Review and tear down: Renogy E-Flex 10 Plus 10W USB Solar panel

This solar panel has a USB port that you can plug in your USB devices to be charged directly without the need of a battery. Is it really 10W? Let's find out!

[@oldbatwit5102]

Thank you for this real-life review. Some reviews just read what is on the box and that is no help.

[@mattmts]

Thank you! I was dubious of even 10W max with such small panels. Saved me from wasting my money on a poor purchase. 😊

[@popepaul4438]

Hi missed your Channel uploads you haven’t been uploading recently you must be very busy with your job anyway good to see you’re okay and look forward to do videos stay safe my friend

[@markstravelvideos4326]

That’s why most products like this recommend charging a power bank first, not directly to the electronics. Otherwise it would take a very long time to charge a phone.

[@Mapleaple]

Very nice. Also as a disclaimer in all solar panels like these that are small. Don't charge electronics directly especially when they are on. Highly recommend power banks with a better stable amperage. Charge those and then connect your device to that. You can maintain a little less around 0.8 to 0.9 amps with the panel on a good day. Which is perfect for most devices. Any less like a IPhone probably won't charge.

[@JesusFreakJene]

Thank you.

[@williammchugh4361]

Thanks a lot, great video and thumbs up! It's too bad we don't see more videos actually testing and examining other solar chargers. All we get on KZbin are lame reviews by sellers or people who just bought something and are not knowledgeable enough to do actual real testing. I have some 9 cell or I guess they would be 4.5 volt panels at 3 watts. I’m arranging 4 of these panels at 9 volts to make a small laptop bag style USB charger. I’ve also been curious about what Renogy used for their Constant 5 volt USB regulator. Definitely proprietary looking. Looks like when you plugged in the I-pad the voltage coming off the panels was pulled down too much causing the regulator to stop working. That's likely an issue because the panels only put out 5 volts to start with which is probably a borderline voltage to even run the regulator. Pull that voltage down more with a bigger load and goodbye. The shading issue on the single cell would also cause the voltage to drop, and this panel doesn't have any voltage to spare! I think the chargers Renogy came out with later run with panels of higher voltage, 6 volts and above so these have more headroom to drop and still operate. One other thing, maybe I'm missing something but where are the capacitors on that regulator to buffer the output? I'm not seeing any. Maybe they couldn't use them with 5 volt panels?

[@electronic7979]

Nice item

[@howardlee53]

What was the short circuit volts and amperage?

Judging from the size, it looks like 2 5W peak panels. I have a 15W panel and it usually only provides 1A, but I know it‘s 15W. Just that the sun intensity is low.

[@fred.nestler814]

GOOD VIDEO. I AM INTO SOLAR ALSO. THEY MAKE BOOST CHARGE CONTROLLERS THAT CAN BE USED TO CHARGE EBIKE BATTERIES. HOW ABOUT A VIDEO ON THIS---MYSTRO?

[@danielvazquez7482]

The manufacturer forgot to mention one needs to plug it in on the equator.

[@rebelsouljah8630]

are you vietnamese i am viet to im going to order this thanks for making this video

[@s76103]

10watts if you face it directly to the sun surface.

[@matthoward1174]

The controller must be PWM, and should be MPPT. Waveshare makes a good one. Just snip out the old one, and screw in the new one.

[@acemarcola]

Megawoodswalker did a review on this panel if you’d like to learn about solar panels. I’m sure this you tuber is very intelligent maybe just not on solar panels.

[@GarretKrampe]

With all Chinese Solar products .. divide by 5 for Chinese Batteries divide by 1000

[@uzhavarasan4505]

To get western products efficiency, you have to divide the output with 10000000. Very poor quality but high price.

[@rogerxu5944]

You get what you pay for.

[@neironasgautamas654]

one side not working at all so maybe u got broken one?

[@acemarcola]

If it didn’t turn off and back on then it would stay off, you would come back and there would be no charge, it’s a feature not a bug🙄

[@ТомчукВіталій]

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[@Free__Speech]

Solar panels are always half the power 🔋

[@nosafetyswitch9378]

This IS a 10W module BUT it need MPPT to achieve this, this means that its output voltage need to change depending on the MPP. So having constant output will NOT achieve that. You could built your own MPP tracker BUT it won't charge through USB, you need to charge batteries instead and have a separate charger circuit that uses those batteries to charge your devices.

[@CIVILDEFENSEBUNKER]

Wrong

[@nosafetyswitch9378]

@@CIVILDEFENSEBUNKER care to elaborate?

[@DIYwithBatteries]

That's totally bad probably it's the cells on the panel

[@jameshall7539]

apple devices are very picky charging

[@AS-vt7mg]

I can't take this serious at all. You can't expect to get the 2 amp, surprised you even got one, because of the length of that cable you used. And why cover a cell? What are you trying to prove? This is a simple solar panel. 2 times 10 cells of .5V each. 2 panels of 1 amp in parallel. If you want to do a proper test. Get a short cable to take the cable resistance out of the equation. People are getting the wrong impression of products because of videos like this.

[@paulbienvenu5494]

Why do a video on solar panels when you confuse amps and volts and watts all the time

[@vuaeco]

Point out exactly what part of the video did I get them confused?

[@generalawareness101]

I just have zero confidence in any flat/flexible solar panel.

[@DIYwithBatteries]

Exactly

[@generalawareness101]

@@DIYwithBatteries What is awful is that if they are kept outside for any length of time they sort of disintegrate too. A total waste of money for anyone who has ever purchased one.

[@HDXFH]

The sun buggers them up in no time

[@generalawareness101]

@@HDXFH Yep.

[@supersoni126]

Mine have worked fine for the past 3 or so years. I have a 130w flexible solar panel on top or my car that keeps my 100ah lifepo4 battery topped up while running my iceco mini fridge. And I use the Renogy two panel 50w folding panel to charge my anker powerhouse 200.

[@uzhavarasan4505]

Difference between Chinese and western products, were Chinese are low cost but western products are poor quality with high price.

[@zeez3139]

"Western products " everything is asian

[@ptaing8]

All Chinese products! Just the lebal westerner!

[@ТомчукВіталій]

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