Better than a power station? Lighter, cheaper micro power system

[@OutdoorNiklas]

I already got the Anker 737 Power Bank and good USB-C cables and will buy the rest to take it with me hiking and bikepacking. Thanks for testing :) Greetings from Germany.

[@todd.parker]

Sounds great!

[@roccosperanza]

Giving you a like specifically for giving out accurate useful battery info, more people need to understand how to maintain their batteries.

[@hairyricky]

i am a newbie in such things. is the correct way to protect our batteries by not charging them to full capacity too fast?

[@roccosperanza]

@@hairyricky correct, with the exception of LFP or lithium iron phosphate batteries, it’s best not to charge them above 90%, the closer to 50% the better with diminishing returns. Stay between 20-80% is best for most people. C rate is the rate it charges, 1 c = 0-100% in 1 hour, 2 C = 30 minutes. (Not 100% accurate, but good enough for most people) Ideally keep below 1C unless cooling is good.

[@jaredpnk]

@@hairyricky The point here is that fast charging is a double edge sword. If you don't *need* to, then don't. More heat is bad for the batteries

[@Green12hkiesiesk]

to be honest, i see powerstations as utility. I just leave it at the highest charging speed. What gives if the battery dies in 2 Jears, i can just replace it. Thats not good for the enviroment, i know but still.

[@roccosperanza]

@@Green12hkiesiesk if not to do about the environment, most people just don’t want to spend money to replace batteries more than they have to. If making simple changes to charging behavior doubles the lifespan of your battery, that’s money in your pocket.

[@injectx]

Fantastic review! The detailed camera close-ups directly from the screen set this apart from most reviews, providing a unique and valuable perspective. I recently acquired the 737 for 90 euros through a warehouse deal, and it has been an unequivocally satisfying purchase without a moment of regret.

[@todd.parker]

Nice, glad you like the video style

[@PieMK6R]

Haven't looked into solar for years and looks like tech really jumped ahead. Almost 30w through portable solar panels is insane

[@RahulKumar-vh4xr]

I’ve had the 737 for probably close to a year now. It’s the best power bank I’ve used. I travel with it, an Anker GaN 100w charger, and a good usb c cable. With that I can keep my steam deck, MacBook and phone and headphones charged without issue.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, it’s fast charging and huge output makes it so much more useful than any power bank I’ve ever used. Being able to see what’s going on per port is huge because with PD, sometimes things don’t negotiate right and you need to work unplug and try again. With a blinking dot, you never know what’s going on.

[@davidjacobs828]

​​@@todd.parkerhi,new subscriber here... What's the best solar panel to fast charge the 737 ? 100w ? Am not limited on space as its for my car camping system , I just don't want a heavy power station .. Will the aferiy 200w solar panel charge the 737 quickly ? ( I'm aware it's weather dependent but we will assume bright sunshine in this scenario .. I look forward to your reply as you're very knowledgeable Thanks ..

[@todd.parker]

@@davidjacobs828 The 737 doesn’t have a solar charge controller built in so you need to find a panel that offers PD output via USB-C which will max out at 40-60w. I like Flexsolar and Sunjack folding panels

[@davidjacobs828]

@@todd.parker Thank you for the excellent advice.

[@ChrisKerel]

Hey Todd! Just found your channel after a research coma about a portable power solution for my laptop when bicycle touring. Your videos are extremely helpful so far, and from a high level when it comes to detail and journalistic integrity. Thanks a lot!

[@BenwhiteIRL]

Just found this video and this is a great idea. I have been running almost this exact same setup for the last couple years, and I'll let you know what I've been doing just to give you another use case to consider. I like to use 18650 batteries, which can be found in just about everything that uses a lot of power. (laptops, power tools, hover boards, etc...) These batteries become the backbone for all devices that I use when out in nature. (flashlights, radios, battery packs) Battery packs! yes you can buy USB-C PD battery packs that support swappable 18650 batteries; I like the XTAR PB2S, but I'm sure there are others. Then I can charge these batteries directly, and once full, place them in the devices that need them. The benefit here is that I'm not using a power bank as a middle man to then charge something else, I'm using the power bank as the primary charger of the batteries that I need charged. I can then just swap the fully charged batteries with the depleted ones, and I'm good to go for another couple days/weeks depending on what they go in. This system has worked really well for me, and I hope this is valuable info for you as well. Thanks!

[@iamsampeters]

Might be an odd question - what flashlight/radio etc are you pairing with the 18650 batteries? I really like the idea.

[@ChrisKerel]

it’s a dope idea but for running something like a macbook it doesn’t apply as you end up having to charge the internal battery anyways right?

[@AchternaamPaul]

Love your nerdy-ness (in massive good way). Was not looking for any of this, but good to know I can buy this. Thx mate!

[@cvshav]

Todds reviews are top notch!!! Always articulate commentary, thank you

[@todd.parker]

Wow, thanks!

[@SolarPunk80]

I’ve been looking into a similar solution although charge cycles would have to matter for me at some extra weight just because of the amount of recharging involved, awesome video!

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, I hope they start offering LFP versions at some point. I picked up the Anker 548 but it’s pretty disappointing

[@SolarPunk80]

@@todd.parker bummer! I was considering that one! Good to know though, is it just the lack of ac plug or other problems it sounds like? I will admit that the 737 looks sleek but I would recharge the crap out of it! Thanks Todd!

[@piotrchmiel87]

Thank you for this video. I have been using this exact power bank for over a year, but this particular solar panel is a game changer. It's so small, light, powerful and cheap that I could take it on a plane for festival and don't worry about state of my battery at all. I think that when we are comparing proper power station with this setup, it's crucial how portable and easy to take on plane is. Now I am thinking about upgrading it with another identical solar panel and newer Anker power bank, which can be charged by two sources at the same time. This will be ultimate scalable setup for almost everything including powering new starlink mini.

[@bmiller949]

I am a huge fan of Anker products. I think they almost sell by themself.

[@Bonezmi16]

Shame the company is so scummy.

[@Icanfigureitoutintime]

This video couldn't😊 have been better. Thank you for taking the time. Long time Anker fan!

[@todd.parker]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@poulpixx]

Tip: you can press the 737 button twice to enable a special mode that preserves the battery (slower charging / output) 😊

[@TheStopwatchGod]

That mode doesn't enable slower charging, it just disables the auto-shutdown for a few hours letting you charge devices like smartwatches

[@daniel_960_]

No, that's not what it is lol

[@poulpixx]

@@TheStopwatchGod well that’s what I though because input / output is 50% when I do that 😄 thanks though, I had issues charging my apple watch overnight and now I know why !

[@equinox7189]

That is trickle mode on my Anker Prime 250W for low power devices like earbuds

[@TheStopwatchGod]

I've had my 737 for a year now. Next time my school sends us to camp, I'll look into doing this.

[@todd.parker]

Would be perfect for that

[@shwartz166]

That video was spot on! I have been looking for a solution for USB renewable charging for my 60W laptop charger . You gave a pretty decent solution here. looking forward for your solar panels review, as I’m into one as well

[@todd.parker]

Glad it was helpful

[@pavel9652]

You would need bigger panel to keep the laptop recharged reliably. Solar panels could produce as little as 10% of nominal power during overcast day, and you will never get the stated power output.

[@kenjboyd6233]

Thanks Todd! Been looking at the 737 for awhile now, with plans to probably buy. Now you have given some great suggestions as to how to make it a real DC power station.

[@todd.parker]

It’s a cool little unit! It’s on sale right now

[@LaineyBug2020]

I like that you can keep this in your day pack for the electronics you use running errands and going to/at/from work plus longer commutes. You can then leave the larger power stations charging while away and save them for appliance devices you would keep at a home base like medical equipment, coolers or cooking gadgets.

[@todd.parker]

Yep, exactly

[@MegaAzn]

Just got into power solutions and was beginning to think of something like this when I saw this video, thank you so much.

[@aliettienne2907]

I like the fact that the Eho have three optional charging port which you can alternate between each one. 😎💯💪🏾✊🏾

[@petersimms4982]

These products are improving every couple of months now 😊

[@todd.parker]

They really are! I think there should be some good LFP options by the summer with PD 3.1 and a display to best the 737

[@mornaistar]

My current setup is the Flexsolar 40w panel + Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K). Bought a hard case for the powerbank and a laptop case for the solar panel. I'm really loving it so far.

[@BatteryAddicted]

Great video! I have the same battery, got them for $90 last year during Black Friday (Amazon). PD 3.1 is amazing. I have a 100w solar panel with USB C out that pairs well (but it is not very mobile). Thank you for this video - giving me some ideas!

[@haystacksonthetrail1235]

This is such a well researched and nicely presented video! Thanks for the info!

[@kenjboyd6233]

Thanks Todd, excellent as usual. Thanks for doing the research for me that will allow us to up what we can offer to PCT hikers. Not everything is about the latest high powered systems. Ultralight backpacking keeps getting bigger & it's very much about weight. Oops, forgot about the comment below, thought I did that under my wife's acct when we watched it on her computer. (But I'm sure you don't mind another comment ;-)

[@gregoryfoster8179]

That's cool. I just snagged a EB3A for $146 (refurb w 2yr warranty) & a Dokio 110w panel for $88 w Amazon coupon. Not a great panel but should suffice for my light camping needs. These Ankers you demo should be great for light camping, rec, business trips, etc. Nice review.

[@alialnasri6972]

Finally! a video that actually makes sense 👍

[@chrisumali9841]

Thanks for the demo and info, I have a Anker 737, and could see additional potential with your video. Awesome. Have a great day

[@scottleggejr]

So I have had the 737 since it came out for travel. I charge mine with the anker 717. 5 mins at an AC outlet lets me recharge my phone from 0 to full, which is why I got it. If they had a 140W 10kmah battery, I'd get it to cut down the weight. I'm also an avid hunting/fishing/camping guy. My RV has solar for the house lithium batteries, but I also want to outfit my truck for solar power+inverter too. I could use the truck's "house" batteries to run all of that stuff. The point of contention I have, which is why I watched this video is the value of an all-in-one box like the power cubes you reference can be used to charge a jump box to start my truck if its primary battery fails. The 737 cannot do this feature. So while it absolutely has utility, it could have more utility in another form-factor. Thank you for posting and sharing your content and original opinions on the space!

[@AmazingPhilippines1]

Interesting concept. Brands and items can be rare to find here in the PHILIPPINES, but Anker does have stores in the malls here.

[@gmmr04]

Funny. I was JUST looking up solar panels to charge my 737 on amazon! Can’t wait to see your solar panel video! Might just wait for the flex solar panel to go on sale.

[@todd.parker]

Jinx. Yeah that 40w panel is the perfect companion

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

I got a 100W one. There were higher ones available but they were based on Li Po batteries. This one is atleast based on Li Ion cells. The purpose is to open the device and extend its cells capacity, as I am already going to have the 18650 based circuitry in it. (I apologise and hope this idea does not get you into trouble with the company sponsorship). The most awaited plus point of these powerbanks is that they now get recharged at the same speed that of their discharge rate. Just using 100W PD wall charger or higher.

[@kevincollins2299]

Fantastic set up. This maybe exactly what I'm looking for for my travel kit.

[@todd.parker]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SandiRose2008]

Wow! I knew none of this. Thank you!!

[@todd.parker]

Glad it was helpful!

[@phoenixbyrd79]

I love my Omnicharge 20, thing is a beast and has lasted me years now. I use it mainly to power my portable monitor and charge my phone while using my phone as my main PC connected to the monitor using Samsung dex.

[@dsdddsd4543we]

The Anker power bank is one of the best I’ve used. Charges a 16 inch MacBook Pro at full power, and it can also charge V-Mount Batteries that I use for work.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, it’s a beast. I can’t believe how quickly it charges my MacBook Pro 15” (tho not all the way. I’m sure the batteries won’t last very long but until then, I’m loving it

[@abulka]

MacBook Pro 15" huh? I noticed you mentioned such a model in the video which confused me. There’s a MacBook pro 14" and an air 15" but not a pro 15, unless you are talking about an older model?

[@cultofcedar]

Wow I have all of those exact things besides the panel. I've thought about it for camping as well, but i just bought more banks since it's lighter than the panels. Both my home and car are all powered by solar, so technically all of my powerbanks are solar charged lol

[@marinamarinx7655]

Solid power bank with a stylish display Technical data There are 6 batteries in series, each with 4000 mAh and a nominal voltage of 3.6V together 21.6V This results in a power of 86.4 Wh Fully charged at least 25.2V This is also where the problem of efficiency begins. Anyone familiar with step-down, step-up, buck-boost converters knows that the highest efficiency is only achieved when the voltage difference between input and output is smaller. ___Testing___ ___5V___ Power delivered: 62.4Wh Fully charged (0-100%): 110.3Wh Output efficiency: 72% Charging efficiency: 78.3% Note: At 5V the 737 charges with only max. 0.8A and that takes forever!! ___9V___ Power delivered: 66.2Wh Fully charged (0-100%): 92.2Wh Output efficiency: 76.6% Efficiency loading: 93.7% ___20V____ Power delivered: 79.3Wh Fully charged (0-100%): 92 Wh Output efficiency: 91.8% Efficiency loading: 93.9% ___Loading from an S23 Ultra___ Super fast charging 2.0 is shown but not working because the power bank doesn't support PD PPS like Anker 313 charger. Therefore ALL Samsung and Pixel are charged with only a maximum of 9V 3A = 27W => 24W in practice, which is very disappointing given the high price of the Anker 737. The power bank can fully charge the S23 Ultra 3x from 5% to 100% and then has 2% remaining capacity. ___Conclusion___ The Anker 737 is sleek and the display is nice, but the form factor is awkward. The Ugreen fits better in a pocket or backpack. When charging smartphones or tablets, efficiency suffers, 72-76% is not great. As an application scenario, the is more suitable for laptops or devices with power delivery from 12V, 15V, 20V. At 20V, the 737 has just under 92% efficiency at rated capacity. ___Problem of the 737___ With a number of devices with Powerdelivery 12V,15V, 20V, the power bank simply switches off and the display shows: ⚠️ UVP - Under Voltage Protection And switches off - so it is unusable. The Ugreen had no problems there.

[@lifeisgood4519]

Great audio! Great content! Bravo!

[@todd.parker]

Much appreciated!

[@ian9783]

Best ankor video on the net 👏

[@darylcheshire1618]

I got the Apple 140w charger, apparently Apple’s only GaN charger. Recharges the 737 quickly. I don’t use a solar panel, as you say, theyare too wimpy. I use it mainly on public transport. I also have a smaller Anker one with the percentage display.

[@zacharycompton5624]

I'm pretty sure speed only affects battery longevity as far as it overheats the battery. It is very possible that they manage heat very well, not making it an issue.

[@wquon2007]

recently got a similar setup, thanks in part to this vid. I wanted to something I carry for my batteries, and that is the Fenix ARE-D1. this tool can charge and discharge batteries making my flashlight battery charge other things in a pinch. nitecore 18650s are starting to have a type C charge port directly in the battery which gives you another "safety net" for a failure point. I've worn out a charge port on more than one phone, so I've switched to magnetic chargers. another trinket ive found are silicone plugs for ports that arent being used much, like headphone jack, USB, and type C. just be mindful that these ports in larger devices may help slightly with airflow/cooling.

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

Great Video, something told me to sell my EB3a, this might be the reason

[@todd.parker]

Thanks! Yeah, the EB3A is the most out of balance unit with a huge, power hungry inverter and tiny battery. Recipe for disappointment. Still a nice unit but I've been wanting to tell people there are other options out there now that are probably way better for USB-only portable power.

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

@@todd.parker I just wish there was lifepo4 power banks out there, small ones.

[@todd.parker]

@@Moes_Prep_and_Tech This Anker has LFP and is $50 off right now. I just got it and it’s only half as powerful as the 737 (60w) but it’s a pretty good unit. Anker Power Bank, 60,000mAh LiFePO4 Portable Charger 60W with Smart Digital Display, Retractable Auto Lighting and SOS Mode, (PowerCore Reserve 192Wh) for Laptop, Travle, and Outdoor Camping a.co/d/gt0lOCZ

[@damonaniton]

I already run the ugreen 145w battery and good cables along with the anker 747 and 737 gan chargers depending on the bag i am carrying. all i need from this list is the solar panel and car charger and i am good to go.

[@sig861]

Thanks you have done something I have wanted to do for a while

[@shapelessed]

Just keep in mind that the charging speeds this piwerbank can reach produces lots of heat degrading the battery. If you want it to last longer, charge things at slower speeds.

[@402outdoorzx5]

The anker 737 goes on sale on amazon on 70$ quite often.

[@TheStopwatchGod]

Btw, Jackery recently released the Explorer 100 Plus, it is a 99Wh LFP powerbank with 2 USB-C and 1 USB-A ports. It also appears to come with an adapter for solar charging

[@todd.parker]

Ooh, thanks for the heads up. I'll reach out to Jackery to see if I can give that a test.

[@bendix9009]

I build my own PowerStation. It only has 22Ah of capacity, but a regular wall socket and some USB-PD sockets.

[@richardpolley3945]

Excellent application

[@pavel9652]

Great idea and excellent video production quality and presentation! I have built similar setup to your backpacking variant last year and I agree that small power banks aren't as practical. I actually have BlueTTI power stack, 8kWh capacity and 2.3kW of solar, for off-grid, but I used Flexsolar 20W and Belkin 20Ah power bank for hiking and light usage in car. I would use Flexsolar 40W or even bigger panel specifically for usage in car, except now I can just take AC200max which gives me weeks of autonomy, depending on loads, and then recharge it with large solar array when I am back. Because my portable off-grid I don't have usage for mid-range setup, but in principle it is an excellent idea!

[@todd.parker]

Cool. There's a place for smaller, lighter kits even if you have a bigger power station.

[@dougmoore1077]

After being stuck with no power camping i bought the anker 737 and after this video the flexsolar and 140 w type c cables lol i am set if the world ends lol

[@todd.parker]

You can now survive anything (or at least keep your phone charged)

[@FaithwalkerTodd]

You can add capacity to the EcoFlow river 2. Since you can charge it from the cigarette lighter of a car you can also bring with you a small 12 V 18 amp hour battery as back up. It needs to be lithium. I pick them up for about $50 apiece. I’ve tested this, and that little extra battery will charge the power station from 22% to 94%. If you bring a couple of extra little batteries it would really increase the useful life of the small device. When you connect the battery through the charge port in the back it will charge at about 95 W until it is depleted. So when the battery pack gets below 25% you can fill it back up with one of these batteries. It may take a few hours but you can still use the power station while it’s charging . I create a connection to the battery that leads to a car port for charging, cigarette lighter receiver. That way when I’m ready to charge up the power station I just use the included cigarette lighter plug to tap right into the extra battery.

[@todd.parker]

Yep, that works fine. If you have a higher voltage battery it will charge faster

[@FaithwalkerTodd]

@@todd.parker that port is limited to 110 W I believe, I bought the solar panel that plugs into it and it goes up to 110 W. I have some Ryobi batteries that are 18 V that I use as a power source and I try these batteries for charging this power station, it works flawlessly but it would refuse to go over 110 W. It would bounce around until it finally locked in at 110 W maximum. But those batteries didn’t seem to transfer the wattage properly. I used a nine amp hour 18 V battery which is 162 W and it increase the battery in my power station only by 22%. But when I connected one of the 12 V 18 amp hour batteries that have 230 W it went up more than 70%. But the 12 V battery would only charge at around 92 to 95 W.

[@scb2scb2]

I ran into this video after i completed my 'set' but its about the same mostly anker based but a slightly newer solar panel that fits better in the size of a ipad pocket (12.9") and is 36watts. What is important is that the powerbank(s) are able to both do input and output at the same time or can take input on both ports so you can attach 2 solar panels if you want. I use the anker prime 27650 and 12000 versions depending on what i want to have in the bag. The anker 'splitting' cables allows me to attach 4 usb outs to devices or 2 output usb-c while its charging using either solar or plug power. Europe has different plugs and i also want a 'stable' brand so i use a 100watt and 67watt anker charger that allow also euro pins to flip in. Lastly knowing what is happening is a must so get powerbanks with good input/output stats like the anker does and/or get some nice adapters to convert (say to lighting port) from mcdodo at $10.

[@flowstateofmind]

Love the idea of going smaller to only the essential stuff. How would you approach this if you would want to include working on your laptop? And possibly from traveling in a van for up to two months.

[@todd.parker]

I think you’d want a bigger power station around 500wh if you’re using it to power a laptop, phone and other devices. Get a flexible or glass panel to mount to the roof and you’re good

[@jpvoodoo5522]

This makes sense if you don't need AC. Any ideas for if you do need AC?

[@todd.parker]

Is suggest an Ecoflow Delta Max with extra batteries, ACs use a ton of juice!

[@jpvoodoo5522]

@@todd.parker , Oops. Wrong AC. I meant alternating current. My idea is to keep the Frontier Optical Network Terminal running during a power outage. But it wired with a proprietary power supply, so I want to use an outlet. The wattage is not that high.

[@todd.parker]

@jpvoodoo5522 ah, gotcha. I’d go with a River 2 Pro or Max. The Anker and UGREEN units are also good.

[@pavel9652]

The other AC still uses a ton of juice ;) My BlueTTI AC200max inverter has 35-40W of losses whether there is an AC load or not. Inverter alone will discharge unit completely in circa 50 hours without any load. This is known problem with inverters. Consider converting to DC, except it is probably not worth the effort, unless you are running it continuously off-grid.

[@dcfavorite]

The way I see it, if you need to power a mini-fridge, a portable AC unit, go get a bigger power station. If you're just charging through USB-C, such as your phone, an iPad, or maybe a portable fan (the best portable fan I found is comes with 40,000mah storage), a power bank with a solar panel is good enough.

[@todd.parker]

Exactly

[@IrfanKamil]

this one is quite practical and perfect for camping, thanks fyi !

[@nick8418]

What a great Video! Thanks Todd!

[@todd.parker]

Glad you liked it!

[@RFC3514]

I've had issues with the new "Prime" Anker power banks (and chargers) limiting output to 30 W (and sometimes 12 W) even when trying to charge devices designed for >60 W. I think the issue might be that they don't support some specific combinations of voltage and current (ex., maybe the device is asking for 12V 5A but the power bank can only do 60 watts if the device asks for 20V 3A instead), and they also don't _display_ volts and amps (only watts), so it's very hard to troubleshoot.

[@SANDSCORCHER]

Excellent concept 😎👍🏻

[@djksfhakhaks]

Its reasuring that I went through the same pain researching solar panals and came to the same result! It says its really durable, I didnt think it would be THIS durable. My only complaint, well not even really that, i cant run my macbook directly off of it. My guess is that the mac is expecting 65w and this can only supply 40 max, when it tries it seems to trip a limiter in the panel causing it to reset continually.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, it’s usually better to charge a power bank if you can.

[@patientv2265]

This is a great and complete video, you can see that the concept is good even from the views. If so, could you prepare the same video but with a 100W powerbank and 100W portable solar panels? A laptop charging test on such a system could crush KZbin :D

[@todd.parker]

Good idea, thanks

[@mutafakos]

What an awesome setup!!! Thank you for the video! Have you considered using anker powerhouse 100 which has an ac outlet!???

[@todd.parker]

Thanks! My point with this video is AC output is sort of a waste on smaller units since you'll get super short runtimes and adds cost. I like the idea of USB only power stations that use PD for high power output and quick charging.

[@mutafakos]

You got a point there! I was looking for something small and portable for a Mac mini :) Thank you for the answer!

[@whydoineedahandle178]

The only thing I would do differently is instead of the battery pack, I'd think about adding a jump pack Fanttik T8 APEX 2000 Amp Jump Starter, 20000mAh. Then, at least you could jumpstart your car. I'm sure there might be something better, but I have this and have no complaints.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, I have the GOOLOO GT4000 jumpstarted and it's a beast. USB is almost as good as the 737 (100w PD) - amzn.to/4by2f6Q

[@whydoineedahandle178]

@todd.parker Yeah, that's pretty slick. Thanks for the suggestion. Im trying to have a setup in both my vehicles.

[@angeloschneider4272]

Where/How did you get the magnetic power cables for the Macs? I have an MacBook Air 2014 and a MacBook Pro 16" from 2016, I could use that setup!! Very nice upload, Sir!

[@AssettoVerbs]

You saved me a few hundred thanks bud.

[@tiagon19]

If you had to choose a PowerBank with a Car Jump Start capacity, would suggest any you like? Since, one is carrying a powerbank, why not choose one with more capability. Thanks.

[@todd.parker]

Good question. I really like this GOOLOO GT4000 jump starter. It can charge USB-C devices at 100w PD and can recharge just as fast. It also has a good display to show you what's going on for input and output. It's on sale for 42% off right now too. amzn.to/3w76aqO

[@tiagon19]

Many thanks@@todd.parker

[@TobyCostaRica]

Wish they would add 1/4-20 threads to these things to mount to things.

[@todd.parker]

That could be cool

[@chublez]

Still won't run a cpap though and my eb3a does for 2 nights with a 12v adapter no problems without charging at all. Add solar and its near endless. The inverter can go nonstop while the sun is up. This micro setup is great if all you need it to charge a phone, but honestly you could probably pick just the solar or battery for that and not both saving more money and weight.

[@todd.parker]

Right. As I said if you need AC, buy a small power station but if you’re 100% usb this is great

[@TomMorris1]

Great video, I was looking at power stations for emergency use, but a large power bank that can also be taken on a plane makes a lot more practical sense. Do you think you will be testing the Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank (250W)? I guess it's unrealistic at this size, but do you think any

[@jamesus27]

Best purchase I made in 2022

[@77m3]

Thank you for sharing this

[@Mapleaple]

My only issue with Anker power banks when used with solar panels is they never charge even with solar that far exceeds the 140w rating. For safety reasons and built in chips that read what's charging it will always charge slower no matter what if you use 3rd party chargers including plug in wall chargers if it's not an Anker one. I own a lot of anker products and I love them, but if I'm out in the woods I cannot rely on good charging speeds from solar since it never charges at the faster speed due to its self limiting safety procedures.

[@enriquediaz7547]

I bought it at the $99 price too!

[@Jasonoid]

So when you dropping the solar testing result video for those awesome little panels!?

[@todd.parker]

I had to wait a bit to get some panels from one of the companies so I'll be testing these in September...

[@Jasonoid]

@@todd.parker sweet! Looking forward to that video

[@joseg7090]

Hola Amigo , buenas noches. Una consulta: Tiene algún video hecho del tiempo de carga de un power bank como este o similar con un panel solar pequeño ( de 20 a 30 o 40W ) ? Muchas gracias.

[@vatoalex83]

need to find power banks with ppt and xt60

[@asoma64]

Does anyone find the charger too heavy and fall off the plug

[@todd.parker]

It is a big boy so if you have looser plugs, I can see that being and issue. You could get a short 1 foot extension cord and plug it into that...

[@asoma64]

Ya I did get one and it does help. Thank you

[@HappySnappyChappy]

Great to see so many products on the market now when it was all a strange black art a few years back. Anyway, I like everything you told us - but just to chuck a spanner in the works - what would you suggest for also powering my e-bike?

[@todd.parker]

An e-bike tends to have a pretty big battery around 750-1,000wh so you're in standard power station territory there like the Ecoflow Delta 2.

[@neildaintree]

Just picked up the big blue solarpowa 30w to create a similar kind of setup but using Anker 548 and 733 instead. First trial will be camping next week! Looking forward to hearing your opinion on it he bigblue 👍

[@todd.parker]

Looking forward to hearing how it goes! I like the Big Blue 30w panel a lot because of the kickstand and good construction. It ended up being quite a bit larger when folded than the 40w panel I showed so that’s why I went with that but it’s a good panel. Curious to hear your experience with the 548, I have one and there are some limitations like if you’re charging via USB-C if you mix the other USB-C and USB-A ports it limits the total output to 20w.

[@fisdu]

Does Anker not make a 140W wall charger? I have one that is 100W, so being a huge fan of Anker, I may go with their wall charger. Looking at getting a setup like this to keep in my 511 LV10 Sling pack. I have "travel packs" like this setup for myself, my wife, and my son. They are in Maxpedition pouches and include the wall chargers, Anker wall chargers, Anker battery packs and multiple cables, but this would also charge my tablet as well as my laptop, so it may be time to upgrade!

[@todd.parker]

Doesn't look like it but there are some good options are there. This one is one sale: amzn.to/4bJyz6E

[@samofsiam]

I tried to do the same with this Anker 737. Note that this Anker device can't output the 12v PD standard.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, I didn’t get into all the PD modes supported but it’s strange to they skipped 12v. I haven’t noticed it’s been a problem with my devices but it’s a popular voltage

[@zuuti]

How many hours does it take to charge it with the solar panel

[@todd.parker]

About 3 hours

[@樂園-y9f]

我是臺灣英文不太好，請問其他那一節一節的是太陽能板嗎

[@thb5505]

Great idea, great video

[@jeff7160]

This setup is exactly what I’ve been exploring recently! Researched power banks specifications, PD, interfaces and then started researching charging back up via solar! I think it’s a viable option for an individual power solution without A/C! Also, with a charging (USB-C PD 3.x) should 100W solar panel? Aside from cost, I imagine better charge time. Thoughts?

[@todd.parker]

Glad this was helpful. Not many 100w panels offer USB PD and they are pretty big for a power bank that’s 100wh. Some panels offer DC output that’s around 12v and that could be used with a PD cigarette adapter so that worth looking into

[@gondolier62]

I got everything as they were described this video (cable, 40W panel and 737 power bank) but I am only getting around 7W under the direct sun. I wonder where I did wrong. :(

[@todd.parker]

That’s not good at all. Which panel and cable did you get? Maybe the panel is defective?

[@3204clivesinclair]

I have almost the exact same system. Had a large power station and the battery failed 2 months after the warranty expired. I now have several powerpacks of the 737 type and size. As you say fast, light and not so expensive when they go wrong.

[@todd.parker]

Yep, exactly. It's great to have something so small that can recharge and discharge so quickly.

[@skyhawk21]

My eb3a was 180 and a 120w cloth weatherproof foldable briefcase Solar was 120 for total of 300. I also get about 230 plus watts out of eb3a before time to recharge.. Why would I buy an anker 24000mah pack for hundred dollars? That puts out 74 watts or so then try to charge it slowly with a 40 watt panel?

[@asoma64]

Is anyone able to get 140w from there EHO charger?

[@todd.parker]

In my experience with PD 3.1, I've only seen around 126w on the 737's screen so I think the display is either a bit off or you never quite get to the full 140w because of losses. My cables are all Anker 3.1 rated. Saw the same result when testing the UGREEN power station's 3.1 output so I think it' more likely a loss issue.

[@germanleonovich4176]

Hi, very intersting setup. Can you show, how solar panel charge anker with different power depending from sun light? In my expirience with over powerbank some of them have upstairs voltage current charge, and solar panel can produce 25w, but powerbank can just get 8w and from 30w

[@d.j.madonnie106]

Excellent!

[@tk423b]

Did you have a great portable microphone or did you do a perfect ADR?

[@markphillips1439]

Have you looked at the Anker 537?

[@POTENTDOMAIN]

Just a question, hoping to get an answer, especially in the current state of the world we're in right now. How important are these power sources in this day and age? Speaking from someone who is considering maybe starting a business with these types of products

[@todd.parker]

As I see it, every single person should have some way to keep their phones, smartwatch and a rechargable flashlight/headlamp in case of an emergency - storms, wildfires, grid outage - at a bare minimum so I think this is very important. You may also want to get a larger power station to backup parts of your home or use when camping but when SHIF and you need to evacuate and may be on the road or in a shelter, you can't bring something so large.

[@derkaderkaderkastan]

Any power bank with a wall outlet on it you recommend?

[@todd.parker]

Oh with one built in? I keep looking at those but so far haven’t found one I’d pick up.

[@derkaderkaderkastan]

@todd.parker Looking to build a similar setup solar panel battery bank And That charging cord that tells you what you're getting for input on the cord. for lightweight back pack bug out bag kind of deal without going full battery inverter.

[@notademonrat]

I actually came here for the only piece of information you didnt give. How long did it take the solar panels to charge the power bank?

[@todd.parker]

It takes around 3-4 hours depending on conditions

[@notademonrat]

@@todd.parker thats not bad i assumed it would take all day.

[@Lazerscythe]

Wondering if you have tried any of those power banks you see on Amazon with built in solar panels? A lot of 30-40k ones, and whilst I assume they charge slower because less coverage, they have a bigger capacity and smaller footprint so could be good for camping.

[@todd.parker]

I show that in the video and I think they are all junk. Most exaggerate their capacity- all those 30-50,000mah units are closer to 25,0000mah max. The panels are less than 1w each so it will take a week of good sun at a minimum to fill. I want to recharge easily in 3-4 hours for that to be useful

[@Lazerscythe]

@@todd.parker ah, must have missed that. Good to know, I put out an alert on the Anker one and now I wait until it goes under £100

[@todd.parker]

@@Lazerscythe 737 is $99 right now, link in description

[@Lazerscythe]

@@todd.parker Not in my region it isn't, but as you say, sales are regular, so I shan't need to wait long.