expired Posted by bh805 • Feb 26, 2021
Feb 26, 2021 6:42 PM
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expired Posted by bh805 • Feb 26, 2021
Feb 26, 2021 6:42 PM
Amazon.com: Anker Portable Generator for Home Use, PowerHouse II 400, 300W/388.8Wh, 110V AC Outlet/60W USB-C Power Delivery Portable Power Station $299
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I just had my power out for 8 days. While I don't have solar, I do have an EV that was trapped in the garage due to a down tree and an inch of ice over everything.
Having a huge battery like this to suck the power out of my EV would have been more helpful than the small power packs.
I didn't go with this and instead went with the Ecoflow Delta 1300 which I think with solar and it's inverter could replace a gas generator.
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BUT for charging cell phones / tablets / laptops, this could be useful... but only 1 AC port means you're only charging one device at a time unless it can charge by USB (phone/tablet).
Also read the reviews on Zon, lot of people claiming USB-C power output not working right. Having to go through multi step reset procedure every time would get super old quick.
For those reasons, I am out. You can buy gas generators for $300 that do all of the above things I mentioned this won't do. Noisy and exhaust to deal with, sure. But if you're freezing to death this thing isn't going to save you. Unless your electric blanket is powered by USB, LOL
And yes, 1800watts continuously does sound like a lot and it is unique to the delta 1300. No other battery can do that sustained that I'm aware of.
Is the use-case to pre-charge this via wall or solar, once charge then when you use it to power other things, you can't charge it at the same time?
If not, is it a good idea to combine this with a UPS system?
It converts power from solar panels...a generator converts it from gas or propane. At the end of the day...power.
Do you go into every cable modem thread and complain that they neither modulate nor demodulate?
As for laptops,, their batteries are all charged via DC, that's converted from AC via the proverbial power brick, but it's neither complicated nor expensive to replace these with DC versions that are smaller, more energy-efficient and reliable, that run off 12V and have either a fixed output that's correct for a given laptop, or have a variable output. Same thing for a TV. So it can be done, and I imagine some go this route. Even a desktop PC, which is probably not common in van campers, can be powered via DC only, although you'd need a specialized power supply (the van's batteries would serve as the UPS).
I've been tinkering with DC lately, mostly lighting, so it's of moderate interest to me (trying van camper living is something I actually find intriguing, but if I ever did it we're talking years from now). I bought a few 12V DC light bulbs and a USB to 12V adapter to try to add a "mood light" to a small room using solar-charged batteries, and recently lit a dark stairway using a similar setup. I'm surprised at how bright these things are, and how little power they draw.
Basically, my view is if you can power something well and cost-effectively with only DC from source to load, it's worth considering. There are conversion costs in going from AC to DC, of course, but over time the greater efficiency of staying within DC only could pay for it. But I haven't done the math so maybe I'm wrong and we'll always power most things with AC.
In a van context, you'll probably still need an inverter, to handle any remaining AC appliances and to give you extra AC outlets for any new devices you happen to need to plug in, but if you design everything prioritizing DC, you can reduce your inverter usage and increase overall efficiency as a result. A lot of Sprinter-type RVs are outfitted with large battery banks + more solar to allow for more free usage of the larger appliances (e.g., A/C, induction cooktop, etc.).
Propane is of course much more energy-dense than current lithium batteries, but you find an increasing number of propane-free builds (due to the safety issues with propane and the need to periodically refill), made possible by a combination of electric appliances and, where you just need heat, tapping into the vehicle's primary fuel (e.g., diesel cabin heaters). In the near future we'll also start to see more fully-electric camper vans (i.e., EV van conversions), where you have an enormous battery that everything ties into (enabled by a combination of large solar + L3 EV fast charging).
MatKyne raises a valid point about the wire thickness required to carry high current levels - you can transmit huge loads over 120V AC with much thinner cabling vs. with 12V DC. That said, there are ways to address that on your longer runs in an RV. For instance, if you have a heavy-duty alternator up front charging your house battery pack in the center/rear of the van, that's a pretty long wiring run, normally 12V DC. One way to address that (which is happening in the auto industry more broadly as well) is to instead jump to 48V DC.
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In a van context, you'll probably still need an inverter, to handle any remaining AC appliances and to give you extra AC outlets for any new devices you happen to need to plug in, but if you design everything prioritizing DC, you can reduce your inverter usage and increase overall efficiency as a result. A lot of Sprinter-type RVs are outfitted with large battery banks + more solar to allow for more free usage of the larger appliances (e.g., A/C, induction cooktop, etc.).
Propane is of course much more energy-dense than current lithium batteries, but you find an increasing number of propane-free builds (due to the safety issues with propane and the need to periodically refill), made possible by a combination of electric appliances and, where you just need heat, tapping into the vehicle's primary fuel (e.g., diesel cabin heaters). In the near future we'll also start to see more fully-electric camper vans (i.e., EV van conversions), where you have an enormous battery that everything ties into (enabled by a combination of large solar + L3 EV fast charging).
MatKyne raises a valid point about the wire thickness required to carry high current levels - you can transmit huge loads over 120V AC with much thinner cabling vs. with 12V DC. That said, there are ways to address that on your longer runs in an RV. For instance, if you have a heavy-duty alternator up front charging your house battery pack in the center/rear of the van, that's a pretty long wiring run, normally 12V DC. One way to address that (which is happening in the auto industry more broadly as well) is to instead jump to 48V DC.
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