Portable Power Station....What's the deal? Bluetti, ITechworld, Ecoflow Are They worth the Money? 

Mate thanks for this info, this is what i was looking for, perfect 👌

Mate, watt hours is simply divide by 12 for Ah. Watt hours is a far better comparison, but offgrid guys only go by Ah because you only know 12v systems... If people go a Lithium battery, you need to make sure it's lithium iron phosphate technology (LiFePo4, LFP)

This was good advice looking at the power stations and all your ideas set of the alarm bells, damn a lot more thinking needed

Thank you!

Power stations used to be a joke, Rover still is! But not anymore! sorry they are the future. I have heaps of them. I can't blame you for still trying to promote building a battery box, I've built and still build them today, but when I go camping I take my Zendure super base pro! As for DC to DC man that's a different story I can't believe how many people have trouble with them, if you have enough solar more than a blanket you don't need dc-dc!

Great to see you back. I love your portable DC-DC box that you made up. I do agree that doing up your own portable power box is the way to go, if know a little about about 12v systems, or have the time to watch the relevant RU-vid video on the subject manner. I use a Bluetti 200 max for work. I believe that it’s equivalent to 160ah lithium 12v set up. It does run a fridge for 4 days, but you do need to be careful when using 240v power as the standby power will drain the battery over a weekend. Size of battery is an interesting topic. As you said, the 25-40ah are good for charging phones, not for running a fridge,but they are very light. The power box that I made up has 200ah of batteries + Victron 2kw inverter + DC DC charger + solar charger. The weight of the box is just about too heavy to lift around.

good on you for not taking the "sell our stuff cash" from Ecoflow, bluetti etc shameful when we see it all the time Their 12v output (one off cig lighter) is only 10a.. no good for diesel heaters, sensitive fridges, multiple 12v items at once etc.. and the boxes are mostly low IP rated there just no good for anything much more than a day unless you sit still and have solar hooked up all day.

Great idea, how do you find the dcdc charger with lack of air flow? My redarc 50amp is a joke over 30°c in my ute canopy, i haveto run a fan onto it so it doesnt limit charge current, also Itech world advertise amp hours, ranging from 25ah - 100ah.FYI

Great advice here.

When you compare the cost of each bit of equipment needed to create a comparable power station, the costs come pretty close. Look at the BLUETTI AC200L 2048WH = 170AH, HK 135AH $1300 2400W Inverter = HK2000W $900 DC and solar charging = HK 40A DC-DC charger with MPPT $470 AC charging = HK AC charger $200 Plus add all the usb options, UPS and all the other safety features and includes a 5 year warranty. $2800 all the HK gear would cost $2870 not including all the wires, fuses, safety switches, 12v distribution and installation, plus i am sure i have forgotten anything else you may need. I do know the draw backs of these units, if one thing breaks you need to send the whole thing back for repair, also upgrading capacity is not as easy, you can buy your own battery and charge it up with excess power from your Bluetti or you can attach the battery to the Bluetti to charge it up. I think for the average person that just wants power these units are great and they are only getting better.

Watt hours is independent of voltage so for people that don’t necessarily use 12v you can compare size. As campers that use 12v etc watt hrs is just difficult cause we use amp hrs. The main issues is that most of these batteries need to convert to 12v so there is always going to be an extra drain on them even when turned on (and it’s a lot). So if you’re a 12v camper with occasional inverter use your set up is more efficient and cost effective.

Horses for courses. I have a slide-on camper on an old BT-50. All wired up and works well. But now that I am 76 I'm planning to give the truck to a younger family member and go camping/motelling and day-tripping in my SUV. It's mainly a city car, and in when it's in this mode I don't want any camping crap in it at all. I have no intention of ever again soldering anything to anything or attaching anything to anything except by plugging it in. Also, I don't have a wheelbarrow, which I would need to transport all the stuff on your bench from storage in my 7th floor apartment to the car. I'm going to buy a portable power station and a small fridge. As I said I am 76 and will be using these things occasionally. I'm willing to bet that the the power station will be still alive when I'm not despite the short guarantee periods. I take your point about capacity being given in Wh rather than Ah. That reflects the purpose they are designed for. But I think ITechworld bucks this trend.

Slimline batteries may be used in the other units. I know of 1 brand that has a 160 ah battery

They are heavy, more expensive and cheap junk.... smaller battery ah... I still don't see the point... Once the battery's dead you have to "replace" the lot instead of drop in battery...

Itech world ps2000 -Dont touch this rubbish they wont help you if it goes bad. Tried to get info on a repair as they dont transfer warranty. Wont even let me return and pay for repairs as i didnt buy it originally. No customer service asbolute disgrace of a company

7 years electrical experience and calculating amp hours is difficult.