Couldn't agree more with your advice Ben. Buy once and buy right. After using cheap and bulky ebay panels that 'claim' to put out particular outputs, I decided to buy the Hard Khor panels on a recommendation. They are smaller, lighter, more efficient and more robust. Great product and worth the extra $$$.
@@SnowysOutdoors Spacegoat92 is referring to the video I recently posted on this topic: ua-cam.com/video/AActNzBZ9FA/v-deo.html. I contacted you guys twice in early 2021 to see if I could get a loan of your blanket to include in that comparison video as I think a solid 'middle of the road' product may have done very well in that comparison, but at the time you said you weren't in a position to get involved. Let me know if that ever changes.
@@TheMusingGreg Ive had a quick check on this one for you because we certainly dont like leaving people hanging. I can see our website manager responded to your email about the Solar Blanket review, and you've replied to that one on the same day - am i missing something here? ~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks for that, my apologies - it looks like your reply came in from a different address to the one I sent and it came in a few weeks after my enquiries, so I missed the connection between the two. Please let me know if you'd like to be involved in any future projects. I'll edit my previous comment in light of that. Thanks!
We only ship within Australia sorry, rahalati. I'd suggest getting in touch with Korr directly to see how you might be able to get your hands on one of these - hardkorr.com/. ~ Ben
Hi Ben Good review I have the Hard Korr 150w. So far, so good. My version seems to predate Lithium so the controller doesn’t have a lithium profile setting . Do you know if their Controllers can be purchased separately. Assume I could purchase another brand controller, albeit my connections are the SAE bullet type. Cheers..
Thanks for the compliment, 4BnewB. You can use any solar controller provided as long as it is 15A or above, but you can purchase the controller in this video separately, check it out here - www.snowys.com.au/15-amp-waterproof-pwm-smart-solar-regulator. This is a PWM controller, if your budget allows then an good upgrade would be a DC to DC controller with MPPT, which will deliver better charge to your battery. We don't sell Dc to DC controllers though, but I'd recommend checking out REDARC units - www.redarc.com.au/smart-start-bcdc. They are by no means cheap, but you'll get better life out of your battery with one of these so you'd be saving money in the long run. Hope that helps. ~ Ben
You can, but it's worth doing some research to understand how this is done. Attaching them in series increases voltage whilst attaching in parallel increases amperage. ~ Ben
Sure, Jarrad. This means that solar panels as they exists today are only capable of converting about 20% of the sun's potential solar energy into electricity that we can use. Depending on the quality of the solar cells, the actual percentage ranges from about 15% to 22%. This is important because even in full sun you are only converting part of the potential solar energy available, so as the sun gets lower in the sky and the potential decreases, so too does the output from the solar panel and it will drop to almost nothing well before the sun completely disappears. Hope that makes sense. ~ Ben
Hi Ben, can the solar regulator be used to check on status of the battery box when not charging via solar. So basiccaly, could it be used as a battery meter or watt consumption meter if possible. Could this regulator unit do that? Many thanks for your answers to my question.
Most regulators if just attached to the battery will show the voltage reading of the battery, but it won't show amp consumption from the battery by another device though, this reading only works for the current passing through the regulator. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors oh perfect. Saves me buying a dedicated battery watt meter device. I'll just invest on a good solar. Multiple orders coming your way soon. Thanks for your help.
Hi, have used my blanket several times now in FNQ on perfect sunny days in summer and winter and the max I can get out of it is between 6 and 7 amps. A little disappointing as most of my camping is off grid. I have cleaned it and tried different extensions. Any advice would be great please
On average I get the same results with my 200W panel as you, Terry, I've only once seen it briefly go over 10 amps and this was immediately after the panel was plugged in while it was cold, the output then reduced quickly to around average. Solar is finicky, you need to get the angle to the sun perfect and have a really clear day in order to get the maximum outputs. Hotter climates, humidity or even slightly overcast days will have a big impact on the output of the panel as the sun's energy is absorbed or by other elements before reaching your panel. I'd say that your panel is performing as expected, but if you are concerned you can always compare it side by side with another panel if you know someone who you can compare with. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors thanks for your reply. The output of my panels dropped to 2 amp max, I spoke with Hardkorr and sent panels in for a warranty check. Inside a week I had a brand spanking new rig. Fantastic service. Just got back from a trip and was consistently getting 10- 11amps output.
Hi Ben, I have a powertech bcdc charger where i can plug my solar but I can’t get any reading on it. Can I run the solar through the regulator and then into the bcdc charger so I can see how much power is going to the battery or will it cause too much power loss?
Hi KingJimmy101, this is getting a little beyond my 12V knowledge, but I'll give you my two cents worth anyway. I'd suggest temporarily connecting the solar panel via regulator directly to a battery to make sure the solar panel is working. Beyond this the questions you need to ask are probably associated with the bcdc charger, potentially how it is wired up. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. ~ Ben
Hi I just bought these panels , they come with 2 regulators a 30a inline smart and a 15a can someone tell me which one I should be using and the difference First time solar buyer Thankyou
Hmmm, good question, Robert, it sounds like you make have gotten a bonus product in your kit. It should have a 15A inline controller as standard which is all you would need for the one panel as it provides about 11A max current. I don't know of a 30A controller, so it could be something new but you'd only need it if you were joining multiple panels together and increasing the total current above 15A, but it's unlikely you'd need to do this for a general 12V setup. If you purchased it from us, and want to know more about the 30A controller, then please get in touch with our Customer Service team and we'll see what we can find out for you. Alternatively, feel free to enquire with Hard Korr directly - hardkorr.com/au/. ~ Ben
I'm not familiar with the 30A regulator with these @Robert Gould. Hard Korr have recently upgraded the regulator, and we are aware with the cross over that some panel sets are coming with both the old & the new...however, the old regulator is 15A, & so is the new one. If you picked up your panels through Snowys, any chance you can email us a photo of the two regulators you've received? ~ Lauren
The suitable battery type is dependent on the solar controller, BodOw69, and the latest version of this panel along with the older controller in this video is suitable for a lithium battery. You just need to make sure you specify the battery type on the controller. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors Hey Ben, thank you for the quick reply. I just ordered 200w hard korr crocs skin last night through your website.. am I getting the latest one?
@@BodOw69 yep, they all come with an updated blue/grey controller now, which is much tidier and user friendly than the one in this video. We will update our content one day soon. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors sweet! Coz I'm kind of concern in the Q&A section of the hard korr 200w.. it says there that the output is too much for the companion rover 40ah..
@@BodOw69 sorry, I didn't answer that bit of your question. We've had a bit of back and forward with the Rover manufacturer about the solar input. The input directly from the panel is rated at 18-20V, 5A, which suggests it needs to be a 120W panel. I am going back to the manufacturer to confirm this and will post it here once I have details. 200W panels are a better investment as they will charge your larger car batteries more efficiently. The Rover can always be charged from a 12V outlet in your vehicle. Apologies for any confusion, just give us a call if you think the products you've ordered won't be suitable. ~ Ben
If you're going to buy once and buy right then you would avoid fabric and opt for steel or alloy framing as this will withstand the elements far longer.
Fair call, Roy, but I personally prefer the compact size of a mat when packed up, it is much easier to fit into my car, so for me this was the right choice. If you have the storage space then the frames panels will last longer, but I wouldn't discount the durability of good quality solar mats like this one from Hard Korr. It's the cheaper mats that will succumb to the elements much faster. Each to their own. ~ Ben
Correct about hard framed panels especially if you can hard mount them. Most of us don't have the space for this on our roofs so a quality blanket panel is the way forward. Good review
Mate your reviews are so informative thank you
I appreciate your feedback, Bruce. Happy camping! ~ Ben
Couldn't agree more with your advice Ben. Buy once and buy right. After using cheap and bulky ebay panels that 'claim' to put out particular outputs, I decided to buy the Hard Khor panels on a recommendation. They are smaller, lighter, more efficient and more robust. Great product and worth the extra $$$.
I love my panel, and certainly recommend it over cheaper options. ~ Ben
8:39 Instead of burning my eyeballs out looking at the sun position, I just look at the position of the shadow the panels make on the ground 😎
That's great advice, Outdoors, good common sense too. You just need to angle the panels so the shadow is as directly behind them as possible. ~ Ben
Thanks heaps for sharing chief!!! This looks like the happy place between the Adventure Kings cheapie and the obscenely priced Redarc one!!
Hard Korr are an excellent balance between quality and affordability @Spacegoat92
~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors Spacegoat92 is referring to the video I recently posted on this topic: ua-cam.com/video/AActNzBZ9FA/v-deo.html. I contacted you guys twice in early 2021 to see if I could get a loan of your blanket to include in that comparison video as I think a solid 'middle of the road' product may have done very well in that comparison, but at the time you said you weren't in a position to get involved. Let me know if that ever changes.
@@TheMusingGreg Ive had a quick check on this one for you because we certainly dont like leaving people hanging. I can see our website manager responded to your email about the Solar Blanket review, and you've replied to that one on the same day - am i missing something here?
~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks for that, my apologies - it looks like your reply came in from a different address to the one I sent and it came in a few weeks after my enquiries, so I missed the connection between the two. Please let me know if you'd like to be involved in any future projects. I'll edit my previous comment in light of that. Thanks!
Added to my shopping list
Great choice!
~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors I'll be visiting the Brendale store this week..
@@SnowysOutdoors Bought it yesterday. Got the option with no regulator because I don't need it. Clearly a quality unit!
Thanks for the video, I really like this product but unfortunately you guys do not ship to Saudi Arabia, any help where to find it or make exception?
We only ship within Australia sorry, rahalati. I'd suggest getting in touch with Korr directly to see how you might be able to get your hands on one of these - hardkorr.com/. ~ Ben
Hi Ben
Good review
I have the Hard Korr 150w. So far, so good. My version seems to predate Lithium so the controller doesn’t have a lithium profile setting . Do you know if their Controllers can be purchased separately. Assume I could purchase another brand controller, albeit my connections are the SAE bullet type.
Cheers..
Thanks for the compliment, 4BnewB.
You can use any solar controller provided as long as it is 15A or above, but you can purchase the controller in this video separately, check it out here - www.snowys.com.au/15-amp-waterproof-pwm-smart-solar-regulator.
This is a PWM controller, if your budget allows then an good upgrade would be a DC to DC controller with MPPT, which will deliver better charge to your battery.
We don't sell Dc to DC controllers though, but I'd recommend checking out REDARC units - www.redarc.com.au/smart-start-bcdc.
They are by no means cheap, but you'll get better life out of your battery with one of these so you'd be saving money in the long run.
Hope that helps.
~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors thx for info 👍
Please, Can you have multiple panels plugged in together?, Thank you
You can, but it's worth doing some research to understand how this is done. Attaching them in series increases voltage whilst attaching in parallel increases amperage. ~ Ben
Great review and guide could you explain in more detail what you mean bye 20% efficiency?
Sure, Jarrad. This means that solar panels as they exists today are only capable of converting about 20% of the sun's potential solar energy into electricity that we can use. Depending on the quality of the solar cells, the actual percentage ranges from about 15% to 22%.
This is important because even in full sun you are only converting part of the potential solar energy available, so as the sun gets lower in the sky and the potential decreases, so too does the output from the solar panel and it will drop to almost nothing well before the sun completely disappears.
Hope that makes sense.
~ Ben
Hi Ben, can the solar regulator be used to check on status of the battery box when not charging via solar. So basiccaly, could it be used as a battery meter or watt consumption meter if possible. Could this regulator unit do that? Many thanks for your answers to my question.
Most regulators if just attached to the battery will show the voltage reading of the battery, but it won't show amp consumption from the battery by another device though, this reading only works for the current passing through the regulator. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors oh perfect. Saves me buying a dedicated battery watt meter device. I'll just invest on a good solar. Multiple orders coming your way soon. Thanks for your help.
Hi, have used my blanket several times now in FNQ on perfect sunny days in summer and winter and the max I can get out of it is between 6 and 7 amps. A little disappointing as most of my camping is off grid. I have cleaned it and tried different extensions. Any advice would be great please
On average I get the same results with my 200W panel as you, Terry, I've only once seen it briefly go over 10 amps and this was immediately after the panel was plugged in while it was cold, the output then reduced quickly to around average.
Solar is finicky, you need to get the angle to the sun perfect and have a really clear day in order to get the maximum outputs. Hotter climates, humidity or even slightly overcast days will have a big impact on the output of the panel as the sun's energy is absorbed or by other elements before reaching your panel.
I'd say that your panel is performing as expected, but if you are concerned you can always compare it side by side with another panel if you know someone who you can compare with.
~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors thanks for your reply. The output of my panels dropped to 2 amp max, I spoke with Hardkorr and sent panels in for a warranty check. Inside a week I had a brand spanking new rig. Fantastic service. Just got back from a trip and was consistently getting 10- 11amps output.
Hi Ben, I have a powertech bcdc charger where i can plug my solar but I can’t get any reading on it. Can I run the solar through the regulator and then into the bcdc charger so I can see how much power is going to the battery or will it cause too much power loss?
Hi KingJimmy101, this is getting a little beyond my 12V knowledge, but I'll give you my two cents worth anyway.
I'd suggest temporarily connecting the solar panel via regulator directly to a battery to make sure the solar panel is working.
Beyond this the questions you need to ask are probably associated with the bcdc charger, potentially how it is wired up.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
~ Ben
Can you use an adapter cable to MC4 connectors to plug this panel into a solar generator?
I'm not sure about this sorry, it's outside of my knowledge. ~ Ben
Hi I just bought these panels , they come with 2 regulators a 30a inline smart and a 15a can someone tell me which one I should be using and the difference
First time solar buyer
Thankyou
Hmmm, good question, Robert, it sounds like you make have gotten a bonus product in your kit. It should have a 15A inline controller as standard which is all you would need for the one panel as it provides about 11A max current. I don't know of a 30A controller, so it could be something new but you'd only need it if you were joining multiple panels together and increasing the total current above 15A, but it's unlikely you'd need to do this for a general 12V setup.
If you purchased it from us, and want to know more about the 30A controller, then please get in touch with our Customer Service team and we'll see what we can find out for you. Alternatively, feel free to enquire with Hard Korr directly - hardkorr.com/au/. ~ Ben
I'm not familiar with the 30A regulator with these @Robert Gould. Hard Korr have recently upgraded the regulator, and we are aware with the cross over that some panel sets are coming with both the old & the new...however, the old regulator is 15A, & so is the new one.
If you picked up your panels through Snowys, any chance you can email us a photo of the two regulators you've received?
~ Lauren
Can this charge lithium battery? I have the rover 40ah... If not can you recommend me something that is compatible to lithium batteries?
The suitable battery type is dependent on the solar controller, BodOw69, and the latest version of this panel along with the older controller in this video is suitable for a lithium battery. You just need to make sure you specify the battery type on the controller. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors Hey Ben, thank you for the quick reply. I just ordered 200w hard korr crocs skin last night through your website.. am I getting the latest one?
@@BodOw69 yep, they all come with an updated blue/grey controller now, which is much tidier and user friendly than the one in this video. We will update our content one day soon. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors sweet! Coz I'm kind of concern in the Q&A section of the hard korr 200w.. it says there that the output is too much for the companion rover 40ah..
@@BodOw69 sorry, I didn't answer that bit of your question. We've had a bit of back and forward with the Rover manufacturer about the solar input. The input directly from the panel is rated at 18-20V, 5A, which suggests it needs to be a 120W panel. I am going back to the manufacturer to confirm this and will post it here once I have details.
200W panels are a better investment as they will charge your larger car batteries more efficiently. The Rover can always be charged from a 12V outlet in your vehicle.
Apologies for any confusion, just give us a call if you think the products you've ordered won't be suitable.
~ Ben
If you're going to buy once and buy right then you would avoid fabric and opt for steel or alloy framing as this will withstand the elements far longer.
Fair call, Roy, but I personally prefer the compact size of a mat when packed up, it is much easier to fit into my car, so for me this was the right choice.
If you have the storage space then the frames panels will last longer, but I wouldn't discount the durability of good quality solar mats like this one from Hard Korr. It's the cheaper mats that will succumb to the elements much faster.
Each to their own.
~ Ben
Correct about hard framed panels especially if you can hard mount them. Most of us don't have the space for this on our roofs so a quality blanket panel is the way forward. Good review