![]() ![]() If you only need to charge USB devices then Anker 325 Power Banks might be the better choice, especially if you might want to use them separately. ![]() You could probably plug a USB power adapter with multiple outlets into the cigarette lighter socket to get more USB outlets, though this would be an extra expense. ![]() These extra features could make it more useful than the Anker 325 power banks. The Jackery Explorer has a 200 W 110 V AC outlet, and it can be charged by a solar panel or from the car's electrical system. You would need 3 of them just to match the capacity of the Jackery Explorer 240. Since it only has USB-A output and they are coy about watt hours I suspect it contains a single 3.7 V cell, which would have a capacity of ~ 3.7 V x 20 Ah = 74 Wh. The Anker 325 Power Bank has a 20 Ah battery, but the voltage and wattage isn't specified. The Jackery Explorer 240 has a 240 watt-hour (16.8 Ah, 14.4 V) lithium-ion battery. In the US, they are easier to find than eggs. You do need the skill to design a system, but info about that is all over the web.īy the way, 12/24V to 120V inverters are sold at every truck stop - Pilot, Flying J, Petro, that kind of place.Īnd getting from 12 volts DC to 5 volts USB is super easy - the adapters are sold at every gas station, convenience store, big-box and cell phone shop. You don't have to do the whole system in one go. This is more money than you are planning, but not a whole lot more, and you can do it in increments - get the battery now, then wire a cross-connection so it charges off the engine (but doesn't sap the starting battery), then get an inverter to run fridge etc., then add more battery capacity, then add solar, etc. It can also provide power for very low-power fuel heaters such as the Dickenson. And then you can get USB power off that battery system, as well as a large enough inverter to actually run refrigerator, microwave and the like. ![]() You don't want to sap the engine starting battery for those loads, because after a long boondock you might find you can't start the engine! 12 volt is easier to work with, honestly. Really, unless you're choosing to live like a homeless person, #VanLife calls for a proper, permanently installed 12V or 24V DC accommodation battery and solar system on the vehicle, powering all the living-space lighting and equipment. but only for a short time as its energy (watt-hours) is very limited. The Jackery can power small 120 volt AC loads as its power (watts) is limited. That's 70 cents a watt-hour, which is better value but doesn't power anything but USB devices. That means it actually has 70 watt-hours. Higher than I'd like to see, but typical for these "portable power stations" which are rip-off-y.īy contrast, the $50 Anker 325 has 20,000 milliamp-hours, which is a fancy way of saying 20 amp-hours. To get from amp-hours to watt-hours, multiply by volts.įor instance the $220 Jackery 240 is 16.8 amp-hours, at 14.4 volts - you multiply the two and get 242 watt-hours. The "Amp-hour" spec you are reading is an attempt to give you energy capacity, but it needs a voltage to be useful information! They are confusing you with different terms. You need to know the difference between energy (watt-hours) and power (watts). We start by making a list of all the loads we want to power, and the energy requirements they have. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |