Testing a FLEXSOLAR 200 Watt Briefcase Solar Panel - Charging Portable Power Station

In this video I connect a 200 Watt Briefcase Solar Panel from @FlexSolar to a portable power station to test its charing capabilities. I like this briefcase panel because it packs a lot of power into one unit that will easily fit in the van, and it also includes three different charging cables to cover a variety of situations. The bottom line is that the solar panel works exactly as expected, and I look forward to using it during some trips this summer and in desert during winter.
As of the date of this video - March 23, 2022 - FLEXSOLAR has a 15% off sale on their website. No discount code is required to take advantage of the sale.
FLEXSOLAR 200 Watt Briefcase Panel - flexsolarenergy.com/products/...
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Disclaimer: FLEXSOLAR did not pay me to make this video, but did send me this solar panel to test and review.
DRONE FOOTAGE: I hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate with Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) endorsement for Part 107 commercial operations.
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[@samshepperrd]

Always good to have a dumpster for a backdrop.

[@RobertWitham]

Definitely! It was the only position that allowed me a good angle to the afternoon sun though and in this neighborhood every house has dumpsters so there would be one in the backdrop no matter which way the camera pointed.

[@Teramis]

Helpful and informative. Thanks!

[@arthurleslie9669]

Will check out the panels. Have a project coming up and haven’t decided yet whether to use regular panels or suitcase style. Good timing.

[@RobertWitham]

That was good timing! In my experience, they both have advantages. The portables are, of course, portable which can be nice. Camping in the forest, for example, is often a challenge with roof-mounted panels because of shading. A portable can be moved around a campsite as the shadows shift. I had a smaller briefcase-style panel when I was in the minivan. It worked well enough in the desert (other than needing to weight the legs with rocks when it was windy), but I found when I was in town that I was reluctant to use it at a city park or similar due to concerns about attracting attention. I've been visited by police too many times already as the creepy old guy in a van... LOL That was what prompted me to find a way to mount it on the roof. Since I already have 400 Watts on the roof of the van this gives me the best of both worlds as a stand-alone backup system and a supplement if I'm parked in a shady area or it's cloudy and I just want an extra boost.

[@kevinbell3465]

I have that unit getting ready to use it this weekend for the first time thanks for the information

[@RobertWitham]

Awesome! I have been pleased with everything about it so far. Definitely planning on putting it to use soon when I get out for some camping. Just need to do some work inside the van to make it ready since I took something out to use in the trailer last summer.

[@ExieB]

Thank you Robert. I want to get solar and will look further into these.

[@RobertWitham]

The portable panels are a convenient way to get started as it saves needing to deal with rooftop installation. This can be really challenging with hightop or other fiberglass roofs in some situations. The other advantage of portables is being able to reposition them throughout the day to always be pointing at the sun and to avoid shading as the sun moves across the sky. Several years ago when I was in a minivan I had a 100 Watt briefcase-style panel. Eventually I did mount it on the roof, but it always worked well as a portable too.

[@lindascales7485]

Nice job, Robert ✌️

[@RobertWitham]

Thank you, Linda! I realized after publishing this video that it may not have been clear enough how to connect to a traditional battery vs a portable power station so I will post another shot video about that later.

[@unitedstatesdale]

Great Review !!!

[@RobertWitham]

Thank you! I've been happy with this panel so far and look forward to putting it to real use on a camping trip soon.

[@debbieweckler6832]

Very helpful video. Thank you ☺️

[@RobertWitham]

Thank you, Debbie! I realized after publishing this video that it may not have been clear how to connect to a traditional battery vs a portable power station so will post a short update about that shortly.

[@stephenodell1417]

Doesn’t Bluetti already have a built in controller? So you wouldn’t need a solar panel with a controller. You would have to bypass the controller on your panel.

[@Usepen]

Is it better to let it run down before charging or to continually top off? TIA

[@RobertWitham]

That is a great question. Personally, that is the only time I have run this unit down low. I wanted to be sure it was thirsty for a charging test! Once upon a time it was true that batteries would develop "memory" and not perform well if they weren't periodically discharged more deeply. I think the modern battery designs coupled with battery management systems like the Bluetti has built in make this less of an issue. When power station manufacturers specify the number of cycles the battery is designed to support it refers to the number of times it is discharged down to 50 percent (AGM) or 20 percent (Lithium) so recharging earlier when possible should extend the number of cycles. Many power stations are only designed for 500 cycles - or about 1.5 years if discharged daily. One of the things I really like about the Bluetti is that they are using better battery technology so it is designed to last 2,500 + cycles.

[@l.a.v.alindysawesomevanadv3428]

Good review. I live in town so these are not that useful to me right now. I do have two but don't use them. Never a waste of money. Just an investment that I can sell in the future.

[@RobertWitham]

My first solar panel back when I was in the minivan was a 100 Watt briefcase-style panel. It was fine when I was in the desert (other than sometimes needing to weight the legs with rocks to keep it stable in the wind), but once I was spending time in town during the summer it wasn't so useful. Spending a day at the city park, for example, meant I didn't want to deploy it in order to avoid attracting attention. Eventually I figured out a way to mount it on the roof. I'm sure they can always be sold like you said since these things last forever. Considering the uncertainty of the times I can see an advantage in having portable solar panels available too in case of grid power outages.

[@l.a.v.alindysawesomevanadv3428]

@@RobertWitham No matter what solar is important to everyone even those in a house. Particularly if people have health issues that need machines to keep them alive. If you can't get gas for a generator your in trouble.

[@johnnemeth6913]

@@RobertWitham I live in Canada adjacent to PNW. It's an earthquake zone. They say that the "big one" can come at anytime. They say that you should be prepared to survive for at least 72 hours on your own. Thus my interest is extended grid down / infrastructure outage scenarios. I'm also planning some hiking trips with the gf. So, considering ultra portable stuff, possibly just small battery packs with very judicious use of power.

[@azclaimjumper]

Your using these solar panels when it is COLD weather. What is the output of those panels when the temperature is in the 70º-80ºs & after the panels get hot; I doubt they'll put out much more than 100W.

[@RobertWitham]

I haven't had a chance to retest in summer weather yet, but do plan to do more testing on panels, power stations, etc this summer. My "local" mountains are still melting snow after a late spring storm, but summer seems to finally be here after a cooler and wetter start than normal.

[@untetherednomad6393]

Don't you have to bypass the charge controller on the panel if you are plugging into a power station with a mppt controller?

[@marciabrainard9837]

Good question....did anyone comment with an answer to your question....wondered myself

[@RobertWitham]

Excellent point! Thank you for mentioning this. I realized only when I saw your comment that I didn't really cover connecting the panel very well. This was my first time trying to record outdoors here since it's been winter since I arrived back in Wyoming and there were a few distractions. I will shoot a follow-up video and show the differences when it comes to connecting to a house battery vs a portable power station.

[@untetherednomad6393]

200w glass alum frame panels are too large and too heavy for small campers and vans...multiple 100w briefcase panels are a better option for weight and hauling around.. IMHO. Assume the leg braces are steel? The legs on my GZ and HF 100w briefcase have steel legs. Adds to the weight but makes them sturdy for the long haul FT nomad use

[@RobertWitham]

I would have to pull it back out of the van to check the legs, but they are definitely metal. It is very sturdy overall, but as you noted it is a bit heavy and bulky too. I'm able to store it in the back of the van so I don't have to move it far to get it in or out of the van.