Solar Power Station Alternative to GAS for Camping RV - VTOMAN

[@BrucesShop]

Thanks. It takes an open mind to do this. I love it. It is time.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I'm a little set back after walking the isles at the home improvement stores a month back. Gas equipment is set in the back and only makes up 5-10% of what's available. Honda is calling it quits in mowers, weed eaters etc. Gas chainsaws are a vintage reminder of the past. Toro is transferring to eletric. About the only gas thing left is generators and I'm sure that's going to come to a end before I like. So I thought I'd take a peak at what these are made of.

[@RonHelton]

@@sixtyfiveford Yep, I am seeing a lot of that now. Even the resellers of Amazon returns and salvage have a lot of battery powered equipment for sale in their stores here.

[@mudgyver5205]

@@RonHelton I even understand that gas powered generators sales are being banned here in California as of 2028. Some say that the state parks have already done so but I’ve yet to confirm this. I’ll find out once my turn comes.

[@bendeleted9155]

But bring the generator anyway or you'll be sorry.

[@bendeleted9155]

​@@mudgyver5205 so far, they just limit generator hours to 10:00am-5:00pm in CA state parks that i use.

[@russ22f]

That's definitely one of the better all-in-ones. The downside is that 200 watts of solar wouldn't be enough for a power outage that lasted for about a day and a half even with the extra battery. I always enjoy you videos. Some of the best DIY fixes on youtube.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seem to go bad every 2 years. I'll likely charge it via gas as I feel solar is very inefficient and unpractical.

[@Wil_Liam1]

Sure it would if all you used it for was lv DC led lighting and ran the fridge intermittently utilizing the cooler hours to rest this power supply while solar charging it at 180 during the entire daylight span,and in reality,coming from someone who lives in the deep south with summer temps above 100 all day for weeks or months at a time and humidity close to 90% all summer long the only time one needs ac or fans is at nighttime or sleep periods... Then again I'm 58 years old and went without ac until I was in my teens when ac started becoming more the norm..

[@tbyoda9475]

@@sixtyfivefordmount a 5-6 100 w panels to the top for your camper that you can tilt up, that power station should self regulate the solar panels input.

[@rednecktek2873]

I love my solar generators but they all have the same problem and that is energy density. Fill the tank on a generic 2Kw generator, top up the battery on a 2Kw solar generator, throw a load on both and see which dies faster. Every single time the gas generator will last MUCH longer and you can refill a gas generator at night if need be whereas you might get 5 hours of good sunlight in a day if you're constantly moving the panels around. They're definitely handy, but they're no substitute. This unit also shows a common problem with solar generators in that you can't refill it on solar. The Vtoman has a 1500Wh battery, but 200w of panel (in perfect conditions) by 5 hours of good solid sun means you can only get 1000wh pumped back into the 1500wh battery. You'd need at least 8 hours assuming you ran NO load off the unit while you're charging, so for all your daylight you can't use the unit.

[@mudgyver5205]

I’ve tried the power station thing and uhhh…..my EU1000 will outlast the power station. I went camping and figured I can use my E-GO Power Station. I took almost 40 amps in batteries for it. You can run up to four batteries at once on it. You can deplete up-to three batteries and switch them out at once (depending on what you are running) without turning off the unit. I can charge the batteries with the RV’s solar panels and switch out batteries to keep it going but I noticed it saying I could run for like 6 hours.on the setup I was using. However after a few minutes of that runtime I noticed time drop rapidly on the higher wattage draw, say from 6 hours to like 4. My batteries I believe are Li-Ion and fairly new. I was curious to know if you have tried letting your system run and allowing battery settle to see if the runtime drops quickly or it stays true to its original reading. Thanks in advance and keep up the good educational videos.

[@RaysLaughsAndLyrics]

Another option for use with a gas generation setup.. no system is perfect. One can definitely work with the other to give options not given when used separately. More robust than lead acid battery bank, if used for that purpose. Price point is always an individual choice and personal priorities are also a consideration. Thanks for the info.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die. Where I live the power virtually never goes out. I think the longest the power's ever been out in my life is probably 12 hours.

[@RaysLaughsAndLyrics]

@@sixtyfiveford Good choice. You obviously thought out your purchase well. Thanks again for your manual tire machine mount/ dismount bar designs.. Built both.. Use the latest version for alloy wheels ..the earlier design for steel wheels. Always great content on your channel. Happy camping.👍

[@roberthutchison315]

Good to see you into these, great gear. Always room for a gas generator too though.

[@sixtyfiveford]

For sure there's always room for gas.

[@mymorristribe]

Good explanation of LiFPO vs LithIon. I have frequent brown outs and have been searching for a solution for my sensitive appliances. Thanks!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Brown outs would suck. There are a few brands that make UPS devices just for black/brown outs to keep computers happy. They automatically switch when the power fails.

[@pathaze4299]

That's a really cool battery bank. Really useful for someone living in a small otg home or for a jobsite instead of a generator. But see a generator will always be above battery banks, especially in a major crisis like a big power outage, because fuel is more readily available. I'm looking into getting one of those little portable Honda/Predator generators some day. Nice and quiet, especially if you box em up with plywood. I remember that trick from ya.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I don't live somewhere where the power ever really goes out I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@keeperoftruth5951]

In a long lasting power outage fule will not be readily available for long and once its disappeared say like a week then even if you do have fuel the sound of you running a generator will be like ringing a dinner bell that many in all directions will hear and will come for

[@ChrisTheMobileMechanic]

Neat idea for a back up to a backup maybe

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@Popeyes66]

Good demonstration. Very thorough. No fancy graphics ,just a visual practical explanation. Doggy gets to eat too. All is well at the Sixtyfiveford home.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks Man

[@jvin248]

How about solutions for water well pumps that are 240v (2x120v)? Can these provide that? Others? That was my stumbling block when building my solar setup.

[@Wooble57]

240v 60hz is hard to find. If your pump will run on 50hz, you could import something from elsewhere in the world.

[@gorak9000]

Matthias Wandel reviewed a different brand of these where you can link 2 of them together to give you 240V. There's just a cable that goes between 2 units to keep them phase synced 180* out of phase with each other. He shows running is 240V table saw off of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/imGVl6BjbNCooNU

[@sixtyfiveford]

I think the issue is battery Bank solar panel systems are generally pretty weak. So when you think of 240 volt you think dryers and ovens and other 40 50 amp services. I'm sure your pump only pulls 10-15 amps; which is easily doable. So if they made readily available 240 volts units everybody would complain they couldn't run their stove or their dryer, etc.

[@EMNM22]

Great product! I have to get myself one OR TWO! This would great in my 9x12 shed or in a micro homestead situation! 🤘😁 Thanks for sharing!

[@sixtyfiveford]

They seem handy. Better than a lead acid battery and inverter.

[@todh8033]

looks like its $2930. dollars for this set up with a 24-month warranty. I'll stick with my Honda generator that I know it will run more than a couple years

[@sixtyfiveford]

It was closer to $2000 with everything. About the same price as my 2 Honda 2000s that I've been stopped from using several times camping/and in my motorhome while traveling.

[@googacct]

I have built a couple of DIY solar/battery battery systems. However I did decide to buy a solar generatory from a different company for the compactness and portability. It is nice to have around to run various power tools when grid power is not close, but I would not want rely on it to get me through a long term power outage.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I only use generators for recreational purposes. Camping , RV etc as the power virtually never fails where I live. So I'm looking at no noise nighttime use with these.

[@D2O2]

I primarily use a generator for backup power and comparing this unit to my small inverter gen during the last outage that lasted just about 24 hours. Since the outage happened late in the day, the featured unit would have gotten me through the nite on the initial charge, but would have been in trouble come morning when the battery is now dead, but solar input wouldn't be enough to power the load and charge the battery before night fall. I will stick with the generator.

[@bombardier3qtrlbpsi]

There are so many to choose from 😅😅 Was thinking of one. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the review.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die. Too snowy cold right now too show any camping stuff so figured I'd see what it could power around the house.

[@ericscott6682]

Oh yeah 😎. Very nice?👌 Can it run my 7cubic foot freezer? And my small refrigerator?

[@roberthutchison315]

They do great on a chest freezer and fridge. They run for a little while then kick off. Solar recharging tends to keep up with them.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Ran my 21 cubic ft freezer with no issues. Don't open my freezer all the time so I bet you would go two solid days maybe longer. The full size fridge used about 30% of the capacity in 5 hours but I opened and closed the fridge probably 20 times. I would guesstimate it would run a small fridge and small freezer for a minimum of a day but probably two solid days with a normal amount of opening.

[@eamonnmckeown6770]

Seems cool. The prices took me for a whack though. lol. I just got my first gas powered generator on govdeals - gotta go pick it up this week. $196 not running Guardian 15,000W. A project for sure. One of these would be great for summer storms and the bedroom window a/c ( theVTOman) - although it seems it would be noisier than the dual inverter a/c. What I did learn about today was that lithium iron phosphate is a thing. I deliver food on a 125cc Buddy so the constant stop start is hard on the Weize AGMs I use. I think I'll have to try a MightyMax LiFeP04 next time - about $50 more.

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's a big generator!

[@eamonnmckeown6770]

@@sixtyfiveford Almost 400lbs. Yikes. Lol.

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

My NOT VERY SMART neighbor has a 15000w generator. It eats almost a gallon of gasoline per hour. He runs it constantly when the power is out and can't use 90% of the power because he has a 6 circuit transfer installed but didn't include the kitchen outlets or range. His daughter brings her thermos to my house every morning because they can't even make a pot of coffee..... I use a 3500w converted unit, use approx 1 gallon of propane pre day and every outlet in the house is hot when the generator is cycling...

[@eamonnmckeown6770]

@@twistedhillbilly6157 bravo.

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@twistedhillbilly6157 All gas generators unless they're an inverter, that idle down to meet the exact load seem to waste probably close to 50-75% of their gas/energy. They run full throttle just waiting for refrigerators AC units to cycle on and off. Those generators would be way better off if they had a battery bank that could be charged up off of the wasted energy. You could then run the gas generator for 12 hours and then run off of the battery bank for 12 hours with no noise. Rinse and repeat daily. That's exactly what I plan to do with this little battery bank for my motor home/ camping. I can run my Honda's during the day with my AC on and charge the battery bank and at night still run a bunch of devices in quietness.

[@ProleDaddy]

The battery in my wife's Huawei phone would like to disagree with you on the charge/discharge cycle capacity of a lithium ion battery. We've had that phone for 4.5 years now and, let me tell you, that battery gets a workout with her and it's still working great. I'm absolutely shocked. I got the same phone at the same time and have been in and out of extreme cold temperatures for with me for work over the years and my battery only lasted about 3 years, which is still typically better than I've gotten out of other ones. Her and her phone are pretty much in a nice room temperature environment all the time.

[@sixtyfiveford]

The comparison I gave was really simplified. Generally, the usable life of a lithium battery, any source is deemed over after it loses about 20% of its capacity. Lithium ion batteries in heavier drain devices like tools and solar generators like I showed, have a harder life and a shorter lifespan than a cell phone. So a lithium ion battery has a general life of around 300 cycles before it loses 20% of its capacity versus the 3000 cycles of a LiFePO4. How far are you drain it and or charge it and at what rate all plays into its life. There are figures that show LiFePO4 going 7000 cycles which is nearly 20 years if you discharge and charge to every single day. But I generally run cell phones for about 4-6 years and most need a battery around the 4-year mark, some 3year and some never. But even the ones don't need it they definitely don't have the full capacity as they did new.

[@christophernalbone6299]

Maybe I missed it, but what does this device cost? And what is the cost of replacement batteries?

[@dalesworld1308]

The link is right there to buy. Not cheap.

[@joshpoole6056]

Right now they have ridiculous coupons, you can get the 1800 with a 1568 extra battery for right around $2000 I think. That's pretty good considering it was running about $1 a watt output before.

[@sixtyfiveford]

They're still kind of pricey but nearly half what they were years ago. The main unit was around $900. Everything in the video main unit, linkable battery and 2x solar panels was just over $2000. Not cheap but I figured I wanted to see everything they could do.

[@whatusername1234]

On the positive side, having a dc input that requires 12 to about 30v and only draws about 170 watts...is that you can use tool batteries (i would not use any battery pack below 5ah also realize that you need to disconnect the battery when its voltage drops to about 15v in the case of many 18v tool batteries as this is their low voltage cutoff point to protect the battery pack) to charge it in power outrage situation when no solar is available...also can use jump packs with 12v 10amp outputs just do not plug two dc inputs at the same time into the dc in ports with the solar panels being an exception

[@trxtech3010]

Pretty cool I wouldnlove to have one of these just for doing jobs where there is no electricity and or where it's hard ti get electricity/camping and such. However I don't see these things ever lasting more then 3 to 5 years before the batteries are depleted even though they may claim other why's. Still really cool I would love to have one!

[@redneckbryon]

They both definitely have their pros and cons, but the biggest complaint or problem I see with these new style battery backup Generators that are on the market is, No UPS Mode. I brought the same issue up on NoNonsenseNoHows's channel as well and received mixed opinions in the comments. I look at these as more of an inconvenience, especially if they don't have a UPS mode. Also in an emergency you need to make sure it's charged. With your smaller Honda Generator, there are fuels you can use, such as TruFuel, that have a long shelf-life and no Ethanol. Something you forgot to mention, when a motor starts it pulls more power, so if the furnace or refrigerator is cycling it might not run as long as you think. Lastly, we must not forget mining lithium or lithium batteries in general, are more harmful to the environment in certain situations than Gasoline or Diesel.

[@sixtyfiveford]

There are a few brands that work as a UPS. However personally I consider these more of a portable camping, outdoor, remote work, etc tool. I know I based the video around the home, but that was just for testing as snow is still on the ground. Gasoline is still the king by far but Lithium is being pushed and will be for a good number of years/decades. It's politically green right now too go down the lithium/solar dead end, but we'll get there soon enough.

[@redneckbryon]

​@sixtyfiveford Going Green is definitely the new Fab if you want to refer it that way. It's unfortunate that more individuals are not looking at the potential long-term side effects. We have other more let's call them stable renewable resources, that need to be more looked into, such as Methane, an individual near Hamilton Ontario Canada has developed a way to refine Methane into a usable fuel it's just lacking government approval. But with our Liberal Government here, good luck getting it.

[@foxwood67]

Save you generators to charge these when the power goes out. Solar charging is an option but what if it’s raining. Lol. They are useful I’ll admit. For now I’ll keep my 3.5k and 12k gennys

[@yodasbff3395]

Nice backup batteries. I would like to see an option where you can get 240 V power when you have the second battery. Ginger is a real sweet heart. 🥰

[@sixtyfiveford]

240v would be nice. I think the issue is if you make a 240v everyone is going to try and run their stove off of it, which it can't handle. I did open it up and the circuit board is labeled 120v for North America or 240v for the Europe market with 120v circled. The board looked as if it was missing a few components that likely make it 240v. She was very curious why I was heating the chicken breast. She'd eat it cold all day long.

[@fearofchicke]

Don’t these damage sensitive electronics when paired with heavy draw items like demonstrated in the video?

[@sixtyfiveford]

The entire damage sensitive electronics with inverters is kind of a scam. The reason being is virtually every single sensitive electronic uses a voltage filtering device/inverter anyway. Take a laptop and read the power supply. Generally, they'll take 100-250 volts AC 50-60hz and convert it down to 12v-24 volts DC, or whatever the laptop needs. So the built-in power supply convert virtually any source of electricity into clean electricity for the device. Yeah it wasn't good for it when I was overloading it with two heat guns/ 3,000 watts. I'm sure it was clipping the voltage down to 90 to 100 volts in that scenario with the HZ staying the same. So if I had a laptop plugged in at the same time it would have likely ran the exact same and or maybe just shut off. What kills power supplies is voltage spikes so if the voltage jumped drastically then you would short some stuff out. That doesn't seem to be the case or possible with these inverters.

[@DAS-Videos]

That was a very through review. I was wondering if it would power a window AC, and you tested that. One great thing is it can run indoors. But once the juice is gone we would have to get the gas powered generator.

[@sixtyfiveford]

You got me curious with your ebike. I had to see what these could do.

[@not2fast4u2c]

That would be enough power for me to go to my cabin on vacation

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seam to go bad every 2 years.

[@haneyoakie14]

Cool! All of my dogs are not going to be picky if the chicken sandwich is warm or cold. And the chihuahua would eat the pickle for sure. The boxer would probably eat the pickle accidentally while gobbling down the sandwich so fast to keep the Yorkie from finishing hers and then stealing his.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Ginger was just playing the role. she'd eat the sandwich frozen or sitting in a pile of dirt.

[@talon0863]

Do you have a generator that runs on natural gas?

[@sixtyfiveford]

I have in the past but not currently. The power rarely if ever goes out where I live. I mainly use generator power for camping/ RV use.

[@jameskim62]

LOVE YOUR DOG !!!!!!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks

[@donfrommpls778]

Thanks for making this video!!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks for watching

[@murphymmc]

Check your warranty....most of those do 24 months which I consider pretty lousy for the investment. If they fail after that, you have a toxic boat anchor as there is no one anywhere who repairs them. The company, after the warranty expires, will either ignore you or flat out give you the SOL clause. When they work, they're great, definitely handier than a gas gen.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Not concerned about warranties as these are essentially just a battery. Really nothing to them inside. If the electronics failed in 4 years, I could just simply hook up another inverter to the batteries inside.

[@jo9732]

Are these things somewhat water proof? Not like from spray with a hose but if you had like a small mist on it from driving rain.

[@sixtyfiveford]

This one has been outside running on my deck for over a month now. It's been rained on a dozen times. No issue.

[@selador11]

I love it. But it's not a generator. The solar panel is the generator. The solar panel takes fuel, (the sun), and turns it into electricity. So it is the 'generator'. The power it generates can be used directly, or through many different devices. The box is just storage, an inverter, and various power ports. Plug the box into the wall instead of the solar panel, to charge it up. Now, where is the 'generator'? Clear back at your power company location. I made one myself, at least 30 years ago. Marine deep cycle battery, inverter, a couple ports and outlet. Etc. I never called it a generator. Maybe we should start calling it a "Generator replacement"...

[@sixtyfiveford]

100% is not a generator.

[@joshpoole6056]

I was kicking myself for buying the same power ff power brand unit for $999 bc it doesn't have linking capabilities but after seeing you explain that it only increases battery life but not output I feel ok again. With the current coupon they have for all of these vitoman packages (one was $1200 off) still think this is a slightly better deal. Thanks for the info.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yeah exactly. The only reason I got the linkable battery was it was cheap at $750 bucks for 1548wh($0.48wh). The biggest downfall to the linkable battery is you can't charge it without the main unit connected nor use it solo. It's probably worth the extra $150 bucks just to buy a second main unit vs the linkable.

[@73turbopinto]

I'll stick with my 10K watt 250.00 dollar Briggs.

[@hiz-n-lowz1577]

Breaks & Scrappem!

[@fearofchicke]

@@hiz-n-lowz1577that’s just a part of the cycle of race motors.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I don't live somewhere where the power really ever goes. I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@Nudnik1]

I have a few Honda 2000 i for twenty years already. Never failed run all day on construction project s. If that is made in Ccp China slave labor prisons admitted I don't want it...nor should anyone....

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@keeperoftruth5951]

You know where Honda makes their products?....it's not Japan

[@Nudnik1]

@@keeperoftruth5951 Mine all say Japan ..

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Snack time and I better keep the old 5K Coleman with the Briggs flathead and the Onan 2.5. Thanks, but the less electrical stuff I have, the better off I am. BLESSINGS!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Nothing beats a Briggs flathead

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@sixtyfiveford The Onan is also a flathead with a 4-pole 1800 r's and I'm also partial to all air cooled Wisconsin's and 301 cast iron 12 horse Kohler's BUT I have an old Kawasaki 6 horse overhead valve off a dead Deere hand mower I shoehorned in a 21 inch Snapper that has been WONDERFUL! The ONLY overhead valve in my stable.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Is it possible or safe to use an old style non sin wave generator to charge one of these?

[@sixtyfiveford]

Absolutely.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Don't think you have to use this exact brand. This was the best deal for a unit that actually had good reviews when I picked it up. They all utilize a power converter(black box I showed) that take anything from 110-240v and convert it to clean power to charge.

[@rharris7635]

As soon as ginger figures out to warm her sandwiches she will not need to bother you at all!

[@sixtyfiveford]

I wish she needed me for that. Unfortunately she was just playing the part and wouldn't hesitate to eat the sandwich frozen or in a pile of dirt.

[@heavymetalmadman3533]

awesome vid

[@chuckbaldwin9105]

Thanks for the intriguing info...likely will stick to my gas powered electricity sources for a while...2 questions..does Ginger like waffle fries? which C.F. sauce is doggies favorite? 😅

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seem to go bad every 2 years. I don't ever really have power outages.

[@TravisL.Desmadreson]

Killer content! Keep up the great work!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks for watching

[@oliverlloyd8762]

IMO a solar power station will not be competitive with a gas generator until you can recharge it as fast as you can refill a generator with gas. Also, the price difference and operating time of a couple hours on one charge compared to gas 8hrs on a tank of gas is another negative. Generators can run on several sources of fuels. It takes coal, solar or wind to charge a power station needing a lot of extra hardware to be functionable. Noises the biggest negative of a generator, but then you can always build a generator box.

[@benmudn]

Why so low of solar input? That kills it for me. Good deal with coupon, otherwise. To be somewhat sustainable, one would need 600w of solar.

[@sixtyfiveford]

I think there's a few good reasons. The slower the charging the better for longer battery lifespan. The ideal charge rate for lithium is around 1c-2c. With some rough math, that looks like it would be approx 100 watts-200watts of solar. These are really meant to be portable for camping/rv and 6, 100 watt panels would be obnoxious. I did the math and found one wouldn't be quite enough for me. You shouldn't be using more than 75% of its capacity so my charge times should only be around 5-6 hours@200 watts.

[@benmudn]

I've got 100w flexible panels that weigh around 5lbs. I need around 6000wh a day. It sure would nice to not have to deal with fumes, noise and supply of the gas generator, but just don't see spending $3-4k for something that will probably be 1/3-1/2 or so less in a couple years.

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@benmudn Since my main use for this would be RV/ camping, I figured I would already run a generator for a few hours doing the day. During this time I would run my AC or whatever else and charge this of the same time. That way at night/ evening I can be in silence. I did open it up and look around inside and I can easily add a higher rate charger to the cells.

[@dosiodosev740]

Thanks

[@watcherofwatchers]

I look forward to solar generators being more reasonably priced, especially since the batteries will only last a few years. They're excellent for a lot of applications around my property - just not for the price. It's early days yet for this industry, so I know they'll be reasonable soon enough.

[@sixtyfiveford]

They're pricey but these are about 1/2 the price as some on the market. I just went off figures that hard core solar generator guys go off of in terms of value. They compare cost per watt hour and last year a $1 was considered cheap. These were 0.48-0.58 cents per watt hour.

[@wtbm123]

Cool

[@timthetoolman4575]

Maybe someday for me, but I really like my tri-fuel generator

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seam to go bad every 2 years.

[@flick22601]

Now they just need to add an air compressor, light and pressure washer to it.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Lol

[@talon0863]

Thanks Good info

[@sixtyfiveford]

Thanks for watching

[@BA-zy2kb]

You let the genie out of the bottlle. Ginger knows exactly where the stash is…

[@sixtyfiveford]

I know!

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍Thank you

[@sixtyfiveford]

Hey thanks for watching

[@jkjk-hj7hb]

What is better ?

[@sixtyfiveford]

There's really no clear answer. If you are in an area with hurricanes where you could be days without electricity a gas generator would be better. That is until you run out of gas and gas stations have no gas, then the solar battery bank. This one has one huge flaw that I found after months of testing; the solar charge abilty is only 200 watts and that isn't enough to replenish it in a day. Especially if you're using it. You's want one that can charge at 600(min) or way more and the solar panels to do so.

[@patrickpk6299]

well you can use your gas one to recharge it...solar isn't gonna cut it in a long outage

[@sixtyfiveford]

That's my exact thoughts. Honestly solar as a whole is weak and near worthless.

[@DougAskin]

Impressive

[@sixtyfiveford]

I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC with 35C 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@DougAskin]

@@sixtyfiveford I suppose you can charge it from the alternator also while you're driving

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@DougAskin Yeah, it'll charge while I drive.

[@Flowing23]

solar is starting to give gas a run for it 👍👍

[@sixtyfiveford]

It is with the batteries. I don't know if I'm sold on it yet but it's at least a usable technology now.

[@hojo70]

$1400 for a glorified battery pack with an inverter that will only last 5-10 years (the lifespan of LiFePO4). Best case that's $140/yr, worst case $280/yr. No thanks I'll keep my gas generator and use it forever.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Your right it is just a battery pack with a nice inverter. It was around $900 (they always put coupon codes). The problem is when you research the lifespan that can be misleading. They measure the lifespan to when the battery falls below 85% capacity. That's still a very usable device. I use it more for camping/ motorhome travel. So I'm comparing it to my lead acids that only last me 2-3years for about $300. This one $900 unit has double the usable capacity over a $300 lead acid so it's essentially equivalent to a $600 lead acid battery. Absolutely there's no replacement for gas but these are a great addition.

[@sixtyfiveford]

@@willboudreau1187 If you were using these for a power out situation they would work great combined with a gas generator. Run the gas generator during the day while charging these with the generator. Shut the gas generator off the entire night while the batteries run everything you need. When I travel in my motorhome I have two Honda EU 2000s which handle most everything. But a lot of places have quiet hours and I'm left with nothing to power most devices. These could charge all day with gas and run me all night.

[@jampam-jf8mt]

​@@sixtyfiveford lead acid is false economy. These last 10 times longer and can safer be discharged down to 20%. Lead acid are difficult to recover and only has 50% usable capacity. These are also much safer. Gas = fumes plus noise, no thanks

[@corey6393]

I really expected you to throw that chicken sandwich in a microwave powered by the battery unit thing. Ginger don't care, as long as it's hot!

[@sixtyfiveford]

Honestly she'd eat it frozen without a care.

[@curiosity2314]

I'm thinking another ten years and we will have a battery I would purchase. You threw around 1000 watts at this battery and it lost 1% in seconds. We are getting close battery wise but we are not there and they are asking stupid money for these things. You have to consider longevity also which is also not there although good. Don't get me wrong I'm 100% onboard with this tech but our new admin is going to create a huge setback for us in the U.S. It's good for China though. A little extra $ and I got a gas/nat-gas generator portable with electric start. We are very very close to licensing battery tech from China the way I look at it.

[@OeStErA1EsCo]

We have used the kzbin.infoUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

I hate that they call these things "solar generators" instead of what they actually do

[@sixtyfiveford]

True, but I guess technically they generate electricity when the solar panel is plugged in. So it's technically a solar generator with battery storage. By itself though it's just a battery.

[@onlywenilaugh6589]

Not a generator for sure. Marketing uses that and I wish people woudl stop calling batteries a generator. Gas/propane much better as it provides more power and for longer and easy to refill. Easy to show a battery running a drill but that will be short lived unless you are going to pay thousands for a large enough battery bank to do the work of a much cheaper gas generator. Also, in storms with no sun and no power, how you going to charge it. These are novelty for most of us, for camping, etc. for short periods at best. But they will improve someday as long as the children in other countries keep mining the materials needed to make them in China.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Call it a novelty or luxury. Power virtually never goes out where I live so I wouldn't actually use it for that. I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seems to go bad every 2 years. Last year I got shut down from using my pair of Honda 2000's on a road trip at several places. It would have been so great to run some AC in Missouri with 90F 90% humidity in the middle of the night. I thought I was going to die.

[@jampam-jf8mt]

Charge it when there's sun. You don't have storms everyday.

[@jampam-jf8mt]

They generate electricity from solar, a battery just stores energy

[@Rickmakes]

Don't settle for cold sandwiches.

[@sixtyfiveford]

Nobody should

[@MrMcGooGarage]

Ouch. $2,200

[@sixtyfiveford]

Yeah, if you got everything; which really isn't necessary. There's companies charging double this for the save capacities.

[@johnmckee7937]

I just commented last week on how you show people how to make stuff and Not sell them products. I guess you have make to make money.

[@sixtyfiveford]

There's nothing to make here. It's a battery with an inverter in a pretty box. I looked at making one but buying the battery by itself costs more than just buying the entire unit. But thanks for being a dick.

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

The only way to get electricity out of a battery is to first put electricity into a battery.. Those little solar panels will take more than a month to charge that $1400.00 & $900.00 ($2300.00 + tax total) battery pack. If your power is off for 2 days,, little Honda will be needed... Those battery banks masquerading as "generators" which actually generate NOTHING are outrageously expensive and the worst possible choice for a power back-up. You are MUCH better off converting a generator to natural gas, plumb it into your house line, and cycle it 30 minutes every 4 to 6 hours.. Hopefully product endorsements don't become the norm for you... You have skills and are better than this...

[@sixtyfiveford]

I don't live somewhere where the power ever goes out for more than a few hours. It may go out for 4 hours every 3-4 years. I only utilize generators for camping/ RV use. In those situations there's a lot of times that I can't actually run generators, so I'm left with nothing other than lead acid to provide power. That obviously falls short by a huge margin. The main unit is about 900 bucks and is pretty similarly priced to a lead acid brick if it lasts for years. Not a product endorsement. These have been out for a number of years now and I was curious how well they actually work and thought I'd show you guys. Nobody seems to care when I buy a new tool and do a video on it but apparently this pisses off people.

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

@@sixtyfiveford I have a much different need than you .. 2 to 3 day outages are common and 8 days is the longest I can remember. Price: the links you posted = main unit w/ panels is $2200.00,, main unit alone is $1400.00 and extra battery is $900.00.. I realized a few years ago that these manufactures hand them out like candy to youtubers in exchange for endorsements/reviews.. EVERY SINGLE KZbinr calls them "generators" even though they are NOT generators. They do not say generator on them, on their boxes, or in their instructions.. Because they are NOT generators and they do NOT generate anything at all. It has become clever FALSE ADVERTISEMENT Scheme to purposely have independent youtubers mislead their viewers. The mfg's sell their grossly over-priced batteries under false pretenses but are not held accountable for purposely misleading the public.... If someone wants to spend thousands of dollars to watch TV for a few hours,, that is up the person earning and spending the money.. BUT,, of all the possibilities and options for power back-up these are by far the worst option

[@prilep5]

Soon everything will be power with batteries

[@sixtyfiveford]

True

[@greebo7857]

I can call it what I want, except "generator". It generates absolutely nothing.

[@sixtyfiveford]

It only becomes a generator when you hook solar panels to it. Then it is generating electricity through the sun, versus generating electricity through combusting fossil fuels. I guess it's semantics and really not worth wasting breath on.

[@fraydnot]

Here's your next challenge kzbin.info/www/bejne/rX2cgZZ9qsSrqKM. Thanks for the upload

[@sixtyfiveford]

Honestly I don't like solar very much. I picked it up for my motorhome/ camping/boating too replace my lead acid that seam to go bad every 2 years. I'll likely charge it via gas power vs chasing the sun for 10 hours. That looks cool though.

[@Handirifle]

Come on, not you too. These generate NOTHING, they are storage devices, period.

[@sixtyfiveford]

The main unit is a battery bank, but once you plug a panel into it; it's generating electricity. I agree and don't like the word "generator" for it and why I said "what ever you want to call it" at the beginning of the video.

[@a3iaanautlaw161]

shit first see the VW u make it run and now this stuff is so awsome i can use this thing for my camper.!! we do not have that brandname in holland can u advise me what to look for,.?

[@sixtyfiveford]

I don't think one brand is better than another. You're just looking for LifePo4 batteries inside.