Charge Your Extra Power Station Battery and keep going!

[@shelley131]

For the sake of others, just new to this as you know, a lot more people will learn from you by showing them and not just talking about it. I'm not a Marine but retired from the Army and we always learned instructions as a student or instructor to do 4 things. Tell it, show it, and the learner had to do it and apply it.

[@TheOldJarhead]

All good points though I'm not sure what I didn't show? However, in the preceding video I showed setting up the power station here kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2iTn35je51_mNU

[@doc3356]

To me, this is an example of why the more expensive proprietary expansion batteries are worth the cost. Plug in expansion batteries, plug in solar, start unit, run electrics. If needed when things pull down, start generator. I would quickly grow tired of having to do all that plugging, unplugging, charge this, charge that, plug/ unplug again and again.

[@TheOldJarhead]

No doubt that's where they shine but for the price, those with lower budget can get more power for less but with a little more hassle. Also, on those larger units, you still need a way to charge that's sufficient to get them back to 100%. Charging, for example, a 4600wh power station with battery will take the same time as it will to charge a 2048wh power station with 2560wh extra battery ;) Same solar requirement or car charger requirement etc.

[@1millionstartups]

Depends on use. If I were to plug/charge daily (time of use charging at night and discharge from batteries daytime) then yeah I would be sick of it. But if I were to do this only ahead of a potential storm/event, I would choose jarhead's cheaper route and get more batteries for my money.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I believe in both a DIY solar and power stations. I think they both have their place

[@johndixon5539]

Thanks alot. I am now buying a 24v 200Ah Li Time battery on Amazon Prime Day and I hope this will work with my Anker 767 Power station. Thanks again. USMC Montreal Canada.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Semper Fi Marine!

[@MsdMakingSawDust]

Good video, in my very very little extra time I have I’ve been trying to study all about solar systems. Man there is a lot of solar power stuff out there and man so many different ways to configure it. Keep it up in learning little by little more more every time you add another solar video. Appreciate the information

[@TheOldJarhead]

I really appreciate your feedback! It's awesome to hear that my videos are helping you learn about solar power. Keep up the great work in your studies!

[@rawkkettbawx4806]

Wow, I had no idea. I was using a cigarette adaptor from the aferny battery to the lithium. Only getting 70-100 watts, very slow. You just saved me $1000, just ordered the female o-ring wire which I will tap directly into my l100 ah ithium batteries Thanks!! (Almost bought another aferniy)

[@TheOldJarhead]

Glad I could help!!

[@kylefrandsen2665]

Thanks. My main point in my comment on the other video was that the cost of the charger for the spare battery, the need to disconnect while charging, skill level, and so on are factors in deciding whether to use the VERY expensive factory add-on or not. I've got 4 x 100 amp hour LifePo4 batteries and 900 watts of solar powering my home office (with an AC charger if weather prevents a full charge), but I also have a DC to DC charger and a couple inverters so I can use my cars as generators in an emergency. I have tools, hardware, and skills. I was on the phone with a friend in Florida as tornadoes were touching down. I managed to track down what seemed to be the only power source left in the state at an auto parts store that was open the next day - a 300 watt modified sine wave inverter - and I had to walk her through connecting it to her car battery (I'm 3,000 miles away). It gave her the ability to run a fan or two to cool off. She's an ideal candidate for a factory add-on. Apparently she's never even jump-started a car before and she was nervous when I told her to open the hood. Ultimately, after MUCH conversation, she's decided to get a power station and a DC to DC charger rather than extra batteries, a generator, or solar panels.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Agreed. Sometimes it's easier to spend more money and get it all in one ready to go -- plug and play. It is, however, less expensive to just build the entire thing yourself however, they are coming way down in price too so...

[@weshawkins7165]

Just found your channel and subscribed. Good information. Here in Northern California we can lose power for weeks at a time in the winter. A few years ago after having multiple different wattage gasoline powered generators we installed a 24kw Generac propane to run the house. The house is all electric. I have a 13kw gasoline powered generator as a backup to the 24kw. We usually don’t run either one for more than three or four hours at a time. I’m looking at a 1800w to 2000w solar powered generator to use in our travel trailer and to take with me when it’s just me camping while prospecting. Mostly would use it to power a electric/rechargeable refrigerator. Lots of choices, easy to become confused and overwhelmed.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I'm glad you found me and happy to help!

[@wrxs1781]

Good video, my wheels are now turning with new ideas.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Glad I could help

[@chrisp308]

You want to know what I think? You sure about that? 🤣. I agree with you, solar and a gas generator big enough to handle a proper battery charger is the way to go. 👍🏻

[@TheOldJarhead]

lol ahhh hmmmm maybe not lol Personally, a 50amp charger and genny are my preference but then I have a whole system so...

[@beginning-reloading]

You could also use one of these new 500 watt chargers that run off your alternator. Throw your battery in your Jeep and while you're out wheeling, you can be charging that battery with 500 watts. You could also just start the Jeep if you needed to in an emergency to charge the battery. 👍

[@TheOldJarhead]

Absolutely!

[@tilu3303]

That's better than a generator IMO - just make sure you have plenty of fuel for your vehicle.

[@TheOldJarhead]

IDK my big generator only uses 1/2 gallon of LPG at the output I'm using it for. 11 years on it and going strong :D

[@tilu3303]

@@TheOldJarhead Don't get me wrong - if I had a generator like that I'm using it. Instead, I have a 2000W gasoline-only generator that I never use because I don't have an always-ready stash of gasoline sitting around, but I do have about 50 gallons of pretty fresh gasoline in my vehicles that have capable alternators.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Makes sense

[@dannydivine7699]

I'd go out on a limb and bet that the generic auxiliary batteries you're using will "Take" recharge power much faster than all but the absolute largest of mass produced power stations, so optimizing your solar to charge the auxiliary batteries FIRST, and then connecting them to the power station to recharge it would probably be much more efficient than doing it the other way with an AC based charger plugged into the power station to charge aux batts. But people may already have the ac charger on hand, and a smaller array so it may just be a matter of convenience, and as you stated most portable power stations aren't designed to be long term grid replacements. Great Video I never would have thought about the ac charger option if you hadn't mentioned it.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Thanks! And yes! A good MPPT charge controller and 499w of solar would work best!

[@tlflora]

hi, just bought , thru your links above the station battery and cable. i also got a charger. total $1668.09 for all that power! station today is 899

[@TheOldJarhead]

Awesome! I think you'll love it!

[@HomesteadFrance]

Excellent info, well presented - I'm off-grid here and you clarified lots for me. THANKS!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Very welcome!

[@samsin102]

FINALLY SOMEONE ANSWERS THIS QUESTION! Thank you!

[@TheOldJarhead]

thanks

[@dawnnwilliams2946]

Thank you for these two videos. I was thinking about buying a 2400 watt power station. The limited battery and cost of auxiliary batteries had me hesitating. I also thought, during the first video, since I’m off grid, how do I charge the battery. I think I’m now convinced to get an all in one charge controller/inverter that I can add panels and batteries to until I have adequate power.

[@TheOldJarhead]

All in ones can be useful but I'll admit, I'm not a fan unless you really aren't ready for a DIY system. The trouble with the All in Ones much like the power stations (they both have their place) is that they are all in one ;) With separate controllers and inverters etc it's much easier to understand and maintain and adding more panels is easy enough. Now, batteries aren't a factor really, the key is to get enough battery and build the system around the battery which should be built based on the usage you intend. So, for example, if you will use 3kw of power in a day, build a 9 to 15kw battery bank and then a 1.5kw array with associated controller and breakers etc. Choose the inverter that will best meet your needs (I'm a little heavy on that side but that's intentional) and you're golden :D

[@dawnnwilliams2946]

@@TheOldJarhead Thank you for your reply. I’ll do a little more research I just figured the all in one was a good cross between the power station and the full DIY.

[@TheOldJarhead]

@dawnnwilliams2946 It is if you aren't ready to go full blown DIY system, but if something quits, you'll have to replace the entire thing vs. just one component 😉

[@sojourner57]

Thanks for the video, and the previous one, BTW... We've been studying solar and battery options for the last couple of years, and WERE thinking of using a rack of EG4 batteries, charge-controller-inverter, and all of that, but decided that we wanted 1. Simple an 2. Be able to take it with us if we move to a smaller home in a retirement community at some point in the future, or even an apartment. We ended up getting an Anker F2000 plus 400W folding panel as a starter for short outages, with the intention of getting the F3800 (or two) in the future to run *most* of the house, like well pump, etc. The problem, as your videos point out so well, is the expense of the proprietary add-on batteries from ANY of these companies. As in some of the comments, I like the plug-and-play simplicity of the proprietary solutions, but they come at the cost nearly equal to the base unit. I will be looking for batteries like yours that I can use via the solar input. I have two dual fuel generators that I can use for charging in a real days-on-end emergency to charge everything up. Western Washington State in the winter isn't solar friendly... Thanks again.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I understand the need for simplicity and portability.

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

Interesting ideas. It would be cool if the power station could recognize an aux battery, and take from it when needed and charge it when needed, similar to another power station proprietary battery.., I’m sure they could program one to do that.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I think you're right! In fact, tomorrows video will show you a power station that can charge and use a second battery that isn't a proprietary one!

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

@ lol, good timing!

[@TheOldJarhead]

:) Right? It just kinda happened and during testing I was rather happily surprised!

[@UpperSkyDJ]

Thanks for keeping it easy to understand and for helping those who need just the basics.🤔 Not everyone can afford those big expensive plug & play units. Some of us just want to survive, so basic works! 😊

[@TheOldJarhead]

Exactly, it's about doing what you can with what you have.

[@richardbye1069]

After a recent power outage I bought an Ecoflow Delta 2 Max to help keep the refrigerator, freezer and the controls for my gas fired steam boiler running. I was contemplating adding capacity and, you're right, something like this makes much more sense in my situation than the Ecoflow battery expansion. However, I realized I have 77,000 Whrs of capacity in my Ioniq 5 electric car that I can utilize via its vehicle-to-load capability. If the power is out for too long, I'll just recharge the power station off of that.

[@TheOldJarhead]

That works!

[@djrtime1398]

I invested in a 6000 running watt inverter generator and run it drawing 3000 watts total. My reasoning is that gennie is in its sweet spot of 50% load. Great on fuel and not hammering the hell out of it. I then split 3ways into 1000 watts each 2 battery power stations, both Ankers, f2600 and f3800. Both charge at 1000 watts each 120v ac charging cord. The third 1000 watt feeds a LiTime lithium po4 battery charger that puts out 40 amps to a 52.1V 100amp lithium po4 server battery. I can charge all three simultaneously in just over 3 hours. Fully charged I have conservatively 11 kWh… My philosophy is when the shtf chances are those ultra high winds and cloudy rainy days make solar too unpredictable vs my gennie using about 2.5 gallons a day maybe.

[@keithpegg7825]

Thank you, that helps as we have lost power over night a few times and my little Ecoflow river 3 can't do an over night on my gas heater fan maybe 8 hours at best This would make the night .

[@TheOldJarhead]

I'm glad I could help!

[@bobclark7211]

Semper Fi I agree that using a solar panel and a generator to recharge makes the most sense. I do like the idea of possibly using a charger off the vehicle while using it to.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Semper Fi! and yes, I hadn't included the vehicle charger but it is a great way to go and I will be doing some testing with one soon. Cheers

[@mattmccallum2879]

Thanks!! For my van application I think I’ll go with the 3rd option since I have an inverter in my van that I could use to turn my van into a generator and charge it up. Efficiency be damned! But if the 6L engine is providing that juice while it’s running whether I’m using it or not, might as well take advantage!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Another option is a DC to DC charger

[@mattmccallum2879]

@@TheOldJarhead10-4! I figured I’d use the 1kW inverter I have for the time being before considering an upgrade to the EcoFlow or bluetti dc chargers. Love the features they offer over a standard inverter but just can’t justify the expense yet.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yup, agreed

[@SilasThornton1]

Just came across your channel and saw the vid on adding a battery to the power station. Then the Pier and bean construction vid and now this. New Subscriber Great information Thank you! Will be checking out all your videos

[@TheOldJarhead]

Hey, thanks! You'll find some variety here 😉

[@donbrloks3959]

I have beer frig in my garage that I occasionally plug into one of my power stations for 24 hours. I have 3 100 watt solar panels, but with good sun I can get by with two. Naturally, with a real grid down situation, I would monitor temperature with a wireless thermometer and only run the inverter when necessary. It’s a good learning experience as the sun is rarely as strong as one might think.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Good call, you'd be surprised how quickly a refrigerator battery can drain!

[@dingbingbong]

That's a great idea! I'm going to get a charging cable and see if I can adapt it.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Let me know how it works out!

[@BeefNEggs057]

Always need way more solar than you think to be sufficient for cloudy/rainy days too. Good talk.

[@TheOldJarhead]

True!

[@reddog1171]

I'm actually doing this, just purchased Delta pro 3. I'm on a serious budget so this is my back up plan to get it charged up if I have to.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nice!

[@af1023]

Good video. I use a Victron 100/30 solar charger connected to 3x 220w bifacial panels to in series

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nice 👍

[@candaceseayfolks7954]

Thanks for the education and options

[@TheOldJarhead]

You got it!

[@TimRoyalPastortim]

My backup is a river 2 and a river 2 pro plus a 100ah 12 volt. 560 watts of commercial panels and 300 watts of folding panels mean I can get several hours of refrigerator and heat plus a couple of lights. Not enough but I can run for a minute in an outage.

[@chrisreynolds6331]

I was wondering last night after seeing your first video about charging the auxiliary battery. My favourite would be to use solar panels and charge controller, and leave it on charge even if it takes days. That way the spare battery is always available for emergencies, power cuts etc.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Exactly! I charge mine off the grid at my house and they sit on a shelf for those times I might need them.

[@chrisreynolds6331]

@TheOldJarhead I find LiFeP04 batteries seem to hold charge for months. I'm trying to convert people in the UK. My neighbour has finally got a lifepo4 for his caravan. Almost every year he left the caravan abandoned over the winter and the lead acid leisure batteries were ruined.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yup, once FLAs lose their charge (15% in 3 to 6 months), they freeze, breaking their plates and making them useless. LiFePo4 batteries lose at a rate of about 3%

[@chrisreynolds6331]

@@TheOldJarhead Indeed. The other problem with FLA is that you can't really use more than 50% of capacity without damaging them. Not so with LFP.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yup

[@PFDish]

Thank you

[@TheOldJarhead]

You're welcome

[@JonathonOutdoors]

thanks for the info :-) relly great to see an example of exactly what i want to see. Will the 10AWG cable be ok with 50w ?

[@TheOldJarhead]

10awg cable is good for 30amps typically though over this short distance even that should be fine. So, at 30amps 24v would be over 700 watts :D

[@rlwoods61]

We just went 5 days without power due to Helene. We were very lucky that the storm did not track 100 miles to the east of we would still be without power. We have a whole house generator. When the power went out on Friday morning, the most wonderful sound was that generator starting up and the lights coming back on. After about 10 hours, that noise becomes one of the most stressful things in the world. During a event like Helene, you have enough other stress, you don't need that constant noise. We ran the generator from 7ish in the morning to 11PM at night. We were very lucky in that the temps were cooler and we were able to open our windows at night to sleep in the cool temps. We have 2 frigs and one chest freezer. While nothing thawed, the temps did get higher than I wanted in the frigs. The other issue was it wasn't winter. We heat with wood pellet stoves. They require a 60 hertz sine wave for timing. I need to come up with a way to heat the house and Keep the frigs and freezer going when we shut the main generator down. Here's my plan. I am going to get a solar power station very much like the Aferiy that you show. I am going to get a additional battery very much like the one you show. I am also going to purchase a 24vdc battery charger. Before I turn the generator off I will run extension cords to the appliances that I need to keep running turn the solar generator on. I will then turn the whole house generator off. Reverse the process in the morning. That will not only allow us to sleep at night but also give us peace of mind about the frig and freezer and keep the house warm. Now I need to go get my kill- a-watt meter and figure up my power consumption on the pellet stove. Get video. I keep learning from you.

[@TheOldJarhead]

May I make a suggestion to make your life even easier? When in a power outage like that (and thank god you were prepared and not in a worse hit area!) connect the Fridge, Freezer and Pellet stove to the power station then plug the power station into the wall. When the generator runs it will power up the power station while feeding power through it to the appliances. Then, plug in the charger to the battery so it takes a charge anytime the generator runs as well. You should be able to do this without disconnecting the battery from the power station as well, as long as the voltage of the charger does not exceed the voltage of the charge controller on the power station. Also, check out tomorrows video where I will be showing a couple more huge batteries in parallel hooked up to TWO power stations at the same time!

[@alanharness1960]

Absolutely fascinating video thanks! Can I ask for some advise please? I have a 300Ah LiFePO4 leisure battery which charges automatically via the alternator and a Schaudt Booster WA 121545. It’s been a great set up. My question is, could I use a 12v to 24v DC/DC 480w (20A) converter regulator wired to my leisure battery to charge my Afiery P210 battery pack while we are driving?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Absolutely. In fact, you could use a DC to DC charger to go straight to the Aferiy but using that way would also work. Basically a step up converter from 12v to 24v and away you go :D I'm testing both a Comvolt and a Redodo DC to DC charger and though wasn't planning on doing that particular video just yet, I may add it to the schedule :D

[@jimbaggett1233]

Just did something similar here in SC after Helena and was able to keep 4 refrigerators and 2 freezers (mine and neighbors) running for several days until power came back. Used several Bluetti power stations, 7 - 100 ah lifepo4 batteries and 3 - 1000 watt to 1500 watt inverters to keep everything running. I used cables with the XT 60 plug to attach the 100ah 12v batteries into the Bluetti power stations and about 100 to 120 watts was going into the power stations from the batteries. This was enough to keep the Bluetti's charged up and when the 12v - 100AH lifepo4 batteries were depleted I would charge them with a 1000 watt inverter generator with a 30 amp Victron charger. I could charge 4 batteries with a gallon of gas and I was able to save everyone's food. The little generator did run almost all day but it was really quiet and I didn't even use 5 gallons of gas for the whole thing. I purchased this equipment and set up just to run my house in an emergency and it would have been no problem for that but it was a bit of a struggle after I started helping others. I have upgraded my generator to 2000 watts so I can charge 2 batteries at once now, also advising others about the basic type of things they should have on hand in case of another multi day emergency to make it easier on myself LOL.

[@TheOldJarhead]

That's awesome and what I was thinking a person could do! Glad you made it through! Hope everything survived and all is well?

[@jimbaggett1233]

@@TheOldJarhead Thanks, everything turned out fine for our neighborhood, everyone wasn't so lucky though. I started out just buying batteries and inverters a few years ago when most of the mid size power stations were in the $1500 to $2000 range. But, now that models like the Bluetti AC70 and the Anker and Eco Flow equivalents are about $400 I just can't justify trying to piece a system together when just the battery and good quality inverter will cost about 3/4 of that price. Oh, and the Bluetti A2C for less than $150 and the River 3 for about $179 are great for hooking up your internet stuff, NAS and TV's. I use them like a UPS and when the power goes out I have about 5 hours on my networking stuff before I have to do anything and the TV will run about 3 hours on it's own unit, plus they will handle all of your phone and tablet charging so no rush to get everything set up for the short term outages or the power blips we see constantly. I'm an old Squid and spent several years on an anphib base so I won't hold being a jarhead against ya : )

[@TheOldJarhead]

Hey Uber ;) us jarheads love our Sailors, after all, who'd get us where we need to go if it wasn't for the Navy ;) Kidding aside, I agree with your assessment on costs and how to use units. I'm a DIY guy myself but can't help playing with inexpensive power stations either.

[@fookingsog]

Inverter generators are awesome, as they idle down when not under full load AND you can parallel some types together for running a heavier load!!!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Absolutely! Inverter generators really do offer great flexibility and efficiency. It's amazing how they adapt to different loads!

[@magickladycj]

I am off grid. I have 3 small power stations but I run 4 batteries inverter can charger for 40amp.. and generator always looking for another idea. thanks

[@JoshBoard-k7k]

Thanks for the video

[@TheOldJarhead]

You bet!

[@TromboneAl]

Thanks. Here's how I do it (a fourth way): I recharge the battery or my Bluetti power station from my electric car. When the big battery in the car gets low, I can drive to a fast charger and charge it up again.

[@TheOldJarhead]

That can work of course.

[@cliff4377]

a Instant pot is very power efficient when camping FYI if you are just heating soup it just holds at pressure, and that takes very little power =P

[@TheOldJarhead]

True but can it really beat cooking for 8+ hrs in a crock pot?

[@cliff4377]

@@TheOldJarhead It does the same job so much faster, pressure cooking is the cheapest and fastest cooking I think, and it tastes great with very little power

[@cliff4377]

@@TheOldJarhead for cooking and heating a meal, it only needs to cycle once to bring it to pressure, the natural release with no power cooks most canned goods aka soup for very few kWh

[@TheOldJarhead]

I might have to get one of those ;)

[@briankeithwood]

ok, assuming I wanted to use a largish solar panel farm and a solar controller to recharge the external battery, why not buy a stand alone converter at that point and skip the power station? What would you recommend in the 1200 - 2000 watt range for panels / controller / inverter? I am thinking keep the fridge / freezer and maybe the blower for the gas heater working at a minimum.

[@TheOldJarhead]

When I'm back in the office I can give you my recommendation but it would be a modern version of what I have now and can be seen in a few of my videos from late last year. 2400w solar in 2 arrays, Outback Flexmax 80 for larger array, Morningstar Tristar MPPT60 fir 2nd array (Now running a Bateria Sunrock 60 which is performing well, AIMS or SGP 4k inverter charger, generator and AGS etc.

[@arnoldreiter435]

you make a good case for the pro built portable power stations and proprietary batteries. all the parts are matched and all safety's are built in. plus you dont have to keep track of all the bits a pieces. for occasional or emergency use simple is always better. remember" kiss" marine? my experience has been that when you are using these power stations you will end up wanting both solar panels and a generator to charge them back up depending on the weather and your day to day use.

[@TheOldJarhead]

No argument there provided the money is there for them. It's considerably cheaper to go this route than to go with the full blown proprietary system but then it's also cheaper (and better) to go with a complete off grid power system instead :D

[@northidahodreaming5657]

I've been enjoying your videos. What I got from you message, power stations have their place such as picnics, camping or small construction projects....and of course a less than 24 hours grid down situation. As a off grid citizen for many years, I think that the name "solar generator" is a marketing plot put upon the uninformed urbanite. These power stations are NOT generators. I suspect that many buy a power station and don't get around to buying the silly little solar panels. And, as you pointed out, recharging power stations with small panels is not just a one to two hour proposition....as it is with one to two hour ON GRID recharging situation. It would be far better to buy 4 or more 100 amp hour 12 volt LifePo4 batteries (4800wh for $900,) a couple "real" (not harbor freight) solar panels....such as (3) 350 volt panels (used for $150-$400) and a cheap off brand 3000 watt all-in-one inverter for $350-500. With some wiring expense all couple be done on the cheap for less thank $2000....with many advantages.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Amen!

[@JOESRQFLUSA]

Will your NEXPEAK jump start , your 24v battery if it is completely drained, and the BMS has turned the battery off… if not where do you get a 24v jump?

[@TheOldJarhead]

That's a good question! I haven't run into that yet even though I've drained my 24v XZNY battery fully (the BMS shuts of it OFF) I was able to recharge it with my little 24v 5A charger. I'd imagine, if the BMS has failed then you'd have to charge each cell but again, I haven't run into that as the BMS wakes up once I put a charge on the battery.

[@dnldnl4880]

I have delta 2 and 2 220 eco flow panels i can charge eco to 100%/95% in less than 4 hrs. So i am looking at getting external to extend more power.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Sounds like a great setup!

[@allenm8182]

Hello. I appreciate your video. I would like your opinion on something I have a Ecoflow Delta Max 2. I also have several 12 volt Lipo 4 100ah batteries. In my camper I have a 25 amp dc to dc charger keep my 1 lipo4 battery charged that runs my fridge and lights. Could I connect my lipo4 to the Ecoflow unit to charge it? My dc to dc charger is also solar capable (Redarc unit). Thank you for any insight.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I would need to know the voltage of the Delta Max but that sounds like it should work. I would recommend checking the specs of both devices to make sure they are compatible.

[@allenm8182]

@TheOldJarhead thanks for replying. The solar input of the Delta 2 is 11 - 60 volts / 15 amps. If this would work it would be awesome. Have a good day.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yup! 48vx15x=720watts so that would be awesome and it will only draw what it needs si if at 90% it will draw until it's 100% and then stoo

[@bethrand9292]

Can an extra LiPo4 battery be used with the Bluetti Elite 200 v2 to expand watt hours?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yes

[@mrs.c5471]

Did I see something on the cable you had plugged into the power bank and connected to the "back up battery". was it a fuse? I just ordered a xt60 cable with the O rings, but it doesn't have a fuse. Can I add one? Do I even need one?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nope. In this case, it's an XT90, but regardless, I did not fuse, though it can't hurt but would need to be big enough to allow full use

[@casq882]

Thank you

[@TheOldJarhead]

You're welcome

[@catskilkin]

Would this work with a 50Ah battery?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yes

[@alhumble8175]

Do these two discharge equally together when using them connected?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nope. The battery drains 1st

[@davewolf8869]

I remember when I lived and worked for a "feeding the hungry" food ministry in the high desert of California. The owners of it personally knew the founders of Albertsons, and I would drive a ten ton truck to pick up food, and I would rive to various churches, sober living homes, etc to deliver food. We had, multiple, freezers, chest and stand up, probably eight in total, filled with food at any given time. Well, one winter, the snow destroyed the poles and lines and we had no electricity for a few weeks (like 2.5). I heard that, opening the freezers would reduce the life of the food- so i did not open them until the power came back on. I discovered, even after the better part of half a month of not having power, (They bought a generator after that lol. I had a tiny solar panel I placed in my window that kept my phone charged.) the FOOD WAS STILL FROZEN. I mean, it was beginning to thaw, yes, and was "Squishy" slightly in some areas, and granted, another week it may have been, "Refrigerator temp", but it was impressive! So, as long as you DO NOT OPEN your fridge/freezers, you can easily charge your "solar generator" for a day or two.

[@TheOldJarhead]

That’s a great example of how much battery capacity really comes in handy.

[@fookingsog]

Add frozen 2-liter bottles of water to take up any spare empty space. The most efficient freezer is a FULL freezer that's completely frozen!!!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Absolutely! Filling your freezer with frozen water bottles is a great way to maintain efficiency and keep everything at the perfect temperature. Thanks for sharing that tip!

[@remocres]

good video got some ideas. so far i have combo of solar hard panels i charge 100ah lipos with i use several inverters 1 pure sign ,several 100 to 400 modified 1 1500 modified and generators ,which i get 8a dv as well as 3500 ac so weathered the last hurricane ok i have half built solar power station aiming for 1000watt unit which will also have a hf to 440 ham radio in addition . but lates acquisition a 2021 van which is not going to be a full live in but with removable things a camping, storm bug out cat hauler van looking for 400 solar undecided on my power station will be used or a factory ot a conventional house battery just in planning stage .] biggest thing i see causes problems when people go solar you need to have a energy efficient place or van rv etc first makes it almost undoable or extremely expensive

[@TheOldJarhead]

Check out my Comvolt video! Your van would be a good candidate for it!

[@Dgrinde]

How do I charge my auxiliary battery off the power station. You promoted auxiliary batter but now you can charge it of the power station?

[@TheOldJarhead]

It's not the best option, but with solar hooked up to the PS, you can run a charger off it, but that not really the point. In an emergency, you can extend the PS, but for days on end, you will need solar and a charge controller

[@ginkat1318]

As a beginner, I have compared backups by watt hours. Do i multiply amp hours by volts to get that in batteries? My second question is if i buy the controller and charger and solar panels, is there such thing as a switch to use so that i can have one battery charging and one battery being used with the power station?

[@TheOldJarhead]

1st, power (watts) equals voltage times amps. So yes, multiple the batteries AH rating by voltage to get wh. ie. 12.8 109AH LiFePo4 is 1280wh. You can set up the controller to charge the battery with clamps and just switch as needed. A switch isn't needed. Also, if the solar input is within the range of the power station, you could just connect and charge in most cases.

[@ginkat1318]

@@TheOldJarhead thanks so much

[@TheOldJarhead]

You bet

[@JeffreyWillis800]

If I charge up a back up battery to connect to my main unit, how often do I need to charge it back up over time?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Just depends on usage. For example, if you are using 500watts to run a fridge and freezer and some lights the 100AH battery (1280wh) will last just over 2 1/2hrs. On the other hand, if you use only 200watt hours (200w continuously) then it would last over 6 hours.

[@PFDish]

How about a Pure Sine Inverter hooked to my Jeeps battery? Would I have to have my engine idling? I ordered a 1500 watt pure sine to try. It seems it should charge my Delta 2 in about 1 1/2 hours. Like I said, I’m 84 years young and am new to this. Any help would be appreciated.

[@TheOldJarhead]

No. Please don't. Not unless the Jeeps alternator can put out .ore than 100 amps. Better to put in a 45 Amp DC to DC charger like the one in my camper video I recently did.

[@PFDish]

@@TheOldJarhead Ok thanks . I just ordered the Ecoflow 800w alternator charger. It says it charges at 800 watts, I have a 180 watt alternator in my Jeep. There’s no way to run the cables through the firewall in my Cherokee. But I just want to be able to charge it in a power outage. So not very often. I ordered some heavy duty battery clamps to screw onto the cables from the 800w that go to the battery. I figure I could just clamp it to my battery and let my engine idle in my driveway for an hour in an emergency. I would appreciate your thoughts on that idea?

[@TheOldJarhead]

@PFDish probably 180amp alternator 😉 which is 1200w

[@lawrencekirkby3016]

What size generators

[@TheOldJarhead]

To charge that battery? I'd want at least a 2400w one. Or do you mean the Power Stations? The Egretech is a 1024wh 1500w unit, and the Aferiy is a 2048wh 2400w unit.

[@mattb7406]

You are crazy and awesome and right

[@TheOldJarhead]

lol thanks!

[@parkershaw8529]

I have an inverter generator. When main power goes out, I am happy to run the generator during the day, but I prefer to use a battery power station during the night. I just need to run two frigs and a furnace during the night. A 1kwh power station doesn't seem to be enough for a night, 2kwh should be sufficient.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I think that 2 kwh would be good for the setup you described!

[@parkershaw8529]

@TheOldJarhead right now, the dji power 1000 is merely $380, the 2kwh ones from others are around $1k, more than I want to spend. Neither do I want to get a battery myself and go through the DIY route. I think I will just wait a year or two then. Cheers!

[@TheOldJarhead]

I'd have to look at the DJI to compare them but from what I've seen, the Oupes is likely more for a reason ;)

[@brandonstitt8032]

That's how I do it charge by solar on both battery and station for 3to 4hrs then fire up genny with chargers to both for another couple hrs while camper runs from genny all at same time from 3500watt generator

[@TheOldJarhead]

That'll do it!

[@tomgarciaaz]

Heres a couple factors that should be considered. Battery drain on lifepo4 will put the bms in a dead state that requires a start jolt to re-enable it. Another factor is most charge controllers require a battery to work if theres no power to the battery and the panels start pumping power in it can and has damaged charge controllers in my experience. I'm looking at you renogy. Now there are some charge controllers powered via panel not battery that can fix that issue. This all raises the complexity of a solution to factor in these things. I have given thought to setting up a bank of batteries with a a small solar charger that can fully charge the bank over time and use that to keep things working. There are pieces to that puzzle that I have yet to work out.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I've completed drained the XDNY battery to the point of BMS shutdown and then recharged it back up with a 5amp charger. That's the idea with LiFePos and their BMS's. Yes they can get stuck (if you will) but I've not had that issue at all. Of course, I recommend only draining a battery about 40% if possible but in this case, it's a LiFePo4 so I'm not concerned. As for the charge controller? Never heard of that happening but perhaps with the less expensive 'overseas' controllers it's an issue.

[@ronhawkins8604]

I sure wish the Aferiy xt90 was bidirectional. Draw from the battery when the power is out and then after it's back plug in the power station and it sends up to 20a back to the battery also.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Agreed! Like the Comvolt 4000!

@AdamRoby I am trying now to decide on a power station, Amazon Prime day for us today and tomorrow. Not sure if Jackery is better than Bluetti or not... I have two 100 W panels at the cabin with controller and would like to bring this to tie into my system on the weekends when I have bigger power requirements (building something), but keep at home for emergency power, like to run a fridge for a few hours should the power go out. I'm thinking ~1000 Wh should be a decent start, not too expensive.

[@TheOldJarhead]

1000wh with a 2nd battery like the 24v one I show here would be ideal as 1000wh for a normal fridge might only give you 3hrs

[@JamesBond-zd5jx]

Ecoflow Delta 2 max is 2kwh for 999. Delta 2 is 459 for 1 kWh. I bought 2 Delta 2s.

[@TheOldJarhead]

nice

[@ideedit]

You can also in an emergency use a 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter connected to your vehicle's battery! Just turn off all of your vehicles accessories like radio or air conditioning while doing it.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yes!

[@AacaL05]

Option 2. What if the battery not the unit is drained. Pass through will keep the battery charged. Pull from the unit to power stuff and solar or generator will top it off

[@BeeBeorn]

Any solar regulator ( solarcharger) with the possibility to change battery type and has Gel can be used for charging a lifepo4 ( you get 14.2v and no equalization). It will not start a dead lifepo4- but i think most of us dont want dead batteries...

[@TheOldJarhead]

Great point! My charger has an AGM/LiFePo4 setting

[@tonyglasstv2685]

Easiest to recharge Allpowers S1500 takes in max 48v dc @ 300w so I can charge mine with an ebike battery

[@TheOldJarhead]

Nice

[@dingbingbong]

I dont want to buy an expensive charger to charge my auxiliary battery when there is a 1,000 watt charger already inside my power station. How can I get access to that to charge my auxiliary battery? Is that all that the power station extender batteries do?

[@TheOldJarhead]

The expensive extender batteries have cables designed to take advantage of the charger on the power station but at a minimum of $500 for 1000wh you can get a charger AND a 1280wh battery or for that matter a 2560wh battery and a charger that you can run off the power station, or if you have a solar panel you can get a charge controller and battery for less -- and then can parallel another battery if need be! Now, if you get the charging cable they have it's quite possible to adapt it but I don't have one to play with in order to see how it would work though I'm sure it's possible.

[@RubenHernandez-ii1mj]

Maybe you can answer my question or direct me to where I can get an answer. I have a 4kw converter. It requires 24vdc to run. I hooked up 2 12v marine deep cycle batteries in series. I ran a portable ac that draws 1800 watt max. It ran for a couple of hours and converter shut off. One of the batteries is now completely dead and won't take a charge. Wrong batteries?

[@TheOldJarhead]

When I get home I'll answer but batteries may be part of it as well as the draw and where you hooked up the inverter

[@RubenHernandez-ii1mj]

@@TheOldJarhead thank you. Semper Fi.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Semper Fi! Usually when one battery dies it means the battery was not the same condition as the other or the connections to the series batteries was on one of the two rather than cross them. This can allow the draw to come of the one it's hooked up to. If it was a LiFePo4 battery and they were balanced well (same voltages with 1/2 a volt when fully charged) and only one died and now won't revive that suggest a problem perhaps with the BMS of the batteries. Where they the same age, brand and voltage? Also, Marine batteries aren't that great to use though RV manufacturers use them a lot. They are 'ok' to use but have a lot less life cycles and less overall power they can provide without dying. I'd probably take that one back to the company I got it from if they were the same age, type etc and the connection to them was correct.

[@RubenHernandez-ii1mj]

@@TheOldJarhead thank you.

[@TheOldJarhead]

you bet

[@stevedrake1861]

Another option is to connect an AC power inverter to your car's battery, and then plug in your battery charger and use it to recharge the battery. You will need to have the car's engine running to supply the needed power to run the battery charger and prevent running down the car's battery. If you are anticipating having a power outage, like from storm damage to the electrical supply, you might want to be sure that you fill your gas tank before the storm hits so that you will have plenty of fuel to run the car when you need to.

[@TheOldJarhead]

That can work but does require a good high powered charger that can charge up the battery fast and of course, someone not driving off ;) But yes, this will also work in a pinch.

[@acjcentrals8232]

So the extra costs to plan for would be a charger and a solar charge controller ? For those who don't allready have them.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yes. Of course, with a powerful enough solar panel or array, you could get by with the panels for the power station and a charger that you can runbiff the inverter butvthat may be too little

[@BlessedLaymanNC]

My Acemo, and other commercial power stations, charge the 1kw LiFePO4 at 600w. Why can I charge my Acemo at 600w when you have to charge at 120w?

[@TheOldJarhead]

I don't have to charge at 120w. The Aferiy charges at 500w or more accurately 20 amps and 25.6v*20A is 512w but if you hook a 12.8v battery it will be 12.8v x 20A or 256w it's a function of volts and amps

[@BlessedLaymanNC]

@@TheOldJarhead Ok, so your limit is because of the current. I charge my Acemo with 110 ac. I haven't got enough solar to charge it full capacity.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Every power station that has a solar input is limited by voltage and current, and the Aferiy is 10A, and I believe 30v (I need to check), but I have several 😉

[@tlflora]

YAY!

[@TheOldJarhead]

Ya back at ya

[@mrmichaeltscott]

DC to DC charger. Toss it in the car while you do errands.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Agreed

[@dannynguyen4211]

Thanks

[@TheOldJarhead]

Welcome

[@JOESRQFLUSA]

SEMPER FI 🇺🇸

[@TheOldJarhead]

Semper Fi!

[@firecloud77]

LiFePO4 batteries are so cheap (relatively speaking) these days, why not just connect an inverter to a bank of them and plug the power station into the inverter to re-charge the power station?

[@TheOldJarhead]

Inefficiency but to your point, why not get enough of them, a charger and inverter and just use them? ;)

[@garys6898]

Battery charger with a smart plug, can turn it on and off wireless

[@TheOldJarhead]

And the new LiFePo4's often have Bluetooth capability which helps monitor them etc.

[@1GREATDANE]

It's nice having a Gennie, or 24 Volt Solar System with 1600 Watts on dual Victron 150/35 Charge Controllers feeding 4 24 Volt 100ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries for 10K o Back Up Power to Tap into. That's why I have several Systems set up here in The California High Desert area at 3,100 feet from Sea Level. Semper Fi @ 🌴 💦 Indian Creek Ranch 🌵 ⛩

[@TheOldJarhead]

It sounds like you’ve got a solid setup! The combination of solar power and backup systems is definitely a smart move, especially in the high desert.

[@1GREATDANE]

Plenty of Lumber in Big Bear Lake Mountain Resorts Community just 20 miles south of Me - The Big Bonus here is this Mountain Spring Aquaphor Well 💦

[@TheOldJarhead]

I bet that's nice!

[@Wijkkie]

Charge it with a diesel or petrol generator with a Lithium Battery Charger.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yuk

[@Roadkill3120]

If your battery is empty, what are you going to do? Well, what would you do, if the battery station wasn't there? You just need to charge it with max 14,4 volts (or whatever. Look it up) You just need the electricity. It doesn't matter what the source is (grid, solar, generator, the wife on a bike, ...)

[@TheOldJarhead]

wife on bike 😅🤣😂

[@paulbritton1436]

#4. Use your vehicle

[@TheOldJarhead]

Yes though running a vehicle that long will be more costly than a generator

[@cashout8582]

But at that point, if it will cost you so much to get these extra tools, not just a battery, it would cost the same as just getting the extended battery for the ecoflow that cost $500.

[@TheOldJarhead]

except the echoflo needs the solar too. in my case I use a $30 charger

[@JamesBond-zd5jx]

Need a generator, power station, and solar.

[@TheOldJarhead]

Agreed

[@JOESRQFLUSA]

So, you bought a cheap, rather inexpensive, 24 volt 5 amp charger, NEXPEAK NC202… AND it works… But how bout a LUCITTI 30 AMPS, OR the premium Victron… Going from 50 bucks, to 140, to 190 dollars… Now we both know its NOT 30 AMP, for 24 volt… More like 12-15 Amps… I,m hearing a Dead Battery recovery thing, and shunt thing? Sounds like video material to me… 👍

[@TheOldJarhead]

I actually have a BatteryEvo 34amp 29.4v charger I'll be using as soon as my Anderson plug to ring terminal cable arrives. So the little charger is a temp one ;) Dead battery recovery would be fun, just need the right charger to handle cells individually I'm thinking.

[@gsp49]

With solar, it's tax free !

[@TheOldJarhead]

Not really but they have tax breaks

[@gsp49]

@@TheOldJarhead you are not paying sales tax on an electric bill . Substantial savings in the long run.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I'm confused as to your point? The point of the video is that you can extend a PS lige by adding a battery

[@gsp49]

@@TheOldJarhead Just saying, off grid is free. The more battery capacity you have, the longer you can survive off grid. I think the eternal electric bill is going to go the same way as the land line phone.

[@TheOldJarhead]

@gsp49 Ahhh, free once paid for, but yes! No bills from utilities

[@Riverboat374]

Your math on refrigerators is off. Refrigerators and freezers cycle on and off all day. They don't run constantly. My home refrigerator needs about 700 Watts to run 12 hours. I run it overnight off the battery and then fire up the generator in the morning to charge the power station. BTW, nobody relies on solar in an emergency. During Helene there was heavy cloud cover for a full week after the storm. Anyone relying on solar would have been out of luck. In an emergency you can only rely on a generator.

[@TheOldJarhead]

I use generic fridge stats but yes, my cabin fridge uses 750w to start up but usually only runs about 150w when cycling and uses about 1200wh in 30hrs. As for emergencies I agree a generator is important

[@williamk2023]

🙏🫡

[@TheOldJarhead]

😊