Topsolar SolarFairy 60W Portable Foldable Solar Panel Charger Kit 18V DC Output for Portable Generator Power Station + 12V RV Boat Car Battery + USB & Type C for Cell Phone Tablet

The juicy details: It folds up into a small package and comes with a carrying case. It's a lightweight device. There are grommets at each of the four corners, which is important because the panel folds and you may need to temporarily mount it for the best sun exposure. It includes ways to power a variety of devices, including 12 V, car batteries, and more, which could be useful. The bad: Customer service was quick to respond to all questions (see below). br>br>The bad: br>Responses from customer service aren't always clear. Unless you are electrically savvy, it will be difficult to figure out what some of the attachments/cables do due to this and a poorly written manual. I don't have a Watt meter, so I used a Power Station to figure it out. In ideal but real-world conditions, the solar panel's Watt output can only power about 65 watts from the power station's AC output while keeping the battery from dropping or rising in charge. The actual wattage of the panel is higher than 65 watts, but I can't say how much higher, because there is a power loss when converting the solar panels dc output to the power station's AC output. In ideal but not real-world use conditions, it does not deliver the full 100 watts. I'm not an electrician, but I've seen wattage tests where framed permanent 100 Watt monnocrystalline panels produced a maximum of 81 Watts under the same conditions as those described here - Take this last point with a grain of salt, given my lack of expertise in this area. br>br>Things to keep in mind if you get one: br>The manual is unclear and misses a number of key points, which are outlined below. 1. br>br> On the gray controller box, there are red and green lights. The incorrect answer is also listed in Amazon's QA, despite the fact that it was written by their customer service. The green light indicates that the charge output is sufficient. A full explanation can be found below*. 2. br>br>1. br>br>br>br>br>br Please see the attached image for the proper setup for charging a car battery. Customer service has confirmed this. br>br>3. The adapters (also known as "connector cables" in the manual) that connect to the DC to DC 6 cable's end. The other attached photo shows a five-foot cable. There is no connector provided to charge a laptop with a USB C charging port. br>br>* When I asked TP solar customer service about the lights, they said that the green light on the attached controller indicates that the panel is producing power and that the sunlight is powerful enough to power an appropriate device; the red light indicates that the panel is not producing power and will not charge a device. I had the panel out at 8 a. m. in less than ideal conditions and it did slowly charge my Power Station battery. As a result, if the light is red, it will charge in less-than-ideal conditions, in my experience.

Lawrence Freeman

| Apr 16, 2021

I have a lot of rigid panels and a couple of flexible panels in the lower wattage range, as well as a couple of folding panels. This was my first purchase of a larger folding panel, and I was discouraged while shopping after reading so many negative reviews about the poor quality of many popular brands. br>br>I've only had this panel for 4 hours and am just getting it set up outside for a test; the sun isn't exactly overhead, so these numbers may increase slightly, but I'm not planning on angling it or anything - Given the current position of the sun, flat is preferable to anything I could rig up. br>br>The number 74 was displayed right away. When connected to a Victron MPPT, 75 watts are produced (see image attached). As the panel warmed up, I expected this number to drop - It's 95 degrees outside, and it's laying on hot plywood with no airflow beneath the panels or from any other direction - the wind is perfectly still- free day. br>br>After 30 minutes, it's producing 72 watts. My truck's 2x100w series rigid panels are currently producing 143w and have excellent airflow. So, based on what I've read about Dokios and similar panels producing 60 watts from a "200 watt" folding panel, I'd say this panel's output is significantly higher. br>br>It's a little heavy, but that's fine; it folds up tight and compactly and feels more durable than my smaller folding panels. I can flex the smaller ones, but these feel like they're unfolding a book of floor tile, which is where the weight comes from. However, no other comments on durability have been made because it is too early to say. It just feels like it'll last, and unfolding it is simple: flip the first six tiles open, then unfold the remaining six from on top. I liked it because I could unfold the panel without it producing any voltage until the last fold was flipped over - Until this point, one side is covering the other. This will be understood and appreciated by those who are familiar with the practice of draping blankets over solar panels to stop current flow. br>br>The flap that hangs off the side where the output box (or whatever you want to call it) is fine; I used to think it was silly when I went shopping. The output box is located on one side of the flap, while the other side wraps around the panels and velcros them closed when folded. I doubt you'd be able to hang this panel horizontally (in landscape mode!). ) without the flap catching the wind and becoming obnoxious, as well as putting stress on the wires leading to the flap. However, with the flap dangling down, it would be simple to hang vertically. br>br>When reviewing this item, keep an eye on the panel voltage and charge current entering your battery. In a world where subpar folding panels barely hit half their rated output, that's useful information. Wires, of course. br>br> Let's talk about wires for a moment. All of the accessories are incredibly thin. A 10 amp 2 is what I'm working with. 1x5. I was able to use the included 2. 5mm jack as my solar inlet to my charge controller, allowing me to use the included 2. 1x5. There are five extension cables. The alligator clip adapter and the MC4 adapter are both 22 gauge adapters. It's possible that the two are connected. 1x5. The extension cable with a diameter of 5mm has a high gauge as well. I placed an order for a 10 foot 2 inch 16 gauge heavy duty rope. 1x5. 5 extension (though I now realize I should have gone with a male to male - It is still on its way). In any case, to reduce voltage drop, use as much wire as possible from the panel's output box to your charge controller. br>br>Get a 2 if you truly want to give the panel the best chance of producing. 1x5. Buy a 10 pack of 5mm male jacks with screw terminals from Amazon and stuff as much wire as you can into them (12 gauge in my experience) while keeping the wire as short as possible to reach where it needs to go. More voltage will be able to flow through the wire over longer distances and at higher temperatures as a result of this. br>br>Finishing the review, it took me a long time to type this, and it's been at least another 30 minutes since I said it produced 72 watts. Right now, I'm getting 70 watts - With the exception of a few days in Colorado, this is as hot as it will get. br>br>UPDATE following the first trip: I took this to the mountains and charged my LiFePO4 camper battery by laying it on the grass. It was necessary to make use of the two that came with the package. 1x5. Because the heavy-duty extension cable I ordered didn't arrive before I left town, I used the 5mm extension cable again. This was intended to be used with a Victron 75/15 MPPT charge controller. The temperature is around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sky is mostly clear. I didn't bother angling it, and the grass wouldn't let it lay perfectly flat, so it had a slight bowl shape to it. I was using bluetooth to monitor the charge controller, and after about an hour of charging, I hit 80 watts for a short time. (I'm adding a new photo). I'd suggest it.

Aubrie Mason

| Mar 03, 2021

To prepare for my road trip, I connected the solar panel to my Jackery battery. br>It works, but the maximum Watt I have is 59W, according to the battery? Because it says 100W, I'd appreciate some explanations! I'm in Florida, where the sun is scorching and it's midday! Why aren't they advertising it as a 100W unit when it only puts out 60W?.

Mario Underwood

| May 29, 2021