Which Portable Solar Panel is BEST for Travelling Australia? KickAss, Bluetti or AtemPower

So you want to camp off grid, you need solar, you start researching online and the options are overwhelming. Never fear, we are here! We put 3 different portable solar panels to the test for you, all of different price points too. We give you ALL the facts and compare them, to help you decide which one is the best for you!
We compare a 200W KickAss Rigid Panel, a 200W Semi-Rigid Bluetti Panel and a 300W blanket style AtemPower.
If you want to purchase the Bluetti Panel, the link is here - www.bluettipower.com.au/produ...
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[@adrianelsworth448]

Great work guys, thank you, love actual unbiased real world reviews.

[@OverlandExposure]

Thank you! Glad to help!! Keeping it real always! 😁

[@jarrodpascoe8130]

Liked the info. Keep up the good work. Hope u and Ur family do well!

[@OverlandExposure]

Thanks so much Jared, glad to hear you enjoyed the info.

[@anddoh]

Great video, very informative, keep it up. Trust your reviews.

[@OverlandExposure]

Thank you 😁

[@joerobson9442]

Hi guys I got the Kickass 200w panel. I set the regulator for lithium battery (read the instructions). I getting 13.5A 195w @14.6V out of it in summer and 11A at winter in QLD. Bit bulky but I love the efficiency.

[@OverlandExposure]

Awesome! The kickass was definitely the bulkier but more output for us on many occasions!

[@davidlewinsohn9252]

Hi Daniel, Thank you for is real world comparison of portable 12V solar panels. You are running a 48V battery system from Safiery. Is it possible to do a second short video where you attach these solar panels in series using the supplied cables and look at the real world output . (Volts, amps and Watts.) I know if one is going to connect solar panels in series, ideally, they should be the same type and brand. But as a short test, I think you could connect these different panels together because their outputs are similar and therefore feasible to string together. Thank you.

[@lisawanderess]

Curious to see what your opinion is on having 2x 200w Bluettis vs their new 420w panel

[@ParadigmImagesVideoPhotography]

there are panels and blanket, it mix up there, i do have Itech power station winch includes charging regulate and use Anderson connections not MC 4 connection

[@simonarmitage2591]

If you use the stand then panels will be cool and output will improve.

[@DIY12-24v]

For rated output you can not plug it in and then say this is its rating. Time of year,day. Ambient/panel temperature. angle. And battery SOC all affect the outcome. To get a better idea of what they are doing you need to set them up and run them through a solar regulator that records the data of the panel like victron. Then run it for ad long as you can you will then get a much better idea what the system is doing and what the panel can do.

[@phiromtauch6059]

I would like to see a review with a really good quality mmpt controller. I think you would get a better potential maximum output?

[@andrewford80]

Thanks for doing this comparison. I have 160w folding panels we got from Aldi on sale. I can't remember the cost but they are like the standard 160w panels you can get from lots of outdoor stores. The included PWM controller was a piece of shit though and was wired so poorly, the wires were literally shorting out behind the shrink wrap. I re-wired it and now use a victron MPPT controller (started with a 75/15) and was able to get the full 160w out of the panels in good conditions. A lot of people will tell you you never get full output, but a panel is rated at 1000w/m^2 irradiance and 25c. Conditions can sometimes exceed that, so you can get more out of panels than their labeled output. I had them out today and it sat on 140w for ages before going into absorb mode and the panels weren't lined up perfectly with the sun. Anyway Panels: $185 from Kings Controller: $141 from Outback Equipment $326 plus shipping or whatever and you can get the full 160W. Not sure what the weight is, and they are kind of bulky, but for me this setup cranks and I love it.

[@OverlandExposure]

Thanks Andrew, glad you enjoyed the comparison. I guess what we were trying to bring to light was every panel type is different, has their benefits and negatives, some of the quality you pay for is terrible but it is what you buy and some people don't have the ability to rewire or change controllers etc. We actually had a Kings Panel previous (still do actually) but we found it's output was horrendous.

[@andrewford80]

@@OverlandExposure all very good points :)

[@steveallen1340]

Similar experience for me. I bought a cheap eBay panel, the regulator was complete junk but the panel is fine. I put a decent regular on it and it has worked great for years now.

[@JohnDoe-ds6pr]

The problem with Bluetti, is their panels are limited to 8w input instead of 10-12 ...because they are attempting to force you to use their brand. Quality products, but that really annoys me

[@hugonolan8749]

Thanks Daniel for all your investigations, testing, and passing on of your findings - most informative.

[@OverlandExposure]

Thank you, you're welcome! 😁

[@hugonolan8749]

@@OverlandExposure 🤗🤗

[@TheDarrellma]

Good vid

[@OverlandExposure]

Thanks 👍

[@briananddianehardy8598]

I’ve got the Atempower solar blanket that I use to charge the lithium battery in our vehicle, it does an okay job. It’s disappointing thats its output is no where near the stated output. Thanks for the no BS review of your solar panels.

[@OverlandExposure]

Thanks Brian and Diane! Happy to help, glad you found it useful and liked our no BS approach. 😁

[@hamishholmes3213]

…did/do you guys both use the supplied cheap controller for the 300w ATEM?… I’m using the in-built controller on our itech power station & we get 200w in full low angle sun, with it laying flat on shed roof in SthAust …very happy with it

[@briananddianehardy8598]

@@hamishholmes3213 I use a 20 amp DCDC charger when using the solar blanket to charge the battery.

[@Anth_D]

Have you contacted them direct? Something isn’t quite right there.

[@shanecrees1239]

How do you find the Iveco? They look like an awesome unit, and very capable.

[@OverlandExposure]

We love our Iveco. It takes us everywhere. It's older, has wear and tear issues occasionally but we love it's size, it's capability, it's standard comforts (feels like a big car) and the ability to have the back set up as a camper for when we want to go a bit more remote. We have a walk through vid on here too if you want to have a watch 😁 you'll have to go back a bit!

[@shanecrees1239]

Just a note, the glass domestic type (eg Kickass), with almost always preform better than the blanket material type panels......all the tests on here will show this.

[@OverlandExposure]

It definitely seems that way the more people test the different options.

[@brianstewart346]

I'm trying to reconcile the performance of the Bluetti in this video, and the 16 Aug 22 review of that panel on your blog. In the blog review, you said that you were getting output suprising close to spec, but the Bluetti appears to be performing less well in this review? What happened in the intervening period? I ask because I'm on the hunt for good performing but not too heavy portable 200W panels after I just got a refund from a well-regarded manufacturer after two 200W solar mats of theirs, in a form factor a lot like the Bluetti, started out very well but rapidly went downhill. I don't want to go through that again. I had been seriously considering the Bluetti based on the blog review, but am less sure after this comparison. One test I did with the second faulty set was to test each of the four panels in the mat separately, by covering up the other three in turn, and found that one panel was down 75% on the best two and the other one was down 15%. It would be interesting to know whether all four panels of the Bluetti are still performing equally well, if its performance has declined since Aug.

[@OverlandExposure]

Hi Brian, Good question! When I did the initial blog I was relying on less precise measuring, and I believe I only took one or two measurements, quite possibly while the panels were still cool. That's a great question about the individual panels, I'm not sure how the Bluetti is wired, but it's entirely possible that one of the panels has had a fracture in a connector or similar, we definitely treat them mean. I'll have to check it out for you!

[@brianstewart346]

@OverlandExposure - Thanks Daniel. If you do manage to test each of the panels in the Bluetti mat separately that would be helpful, as if you find that one or two panels are down, then that *may* indicate that this form factor is vulnerable to damage. I'd have said that I treated my two panels of a similar design but different brand reasonably carefully. Because Bluetti is not a commonly talked about brand in Australia, I did a little online reesearch. Another local vlogger, XPloringOZ, has also tested the Bluetti, in kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZm5iGqJo96Gb6M and found similar output to your blog post. However he appears to be a supported influencer, and it's not clear that his report covers enough usage over time to check for possible loss of output. He confirms that the panels are wired in parallel and so can be tested separately. See also a couple of comments on his video about the impact of folding and unfolding on performance, although there's no indication that it has caused problems on this particular mat. The older SP200 seemed more at risk of this, according to the comments. The reason I was seriously considering this panel is that other reviews show similar output to your blog post. See kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJuQqndniNajZsk and kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4myi4aYjpyMedk and kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqTIk2R5fNmNf80 . All report great output when new, but none address the issue of longevity over time.

[@Holtonfamilyadventures]

The kickass panel with its in built regulator would produce more due to the cable run shortness between panel and regulator.. where you 3rd party regulator is further aware and is influenced by the loss over distance

[@BrettAltea]

It’s the opposite. You want the regulator as close to the battery as possible

[@andrewford80]

@@BrettAltea This is correct.

[@OverlandExposure]

Yes we had the regulator as close to the battery as possible.

[@Nosaesoh]

Great review mate! Back of the napkin math shows that the kick ass is best value at $4.50per Watt considering the size, structure and quality. Bluetti is over $6 per Watt, and $4.40 per Watt for the generic. It would be interesting to see the watts per square meter.

[@OverlandExposure]

Yep! You do have to factor in form factor though - the Bluetti is significantly lighter and smaller than the other options!

[@Nosaesoh]

@@OverlandExposure like every thing in the van, you pay a premium for lighter gear.

[@OverlandExposure]

Very true! P.s. I (Manda) did the $/w calculations and had them ready to go in but we didn't think people would be interested in those facts 🤣

[@Nosaesoh]

@@OverlandExposure LOL… there are still a few of us geeks out there!

[@OverlandExposure]

🤣🤣 I'm a facts and figures kind of person too 🤣

[@JohnDoe-ds6pr]

Everything works great when you first buy it ( with the exception of Atem cheap-arsed crapola) . Try reviewing equipment after you've been using it for 3-6 months.

[@OverlandExposure]

We actually used each of these panels for 5 months every day possible to really test them out before doing the review and video, we wanted to make sure the info we were providing was correct for our long term experience.

[@commodore1979]

the atem looks uncannily like $149 kings blanket

[@OverlandExposure]

They're all very similar I'm sure 🤔😁

[@steveallen1340]

Really surprised with the impressive output of the kickass pwm regulator.

[@OverlandExposure]

Me too! Pleasantly surprised.

[@louisfrantz8940]

Those Bluetti panels are quite expensive compared to other solar panels.

[@OverlandExposure]

They are yes, but they're high quality, lightweight and small. It's all a compromise.

[@robfowler3824]

lol nice job guys

[@OverlandExposure]

Thanks! 👍

[@BrettAltea]

The amount of watts you’re getting from those panels is way too low. With good sunshine overhead you should be getting close to what the panels are rated. Two reasons this may be occurring. Firstly it may be the quality of the regulator that comes with the panel. Secondly (and most likely) it could be that you have the regulator close to the panel; this means that there is then voltage drop down the long lead from the regulator to the battery. If you move the regulator to between the long lead and the battery you will get a huge increase in power.

[@davidlewinsohn9252]

I fully agree. The loss caused by the sub-optimal position of the regulator relative to the battery AND the "cheap / thin" electrical cabling provided by the suppliers of these products are all significant factors that must be considered.

[@OverlandExposure]

Where's the optimal position of the regulator? Close to the panel or close to the battery?

[@BrettAltea]

@@OverlandExposure as close to the battery as possible. This is because the voltage of the panels is around 20v and the voltage after the regulator around 14.4v. If there’s any voltage drop from 14.4v after the regulator it will have a huge decrease in wattage. To minimise the voltage drop there’s two things that can be done; thicker wiring and decreased length of the wire. The longer the wiring is, the thicker it needs to be.

[@OverlandExposure]

Hi Brett, the regulator as reviewed on the panels, is as close to the battery as possible, with the exception when I tested the inbuilt PWM regulator for the Kickass Panel. Extension lead to get the panels to the sun, then regulator then battery.

[@OverlandExposure]

David the cheap/thin electrical cabling is part of the package that you buy - That's what they sell it with so that's what we test it with!

[@fishguy5825]

It's just sad to see that the Bluetti panels are not waterproof, they are just splash-proof.

[@OverlandExposure]

Interesting. The website says to extend the life of the panel not to soak in water or get it saturated but doesn't technically say not waterproof 🤔🤔

[@lisawanderess]

Apparently “not waterproof” with regards to Bluetti means not submergable rather then not weatherproof so you can still leave them out in the rain.