Jackery 500 or new group 31?

[4runnerteq]

Been looking at those Jackery power stations for a while. The group 31 has given up on the SoCal. Contemplating new battery or Jackery 500, or new battery and Jackery 240 as some back up, or just a new battery & rock on? Not running anything but the ARB fridge and the interior lights occasionally, but the wife would like to use her curling iron on occasion. Oh, and of course the fantastic fan runs all night when we go to bed. Anyone using a different set up than just the battery for power?

 

[shade]

What's a J500 cost? Will one supply enough power for your needs?

How much would an equivalent DIY LFP battery based system cost, and are you willing to put it together?

How important is portability to you?

If you use a flooded LA Group 31 battery, will you be able to charge it sufficiently daily? LFP batteries have a much higher charge acceptance rate, so can typically be fully charged in significantly less time.

 

[4runnerteq]

Right now the Jackery is $425. I do have a 60 watt solar. As long as there is sun, the battery was working fine til it crapped the bed.LFP battery system?

 

[shade]

Right now the Jackery is $425. I do have a 60 watt solar. As long as there is sun, the battery was working fine til it crapped the bed.LFP battery system?

You'll find many threads on battery boxes, house batteries, DIY projects here: https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/power-systems-12v-solar-gen.48/

I think someone found the J500 for less. I'll look for the link. The capacity isn't bad, and it should run a fridge overnight. Add fans, lights, and the occasional hair session, and you may be asking too much from a J500, though. I don't believe the battery bank (a bunch of cylindrical cells) is designed to be replaced, so you'll have to toss the Jackery when it's dead or rebuild the entire battery pack yourself.

60W of solar charging probably won't keep up with a fridge, let alone a curling iron, lights, and fans. The simple solution would be to charge your camper battery off of your tow vehicle's alternator, especially if you move every day. Adding 200W of solar panels would help considerably. The basic rule of thumb is to pack the roof with as much solar capacity as you can.

An Li-NMC battery is at the heart of the J500: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/types_of_lithium_ion

LFP batteries are another popular option, and are often used to when building DIY battery boxes.

If you were relying on a 60W panel to charge the old (lead acid) battery and it was seeing those loads, it was probably chronically undercharged, which shortened its life.

 

[4runnerteq]

Just fridge and fan before. No irons or the like. But yea, still could have been too much.

 

[john61ct]

Best G31 solutions if you're willing to pay a lot per Ah @12V

PC-2150 from Odyssey (Enersys)

if you have a lot of trouble getting back to 100% Full more than 2-3 times a week, Firefly Oasis.


But the best battery **value** by far is Duracell (actually Deka/East Penn) FLA deep cycle golf cart batteries, 2x6V, around $200 per 200+AH @12V pair from BatteriesPlus or Sam's Club. Deka labeled same batts also sold at Lowes.


Do you know the Ah capacity of the biggest Jackery unit? As in, measured at 12V, not at the per-cell voltage whatever they use internally.

Link to their tech docs, manual, datasheets?

Those powerpacks, and LFP cells in general cost a lot, takes a lot of geekery and work to DIY build something cost effective.

 

[john61ct]

That's a fair bit of power requirement, 200Ah would be a better starting point than any less.

Try to quantify the Ah used by that curling iron, IOW nail down a solid energy budget for worst-case days.

What are your energy inputs? How many days off grid, between overnight shore power recharging?

 

[shade]

Jackery Explorer 500W Portable Power Station

Jackery Carrying Case is a premium EVA bag designed to fit and protect the Explorer 500 Portable Power Station from damage. Stylish, practical, and durable.

www.jackery.com

Specs and manual there.

 

[john61ct]

518Wh LOL that's only 43Ah

Even taking into account higher usable capacity and not counting delivery costs, you'd need three of them to equal one pair of GCs, and

at 12x the cost per Ah


Basically nothing that small and portable is suitable for a fridge off grid.

If trying for mostly-solar, you want at least 3 days' storage for worst-case weather conditions.

If running a genset or going for long drives daily, that can go lower, but personally 100Ah true deep cycling would be rock-bottom minimum for anything but a few LEDs and topping up screen gadgets.

 

[shade]

Like I said, a J500 should run a fridge overnight. Past that, is probably asking too much.

I think the OJ article is going to lead to some disappointment.

 

[john61ct]

I think the OJ article is going to lead to some disappointment.

What OJ article?

 

[shade]

What OJ article?

Is The Jackery Explorer 500 The Best Portable Power Station For The Money? - Expedition Portal

For many of us, camping is an escape from the media and technology that dominates our everyday lives. It’s a way to engage with nature and quiet our minds, but that doesn’t mean we want to shed our electronics entirely while we do so. Whether they’re for navigation, emergency communications, or...

expeditionportal.com

 

[john61ct]

Yes being "the best" when the whole product category is inadequate and overpriced, does not mean much.

At least people know better than to call them "generators" like the scammers keep trying to make happen.

 

[Airmapper]

Jackie I seen the Odyssey 2150 suggestion, that's what I had in my X and you probably heard me whine and complain about on more than one occasion. Might be because I was using it as the vehicle battery, but I wasn't happy with it and took care of it like a pet and it still gave up after 3.5 years. Can't say how it would do on the SoCal but I always felt the little POS was fussy about how it's charged and I doubt the solar would keep it happy.

If you were to go that route, I have one of the old Odyssey 50A chargers I'll give you, I just won't promise it works because I never did get any satisfaction out of it or the battery, and I'm not sure which one was the problem.

 

[shade]

Yes being "the best" when the whole product category is inadequate and overpriced, does not mean much.

At least people know better than to call them "generators" like the scammers keep trying to make happen.

Lol - The first time I saw it misused like that, I was genuinely confused until I saw the spec sheet and realized why a battery was being called a generator. Marketing genius in action.