I just made a comment on your last video. Wondering what the cheapest possible setup could be ordering everything on amazon (Battery Bank, Solar Panels, Charger, Cables ETC) If you could do a breakdown that would be amazing. I'm interested in implementing something like that in my home in the future. However have no knowledge of solar ATM. Just started watching your channel.
I'm more interested in seeing a "what it takes to power your entire house" kind of video. Or at least the most expensive appliances, like HVAC and the dryer. So maybe a "How much do you need to spend to cut your power bill in half" video? Or a "how long do you need to own a solar setup before it pays for itself" video. Any of these would be more interesting than a "$1000 setup video". I'll save you the effort: it'll be more of the same, except that now you can power stuff for twice as long! *Boring.*
reason your hot plate was using the same power in every setting is because the spiral does not have a "low power" mode and the device does not have the ability to convert electricity into lower voltages. instead it switches the entire hotplate on and off at a low interval to reach a certain amount of heat generation.
@leeinwis Good point, when most of the population turn zombies, there's nobody to go to work so uh yeah the dept will increase, which may also have an affect on generator loads.... HUH? Yep same thing I said🤣
For just a little bit more money, you can get the Pecron E 1500 LFP which is 1500 watt hours with a 1500 watt inverter and 4000 W surge for $588 The bluetti AC 180 is $459 for 1000 watt hours The DJI 1000 is like $390 on Amazon Get the biggest power unit you can right now why it’s on sale and get the panels later
Get a power station over 3000 mWh and get a 30% tax credit from the IRS. It makes buying a 5k mWh just a little more than a 3000 or 2000 one. With tax credit, my 5040 mWh comes out to 1,400. A little more for solar panels (that get the credit too).
@ they both will have tariffs big guy. Smh Panels will have a greater increase than lipo? I can get used panels all day long No way I want a used power station
@scherzomazeppa726 Hey there, is there any determining factor to receive the tax credit? Such as professional installation through a certified vendor or something similar, or can you just fill out a form and file it alongside deductions? I am super interested in this approach with tax rebates since I now own a trailer home, and am looking to do a rebate for energy efficient windows come 2026's taxes after I get them done this upcoming year. Any info helps, thank you!
Very good video. I have 2 Bluetti solar generators, one like that one you showed here and another similar 500 watt solar generator from earlier in 2023 version plus two 100 watt larger foldable solar panels with connections [one solar panel for each solar generator]. I sure learned a lot from this video of yours and will get all of those cables including a few "Y" solar cable connectors and 2 solar cable extensions. That part of the video you had on how to wired 2 solar generators "parrallel" and/or "in series" really was something totally excellent that I never heard of until I watched your video! I sure learned something new today. Thanks.
Air conditioners take a little while to get up to max load. Typically the fans will turn on, but it won't be pulling serious watts until the compressor kicks in (usually a minute or so after the fans kick on). The compressor turns on and off repeatedly throughout the duty cycle, and when it kicks on, that's when you're putting the heaviest load on the circuit.
Yes!! I am looking forward to the high end of 1000-3000. I plan to move to a rural area with half an acre of flat land and a lot of sun so want to see if I can power stuff.
Running any heat element of a solar generator sucks the power out of the unit so fast. The reason why I use a different way to heat up my home in power outages. I use two Mr Buddy flex heater. I use a propane oil adapter that connects to the heater and a propane hose to a 20lb propane tank. I have run the heater on low for up to four days and on low it keeps my house nice and toasty. Mr buddy flex heaters is safe for indoors, plus I have three carbon monoxide detectors just in case. One on every floor. The reason I use propane is because I can use it for heat, cooking or running my dual fuel generator. With all those uses, you better have a good stock of propane. Let’s just say, I have way more than what my wife thinks I have. Hey, you never know 🤷♂️
For starters, I am not an expert! I have some limited knowledge based on using my gas powered generator during power outages from storms. I think the surge or "power lift" is important for items that draw high wattage upon startup like heaters and anything with a motor...the blender. I agree with the other comments that the heating elements are limited to 700W based on power station. If you ran the 'fridge or heaters long enough to cycle motors/heating elements you would see the wattage spikes again. This is an AWESOME video!!!. I enjoyed the $250 as well. Cheers!
That is true for many refrigerators as well. When the compressor kicks in they can surge to double or triple their normal running wattage. Cheaper fridges tend to be worse for this.
The solar panel does not come with the fuse, the spc suggests that you can install your own fuse with fuse rating up to 15A. BTW, the Bluetti inverter will darw about 15W of power when it is on and no AC load connected, so you need to factor that into calculated the run time. 8:07 that is normal for PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater to draw high current when power is first applied, as it is heated up the resistance will go up so the less current will be flowing thus less power darw. Do not use Power LIfting mode on sensitive electronics equipment, it is only good for resistive Loads.
Hey! these are some awesome vids! I see a lot of these are during perfect conditions, but would love to see a video on how it charges on rain or cloud, with low sun and maybe see how it powers something while charging, e.g a 100w appliance constantly on while simultaneously charging, during low sun to see how long it would last, not sure if you could do this but would be awesome!
When you plug together stuff like this, you seriously should turn the panels facing the ground. So they do not generate power while plugging things together. It is just much more save!
depends where you live..recently i reconfigured my solar , disabling most panels and also installing windmills,.....so i was on my backup power..6 100watt panels, plus batteries...gave me one light and a computer for 24 hrs consistently..this system cost around 4 k canadian with everything to go....in central ontario,canada...im currently working with panels,windmills and waterpower to make it more efficient.
I've seen some great deals and would definitely recommend you buy a setup like this. Even a small setup that can run a fridge or some lights is nice during a power outage.
just saw the EcoFlow Delta 2 on sale again for $399 earlier today, $699 with a panel. For perspective, we bought 2 of them with one 220w panels included in each's price over the past year and a half at $900 and $850, so that is a full 150 cheaper even with the same panel. These things are great for the price and the app is pretty neat.
I would love to see a $1000 setup. As for the value, I would say that the $500 setting is a much better value because it is far more capable. You are just way too limited in what you can do with the $250. While it's feasible, it's not practical.
I believe the way the microwave works is that on power 1, it just runs the motor that rotates the platter upon which the food rests, and it may have a vent fan running, for 90 % of the time, but 10% of the time, the microwave generator kicks in. On power 2, that would be 20% of the time on, 80% off, etc. That would explain why there was a low power reading, and then a spike that the generator can't handle. I am considering putting together a setup for high powered tools, like for my table saw, but the generator has to be able to handle the initial spike that is there when the device is turned on. With a fridge, it doesn't draw a lot of power unless the compressor is on, so the readings you had may not have been representative, if you didn't leave it on long enough to have the compressor kick in. Still, with a fridge, I doubt the compressor kicking in would cause the generator to fail. A table saw, or a shop vac, or anything like that, with an initial spike when the motor first engages, that's going to be a tough thing to power - I'm sure a lot of research will be required to find a suitable setup...
Can you do a video on the EcoFlow Delta series? Considering getting one but want to make sure it's a good investment. I love your clear and comprehensive breakdowns man, keep up the good work
Your microwave spiked because when you reduce the power setting it doesn't lower the cook temperature like a stove top would it just intermittently turns on and off the electromagnetic waves. They are still blasting at full level, just not as often.
Thank you, this is what I needed to know. I personally would want something that would last 16 hours of the day, then charge it at night (for AC mode).
Exactly. I was worried about his AC and micro. A fridge shouldn't run with power lifting either. Only heaters and conventional cooking devices can use this mode safely. Anything with a motor or compressor will go wild and possibly break.
FYI, a 1200W microwave is the "cooking power" not the power consumption, they usually pull a LOT more power on start up and will always pull the max power regardless of power level, unless you have an "inverter" microwave (i think thats the term, only 1 brand does it & then the power levels do change to consumption). I have a "900w" microwave (the smallest I could find in my budget) and it pulls 1200-1300 watts on my AC180 which is rated for 1800w. Check the power levels on the box or on the back of devices
Good job. Nice simple looking presentation, but obviously was more complex than it seems. Showing the basic numbers (watts then run time) is very useful.
Could you please test an electric blanket with these batteries too? It would be good to know if I could use this setup for emergency power outages to stay warm.
It's a small thing, but at 9:25 where you test the hot plate, you should know that the knob doesn't actually set the power output. It actually sets the temperature at which the electrical contact opens. It will operate at max power up to that temperature, then shut off completely until the contact closes again. So it may use an *average* power of less than the maximum value, but the instantaneous power will be all or nothing.
A cheaper Idea to expand your power is simply get a external battery, connect to XT60 port. It will act as a solar or car charger imput. So for a 1000$ setup, if you use the same powerstation and a big battery, you can double, quadruple your watt hour limit. Great video btw. check v=YAcNzTTvL_Y
Yep, with these power stations its great to be able to expand with batteries, thing is then you have to have a floating charger if those are only connected as a UPS.
Thanks for the video! I think the “power lifting mode” actually just lowers the output “voltage.” so it can technically run conductive things at like 100-110 volts or something. so it could damage something with electronic control chips inside or other sensitive electronics.
Exactly. It's very similar to Xboost in Ecoflow power station(when enabled sets voltage to 80VAC to run higher wattage appliances at a lower rate). It is recommended to use only with resistive load(heater, heat gun, electric stove, hair dryer, etc).
@@leeinwis Depends on the angle, and also the heat. But 70-80w out of a 100w can be done. Thing is, cloudy and rainy days. That's why its a good idea to overpanel and see how much your powerstation or mppt charger can take, to try to get that maximum for those 5-6 hours of light if possible. Still, batteries are needed and those are the most expensive part...
That TV uses 160 watts?!? Is it OLED? My 43" LCD TV uses about 45 watts. That's awesome that tiny power station can handle your refrigerators compressor startup surge!
rigid panels are a lot better.... but you can get 8x 100w panels for 267 bucks shipped right now with blkfriday coupons, thats about 31 usd each. crazy
More value for the money my opinion is the larger one , peace of mind consider less need to recharge and needing one more power source to keep fridge and A C, heater , running, unleaded you know for certain only need power for a small device with guaranteed always enough time to recharge ❤❤
Out of pure honesty, a generator is the best back up power source ever. I have a battery bank I keep charged with a 40amp charger from pole, and a 5000 watt inverter going out from the bank. In the dead of winter, keeping water lines from freezing, I use heat bulbs and heat pipe wrap in water well shed and utility shed to keep cats and dog warm. Those alone use a lot of juice. I have 6 batteries in my bank so far. They will last about 4 hours until the inverter starts alarming and cuts out. So to have a longer period of time off grid when power goes out, I'd need 12 more batteries to add 8 more hours to equal 12 hours. There's been times I've come home from work and no power from the pole.
There are 2 power consumptions, start up and run. so a cell phone start up at 30w and runs at 30w, where as an 800w microwave wil start up at 2100w for a second or two before settling to run at 1000w , a freezer with a marked 200w will draw 2100w start up before running at 200w. when you tested the microwave even at min power you didnt account for the start up wattage. if you have a 2kw gen, you can run a fridge, a freezer, a tv, and lights (800w) comfortably just as long as you have a boost facility to give 2500w temp power, then connect fridge first then when running at 200w add the freezer, then TV, THEN LIGHTS, after which the gen could handle it, its the start up draw most people forget, the average braw for white goods is 2100w very short start up before settling into the run power.
Yep, important to keep in mind those devices that have motors and compressors. Better to have more than needed than to be right on the limit or worse: not have enough. Also, planning for possible future expansions and uses.
I don't understand why people are buying these battery power stations. I bought two solar panels, a giant 300ah lithium battery, a solar charge controller and I already had a 3,000 watt inverter that I never use and hooked it up and I can literally run everything in my house for a lot longer. I was into it about this much money. If you can get a bigger battery bank it will get you through the night so in the daytime it's charging back up but this power station you have here would be wiped out overnight
If 2 PV panels gave 133 w charge, you could have run all three in parallel and charged at 199.5 watts. You will not overload the bluetti with more panels it just wont draw more than 200w from them.
Thanks for doing this video Alex. I'm very new to power station and solar panel and have one question please. I just bought a "BLUETTI EB70" with a recommended "BLUETTI MP200 Solar Panel". The cable is said to be "MC4 cable". Does your "Solar extension cable" in your provided link work with the power station and solar panels I just bought? Thanks in advance Alex.
This is so helpful, I'm single and do a lot of computer work. I rent, and am wondering where I can attach my solar panels? It would have to be the second story roof and I would need to put safety fasteners (to also keep anyone from stealing them). This generator would work well for my needs!! Thank you so much!!
Microwaves -- most of them on lower settings will cycle between full power and no power. A 1000 watt unit set on 25% will run for about 8 seconds on full 1000 W then 24 seconds of no power, then repeat.
I own four of these OUPES 2400 power stations - they're GREAT! You do not need to use both Anderson ports to solar charge. The manual is misleading! Anderson cables are a combined cable that can be separated so you need to use them (both)combined as one connection. Also, the VOC limit is 45. So, if you have those panels in "series" you could be over that limit and the unit will not charge. This could also damage the solar controller and void the power stations warranty!
Personally, I'd consider the $250 setup to be used just for handheld devices (phones, tablets, etc) during an outage. That way you devices will likely never fully die. Use the slightly bigger ones for the larger devices. I'd love to see the higher value setups at work. Though at this point in my life, I doubt i'd be able to afford much beyond the 500.
heh , $500. wow, i paied less than $200. for all my solar stuff on temu ,, and before anyone sezzz anything about it , it all works grate no problems at all with it. ill be making some camping vids using all of it ...
Wattage on a microwave doesn't scale based on the power setting. The power setting only changes the amount of time the magnetron is on. i.e. Power level 5 is on for 5 seconds and off for 5 seconds. When it's on, it's still going to draw max power. Unless you have a microwave oven advertised as having with "inverter technology"
Bought two BLUETTI Power stations. Neither one would charge through the solar input. Returning them was a nightmare. It's been a month and I still don't have what I paid for. But other than that.....👍
Using the branch connectors, your voltage is good... but aren't you exceeding the amperage input? Each panel is 5.5 amps, times two is 11 amps which is more than the 8.5 amp input on the Bluetti. Am I missing something?
Please do the 1K set up!! Do you think your 500 dollar set up would work well for an enclosed trailer with a few lights, and a very small fridge and microwave?
Can these things be used as a UPS? What would that do to the battery? Could it be used in place of a traditional UPS so its always charged for people who use it rarely for camping or blackouts.
Just a small point, if you want your cables to last more than a few uses don't pull the connector from the battery pack BY THE WIRES, you will destroy them pretty quickly, other than that a good informative vid.
The power on the microwave doesnt reduce power usage. It just "cooks" for a set time then stops "cooking". The lower the power setting, the longer the rest between cooking.
How much power would you need to run an average (or eco friendly) hot water heater and refrigerator? Want to build an off grid house and those are my primary goals as far as power is concerned. Thanks
9:27 The only thing the heat setting does is determine how long the burner stays on for. A lower setting does not mean less wattage. Electric stovetop burners always output their maximum power, no matter the temperature setting you pick. Setting it lower simply means that the burner will cycle off for longer before clicking on again to maintain temperature. *Edit:* Same thing applies to microwaves. Even on the lowest setting, the magnetron still runs at full power. It just runs less often. You *really* should do more research on how this stuff works before making a video like this. I would start with binging the Technology Connections channel.
Depending on your solar input you could potentially run 3 panels to get closer to 200w. Will this limit the current to 200w or will it shut off if you push more than 200w into it with panels?
You cannot tag team the power supply that charges the battery. In other words as soon as you connect the battery to the AC voltage of your house, it disconnects the input from the solar side.
I just bought a gas refrigerator Second hand But a solar set up would be great specifically for the fridge And also individually fir the washing machine if thats possible Would that be more safe if every produkt has its own solar setup?
So could you use this as a way to save money on power by running solar and grid at the same time, by going through the power station. Or is the power loss greater than the solar input.
700 watts means you shouldn't power anything more than 700 watts. That 700 watts will only last 1 hour if your running at full power. Also, I think using Ohms Law you can easily figure our the amperage (which gives your electrons push) and the appliances you want to run so you don't overload and possibly burn out the solar battery/generator 🙂
Who wants to see a $1000 setup video? 😄
Watch the $250 setup video here - ua-cam.com/video/ELrQewHxjj0/v-deo.html
I'm really interested in seeing a $750 and $1000 setup, and which price point is most cost effective.
I just made a comment on your last video. Wondering what the cheapest possible setup could be ordering everything on amazon (Battery Bank, Solar Panels, Charger, Cables ETC) If you could do a breakdown that would be amazing. I'm interested in implementing something like that in my home in the future. However have no knowledge of solar ATM. Just started watching your channel.
YES!!
@@Northidahoshorts a AAA battery I guess lol
I'm more interested in seeing a "what it takes to power your entire house" kind of video. Or at least the most expensive appliances, like HVAC and the dryer. So maybe a "How much do you need to spend to cut your power bill in half" video? Or a "how long do you need to own a solar setup before it pays for itself" video.
Any of these would be more interesting than a "$1000 setup video". I'll save you the effort: it'll be more of the same, except that now you can power stuff for twice as long! *Boring.*
I appreciate you showing what it means to wire things in series vs parallel, it's cool to learn something like that!
reason your hot plate was using the same power in every setting is because the spiral does not have a "low power" mode and the device does not have the ability to convert electricity into lower voltages. instead it switches the entire hotplate on and off at a low interval to reach a certain amount of heat generation.
Same as the microwave, when you put it on 50% just is full power half of the time, full and off in intervals.
Was about to fall asleep but I guess I'll watch this first
Well in a zombie Apocalypse or nuclear war at least you'll understand how not to overload a power station 😁
@@Sirrichz28 Laugh but the national debt is not sustainable , a collapse is coming , aka the great depression part ll .
I watch videos like this to take naps. I can’t sleep otherwise
@leeinwis Good point, when most of the population turn zombies, there's nobody to go to work so uh yeah the dept will increase, which may also have an affect on generator loads.... HUH? Yep same thing I said🤣
Literally me at midnight when I need to leave for work at 6am.
For just a little bit more money, you can get the Pecron E 1500 LFP which is 1500 watt hours with a 1500 watt inverter and 4000 W surge for $588
The bluetti AC 180 is $459 for 1000 watt hours
The DJI 1000 is like $390 on Amazon
Get the biggest power unit you can right now why it’s on sale and get the panels later
Get a power station over 3000 mWh and get a 30% tax credit from the IRS. It makes buying a 5k mWh just a little more than a 3000 or 2000 one. With tax credit, my 5040 mWh comes out to 1,400. A little more for solar panels (that get the credit too).
"Get the biggest power unit you can right now why it’s on sale and get the panels later"
Yes! Wait for tariffs on solar panels!!
SMH.
@ they both will have tariffs big guy. Smh
Panels will have a greater increase than lipo?
I can get used panels all day long
No way I want a used power station
@ I wasnt sure if all brands and homeowner installed systems were included in that tax inventive. Its really not clear.
@scherzomazeppa726 Hey there, is there any determining factor to receive the tax credit? Such as professional installation through a certified vendor or something similar, or can you just fill out a form and file it alongside deductions? I am super interested in this approach with tax rebates since I now own a trailer home, and am looking to do a rebate for energy efficient windows come 2026's taxes after I get them done this upcoming year. Any info helps, thank you!
Very good video. I have 2 Bluetti solar generators, one like that one you showed here and another similar 500 watt solar generator from earlier in 2023 version plus two 100 watt larger foldable solar panels with connections [one solar panel for each solar generator]. I sure learned a lot from this video of yours and will get all of those cables including a few "Y" solar cable connectors and 2 solar cable extensions. That part of the video you had on how to wired 2 solar generators "parrallel" and/or "in series" really was something totally excellent that I never heard of until I watched your video! I sure learned something new today. Thanks.
Air conditioners take a little while to get up to max load. Typically the fans will turn on, but it won't be pulling serious watts until the compressor kicks in (usually a minute or so after the fans kick on). The compressor turns on and off repeatedly throughout the duty cycle, and when it kicks on, that's when you're putting the heaviest load on the circuit.
I’ve learned more about household appliances from these comments than at any other point in my life 😆
Yes!! I am looking forward to the high end of 1000-3000. I plan to move to a rural area with half an acre of flat land and a lot of sun so want to see if I can power stuff.
Running any heat element of a solar generator sucks the power out of the unit so fast. The reason why I use a different way to heat up my home in power outages.
I use two Mr Buddy flex heater. I use a propane oil adapter that connects to the heater and a propane hose to a 20lb propane tank. I have run the heater on low for up to four days and on low it keeps my house nice and toasty. Mr buddy flex heaters is safe for indoors, plus I have three carbon monoxide detectors just in case. One on every floor.
The reason I use propane is because I can use it for heat, cooking or running my dual fuel generator. With all those uses, you better have a good stock of propane. Let’s just say, I have way more than what my wife thinks I have. Hey, you never know 🤷♂️
Hopfully you are using low level carbon monoxide detectors and not Ul listed ones. Ul listed ones need to see 70 ppm co for 4 hours before going off.
For starters, I am not an expert! I have some limited knowledge based on using my gas powered generator during power outages from storms. I think the surge or "power lift" is important for items that draw high wattage upon startup like heaters and anything with a motor...the blender. I agree with the other comments that the heating elements are limited to 700W based on power station. If you ran the 'fridge or heaters long enough to cycle motors/heating elements you would see the wattage spikes again. This is an AWESOME video!!!. I enjoyed the $250 as well. Cheers!
That is true for many refrigerators as well. When the compressor kicks in they can surge to double or triple their normal running wattage. Cheaper fridges tend to be worse for this.
The solar panel does not come with the fuse, the spc suggests that you can install your own fuse with fuse rating up to 15A.
BTW, the Bluetti inverter will darw about 15W of power when it is on and no AC load connected, so you need to factor that into calculated the run time.
8:07 that is normal for PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater to draw high current when power is first applied, as it is heated up the resistance will go up so the less current will be flowing thus less power darw.
Do not use Power LIfting mode on sensitive electronics equipment, it is only good for resistive Loads.
Just worked 15hrs drove 2hrs home but i think ill watch this before bed 😅
Hey! these are some awesome vids! I see a lot of these are during perfect conditions, but would love to see a video on how it charges on rain or cloud, with low sun and maybe see how it powers something while charging, e.g a 100w appliance constantly on while simultaneously charging, during low sun to see how long it would last, not sure if you could do this but would be awesome!
When you plug together stuff like this, you seriously should turn the panels facing the ground. So they do not generate power while plugging things together. It is just much more save!
depends where you live..recently i reconfigured my solar , disabling most panels and also installing windmills,.....so i was on my backup power..6 100watt panels, plus batteries...gave me one light and a computer for 24 hrs consistently..this system cost around 4 k canadian with everything to go....in central ontario,canada...im currently working with panels,windmills and waterpower to make it more efficient.
I really like your presentation in this video, I'm tempted to get a setup with all the Black Friday deals
I've seen some great deals and would definitely recommend you buy a setup like this. Even a small setup that can run a fridge or some lights is nice during a power outage.
Honestly the best time for these sort of products. If you watch it, they generally go to 50% off for a few days or even a week.
Send me one of those bro
I’ve been waiting for bluetti to make a more affordable option but I didn’t think it would be this cheap and this good
just saw the EcoFlow Delta 2 on sale again for $399 earlier today, $699 with a panel. For perspective, we bought 2 of them with one 220w panels included in each's price over the past year and a half at $900 and $850, so that is a full 150 cheaper even with the same panel. These things are great for the price and the app is pretty neat.
I would love to see a $1000 setup. As for the value, I would say that the $500 setting is a much better value because it is far more capable. You are just way too limited in what you can do with the $250. While it's feasible, it's not practical.
I bought this exact same setup and hope to use it in my greenhouse for powering a fan and some cameras during the summer. Thanks!
I believe the way the microwave works is that on power 1, it just runs the motor that rotates the platter upon which the food rests, and it may have a vent fan running, for 90 % of the time, but 10% of the time, the microwave generator kicks in. On power 2, that would be 20% of the time on, 80% off, etc. That would explain why there was a low power reading, and then a spike that the generator can't handle. I am considering putting together a setup for high powered tools, like for my table saw, but the generator has to be able to handle the initial spike that is there when the device is turned on. With a fridge, it doesn't draw a lot of power unless the compressor is on, so the readings you had may not have been representative, if you didn't leave it on long enough to have the compressor kick in. Still, with a fridge, I doubt the compressor kicking in would cause the generator to fail. A table saw, or a shop vac, or anything like that, with an initial spike when the motor first engages, that's going to be a tough thing to power - I'm sure a lot of research will be required to find a suitable setup...
Adding on, Panasonic (and I'm sure others now) sell an "Inverter Microwave" that has true power stepping instead of using burst management.
Can you do a video on the EcoFlow Delta series? Considering getting one but want to make sure it's a good investment. I love your clear and comprehensive breakdowns man, keep up the good work
I grabbed a River 2 with a 45w portable panel for $189 from Amazon. Seemed like a good deal. I can grab a bigger panel at a later time.
Bargain.
Your microwave spiked because when you reduce the power setting it doesn't lower the cook temperature like a stove top would it just intermittently turns on and off the electromagnetic waves. They are still blasting at full level, just not as often.
Out of many many videos of this subject matter, it is THE most practical.
Thank You for doing this!!
Thank you, this is what I needed to know. I personally would want something that would last 16 hours of the day, then charge it at night (for AC mode).
Fun watching a video of a man with complete disregard for all his home appliances.
Power lifting lowers the voltage output to limit total power output (in watts). This can damage some appliances like AC & microwaves.
Exactly. I was worried about his AC and micro. A fridge shouldn't run with power lifting either. Only heaters and conventional cooking devices can use this mode safely. Anything with a motor or compressor will go wild and possibly break.
FYI, a 1200W microwave is the "cooking power" not the power consumption, they usually pull a LOT more power on start up and will always pull the max power regardless of power level, unless you have an "inverter" microwave (i think thats the term, only 1 brand does it & then the power levels do change to consumption). I have a "900w" microwave (the smallest I could find in my budget) and it pulls 1200-1300 watts on my AC180 which is rated for 1800w. Check the power levels on the box or on the back of devices
Good job. Nice simple looking presentation, but obviously was more complex than it seems. Showing the basic numbers (watts then run time) is very useful.
Could you please test an electric blanket with these batteries too? It would be good to know if I could use this setup for emergency power outages to stay warm.
just check what the blanket demands in terms of watts/volts/amps
I just tested electric blankets on my new bluetti 200L and in low it my electric throw 50x60 was pulling about 100watts
@ hey thanks
It's a small thing, but at 9:25 where you test the hot plate, you should know that the knob doesn't actually set the power output. It actually sets the temperature at which the electrical contact opens. It will operate at max power up to that temperature, then shut off completely until the contact closes again. So it may use an *average* power of less than the maximum value, but the instantaneous power will be all or nothing.
A cheaper Idea to expand your power is simply get a external battery, connect to XT60 port. It will act as a solar or car charger imput. So for a 1000$ setup, if you use the same powerstation and a big battery, you can double, quadruple your watt hour limit. Great video btw. check v=YAcNzTTvL_Y
Yep, with these power stations its great to be able to expand with batteries, thing is then you have to have a floating charger if those are only connected as a UPS.
How do these setups work in heat and cold for setup in a shed? In the teens in winter and 95-100F in summer?
Thanks for the video! I think the “power lifting mode” actually just lowers the output “voltage.” so it can technically run conductive things at like 100-110 volts or something. so it could damage something with electronic control chips inside or other sensitive electronics.
Exactly. It's very similar to Xboost in Ecoflow power station(when enabled sets voltage to 80VAC to run higher wattage appliances at a lower rate). It is recommended to use only with resistive load(heater, heat gun, electric stove, hair dryer, etc).
Super interested in solar charging! I hope i can get into it soon!
A 100 watt panel will get you 50w average for 5 hours on a "perfect" summer day ..kinda sucks.
@@leeinwis Depends on the angle, and also the heat. But 70-80w out of a 100w can be done. Thing is, cloudy and rainy days. That's why its a good idea to overpanel and see how much your powerstation or mppt charger can take, to try to get that maximum for those 5-6 hours of light if possible. Still, batteries are needed and those are the most expensive part...
Wow $500 will get you a really comfortable set up
Pretty cool for a small 500 watt setup, exciting tech…💥
Our old nemesis…the blender 😂
Try a AC unit
That TV uses 160 watts?!? Is it OLED? My 43" LCD TV uses about 45 watts. That's awesome that tiny power station can handle your refrigerators compressor startup surge!
This is great, this is the kind of information that i needed on Solar Panels and Generators. Yes $1000 dollar setup next! :-)
Its great when adults buy things with their own money.
Great video ‼️ but the microwave on the top of the fridge is crazy 😂
@fooprinthero a no nonsense, straight to the point channel, I just subscribed! 👍
rigid panels are a lot better.... but you can get 8x 100w panels for 267 bucks shipped right now with blkfriday coupons, thats about 31 usd each. crazy
More value for the money my opinion is the larger one , peace of mind consider less need to recharge and needing one more power source to keep fridge and A C, heater , running, unleaded you know for certain only need power for a small device with guaranteed always enough time to recharge ❤❤
It's good u came up with another solar budget video
This is amazing content. I am grateful! Thank you for sharing!
Out of pure honesty, a generator is the best back up power source ever. I have a battery bank I keep charged with a 40amp charger from pole, and a 5000 watt inverter going out from the bank. In the dead of winter, keeping water lines from freezing, I use heat bulbs and heat pipe wrap in water well shed and utility shed to keep cats and dog warm. Those alone use a lot of juice. I have 6 batteries in my bank so far. They will last about 4 hours until the inverter starts alarming and cuts out. So to have a longer period of time off grid when power goes out, I'd need 12 more batteries to add 8 more hours to equal 12 hours. There's been times I've come home from work and no power from the pole.
$40 for an XT60 connector and solar connectors is insane
Too much
There are 2 power consumptions, start up and run. so a cell phone start up at 30w and runs at 30w, where as an 800w microwave wil start up at 2100w for a second or two before settling to run at 1000w , a freezer with a marked 200w will draw 2100w start up before running at 200w. when you tested the microwave even at min power you didnt account for the start up wattage. if you have a 2kw gen, you can run a fridge, a freezer, a tv, and lights (800w) comfortably just as long as you have a boost facility to give 2500w temp power, then connect fridge first then when running at 200w add the freezer, then TV, THEN LIGHTS, after which the gen could handle it, its the start up draw most people forget, the average braw for white goods is 2100w very short start up before settling into the run power.
Yep, important to keep in mind those devices that have motors and compressors. Better to have more than needed than to be right on the limit or worse: not have enough. Also, planning for possible future expansions and uses.
Must watch!! Most useful info on the net.
I don't understand why people are buying these battery power stations. I bought two solar panels, a giant 300ah lithium battery, a solar charge controller and I already had a 3,000 watt inverter that I never use and hooked it up and I can literally run everything in my house for a lot longer. I was into it about this much money. If you can get a bigger battery bank it will get you through the night so in the daytime it's charging back up but this power station you have here would be wiped out overnight
Did you spend under $500 though?
Not including the 3000w inverter
I like your video it’s full of information 👍
If 2 PV panels gave 133 w charge, you could have run all three in parallel and charged at 199.5 watts.
You will not overload the bluetti with more panels it just wont draw more than 200w from them.
Overpaneling is a necessity :P
Thanks for doing this video Alex. I'm very new to power station and solar panel and have one question please. I just bought a "BLUETTI EB70" with a recommended "BLUETTI MP200 Solar Panel". The cable is said to be "MC4 cable". Does your "Solar extension cable" in your provided link work with the power station and solar panels I just bought? Thanks in advance Alex.
This is so helpful, I'm single and do a lot of computer work. I rent, and am wondering where I can attach my solar panels? It would have to be the second story roof and I would need to put safety fasteners (to also keep anyone from stealing them). This generator would work well for my needs!! Thank you so much!!
Excellent, practical video!
Can you charge it with solar and use it at the same time?
Great work this video was awesome!
Microwaves -- most of them on lower settings will cycle between full power and no power. A 1000 watt unit set on 25% will run for about 8 seconds on full 1000 W then 24 seconds of no power, then repeat.
Been really enjoying these! Tempted to figure out how to make something like this work on my apartment roof😅. Keep it coming!
I own four of these OUPES 2400 power stations - they're GREAT! You do not need to use both Anderson ports to solar charge. The manual is misleading! Anderson cables are a combined cable that can be separated so you need to use them (both)combined as one connection. Also, the VOC limit is 45. So, if you have those panels in "series" you could be over that limit and the unit will not charge. This could also damage the solar controller and void the power stations warranty!
Could you test some aliexpress pure sine inverters ?? That would be interesting as a video 👍
What about the amperage of the solar panels. It comes to 10.4 which is over the 8 amps limit of the power station ?
He never seems to talk about amperage for anything. Not for the devices and not for the panels.
Personally, I'd consider the $250 setup to be used just for handheld devices (phones, tablets, etc) during an outage. That way you devices will likely never fully die.
Use the slightly bigger ones for the larger devices.
I'd love to see the higher value setups at work. Though at this point in my life, I doubt i'd be able to afford much beyond the 500.
I live off the grid and I've been wanting to add solar cells with battery storage. Thank you for doing this!!
Can you set up in series with the Eco flow River with the Bluetti AC50B or would you have to use the same product line?
Well done.
heh , $500. wow, i paied less than $200. for all my solar stuff on temu ,, and before anyone sezzz anything about it , it all works grate no problems at all with it. ill be making some camping vids using all of it ...
Wattage on a microwave doesn't scale based on the power setting. The power setting only changes the amount of time the magnetron is on. i.e. Power level 5 is on for 5 seconds and off for 5 seconds. When it's on, it's still going to draw max power. Unless you have a microwave oven advertised as having with "inverter technology"
Bought two BLUETTI Power stations. Neither one would charge through the solar input. Returning them was a nightmare. It's been a month and I still don't have what I paid for. But other than that.....👍
Im using ecoflow river 2 pro,its dope❤
Using the branch connectors, your voltage is good... but aren't you exceeding the amperage input? Each panel is 5.5 amps, times two is 11 amps which is more than the 8.5 amp input on the Bluetti. Am I missing something?
I guess it is that what the max amperage power station can pull.
The amperage (if no one pulling it) will stay 0.
Please do the 1K set up!! Do you think your 500 dollar set up would work well for an enclosed trailer with a few lights, and a very small fridge and microwave?
The 750 wh Bluetti with 100 watt solar panel is on sale $510 black friday
Can you do a Video .. " HOW LONG CAN YOU RUN A SPACE HEATER " ..
Thank You 👍
I enjoy this guy a lot
Thanks for doing the testing!
Make another one. love these.
Can these things be used as a UPS? What would that do to the battery? Could it be used in place of a traditional UPS so its always charged for people who use it rarely for camping or blackouts.
Just a small point, if you want your cables to last more than a few uses don't pull the connector from the battery pack BY THE WIRES, you will destroy them pretty quickly, other than that a good informative vid.
The power on the microwave doesnt reduce power usage. It just "cooks" for a set time then stops "cooking". The lower the power setting, the longer the rest between cooking.
How much power would you need to run an average (or eco friendly) hot water heater and refrigerator? Want to build an off grid house and those are my primary goals as far as power is concerned. Thanks
9:27 The only thing the heat setting does is determine how long the burner stays on for. A lower setting does not mean less wattage. Electric stovetop burners always output their maximum power, no matter the temperature setting you pick. Setting it lower simply means that the burner will cycle off for longer before clicking on again to maintain temperature.
*Edit:* Same thing applies to microwaves. Even on the lowest setting, the magnetron still runs at full power. It just runs less often. You *really* should do more research on how this stuff works before making a video like this. I would start with binging the Technology Connections channel.
Depending on your solar input you could potentially run 3 panels to get closer to 200w. Will this limit the current to 200w or will it shut off if you push more than 200w into it with panels?
You cannot tag team the power supply that charges the battery. In other words as soon as you connect the battery to the AC voltage of your house, it disconnects the input from the solar side.
I just bought a gas refrigerator
Second hand
But a solar set up would be great specifically for the fridge
And also individually fir the washing machine if thats possible
Would that be more safe if every produkt has its own solar setup?
This is what i was thinking about.i could probably run a refrigerator on this.but do you think i could run it year around?
Novice here. What would i need to run devices such as a fridge/freezer, tv and maybe some lamps permanently off solar.
What are your thoughts instead of purchasing these items just go with the standard car battery and an inverter?
Id be interested to see you diy solar your house
So could you use this as a way to save money on power by running solar and grid at the same time, by going through the power station. Or is the power loss greater than the solar input.
Are solar panels worth it in the PNW? Especially in the dark winters when we are more likely to lose power
Thank you
Great content as usual. Thanks.
700 watts means you shouldn't power anything more than 700 watts. That 700 watts will only last 1 hour if your running at full power. Also, I think using Ohms Law you can easily figure our the amperage (which gives your electrons push) and the appliances you want to run so you don't overload and possibly burn out the solar battery/generator 🙂
you must own a lot of solar panels and batteries. Have you thought of doing wind power?
You run a 10-inch tablet off usb
It will run a lot longer than a laptop 💻 at 60 watts?
Thank you 👍🌞