SOLAR PANELS HOW TO CHOOSE - COMPLETE GUIDE - DOKIO 100W UNBOXING FULL TUTORIAL SETUP & INSTRUCTIONS

[@madcratebuilder]

Very nice, great video, thanks.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Steven, Don't miss out the second part to make up your mind about a Dokio Solar Panel! All the best

[@keithjetski3060]

Good video. Thanks for the instructions of the controller.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Keith ! Thank you for watching. A one year review on the Dokio will follow soon. Cheers :)))

[@DIYOutdoorLife]

This is really good! Rare to see such quality content on solar… a++

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Wow, thanks! 😊 Glad you think so and have enjoyed our video, we will come up in few weeks with a review on a BLUETTI portable solar generator kit !

[@mtwata]

What a great video! I'll binge watch your other videos this weekend :D

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Thank you so much Marcos, leave us a comment on the other videos, we always try to improve the quality and content of our episodes and thank you also for your support ! Cheers !!! :)))))

[@josemtb5983]

PERFECT REVIEW!!!!! Saludos desde España!

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Thank you! Saludos desde Turquía! 😊🙏🙏

[@KolokoLOVE]

useful video, thanks! cool glasses and haircut btw)

[@joxxxyalpharius2008]

thank you a lot, it was very instructive

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Thank you so much! 😊🙏🙏

[@bazg3910]

Excellent video I just bought the 160w and this really help thanks

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hey Baz ! Thank you so much ! :)))) Glad our video could be usefult to you ! All the Best

[@cstreicher123]

Hello Aldo Vera and Toto, Thank you very much for this informative video. There is one area on which you touch only a little: connecting a laptop to it. I have two questions about this: Is it possible to set the voltage on the load port on the controller? My laptop needs 19.5 Volt. Is it necessary to connect a battery when using the load port? Thank you very much, Christoph

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Christoph, to be fairly honest, i wouldn't connect my laptop directly to this budget solar panel or any solar panel at all directly but i will use a good charge controller, the one included does not allow that, and the load varies between 14 to 18 V (i guess) personally I do have a separate power station and a 12V to 19.5 V laptop car charger adapter, this is how i use my laptop in the car. Basically the solar panel is used to charge the auxiliary battery. You can find all our gear here : www.amazon.com/shop/alvetoexpedition Cheers ! :)))

[@noobone8413]

You should try a Powerfilm 100w solar , it will be for life. safe travel!

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Noob, probably, yes, this model is a budget model and after 15 months of use have lost 35% amp output, has discoloured and i don't think it will last much longer, i need to find a time to edit a follow up review, it ma y not be for everyone or extended use this Dokio 100W, we also have a Bluetti Kit power station + solar panel and that is performing way better... but obviously the price tag is higher ! Thanks All the best ! :))))

[@McZerrill]

Hi, is this solar panel also good for charging the car battery?

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Yes Sure ! it comes with all the accessories to connect it to the car battery and it work, only downside is that if used daily and for prolonged hours after 6/8 months it will discolour and you will lose 20% of amp, it will still work, but it will take longer to recharg the battery. For a cheap budget solar panel it's a good buy, on several occations our battery was drained and just in less than 1 hour we had enough power to start our car ! Cheers ! :)))

[@onejazzed]

Thanks 😊

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

No problem 😊

[@lorigranados6598]

Wow! Great video! So much useful information, thank you, for simplifying how to use the charge controller. I have two of these wonderful 100 watt Dokio solar Panels and would like to connect them together to charge my Ecoflow delta. Thanks again.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Iori, Glad it was helpful ! To connect them together you need to create a bridge from the charge controller of each panel - you will have two cables (crocodile clips) coming from the charge controllers and you need to connect the wires in a terminal block (mammoth) and have only 1 crocodile clips cable going to your battery. However to charge the Ecoflow Delta, i have no idea on how to do it because i understand you can connect the solar panel directly to the battery pack without the need of a charge controller. I understand you would need to redirect the positive cable of solar panel 1 to your Delta Ecoflow, the negative of Solar panel 1 connect it to the positive of Solar panel 2 and the negative of Solar panel 2 to your Delta Ecoflow. Try to get in touch with DOKIO so they can explain you better how to do it. click on our amazon link in the description (www.amazon.com/shop/alvetoexpedition) to send them a message, our listing is with the Dokio official store. Hope this helps ! Ciao !

[@raymaondg5618]

Can you place solar panel inside the car on windshield and leave in place to maintain battery

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Raymaond, hope you are well. Yes you can, you will get few amperes less but it will definitely keep the batteries topped up. I do advise however not to leave it for too long because it could overcharge the batteries, for example once you reach 13.8V 14V it may stress the charge controller. If you have a dispersion i would recommend to check how many amp / volt you loose over a week and position your camper/van (or the solar panel) in a way that is not in direct sunlight for many hours hence giving your batteries those 5/7 amp x day. Hope this helps. Cheers 😊

[@randallgd]

New Subscriber needing some advice Please! I just ordered a Vevor 12V, 53qt dual zone car fridge and a Acopower 100W 12V monocrystalline solar panel that will installed on top of our Suburban. That’s all the room on top cause of the roof cargo boxes. Using BLUETTI EB55 Portable Power Station 537Wh. Will this be enough solar for it keep up running that fridge?(nothing else). Should I add a narrow flexible solar panel (say 50watt) on one my cargo boxes? Problem is I hear nothing but bad about those. Thank for any insight or ideas!

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Stillearning, the Bluetti EB55 runs a 27qt fridge for 3 days on a full charge. It's not advised to keep the power station always connected to a solar panel while running a device. However with that power only to run a Fridge you will be covered by using your car battery connected to the solar panel. If you are using your vehicle full time maybe get a small leisure battery instead of an additional 50W solar panel. Hope this helps👍

[@tracycappel-rice6170]

I love this video. Thank you. My question is -We bought the same Dokio panels, and we get 14-15 volts, but the Amps never go over 2.1, no matter the conditions! Do you think we have faulty panel or connector? I have tried all times of the day. Keeping a log.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi tracy, Something is clearly wrong, I suggest you to send an email or message to dokio and get a repalcement, you shouldn't get more than 14.2-14.4V and definetly when the sun is up you should get between 5.2to 5.6 amp, I have been used the dokio for almost a year and the panels have discoloured a bit but i can still get around 4.0-4.2 amp. I am sure if you contact them (DOKIO) they will send you a replacement. All the best !

[@tracycappel-rice6170]

So I did reach out to Dokio, and received a different solar panel kit. The panels do produce more, but the solar controller is VERY different, and it doesn’t function the same as in your video. Wondering if I now have an older version? It has 3 buttons and smaller graphics. And the instructions are very complicated. I have written Dokio again. Thanks for the reply. (Loved your NZ bungy- Kiwis here)

[@mrgringo7289]

How are these panels holding up???

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Not very good, i do not recommend them for a prolonged use, after 2yr they give out half the amperage . Cheers 😉

[@saraspirito4198]

the battery i bought is a bluetti with no place for the alligator clips. do i have to buy a new cord to collect the controller to my battery?

[@saraspirito4198]

i can’t find any tutorials that address this :(

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

​ @Sara Spirito Ciao Sara, Are you Italian ? which bluetti did you buy ? the AC50 S ? are you thinking to buy the Dokio ? we recently made a video on a Bluetti Unit on our channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/pavanYargNV-paM if you are looking for italian audio content this is our Italian YT Channel : kzbin.info the Dokio comes with a connection cable that can fit a bluetti power station, without the need of a charge controller, i just need some more information to better help you. if you have instagram please send us a direct message there so i can reply to you quickly and easily. IG : @ alvetoexpedition talk to you soon :)))))

[@CH-iy4go]

Really helpful information here. I have been wanting to add a second solar panel to my 100Ah AGM battery to beef up the charge time during the day when I am also using energy. My system has a fixed 100w panel now. Can I use this panel with the alligator clips as my second panel to give me 200+ watts of charging? I like this idea of this panel because it is also portable and would serve a dual purpose. Thanks so much.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi There, and sorry for the late reply. Yes of course you can do that because you won't be linking the panels but sending 2 separate charges from 2 separate regulators ( Dokio and your actual system ). It will work. You can find the link in the description for the purchase. All the best, for anything else, just let us know. Cheers !

[@mirosz]

Thanks for that great video! I'm also considering buying this same 100w Dokio Solar panel but my goal is to charge the leisure battery in five days in a row behind the windshield and than use it on weekends when traveling a and camping. Do you thing that's good for that? And how to set the controller in such a case? Isn't 100w solar panel to much (according my 90Ah leisure battery)? Thank you.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Mirosz ! Thanks a lot ! The 100 W Dokio is a very good panel for week end uses. I suppose when your Camper / Van is stationary everything is off, if this is right, you don't need to leave the batteries under charge all week, because when you return from the week end the leisure battery should be fully charged by the alternator. Definetly behind the windscreen you will get some power, maybe short of 1 amp/hr, but on a long charge it can keep the battery fully charged ready for the weekend. I don't reccommend this however because there is always a risk that a short circuit may happen while away. in any case just 2 -3 hr of good sunlight will recharge a leisure battery so, you can take the dokio with you, park your camper and set the solar panel while you are using your accessories being stationary. You need to set the charge controller according to the battery type. if you have the classic lead -acid the factory setting of B01 is good for that. hope this helps ! 100W is a very good panel for 90amp especially if you only have a compressor fridge or a water pump in your camper and other small accessories. All the Best and good luck with the purchase ! you can find the amazon link for the dokio in the description. :))))

[@mirosz]

@@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng Thank you very much Aldo for your answer! My problem is that the leisure battery never fully charged by the alternator. And when we go camping for the weekend the battery is low. That's the reason why I consider buying this solar panel. Our camper stays outside in the parking lot for a week, and I thought it was a good time to charge the battery for next weekend. I admit I forgot risk of a short circuit in my absence. The leisure battery si needed for compressor fridge, water pump, central heating or ventilation, charging our cellphones/tablets and so on.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

@@mirosz I understand, in this case, it could be a good idea, i believe it would take no more than one day to recharge your leisure battery ( if you have your fridge off while parked ) , the dokio will definetly do the job behind the windscreen, one thing i advise you to do: when you first start doing this check every 2 hours the voltage of your battery and see how fast the solar panel charge your electrical system, if you see that after 2 days your batteries are fully charged then disconnect the solar panel and see how long it takes to discharge them without you using the camper. I believe good practice could be leaving the panel on Monday and Tuesday, then pause for 2 days and give it a final boost on Friday until you leave to go out camping. Also taking the solar panel with you will help you while you are stationary, on this occasion of course you can place it on the outside for more amperes production. If you want to buy it we have the amazon link below where you can find it. Also FYI we just published a new video about power stations and solar generators, maybe if your battery is old and you are thinking to renew your electrical system have a look at it because maybe integrating your system with a power station could save you some money comparing to rebuild the wiring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pavanYargNV-paM ( the video will be live 6pm GMT+2 time zone). Hope this helps

[@delaidobroibudshastliv]

Спасибо 🙏

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

нет проблем, спасибо за просмотр :))))

[@oldskool9783]

if your ever in the north east region of america, amybe you can help my wife and I set something up in our back yard.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Thank you so much !!! We have already been in that part of the world , but never say never !

[@MeilenPunktemehr]

Hi Alveto, thanks for the great content! Can I use the controller without hooking it up to a battery? In this case I would just occasionally charge a power bank from the USB port on the controller. I'm asking because you showed that you need to connect the battery before the solar panel. Thanks!

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Meilen, Unfortunately not ! It's not possible to use it this way, you will need to connect it to the car battery if you want to use the usb chargers. However you may be better off connecting the power bank to your 12V socket in the car, i am sure that a fully charged battery will not have problems doing this. Also if you need to recharge the power bank more times you could then just connect the solar panel to the car battery to keep it charged. Hope this helps. All the best !

[@lscinematics]

@@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng OK. So why on the case is info" This conroller can charge a usb divice without connecting to the battery..."

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

@@lscinematics it does say that indeed, but one person wrote me about this issue and told me that didn't work and i confirmed it as i tried myself, it also say on the case IMPORTNAT, so i guess the Chinese at Dokio are not that good in English and may as well as this spelling mistake there was a missing will NOT work. All i can share with you is my experience and once again i believe you may be better off buying a smaller portable solar panel built for recharging power banks or get this one but hook it to a car and use your car usb chargers at 5amp and not 2amp, it will take ages with the controller output of 2amp to charge a power bank. Hope this help! 🙏 cheers 😉

[@friedpickles342]

I just picked up the 160 watt version for $100 on ebay

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Well done! 😉👍👍 Cheers!

[@andreasbrandstetter9221]

I use the same panel but running it on a solar generator with mppt controller. For lead acid batterys the charging end voltage would be around 14.2-14.4V, ----13,7(8) would be for "static" charge not for cycle use. So we sadly do not know if the charge controller charges the battery to full (14.4V) and then drops to the 13.7 to trickle charge, which would be the right way. If the controller just charges to the 13,7V the battery would never be 100% full. The manual does not tell us anything about that......

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Andreas ! Hope you are well, I actually charged my batteries right up to 14.4 V, despite having the charge controller set at 13.8 V, i don't know if that was a display error but yes, after a good day on the sun, even with the fridge on, the batteries were full, i was actually worried that the panel may send too much power on them...If your concern is wether or not the panel can generate that sort of voltage, I have seen it and I believe it was correct. Considering that you have the same solar panel, you can set the charge controller to that voltage and see if it reaches it. however I understand that you have a solar generator hence i believe it's a Li-on battery so the voltage of the lead acid doesn't apply ( probably you should set it to B02). How do you find the Dokio ? I really think is a very good buy, for the price vs quality. Curious to know when you've got 5 minutes. Thanks !

[@HeinerStorchennest1]

Just sent back to Amazon this Dokio Panel. On the first glue, seems to be again, but only a few weeks later, it stopps working properly.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

we made a second part review, it's a cheap panel and so it must be used, not an everyday use panel.

[@Honest_reviewer]

Please make a smaller watt for the phone. 30 watts will be enough. It's too big and not portable.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi there, there are plenty small solar portable chargers for phones on the market, this is a different product, try on amazon or aliexpress.Cheers !

[@Honest_reviewer]

@@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng Ok thanks.

[@nachoarthurfong5954]

Not saying this is bad content …. there is lots of useful information. But this brand of panel is only good for none long term emergency. The controller is old tech and the panel can only produce about 60 to 70w top ant full sun. Also the panel degrades after only 6 months with the fabric fading and breaking up.

[@ALVETOEXPEDITIONeng]

Hi Nacho, Absolutely, I will publish a follow up video of this review as i found out also the problems you mentioned in your comment and if you read through the most recent comments we received I am also replying to others stating these facts. Hope you find our channel interesting and thank you for your feedback.😉😉