I have a large double chamber refrigerator cooler. My AC180 ran it for 20 hours before running out of juice. This review helped me make the decision to buy it.
This is an academic approach to these devices and it's much appreciated. Your attention to detail far surpasses what other reviewers are touching on. Thank you.
Not all heroes wear capes! The time and dedication is appreciated immensely. I’m in the market for exactly this size unit and have been researching these for about a week, and this was exactly what I needed to see. Thank you!
I'm pretty technical that way. I don't want to just know "which one is better". I like to know "how much better"? The only downside is the amount of time it takes to make them, especially with some of the more efficient units.
@@WaveformScience Is it normal that my ac180 has a clicking relay when it’s connected to the solar at sunset/sunrise? AC/DC is off. Apparently, it's not enough sun to charge it and it makes clicking noises every few minutes.
Excellent review, thanks for all your efforts. I pre-ordered an AC180 a couple weeks ago here in Australia, so it's good to see everything being covered in-depth. I'm a bit annoyed about the solar input not switching to 10amps unless it's above 32v, I have a single Bluetti PV200 panel and it's disappointing to know it'll max out at 8 amps when in use. The pre-order price here in Australia was actually quite good compared to local competition, I ended up paying $1179AUD for the AC180 which is just under $800USD at current exchange, that's cheaper than what Ecoflow charge for their River 2 Pro locally ($1299AUD) and hundreds of dollars cheaper than their Delta series units which start at $1599.
Incredible video. Thank you so much for going so in depth with this review. I think you might be the only person currently on YT to show the battery add on option. I was wondering myself how exactly that worked so thank you for showing that.
Thank you for all your days of hard work to produce this video. I've patiently waited a long time to buy my first power generator and this may finally be it. I will re-watch the solar portion; want to understand what portable and fixed panels for vehicle (van) travel will work best with the specs of this unit. If anyone wants to list any that are ideal based on what was discussed in this video that would be so appreciated!
I've watched hundreds of reviews on power stations, and never have I saw a more detailed review ! your PV test/explanation is priceless, this can eliminate surprises when buying a solar panel, thank you. I'm still pondering between ac180 and ac200max, it's a hard decision as the ac180 has a few new features(as it is newer) but the solar input & battery capacity push me towards the ac200max.
Thanks for the fantastic review. I ordered one of these and was not sure of the expandability of the unit. Thanks for including the daisy chaining suggestions. Not everyone has a big house to worry about keeping powered up should we lose power. Yet with the cost of food, no one wants to lose everything in their fridge! This unit should be nice to have something for camping, boon docking or in an emergency at home. Trying to find that balance between not to big or to small while being versatile can be difficult! Thanks for the extensive and honest review and no 50,000 commercials either. Much appreciated!
Awesome in depth review. One thing I learned from this review that convinced me to order the AC180 was the the capability of expanding the capacity using the b230 battery. I haven't seen anyone else talk about that.
Thanks a lot for this extensive and probably most honest review I could find. Your 'disclaimer' at the end helps to understand you're not here to make money but help people with excellent objective guidance and information. The world needs more people like you.
Awesome review thanks! And I later realised your solar charging graph perfectly explains why my 310W solar panel only seems to max charge at around 225W - so its not a solar panel problem, phew! I'm thinking to add another 170W panel in series to take OC voltage up to 60V at around 9.5A. Only thing I've missed in all the reviews of the AC180P is that if the charge goes down to 0%, it won't automatically start charging on solar when it can - you have to press the power button to start charging, which can affect suitability for off-grid unfortunately. Would be great if that was an option to enable.
Your video really helped me get a complete understanding of the AC180. I am contemplating between the Bluetti AC180 and the Ecoflow Delta 2. I'm glad to see the AC180 has a backup battery solution (even though it is sort of a hack). The Ecoflow Delta 2 has a purpose built backup battery option, but I don't like that it only works with Ecoflow station(s). To me it looks like AC180 is the better choice. Thank you for your thorough review!
I really enjoyed the review and it answered many of the questions I had. The amp and voltage testing on the MPTT connection has helped me research what panels to get. The testing with external batteries and chargers is good to know, and the efficiency tests at different power draws is great information to learn. I am really considering getting one if it launches for a good price in the UK. Thanks!
So appreciative of your video. I learned a lot about my AC180, which I bought with a PV200 for van travel and picked Bluetti with limited knowledge and compared sizes and weights and watts. I chose the 180 for portability as a small woman and it adds less to my payload, but realize I should probably get the B230 and an adapter in case I’m without solar or AC charge for a couple days. So added back the payload but retained versatility. I also got the EcoFlow Wave with PV250 and Wave Battery and am looking forward to understanding its capabilities
I’ve just got AC180 after looking at quite a few reviews but yours was especially detailed and well presented. I’m in Australia but apart from obvious voltage differences I’ve found after one day that the AC180 performs to my full expectations. Thank you.😊
I really appreciate your detailed information. Especially the pairing info with the expansion batteries as I own a 180 but need more storage. I couldn't find the information anywhere else. Thanx 🎉
Thanks for such a informative video. You are very thorough in all your tests. I especially liked the bar graphs. Your time and energies are appreciated.
Thanks for another great in-depth review Jeff. The only feedback I have (for Bluetti...not you per se!) is what might be missing from the AC180. All of the other AC products have battery expansion capabilities, including the new AC60. I think it would have been good to add an expansion port and battery pack(s) to the AC180.
I was told that the lack of battery port was a pricing and weight decision. That said, I wasn't told what the price will be or how much weight was saved...
Great video, Jeff. This looks like it fills a valuable hole in the Bluetti line-up. I wish you could do the efficiency tests on an EB150 or EB240, since a lot of us are still using them, and it would be a great comparison. Not that I expect you to; it would be a lot of work for kind of an abstract interest. But I'd love to have that data on my EB150/240.
Thank you for doing the voltage test. I have two 240 watt panels that I think would work in parallel with this to get near the max 60 volts. They produce 37.2 volts each.
Thank you for doing this thorough breakdown and in-depth testing of these Bluetti Solar Generators. Finally, someone who understands the scientific method and graph plotting technical specifics. Could you do a thorough testing and plotting of the EcoFlow Delta Pro unit please ?
Very good video but probably more interesting to tech nerds rather than everyone else. I’ve watched 2 channels that stated when they plugged a portable refrigerator into the 12v port, the fridge kicked off, even tho the AC180 should not have had any problem handling the load. That would be a much more practical test, because that’s what many people want to use it for.
Splendid review and very detailed. I learned a lot and just subscribed. Thanks. I'm the happy owner of 3 EB3As and I use them mostly running small, efficient cooking devices while in the great outdoors, pairing them with a single 100W PV panel. Invariably, a larger solar generator is in the purchase plans and there's lots to like with the AC180. The only thing I'd want more of in this size package is an MPPT charge controller with higher available input voltage.
Thank for the review,i like bluetti Ac180,but the problem is the Dc output cigerate which is only one and also limited to 12v/10ah, is better to have 2 Dc output cigerate 12v/25ah and 12v/10ah this will anable to power Dc fridge,dc fans,dc Tv etc Also create for expendibility of battery
Hey Jeff, I finally got my AC180 in the mail and I can report the final production version of this does include the wing nut for the grounding port and they removed the 20 amp markings on the AC outlets. It still has the same NEMA 5-20 plugs so devices can work with the odd connector but yeah they are not advertising this as 20 amps anymore.
Just got the AC180 a couple of days ago. I don’t see a wing nut. Was it in the cord box or what? I’m completely new with this stuff, so maybe I’m missing something. Thanks for all the information and your help.
38:51 very good data, thanks! 2kw diesel heater runs on 6W while on low and 30W while on high, so this shows AC180 is quite really bad for that kind of usage.
Looks like a really great unit with one big hole, in that they should have built in expandability. Another really minor gripe is that it should have a second usb-c port, but that is easily resolved plugging in a brick into one of the ac ports. Like I said, otherwise look like a great unit. Love that the dc port goes to 10.5 amps, the brick less charging, 500w of solar capacity and UPS functionality. Just wish the unit had true expandability rather the the expandability hack that uses up the solar input port.
Just a note from the manual: 7. This product must be grounded before operation. Connect a grounding cable (recommended 14AWG（1.5mm2）/105o C/yellow-green color) to the grounding terminal of AC180. Fasten the grounding screw (M5*10) to fix the cable.
Love the detailed reviews and I purchaced a AC180 mostly based on this review to power my Bambu Lab 3D printer to mitigate for any grid issues. I have a few questions I cannot find definitive answers for, given the senario below and I know that when running from PV input ONLY, we are in online UPS mode. The AC180 battery is FULL and there is both grid and PV input and an AC load is consuming LESS that the PV input. 1. Are we in online or offline inverter mode ? 2. If the grid input fails, will there be (up to) a 20mS switching time?, I guess this depends on the answer to 1 above. 3. If the AC180 battery is only at 50%, silent mode is activated and the PV input is HIGHER that the current grid charging (usually < 350W), does this chnage the answers to 1 and 2 above. 4. The 3 charging modes only seem to affect grid input, PV only input can be up to 500W, will the fans still kick in (so no more silent tmode) ? I have tested the 3D printer while connected to the AC180 with only grid input and it's seems to be oblivious )phew) to me toggling the grid input off and back on.
The AC180 does seem to require any authentication when pairing with the bluetooth APP. Anyone in the vicinity might inspect power usage, reconfigure the device (including potentially hazardous settings like power lift and change frequency) and could turn loads on or off. When powering medical appliances or safety infrastructure it becomes a critical security issue.
Outstanding review with very thorough and detailed tests. I'm looking to use a SoGen to provide UPS power to a large aquarium. Can you add a test to your UPS testing to determine if a SoGen will power up and switch on its AC outputs if it drains its battery during an extended power outage while in UPS mode? My AC200p will automatically power up when power is applied to the PV input but it will not automatically switch on the AC outputs.
Bluetti does not make any units with auto-on functionality. The issue is with the US National Electrical Code (NEC). A "portable" generator can't have auto-start. A "standby" generator can, but a "standby" generator needs to be permanently attached to a grounding system. Note that "automatic start" and "remote start" is different. Bluetti has remote start (via Bluetooth or Wifi) in most of their units. There is another vendor that has enabled auto-start in a "portable" generator. We will see how that goes. They will probably be forced to disable the feature eventually.
@@WaveformScience Thank you for the answer. It is good to know that this is electrical code issue and not an oversite by the manufactures. Since the AC200Max will wake up when power is applied to the PV input, I will have to remotely enable the AC ports via WiFi if it drains its battery when using it as an online UPS. In my case, it would take a day and half power outage, when I am on travel, to be of any concern. But concerned I am.
@@Fnantier I’m not convinced that adding the ability to ground the unit converts it into a “standby generator” instead of a “portable generator”. There are other requirements for “standby generators” including methods for how it is connected to the building’s main panel and interlocks.
@WaveformScience I suggest to also include a self-consumption test during solar charging. In low sunlight and with AC/DC outputs off, while my EB70 charges a few watts my AC180 charges nothing and consumes existing battery power. Coupled with the fact that the AC180 turns on automatically when receiving solar input, in low-light unattended systems it might lead to power waste and battery wear.
Thanks for the very complex review. It would be nice to test the sound level in AC charging mode in different modes (silent, standard, turbo) and under different AC loads such as 10%, 50%, and 100% when working from the battery. How loud is it under a 150-200W load?
Can you cover this as a topic? The BLUETTI device has a MAJOR security vulnerability. The bluetooth is always enabled when the device is powered on and it is not secured by any authentication or prompt on the device. There is also no way to disable the bluetooth. This means that anyone can connect to the device using the app via the bluetooth interface and control the power station (turn on/off power). This becomes a vulnerability in that critical systems can be turned off, systems that are required for animals (automated feeding systems, fish tank aerators) can be affected putting the wellbeing and life of animals at risk, and at worst, any medical devices can be turned off with a risk to human life.
Excellent video! By far the best and most informative I have seen on the AC180. You mentioned that you will be doing a video on how best to charge it from an automobile. I am trying to decide if I am going to upgrade my current dual AGM batteries with a dc-dc charger/lithium battery setup or go with the AC180. Most of these solar generators do not charge fast enough to meet our needs when out exploring (fridge, Starlink, etc). Can you provide a sneek peek on what method of charging you would suggest for a Jeep with a 240 amp alternator and a Genesis dual battery system installed?
@@cheizaguirre5494 Nothing yet! lol. I have been looking at the KickAss lithium battery box as well. Works with a dc-dc charger and has all the fuses and outlets ready to go. Kind of an easy to install dual battery system.
Jeff, Brilliant production and very detailed, this is exactly the review I'm looking for. I'm looking to see if you can help me solve a query, I have have previously owned 3 Ecoflow units and all have their faults. My River 2 pro I owned for 3 weeks and returned it as the AC inverter produced a buzzing sound when operating an audio amplifier or audio mixer, this inverter certainly had a sine wave issue. I then purchased the Ecoflow Delta 2 that ticked all the boxes as far as operation and functionality. the only main issue is the 12 volt car charging feature fails after 1 month on the first Delta 2 and 2 weeks on the replacement. Even though the retailers or Ecoflow appear to deny any issue here, I have read online I'm not alone here. my question is have you had or heard of any scenario with Bluetti ? like the Delta 2 the 180 ticks the boxes. Thanks David
I am super disappointed in Bluetti not supporting their b230 and b300 battery idea with the expansion port(s) on their new products. I was hoping it would be a standardized thing and we are getting ether some convoluted way to make it work or all new batteries with different ports like with the AC60. The B230 and B300 should easily be able to plug into their power stations without having to buy extra cords and bricks.
Yeah I have no idea why they didn’t add a battery expansion port on the side. Similar to the AC60. I bet it was a cost cutting measure but the “workaround” via daisy chaining is not ideal
@@mclaine33 The issue with the AC60 is that it is a different battery port that only works with their new batteries and there doesn't seem to be an adapter. That doesn't make sense ether.
I was told it is a pricing thing. I do understand why the B80 uses a different connector though. Those two batteries operate at different voltages. Plugging a B230 (51.2v) into the AC60 (22.1v) would cause problems.
Well, now you can. Even Bluetti adverts this more or less indirectly. But with a BLUETTI P090D To DC7909 cable you can charge the AC180 with a B230 or B300
First I’d like to thank you for an exceptional video. The analysis and resulting graph comparisons are fantastic. Second, I’d like to dig in to one of your comments. I’d like to connect a B230 to an AC180. While I know a battery charging a battery isn’t ideal, I have space considerations in an Overlanding vehicle fitted with fixed solar panels. You mentioned to expect a 30% loss, but I’m wondering if you have measured it? I know inverting the battery to the DC connectors results in about a 10% efficiency loss, but is that in play when enabling the battery bank setting or is it simply allowing the raw battery current to flow over the special cable until maybe the 10% reserve is left? I also know that the AC180 loses some efficiency when current flows into its charging port, but how much? Any chance you could measure two things: 1) How much is lost when a B230 charges an empty or near empty AC180 through the special connector (P090D to DC7909). 2) How much is lost and how long does it take to charge both a B230 and connected AC180 via the DC Charging Enhancer attached to the B230. That’s one charging location downstream of the AC180.
This video was so helpful, thank you! Just ordered AC180 for Hurricane Power outage back ups in Florida (like running my Iceco fridge etc). Weather here will never be cold. Knowing the AC180 needs a base of 32volt In order to go from 8 amps to 10 amps... what would be the best confirguration of Panels to go past the 32 volts and get as many watts from panels as possible but not over shoot the 60 volt limit with too many high volt panels? I am looking at two 100 way N type 16bb solar panels that have VOC 22volts , so if I got 2 of them and put in Series would I would have 44 volts, getting me up and over the 32 volt level for best amps but not going too high in volts to risk hitting the 60 volt limit. but issue is can I safely ever add a 3rd panel to that if I wanted more than 200 watts (these N type 16 bb panels average 90% of their wattage) or technically a 3rd panel would blow me out of the 60 volt limit. Dont know if that's the best set up? Next Option would be to use One N type 16bb 100 watt bifacial panel that has VOC of 35.7, that would trigger the 10am input by being over 32volts on good sunny days... but then I am limited to only 100 watts as 2 of those panels could blow me past the 60 volt limit and in low light could dip below the 32 volts. third option: one 200 watt N type Bi facial panel with VOC 36.4, this would give me enough to go over the 32 volt and not limiting the amps, and maybe could leave room for a 3rd 100 watt panel since the volts arent too close to 60... but this too could dip too low in low light as well. Im lost at what would be the best choice for set up because of this frustrating limit on the AC180 (though I love everything else about it). In an emergency storm situation and the after math being as efficient as possible and squeezing max watts is really important. I am learning as I go with all of this! Any help would be amazing!
This told me exactly what i was looking for.with the dc charging.capabilities. I have 6-100 watt panels connected in 3p2s ,and im getting 351 watts input to my. AC 180. That tells me they are producing 35.1 volts. I recently was charging a leoch sogen, that said do not exceed 35.5 volts,after charging for an hr or so, it popped and smoke came out, I think it fried the charge controller. But it was chargind at 424 watts befor that happened. Its only suppose to take 300.
Hey mate love the review, just have two questions I really hope you can clarify - 1. Can you please elaborate on what the "grid enhancement mode" does and what it is useful for? I'm confused as to why it is used? 2. What wattage does each charging mode pull? The turbo pulls 1.4kW but what about the "standard" and "silent" modes? I am looking to try charging via an 500w AC inverter I already have however I am concerned that even on lowest setting it will pull to much W. Thanks heaps for your help!!
The lack of DC options was the reason I went a different route. Plus I'd prefer Anderson or XT60/90 for solar input but I understand the barrel jack as they are pretty locked into that due to the original AC brick and solar input brick. Good review video. 👍
Great review! I just picked up an AC180 on the Black Friday deal and was looking for the best solar panel setup to use with it. Ideally I’d like to max the solar input to account for less than ideal conditions. Do you have any suggestions? Foldable/rollable for vehicle storage would be preferred. TIA!
i’m not sure connecting the AC grid ground to the AC180 ground terminal is a good idea. In general, you want an electrical system to be grounded in one and only one location, so neutral and ground in the US are bound at only one point in the electrical box. Otherwise can easily create what’s called a ground loop where there’s a small difference in potential between grid ground and whatever you’ve connected to the ground terminal. Given the very low impedance of the ground wires, it doesn’t take much voltage differential to set up large currents, which can create lots of noise, or worse.
Does the AC180 have a scheduled time charging feature in the app? Such as....if I want it to charge every night at 02:00am, and its constantly plugged into AC power it would then charge.
Great video! I'd love to learn more about surge current. There is a lot of conflicting information. What can this thing do in the real world? Can I power a refrigerator? Sump pump? Microwave? Circular saw?
I got it up to about 2400 watts. It should be able to run everything you listed, depending on the sizing of each unit of course. It can’t power a US-spec commercial fridge or a commercial saw that runs at 240v, since this is a 120v only unit in the US.
@WaveformScience Very good review! ! I just received my AC180 but the 12v output socket is not tight enough and not deep enough for my two Koolatron cooler, and I have the same problem with my Husky tire pump. Did you heard of this problem?From what I was on the internet, 12v socket output design seems to be a problem with Bluetti and some 12v connector. Any suggestion to solve this problem, like a specific 12v adapter or at least a 12v extension cable that could solve the problem? It would be sad to return the device because of that. I sent an email to Bluetti support with photos and videos, waiting for an answer but I don't have much hope for a solution. Thank you!
Hi Jeff! You mentioned that later you would do a video on improved Bluetti charging from the car. I looked around your channel but dont see one- have you not yet made it? Thanks!
Jeff, we talked briefly on bluetti chat about this one va the 200 max. I just can’t justify the 200max cost at this time as my wife just got a job after losing one in April. Think I would be better off with the 180 and add an external later? I don’t really need more than 1500w at any given time but capacity is more of a factor. What do you think?
What is the point in getting more than 10A from DC output if the voltage drops to 10V instead of 12? Were you able to get anything close to 130Watts? Maximum I got from AC70 was around 113W.
