPECRON
https://gohobo.io/e2klfpkit

E1500LFP SOLAR KIT $1234 use code XMASPECRON
https://gohobo.io/e15lfpkit

PECRON 200w WATER RESISTANT PANEL $208 use code XMASPECRON
https://gohobo.io/pecron200w

ALL PECRON KITS use code XMASPECRON
https://gohobo.io/pecronkits

Don’t need a kit? My HOBOTECH discount still works on these products:
E1500LFP: https://gohobo.io/1500lfp use code HOBOE1500LFP
E2000LFP: https://gohobo.io/e2000lfp use code HOBOE2000LFP

BLUETTI AC200L Budget 2400w LiFePO4 UPS Power Station Solar Generator

Posted on by HOBOTECH Tom

BLUETTI AC200L Budget 2400w LiFePO4 UPS Power Station Solar Generator

–>WATCH THE REVIEW HERE <–

 

 

Intro

  • Bluetti is known for using weird cryptic naming conventions for their products. In fact, we’ve seen several AC200 models over the years starting with the original AC200, then the AC200P, and finally the AC200Max. But wait, there’s more! Meet the new AC200L – a direct upgrade to the AC200Max. I have no clue what the L stands for and the letter L comes before P in the alphabet so shouldn’t this be a downgrade? Who knows. There’s only one thing that really matters. Is it any good? Let’s find out!

Features

  • Battery Capacity/Tech/Cycles: 2048 LFP rated 3000 cycles to 80% capacity

  • Size/Weight: Approx 17 x 11 x 14 inches at around 62 lbs

  • Design/Display: standard Bluetti display we’ve seen in other recent releases – shows input and output watts for both AC & DC, battery % display with icon, and time to charge/discharge

  • Inverter Size/Type (constant/peak) and #outlets: 2400w pure sine with 4x 20A outlets and a single TT30R 30A RV hookup

  • Ways To Charge (and times for each): Can charge by AC power at 1200w good for topping up in about 2 hours, can also handle 1200w of solar for a full charge under optimum conditions in under 2 hours. Combined Solar + AC at 2400w the unit can charge in about an hour. It can also charge by 12v which takes about a day or around 12 hours at 24v.

  • 12v Output Types: Offers up a single 12v 10A cig lighter socket style output regulated at 13.3v

  • USB Output Types: Sports a pair of 100w USB-C PD outputs and a pair of standard USB-A ports good for charging up those dinosaurs

  • Other Outputs: This is the first Bluetti (and in fact the first major generator brand that I’m aware of) to offer a 48v battery output. Bluetti plans to offer accessories for powering various things including high amperage 12v appliances. This port is however (and unfortunately) protected with a data pin so it’s useless without their accessories.

  • Other Features: Offers a 20ms switching UPS Mode. Supports remote access via both WiFi and BT through the Bluetti app. Also offers true bi-directional battery expandability up to 8kWh through one battery port that supports the B230, B300, and upcoming B210 external batteries

  • Warranty: 5 years and is UL2743 certified for portable power packs

Testing

  • DC Battery Capacity Test (time lapse): 1724wh/2048 for 84%

  • AC Battery Capacity Test (time lapse): 1870wh/2048 for 91%. These numbers are average to above average for the industry and are very similar to results we’ve measured from other recent releases by Bluetti.

  • Phantom load / Parasitic drain test

    • DC consumption: used 156wh over 24 hours

    • AC consumption: used 54wh (%) over 4 hours or about 324wh over 24 hours. If you left the inverter on it would totally kill the battery in about 5.5 days. These are pretty good results and a bit above average compared to other products.

  • 13500 btu RV a/c (1200w @50% cyc): 3 hrs

    • 6000 btu window a/c (400w @50% cyc): 9 hrs

    • 20cuft modern fridge (1.2kwh/day): 1.5 days

    • 1500w heater: 75 mins

    • 1200w microwave (1800w): 1 hr

    • Keurig coffee maker (1200w 60wh/c): 31 cups

    • Instant Pot (1000w @50% cyc): 3.75 hrs

    • Hot plate (500w): 3.75 hrs

    • 55” LED TV (80w): 20 hrs

    • Macbook (60w): 31 hrs

    • Box Fan (50w): 35 hrs

    • CPAP (30w): 60 hrs

    • Chromebook (15w): 5 days

    • Tablet (5w): 2 weeks

  • Sine wave check under load: 120/60

  • Inverter capacity test (max): 3000w <1s

  • Cooling ability test (rated @ 5mins): 2400w

  • Inverter fan noise db: 44

  • Max Charge Rate DC@ 12v 96w; 24v 180w; 48v 680w; 80-148v 1200wwatts/volts:

    • AC@ fast 1400w ; 800quiet w; 1200w normal

  • Charging fan noise db: AC max 44db ; AC min 0db ; Solar 44db

  • Simultaneous charging ability: 2400w (1200w solar + 1200w AC)

  • Pass thru / UPS: pass @30ms

  • DC Output(s) Max Rate: 10A 12.6v; 48v unusable

  • 12v output(s) regulated: 13.3v

  • USB output rate check: 2x100w pass

  • Wireless/other output: na

  • Amp interference test: barely pass

    • AM radio test: AC interference

    • EMF test: acceptable

  • Other Findings (warnings? auto shutdown? Beeps?): has customizable UPS

My Opinion

  • The AC200L is a fine product and a long overdue upgrade to the AC200Max. It does everything it’s supposed to and there are no surprises. There is also nothing groundbreaking about it either.

  • Bluetti seems to have permanently done away with the touch screen, and that could be good or bad depending on your needs. It is certainly much better in daylight. They’ve also cut a few corners by axing the wireless charging pad, the USB-A quick charge ports, the 5521 12v outputs, the dedicated 12v 30A output, and nixing one of the two external battery ports.

  • It does however gain a true 20ms UPS, built in 1200w wall charger, both WiFi and BT app support, and a 33% power upgrade to solar over the 200Max. Seeing it’s only 100 bucks more than the 200Max, it’s a no brainer upgrade. That probably explains why the old 200Max is all of a sudden harder to find on the Bluetti site.

Pricing and Competition

  • Product Price with current discount:

    • Retail for the 200L is $1499 but of course viewers of HOBOTECH won’t be paying that. Bluetti has offered us an exclusive $100 off discount code dropping that price to only $1399. This is only $100 more than the outgoing AC200Max.

    • I also want to mention Bluetti has an XMAS PROMO currently going on where Bluetti is giving viewers of HOBOTECH an exclusive global discount code good until 12/25 when using the link and code in the description. This discount of course doesn’t stack with my current 200L discount code.

  • Recommended Solar Panel Type/Size:

    • Bluetti of course recommends you use their solar panels, however since they include a MC4 adapter you can use whatever panels you want because the MPPT solar controller supports a wide 12-145v up to 15A and that covers just about any series-parallel configuration required to reach the magic 1200w limit. You can check out my site hobotech.tv for recommendations.

  • CHECK OUT the AC200L: https://gohobo.io/ac200l use code HOBO200L Bluetti’s Holiday Sale: https://gohobo.io/bluettixmas use code HOBO1