One thing to consider when power goes out is how long your fridge/freezer will stay cold by itself if not opened at all. We recently were without power for over 10 hours. I taped the doors of our older side by side fridge/freezer so no one would open them. Both sides were packed full of chilled or frozen items. When power returned, everything was still cold or frozen, even the bread & milk in the fridge. We wouldn't need to start using a generator until after 10+ hours power loss. Good to know!
That's all well and good if you have an excess of $$$. Many seniors do not have the spare money to invest in all of these things things! You are very fortunate!
Something to save for. My 200w Flashfish power bank sells for $130. The solar panel sells for $70. It is small but more power then I need. When traveling I use it to charge my phone, hand held power banks and usb fans. Powering up the main charger takes time just using solar, so I always have it set up. I don't wait for the power to drop low. When I am home it stays on the coynter and I plug in my toaster oven and coffeepot and crockpot when in use. This saves me lots of $$ on my power bill. If you need a cpap this small unit will get you through 1 night. It needs daily charging. You need a big unit for keeping the refridge working or portable heaters. However, our power outages are usually during winter months. I keep freezer closed with frozen water blacks that stay in the freezer. If the power outage is more then a few hours we place foods in coolers and place them outside.
I just bought the 2500 Oupes unit today and got $150 off with your "underthemedian" code! The code still worked 4 months later and was cheaper than Amazon's price. I got free fedex shipping too! Thank you for your review. I did not buy the solar panels since they are not water proof and will buy the glass style instead from another company.
Oh my goodness this was the most helpful video. I'm so clueless on what we need and I get overwhelmed and just don't know what's what. My husband is disabled and I need to beable to move and use a generator we had an old gas one that I could not start or even move and it was a beast but to me useless so gave it to son.thank you for doing this excellent demo
Your information is so helpful when shopping for a solar generator. So much to factor in which is best as a solar generator is an investment. 😊 love you both, y’all are so enjoyable to listen to. ❤️
Thank you, Breezy. I start mine once a month and run the shop vac off of it. Those need to be started that often to be reliable. Ours has a pretty hard pull to start so I think Hope would have to get one of the boys to help her start it.
I love your channel Hope and Larry I really look forward to every video that comes out - you are both natural born teachers- thank you both for sharing your knowledge with us - I’ve learned so much since finding your channel ❤
My main concern would be to keep my freezer going as long as possible. I always get nervous when my freezer is fully stocked. This is an excellent video guys... lots of great info. Thank You.
Love the video. I am on a fixed income, and these are very expensive. Worth every penny, don't get me wrong. It would take me a year+ to save enough $$. You two are awesome❤️💯
We totally understand. Some of our other videos talk about lower-priced solutions for power. But, we had gotten so many questions recently about these units, that we finally decided to do a video and answer all the questions at one time.
This was very helpful! We will cook on our induction hot plate and we have solar lights. The frig and freezer and fans are important to me. But even more important is to figure out how long my CPAP will run. Unfortunately several people died post Hurricane Ian without power to run their durable medical equipment, for them it was oxygen concentrators.
What great, thorough information you always give on all your videos. Your research and hard work is appreciated. Love you guys. A little side note - I hope you are feeling well Hope, I thought your throat sounded a bit horse. Sending love from Wales ❤
Hope and Larry ,Thankyou for helping me to learn about portable power.Put wheels on the big one!!! Go to Harbor frieght and pick up a flat dolly on wheels and you are good to go. I so wish we were neighbors!!!......... great video! I wish i could afford one!!
Thank you, Maia. I have a two wheeler for this purpose when they get too heavy to manage. But, I might get one of those flat dollies for my kerosene heaters. Yes, I wish we all could meet our wonderful viewers!
I've been wanting to invest in one of these for my pool filter...it gets really hot during summer here in Lancaster and going into the pool really helps but having to run the filter gets expensive.
lived in Puerto Rico from 1966 until 1981 and there were almost always both planned power outages AND water rationing --- in addition to those challenges we had to drive around to find the groceries we wanted because all food comes either from a ship or by airplane. There was a time I remember quite distinctly when there was NO RICE on the island. WE had rice in our house because I always had 5 to 6 months of rice. We were able to share (quietly) with others. One time, I flew to Miami to buy some auto parts and the price in Miami was so cheap that I wound up not paying additional monies when compared with the price on the island. WEPA
I detail cars and need a generator to power my corded buffers. The buffers are both 900 Watt. If I have this figured right, the 1200 will run the buffer for about an hour? The 1200 is being offered for $450 shipped now. I'm very tempted to get it. An hour run time for the buffer would be fine for me.
I just purchased the Mega1 and Mega2 but do to living in Ohio during the winter, from December to April there is only about a 10% chance of using solar panels to charge them. I do have a gas generator that I can connect to my entire house and use it to charge them.
Great review! I have the 1200 in my unheated garage charging on solar panels during the warm months. However, charging a lithium battery at below freezing temps can cause permanent damage from plating on the battery anodes, so I unplug the solar panels when temps fall below freezing. I believe some generators have battery management systems that either turn charging off when temps drop below freezing or use the battery's charge to warm the battery. Does the Oupes 1200’s battery management system do either?
Are the panels water resistant? I have a jackery and have to bring it in when it rains. I'd like to put my panels out and go to work on an overcast day.
No, they are not. If you get the regular solar panels, then you can leave those outside. I used to have a set outside mounted to the house. Of course, you don't get any charging under full cloudy conditions.
Hope you look like our neighbor we live next door to in Rialto ca. Her name was Hope too .and wore glasses too. But I am 71 and last time I saw her was in the 60..
Well since you also live in the Midwest, you how winters can get. I live in South Dakota and my biggest worry is I live in an apartment with 2 kids. Everything is electric. I grew up with almost everything running on propane. Guess we were spoiled when the electricity went out! 😂 I think these will be perfect for us for backup power when, not if but when, our electricity goes out this winter. Are there specific rules or any tips & tricks to follow for charging them come winter?
Jackerys are proven power stations and are well established in the US. The Oupes power stations (right now) are less expensive and use the better LiFePo4 batteries. That's why we favor them over the Jackery.
I learn so much from you! Can you tell me what solar we need to run a home well pump of 375 feet? Just bought a home in the country and trying to prepare Thanks so very much
Hi Maria. We also just bought a house in the country. Are you on septic tank ..if so you will want to know if you have a septic pump or if it is just gravity. So...my dad is an electrician. You also want to know what horse power your well pump is and what else you want to run. We are running our well pump, septic pump, freezer , gas furnace ( still needs electricity for the fan), a few plugs and a few lights. We have the Champion gas generator which is 9500 watts of running power and 12,000 of starting power , runs on gas only. Costco purchase. We have a separate breaker box with a fail safe ( very important) so when the power is out we just pull the geny out to the driveway , plug it in first ( remember those prongs wi be LIVE) , then flip the fail safe from utility company to generator and start er up.
You need to size the generator for the starting current (circuit breaker size) and not the running current of the pump. Starting current ( or watts required) is much higher than the running current.
Thank you so much for replying to my question. I pray God blesses you very much for the time you put into helping me. We do have a septic and I’m so glad you educated me on what to do. I hope you have a very blessed day🤗🥰
You say the power boxes will last for "years and years." That assumes of course that the inverter etc inside them doesn't malfunction before you have used up the two and a half thousand charge cycles. A big ask I think!
There's no absolute guarantee on how long they will last, of course. A lot depends on how they are used, stored, and so forth. Inverters tend to be very reliable from my experience. I still have the very first one I purchased 16 years ago or so. The Oupes units do come with a 2 year warranty.
Thank you for the video can you do a review on the Oupes Mega 5 I was wondering can you use it as a whole house generator by using a generator inlet box connected to the breaker box
This is off topic but I'm trying to find the video where you shared all the ideas from your viewers I was interrupted in the middle of it and I can't get it back
Larry - Am I imaging things or did you put out a video on how to create your own power station. I need something for my wood furnace fan and sump pump, but I cannot afford the Oupes power station.
Yes I did. It was in our winter preparedness video last year. Basically you can supply power with an AGM battery and an inverter. You will need a battery charger for the battery. The battery would need to be at least a 50 amp/hr and the inverter, a pure sine wave of about 600 watts for start up power, depending, of course, on the power demands of your sump pump.
@@jasondananay1800 - you're welcome. As I stopped to think about my recommendations I realized that a 50 amp/hr. AGM battery might not be big enough. We used two of those to power our living room with a 300 watt pure sine wave inverter and I could easily get one evening out of running our LED TV and lights. If you have a good electrician friend you might run this by them.
It all depends on your requirements (how much power do you need), the type of heating you have (natural gas furnace, wood burning stove, etc.), how long you need the power for, do you have good solar in your area...
Two questions are the panels water resistant and after you go through all of those cycles with the battery there’s still 80% capacity through bypass correct?
No, the portable solar panels are not water resistant. You don't want to leave them out in the rain. Yes, after 2500 cycles the units well still operate at 80% charge. I estimate the life of the portable power stations at about 10 years with moderate use.
The solar panels which Bluetti make are not waterproof. This makes them useless in my opinion as, sooner or later, they will get rained on. They are for outdoor use afterall. Here in UK they cost me £499.99. I returned them and got a £299 200 watt panel which is claimed to be "totally weatherproof." Brand was Exel from Hampshire Generators. I am sure there are other makes available. I had to buy a new cable as the one supplied did not fit the Bluetti.
P.S. to Hope - My double wide garage door, made of cedar and glass, weighs around 800 lbs. Before I got the industrial-strength chain-driven opener, I once jumped off a ladder to keep it from going all the way up once the springs had taken over. I was hanging off the door, screaming for my neighbor across the county road. He heard me, and walked up and saw me and folded his arms and said, "now, there's something you don't see every day" before he finally came over and helped me down off the door.
I have a quick question - I live alone in a three bedroom condo - winter time is coming- I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to use the house heating and heat up whole house I get a little electric space heater for just that room?
Katherine, that's a great question. We use space heaters a lot in the winter as supplemental heat. As with any source of heat, you need to keep safety precautions in mind like: the heat source needs a 3 foot distance from all other objects in the room, never leave a heater unmonitored, and never leave a heater on when you are sleeping. Look for a newer space heater, which comes with an automatic shut off. Which means if it gets knocked over, it goes off. They do use a fair amount of power - averaging 1500 watts. We tend to use them to make our family room cozy warm and then turn them off. After the room is warm, we wrap up in blankets to keep the warmth next to our body. However, we have found they allow us to turn the thermostat down, without feeling cold - and yes, they do seem to save us money.
This is NOT a coindicence - I was just looking at solar-rechargeable units this morning! The one very highly rated was the EcoFlow. Do you know anything about them? When I watched your videos about Oupes (which my mind sees phonetically as "oops") I saw the one big enough to run my house and said, "note to self...include the price of a hand-cart" Like Hope, I'm a small woman and lifting/carrying anything close to the weight of the big unit is science fiction.
EcoFlow is a good brand - great products. We did a video on their small Delta Mini. The Oupes are very reasonably priced and very good quality. We love them. I like the LiFePo4 battery they use - 2,500 cycles (probably more). The Eco Flow (unless you get the Delta Pro) has the Lithion Ion battery - not as many cycles as the LiFePo4 battery (about 800). Yes, a hand cart would be handy for the 2400 unit (which is my personal favorite as it charges VERY fast).
You'd need to check the power draw with a Kill-A-Watt (or equivalent) meter to see how much power you need. The 2400 watt Oupes would certainly run it for at least a couple of days on a charge, depending on the demand of your system.
Holy Hannah those panels are expensive!!! Wowsers! A gas generator is orders of magnitude cheaper and has more power. Sure it isn't quiet ( but they are not that loud) and it is a bit trickier to use for sure .
There certainly are advantages to a gas generator. I started out with one and still own it. In bad weather, they will provide sustained power when the sun isn't shining.
@@larryware1 Apparently my sun isn't sunny enough as my solar battery back isn't charging. My husband says the angle of the sun is not direct enough in fall this far North. Boo.
Hi, I'm a new subscriber, love your channel...I've been thinking bout a portable power station...I'm wondering if the smaller product will run a heat pad and or and electric blanket??I've actually been thinking about the jackery 500, I have issues w/my back can't lift much!any advise??
A 500 watt unit would probably run a heating pad, but not for very long. If the heating pad is 100 watts, a 500 watt unit would run it for 4 hours. But, then it would be totally drained. The battery on the Oupes is different than the Jackery battery and will last about 6 times longer. If you're concerned about weight, however, then the smaller 500 watt unit would weigh less. The 1200 watt Oupes is about 23 pounds.
Just got a dehydrator from Amazon (get Amazon brand, they will take it back if it does not work) used/only 41 dollars! Put meat in there, has not stopped yet, needed very badly! meat is much lighter! Also, got used food bag vacume! cheap!
During the hurricanes in Florida, 14 years ago, I used my freezers to keep ice in the refrigerator, (would freeze water in a plastic bottle, drink) and NEVER NEEDED A GENERATOR!
No you don't. You might consider a gas generator for that load, however. The 2400 Oupes would certainly run the freezers, but you would need to be able to do some pass-through charging with solar to keep them going. My chest freezer actually uses less than our full-size fridge. Our full-size fridge would run for about 28 hours from the 2400 without charging it. I need to do a test on the freezer. Hope this helps.
Just wondering what you guys would do in our situation. We have all electric forced air heat/air and electric is needed for our sewer pump and water well pump as well. What would be the most economical way to provide some heat, fun applicants on and off and run the sump pump if needed?
I would isolate one room to heat with either kerosene or a Buddy propane heater. The largest Oupes 2400 would certainly run the sewer and water well pump. You'd need to test to see how much power they draw over time to determine how long it would supply power. If you need more power than 2400 watts you would need to go to a small gas generator (3500 watts).
Depends on what you are willing to spend. There are solar power stations that are expandable with more battery power and juice. If you watch channels like Hobotech you can learn a lot about all the different options out there.
We've never cooked on low power in the microwave and watched how it changed the energy used. We usually have the microwave on "high", because the amount of time it's in use is not very long. But, that's a really interesting question. Now you've made me wonder about it.
Well, technically, they were free, but Hope and I put a lot of hours in on testing and research of these units before doing a video on them. We've spent a lot of time with all three units, so I would really say that Oupes has "paid our wages" in providing these units for the work put in on preparing the the videos. Blessings, Dave.
Wish companies realized that ppl on SS, getting anywhere from $800-1000 a month can't afford these. They need to make a more affordable one. We need help, too.
There are other alternatives for those who can't afford a power station. There are smaller units. Also portable back-up power banks are another possibility. I made my own for about $400, but it just wasn't as nice as these units.
When a company gifts you their expensive devices, it is no longer an unbiased piece. You can say you will give your honest review all you want, it doesn't matter. It's still biased. If you pay out of your own pocket and test devices from many different companies, then you can have an unbiased voice. i've noticed many UA-camrs trying to claim unbiased reviews just because they weren't paid money and yet they state the item was given to them for free. You got paid. It's the same thing and your opinion is no longer unbiased. I own the Oupes Mega 2, which I actually paid for myself. So far, I love it. However, that 3 year warranty does concern me. I don't want a dead device after 3 years. There is a reason the price on these devices are cheaper. They cut corners somewhere. The AC inverter is high frequency. These do not last as long as low frequency inverters with robust pure copper transformers. Be aware of this. Oupes is likely not alone doing this. Most other brands in the same price range use the same high frequency inverters. Some of those, offer longer warranties. If you use power hungry devices such as power tools, microwaves, induction stoves, air conditioners and the like, the cheaper high frequency inverters will wear out much faster. Oupes thinks 3 years as their confidence level. Keep that in mind. The other areas of cheaping out are the solar charge controller and the AC charger. Both have awesome numbers on the surface, at least for the Mega 2. But to offer these premium numbers, they likely used cheaper parts that won't last as long. I can guarantee the solar charge controller is not a Victron, lol. In fact, the solar charge controller is quite slow in the Mega 2. It also requires solar panels are both serial and in parallel to get the 2100 watts and even then, you probably won't be able to get that setup just perfect. Still, I have 800 watts of PV and it should be comfortable for the Mega 2. This is a much more realistic setup without straining the solar charger too much. You would probably get 1,000 - 1,200 watts as a realistic max for solar charging. All these manufacturers have figured out the surface numbers to impress and know the cheap components used will last long enough to fool a reviewer. The real test of how good these are built is how long they survive with heavy use over a period of years. If my Oupes Mega 2 lasts 5 years powering hungry devices, then I'll be impressed. If I can get 10 years, that would be a miracle. I will hack up my Mega 2 for the batteries if it dies shortly after the warranty expires. Now, if you have the Mega series, not sure about the lower series, even if the AC inverter dies, having 2x100W USB-C outputs still gives it useful life. I could also rig an external AC inverter through the DC outputs or hack up the device and figure out how to replace the inverter with my own choosing.
The real obstacle, right off the bat, is that the cost is exorbitant! All of them are WAY above my ability to buy. It hurts me to say that, but it's true. You might say, save up. Good idea. It would only take me about 12-20 years to do that...and I'm not sure that would be long enough because inflation could keep the price going up. I wish I could buy one. Then, what happens, or what do you do if the sun is obscured for days and days and days? I know you have a gasoline powered generator you could use as a back up. For me, that would be another few thousand dollars...very far beyond my reach. I live on a low fixed income. I really want/need a solar generator I can rely on; I just can't figure out a way to pay for one. We'll see what happens. God usually provides...we'll see. I really like the big one. I'd have to move it around on a hand truck. I have one, but it would still be hard to handle. I'd try the middle one. I'd still have to use a hand truck, but I could move it around. You always provide such useful and needed information, and I love to listen to you. It troubles me that I can't use this advice from you....wish I could...especially related to the fridge and I hadn't even thought of the sump pump! Thanks for sharing. Love to both of you and your family.
Thank you for your comment, Jonna. I totally understand your situation. There are cheaper options for back up. We've all lived a long time without power stations. They are just another option we have now. Hope and I will do other videos on alternatives in the future. Blessings to you.
One thing to consider when power goes out is how long your fridge/freezer will stay cold by itself if not opened at all. We recently were without power for over 10 hours. I taped the doors of our older side by side fridge/freezer so no one would open them. Both sides were packed full of chilled or frozen items. When power returned, everything was still cold or frozen, even the bread & milk in the fridge. We wouldn't need to start using a generator until after 10+ hours power loss. Good to know!
Yes indeed, Holly. There are so many measures we can take in a power outage. Thanks for the tip.
That's all well and good if you have an excess of $$$. Many seniors do not have the spare money to invest in all of these things things! You are very fortunate!
Something to save for.
My 200w Flashfish power bank sells for $130. The solar panel sells for $70. It is small but more power then I need. When traveling I use it to charge my phone, hand held power banks and usb fans. Powering up the main charger takes time just using solar, so I always have it set up. I don't wait for the power to drop low.
When I am home it stays on the coynter and I plug in my toaster oven and coffeepot and crockpot when in use. This saves me lots of $$ on my power bill.
If you need a cpap this small unit will get you through 1 night. It needs daily charging. You need a big unit for keeping the refridge working or portable heaters. However, our power outages are usually during winter months. I keep freezer closed with frozen water blacks that stay in the freezer. If the power outage is more then a few hours we place foods in coolers and place them outside.
I just bought the 2500 Oupes unit today and got $150 off with your "underthemedian" code! The code still worked 4 months later and was cheaper than Amazon's price. I got free fedex shipping too! Thank you for your review. I did not buy the solar panels since they are not water proof and will buy the glass style instead from another company.
Oh my goodness this was the most helpful video. I'm so clueless on what we need and I get overwhelmed and just don't know what's what. My husband is disabled and I need to beable to move and use a generator we had an old gas one that I could not start or even move and it was a beast but to me useless so gave it to son.thank you for doing this excellent demo
Just ordered the Oupes 1200 mostly for my Sump pump..Glad to know you can plug it into house current...Thanks for all the great info..
Your information is so helpful when shopping for a solar generator. So much to factor in which is best as a solar generator is an investment. 😊 love you both, y’all are so enjoyable to listen to. ❤️
Thank you so much, Emerald. Appreciate it.
Best advice you gave is to use it! We need to use our gas generator once a month so I can practice in case my husband isn't home. :)
Thank you, Breezy. I start mine once a month and run the shop vac off of it. Those need to be started that often to be reliable. Ours has a pretty hard pull to start so I think Hope would have to get one of the boys to help her start it.
@@larryware1 You are welcome. I can't pull start ours either but it also has an electric start.
I love your channel Hope and Larry
I really look forward to every video that comes out - you are both natural born teachers- thank you both for sharing your knowledge with us - I’ve learned so much since finding your channel ❤
Thank you, Emma.
My main concern would be to keep my freezer going as long as possible. I always get nervous when my freezer is fully stocked.
This is an excellent video guys... lots of great info. Thank You.
Love the video. I am on a fixed income, and these are very expensive. Worth every penny, don't get me wrong. It would take me a year+ to save enough $$.
You two are awesome❤️💯
We totally understand. Some of our other videos talk about lower-priced solutions for power. But, we had gotten so many questions recently about these units, that we finally decided to do a video and answer all the questions at one time.
This was very helpful! We will cook on our induction hot plate and we have solar lights. The frig and freezer and fans are important to me. But even more important is to figure out how long my CPAP will run. Unfortunately several people died post Hurricane Ian without power to run their durable medical equipment, for them it was oxygen concentrators.
What great, thorough information you always give on all your videos. Your research and hard work is appreciated. Love you guys. A little side note - I hope you are feeling well Hope, I thought your throat sounded a bit horse. Sending love from Wales ❤
Thank you, Mishy. Yes, Hope came down with a head cold this week. She's a trooper. Blessings.
According to the Oupes website the 1200W has a 3600W surge. Thanks for the review!
Thank you for explaining this so well. I have been wondering which generator would work for my refrigerator. Now I know!
Excellent video! I love the examples of things that the power stations will "power."
Thank you, N. Watson.
Hope and Larry ,Thankyou for helping me to learn about portable power.Put wheels on the big one!!! Go to Harbor frieght and pick up a flat dolly on wheels and you are good to go. I so wish we were neighbors!!!......... great video! I wish i could afford one!!
Thank you, Maia. I have a two wheeler for this purpose when they get too heavy to manage. But, I might get one of those flat dollies for my kerosene heaters. Yes, I wish we all could meet our wonderful viewers!
Maybe in the summertime?
@@larryware1 ps stay warm and safe!
A great video. Very organized.
Thank you, Breezy.
These are actully 3500 cycles to 80% love oupes stuff there really afforable and get pretty high quality.
Thank you so much for this information. Can't get a home generator at these prices.
We understand. We're going to do a video on back-up power for people who can't afford these.
I've been wanting to invest in one of these for my pool filter...it gets really hot during summer here in Lancaster and going into the pool really helps but having to run the filter gets expensive.
Just find out how much the filter needs to power it, and as long as you have sun, you should be in good shape.
lived in Puerto Rico from 1966 until 1981 and there were almost always both planned power outages AND water rationing --- in addition to those challenges we had to drive around to find the groceries we wanted because all food comes either from a ship or by airplane. There was a time I remember quite distinctly when there was NO RICE on the island. WE had rice in our house because I always had 5 to 6 months of rice. We were able to share (quietly) with others. One time, I flew to Miami to buy some auto parts and the price in Miami was so cheap that I wound up not paying additional monies when compared with the price on the island. WEPA
Thank you so much this this reminder of why being prepared is so important. Great comment.
How interesting, George. Thank you so much for sharing. Makes us so thankful to be in the US.
Thank you for making this video.
You are so welcome, Rebecca.
I detail cars and need a generator to power my corded buffers. The buffers are both 900 Watt. If I have this figured right, the 1200 will run the buffer for about an hour? The 1200 is being offered for $450 shipped now. I'm very tempted to get it. An hour run time for the buffer would be fine for me.
I just purchased the Mega1 and Mega2 but do to living in Ohio during the winter, from December to April there is only about a 10% chance of using solar panels to charge them. I do have a gas generator that I can connect to my entire house and use it to charge them.
Great review! I have the 1200 in my unheated garage charging on solar panels during the warm months. However, charging a lithium battery at below freezing temps can cause permanent damage from plating on the battery anodes, so I unplug the solar panels when temps fall below freezing. I believe some generators have battery management systems that either turn charging off when temps drop below freezing or use the battery's charge to warm the battery. Does the Oupes 1200’s battery management system do either?
Thank you. Good information.
The 1800 is misleading, it is really 1500. I think Oupes is the best as far as price per watts. Nice video.
Hope, they have a rolling cart for the 2400. I got one for my 1800, which it works on too. I'm considering getting the 2400 next. Love your channel.
thank you 😊 💓 so very helpful information
Are the panels water resistant? I have a jackery and have to bring it in when it rains. I'd like to put my panels out and go to work on an overcast day.
No, they are not. If you get the regular solar panels, then you can leave those outside. I used to have a set outside mounted to the house. Of course, you don't get any charging under full cloudy conditions.
Hope you look like our neighbor we live next door to in Rialto ca. Her name was Hope too .and wore glasses too. But I am 71 and last time I saw her was in the 60..
I love that! They say everyone has a look-alike somewhere in the world. Apparently mine is enjoying sunny days in California.
Coffee is ALWAYS a necessity! 😂
I SO agree.
Well since you also live in the Midwest, you how winters can get. I live in South Dakota and my biggest worry is I live in an apartment with 2 kids. Everything is electric. I grew up with almost everything running on propane. Guess we were spoiled when the electricity went out! 😂 I think these will be perfect for us for backup power when, not if but when, our electricity goes out this winter. Are there specific rules or any tips & tricks to follow for charging them come winter?
Excellent video!!!!
Thank you so much❤
Love my Jackery set small and large from CostCo best prices for a two set.
Jackerys are proven power stations and are well established in the US. The Oupes power stations (right now) are less expensive and use the better LiFePo4 batteries. That's why we favor them over the Jackery.
@@larryware1 I will definietly take a look at the Oupes for future purchases to extend my home backups - thanks for the detailed reviews!
I learn so much from you! Can you tell me what solar we need to run a home well pump of 375 feet? Just bought a home in the country and trying to prepare
Thanks so very much
Hi Maria. We also just bought a house in the country. Are you on septic tank ..if so you will want to know if you have a septic pump or if it is just gravity. So...my dad is an electrician. You also want to know what horse power your well pump is and what else you want to run. We are running our well pump, septic pump, freezer , gas furnace ( still needs electricity for the fan), a few plugs and a few lights. We have the Champion gas generator which is 9500 watts of running power and 12,000 of starting power , runs on gas only. Costco purchase. We have a separate breaker box with a fail safe ( very important) so when the power is out we just pull the geny out to the driveway , plug it in first ( remember those prongs wi be LIVE) , then flip the fail safe from utility company to generator and start er up.
You need to size the generator for the starting current (circuit breaker size) and not the running current of the pump. Starting current ( or watts required) is much higher than the running current.
Thank you so much for replying to my question. I pray God blesses you very much for the time you put into helping me. We do have a septic and I’m so glad you educated me on what to do. I hope you have a very blessed day🤗🥰
TYSM sharing!
You say the power boxes will last for "years and years." That assumes of course that the inverter etc inside them doesn't malfunction before you have used up the two and a half thousand charge cycles. A big ask I think!
There's no absolute guarantee on how long they will last, of course. A lot depends on how they are used, stored, and so forth. Inverters tend to be very reliable from my experience. I still have the very first one I purchased 16 years ago or so. The Oupes units do come with a 2 year warranty.
Thank you for the video can you do a review on the Oupes Mega 5 I was wondering can you use it as a whole house generator by using a generator inlet box connected to the breaker box
This is off topic but I'm trying to find the video where you shared all the ideas from your viewers I was interrupted in the middle of it and I can't get it back
Larry - Am I imaging things or did you put out a video on how to create your own power station. I need something for my wood furnace fan and sump pump, but I cannot afford the Oupes power station.
Yes I did. It was in our winter preparedness video last year. Basically you can supply power with an AGM battery and an inverter. You will need a battery charger for the battery. The battery would need to be at least a 50 amp/hr and the inverter, a pure sine wave of about 600 watts for start up power, depending, of course, on the power demands of your sump pump.
@@larryware1 Thanks so much, Larry. I appreciate your response and insight. Much appreciated.
@@jasondananay1800 - you're welcome. As I stopped to think about my recommendations I realized that a 50 amp/hr. AGM battery might not be big enough. We used two of those to power our living room with a 300 watt pure sine wave inverter and I could easily get one evening out of running our LED TV and lights. If you have a good electrician friend you might run this by them.
Great, great video!!
Amazion=support for the reset
Choose one that does not require internet connectivity in order to function fully. That would rule out ecoflow. I don't know about other brands.
Not sure if you mentioned this but what is a good generator if you live where there are extreme winters?
It all depends on your requirements (how much power do you need), the type of heating you have (natural gas furnace, wood burning stove, etc.), how long you need the power for, do you have good solar in your area...
Are you supposed to take the film off of the solar panel I'm guessing it's just a protective film that you're supposed to remove
Two questions are the panels water resistant and after you go through all of those cycles with the battery there’s still 80% capacity through bypass correct?
No, the portable solar panels are not water resistant. You don't want to leave them out in the rain. Yes, after 2500 cycles the units well still operate at 80% charge. I estimate the life of the portable power stations at about 10 years with moderate use.
@@larryware1 thank you so much for letting me know I appreciate that
There are waterproof panels available!
@@ChrisJohnson-pd4hh thank you so much do you know if they’re made by the same company?
The solar panels which Bluetti make are not waterproof. This makes them useless in my opinion as, sooner or later, they will get rained on. They are for outdoor use afterall. Here in UK they cost me £499.99. I returned them and got a £299 200 watt panel which is claimed to be "totally weatherproof." Brand was Exel from Hampshire Generators. I am sure there are other makes available. I had to buy a new cable as the one supplied did not fit the Bluetti.
Great video!
P.S. to Hope - My double wide garage door, made of cedar and glass, weighs around 800 lbs. Before I got the industrial-strength chain-driven opener, I once jumped off a ladder to keep it from going all the way up once the springs had taken over. I was hanging off the door, screaming for my neighbor across the county road. He heard me, and walked up and saw me and folded his arms and said, "now, there's something you don't see every day" before he finally came over and helped me down off the door.
Oh my word! I was eating this at lunch time. It's a good thing I didn't have a mouthful of salad - I was laughing so hard.
What a great story, Sherry.
I have a quick question - I live alone in a three bedroom condo - winter time is coming- I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to use the house heating and heat up whole house I get a little electric space heater for just that room?
Katherine, that's a great question. We use space heaters a lot in the winter as supplemental heat. As with any source of heat, you need to keep safety precautions in mind like: the heat source needs a 3 foot distance from all other objects in the room, never leave a heater unmonitored, and never leave a heater on when you are sleeping. Look for a newer space heater, which comes with an automatic shut off. Which means if it gets knocked over, it goes off. They do use a fair amount of power - averaging 1500 watts. We tend to use them to make our family room cozy warm and then turn them off. After the room is warm, we wrap up in blankets to keep the warmth next to our body. However, we have found they allow us to turn the thermostat down, without feeling cold - and yes, they do seem to save us money.
This is NOT a coindicence - I was just looking at solar-rechargeable units this morning! The one very highly rated was the EcoFlow. Do you know anything about them? When I watched your videos about Oupes (which my mind sees phonetically as "oops") I saw the one big enough to run my house and said, "note to self...include the price of a hand-cart" Like Hope, I'm a small woman and lifting/carrying anything close to the weight of the big unit is science fiction.
EcoFlow is a good brand - great products. We did a video on their small Delta Mini. The Oupes are very reasonably priced and very good quality. We love them. I like the LiFePo4 battery they use - 2,500 cycles (probably more). The Eco Flow (unless you get the Delta Pro) has the Lithion Ion battery - not as many cycles as the LiFePo4 battery (about 800). Yes, a hand cart would be handy for the 2400 unit (which is my personal favorite as it charges VERY fast).
@@larryware1 Thanks for that info, Larry! I'll revisit the Oupes!
@@SherryEllesson, you're so welcome!
Will the midsize unit power a space heater
Yes, for about 1 1/2 hours. Maybe 2 1/2 hours if it's a smaller heater.
I have a 65 foot well. I am wondering about running the well pump
I saw another ask the same thing. I also have a lift pump for my septic I do have a H bar on my pole
You'd need to check the power draw with a Kill-A-Watt (or equivalent) meter to see how much power you need. The 2400 watt Oupes would certainly run it for at least a couple of days on a charge, depending on the demand of your system.
Holy Hannah those panels are expensive!!! Wowsers! A gas generator is orders of magnitude cheaper and has more power. Sure it isn't quiet ( but they are not that loud) and it is a bit trickier to use for sure .
There certainly are advantages to a gas generator. I started out with one and still own it. In bad weather, they will provide sustained power when the sun isn't shining.
@@larryware1 Apparently my sun isn't sunny enough as my solar battery back isn't charging. My husband says the angle of the sun is not direct enough in fall this far North. Boo.
SHTF situation you don't want to be heard, also gas will run out and gas stations won't work either if electricity out.
Hi, I'm a new subscriber, love your channel...I've been thinking bout a portable power station...I'm wondering if the smaller product will run a heat pad and or and electric blanket??I've actually
been thinking about the jackery 500, I have issues w/my back can't lift much!any advise??
A 500 watt unit would probably run a heating pad, but not for very long. If the heating pad is 100 watts, a 500 watt unit would run it for 4 hours. But, then it would be totally drained. The battery on the Oupes is different than the Jackery battery and will last about 6 times longer. If you're concerned about weight, however, then the smaller 500 watt unit would weigh less. The 1200 watt Oupes is about 23 pounds.
Just got a dehydrator from Amazon (get Amazon brand, they will take it back if it does not work) used/only 41 dollars! Put meat in there, has not stopped yet, needed very badly! meat is much lighter! Also, got used food bag vacume! cheap!
During the hurricanes in Florida, 14 years ago, I used my freezers to keep ice in the refrigerator, (would freeze water in a plastic bottle, drink) and NEVER NEEDED A GENERATOR!
Thank you 😇🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Also the code still works saved $119.00 and no sales tax..
We have 2 medium size chest freezers and 1 upright. Do I need a solar power station for each one??
Absolutely not because freezers don't need to run continuously. They can take turns.
No you don't. You might consider a gas generator for that load, however. The 2400 Oupes would certainly run the freezers, but you would need to be able to do some pass-through charging with solar to keep them going. My chest freezer actually uses less than our full-size fridge. Our full-size fridge would run for about 28 hours from the 2400 without charging it. I need to do a test on the freezer. Hope this helps.
@@larryware1 Thank you!!
Just wondering what you guys would do in our situation. We have all electric forced air heat/air and electric is needed for our sewer pump and water well pump as well. What would be the most economical way to provide some heat, fun applicants on and off and run the sump pump if needed?
I would isolate one room to heat with either kerosene or a Buddy propane heater. The largest Oupes 2400 would certainly run the sewer and water well pump. You'd need to test to see how much power they draw over time to determine how long it would supply power. If you need more power than 2400 watts you would need to go to a small gas generator (3500 watts).
Depends on what you are willing to spend. There are solar power stations that are expandable with more battery power and juice. If you watch channels like Hobotech you can learn a lot about all the different options out there.
@@johnmal5975 - I enjoy Hobotech. He really breaks down the way each power station works and what it can be expected to do. Great UA-cam channel!
@@larryware1 Yup he does. You guys are not so bad yourselves!
@@johnmal5975 - oh, thank you.
What are the total costs involved
There are links in the video description for each of the three units. The coupon code is also in the description.
Does it help to reduce the wattage by using the microwave at 50% power? I just ordered the 1800 Oupes with two 100 watt panels.
We've never cooked on low power in the microwave and watched how it changed the energy used. We usually have the microwave on "high", because the amount of time it's in use is not very long. But, that's a really interesting question. Now you've made me wonder about it.
Hope - I REFUSE to run my VACUUM in an emergency 🤣😂😭
id rather get your deal where there free.
Well, technically, they were free, but Hope and I put a lot of hours in on testing and research of these units before doing a video on them. We've spent a lot of time with all three units, so I would really say that Oupes has "paid our wages" in providing these units for the work put in on preparing the the videos. Blessings, Dave.
me too🤣
Wish companies realized that ppl on SS, getting anywhere from $800-1000 a month can't afford these. They need to make a more affordable one. We need help, too.
There are other alternatives for those who can't afford a power station. There are smaller units. Also portable back-up power banks are another possibility. I made my own for about $400, but it just wasn't as nice as these units.
Sure wish I could afford one!
You can start smaller. Solar powered battery banks that supply charging power to your phone are very affordable, for example.
When a company gifts you their expensive devices, it is no longer an unbiased piece. You can say you will give your honest review all you want, it doesn't matter. It's still biased.
If you pay out of your own pocket and test devices from many different companies, then you can have an unbiased voice.
i've noticed many UA-camrs trying to claim unbiased reviews just because they weren't paid money and yet they state the item was given to them for free. You got paid. It's the same thing and your opinion is no longer unbiased.
I own the Oupes Mega 2, which I actually paid for myself. So far, I love it. However, that 3 year warranty does concern me. I don't want a dead device after 3 years. There is a reason the price on these devices are cheaper. They cut corners somewhere.
The AC inverter is high frequency. These do not last as long as low frequency inverters with robust pure copper transformers. Be aware of this. Oupes is likely not alone doing this. Most other brands in the same price range use the same high frequency inverters. Some of those, offer longer warranties.
If you use power hungry devices such as power tools, microwaves, induction stoves, air conditioners and the like, the cheaper high frequency inverters will wear out much faster. Oupes thinks 3 years as their confidence level. Keep that in mind.
The other areas of cheaping out are the solar charge controller and the AC charger. Both have awesome numbers on the surface, at least for the Mega 2. But to offer these premium numbers, they likely used cheaper parts that won't last as long. I can guarantee the solar charge controller is not a Victron, lol. In fact, the solar charge controller is quite slow in the Mega 2. It also requires solar panels are both serial and in parallel to get the 2100 watts and even then, you probably won't be able to get that setup just perfect. Still, I have 800 watts of PV and it should be comfortable for the Mega 2. This is a much more realistic setup without straining the solar charger too much. You would probably get 1,000 - 1,200 watts as a realistic max for solar charging.
All these manufacturers have figured out the surface numbers to impress and know the cheap components used will last long enough to fool a reviewer. The real test of how good these are built is how long they survive with heavy use over a period of years. If my Oupes Mega 2 lasts 5 years powering hungry devices, then I'll be impressed. If I can get 10 years, that would be a miracle.
I will hack up my Mega 2 for the batteries if it dies shortly after the warranty expires.
Now, if you have the Mega series, not sure about the lower series, even if the AC inverter dies, having 2x100W USB-C outputs still gives it useful life. I could also rig an external AC inverter through the DC outputs or hack up the device and figure out how to replace the inverter with my own choosing.
Nice to promote expensive generators you got for free. Some of us can't afford as we pay for ours
We're going to do a video for those who can't afford power stations. There are alternative solutions.
Im seeing a lot of people getting these for free
@@johnmitchell8925 how
These devices are too expensive in my opinion
The real obstacle, right off the bat, is that the cost is exorbitant! All of them are WAY above my ability to buy. It hurts me to say that, but it's true. You might say, save up. Good idea. It would only take me about 12-20 years to do that...and I'm not sure that would be long enough because inflation could keep the price going up. I wish I could buy one.
Then, what happens, or what do you do if the sun is obscured for days and days and days? I know you have a gasoline powered generator you could use as a back up. For me, that would be another few thousand dollars...very far beyond my reach. I live on a low fixed income. I really want/need a solar generator I can rely on; I just can't figure out a way to pay for one. We'll see what happens. God usually provides...we'll see. I really like the big one. I'd have to move it around on a hand truck. I have one, but it would still be hard to handle. I'd try the middle one. I'd still have to use a hand truck, but I could move it around.
You always provide such useful and needed information, and I love to listen to you. It troubles me that I can't use this advice from you....wish I could...especially related to the fridge and I hadn't even thought of the sump pump!
Thanks for sharing. Love to both of you and your family.
Thank you for your comment, Jonna. I totally understand your situation. There are cheaper options for back up. We've all lived a long time without power stations. They are just another option we have now. Hope and I will do other videos on alternatives in the future. Blessings to you.