Portable Power Stations

Irony. When I got home our power was out due to a municipal fault. Just came back with 30min until loadshedding. Doesn't look like I will be able to use the River Pro tonight. Even with the fast charging the 30 min won't cut it.
 
Loadshedding did indeed get me before I could charge the River Pro fully, so didn't get the chance to use it just yet.

Questions. I have many.

I managed to connect it to the app using the wi-fi direct connection mode just before the power went out. Now I've managed to connect it via IOT mode in order to see if there's a firmware update. Is there a way to turn IOT mode off or should I not worry about it being constantly on?

Should I wait on updating the firmware? Not experiencing any issues at the moment, so not sure if an update is needed. I also came across a Youtube video saying that if you update the firmware you might not be able to connect to an extra battery (if I decide to get one later) since the firmware on the battery will be older which will cause communication issues.


In the app I've enabled AC slow charging. I understand that's the best for getting the longest battery lifetime. The Pro charges at 110W with the setting enabled. Is that the normal charge rate to expect for slow charging?

The battery temperature is around 38°C. I'm guessing that's in the normal range.

Would it be a good idea to charge the battery to 100% and run it down to 0% for the first use and then setting the charge level to 85% to ensure longer battery lifetime.

Is the EPS automatically enabled or is there a setting for it?

I see the unit starts up automatically once power is restored and then starts charging. So it seems it would be best practice to unplug it after it's charged. I'm not planning on using it for EPS with the unit constantly being on, but rather during loadshedding in the evenings when I'm actually home.

When running full blast the fan is quite loud. Is that normal?

Once fully charged and still connected to AC power the unit didn't want to turn off while holding the power button. Once unplugged it turned off. Is that normal?

I'm sure I will think of more stuff to ask.
 
Last edited:
joshuatree said:
As a mid sized unit, to power a TV/laptop for a while, I am leaning towards the following as it has a replaceable battery:

https://flexopower.co.za/products/lithium555-power-pack-by-flexopower

Anyone that can give feedback on it?
Any ideas on the cost of battery replacement? I have not inquired yet.
Click to expand...
Absolutely no idea of the quality of their units but scanned through the site and came up on this gem of one of the in stock units

"AmpUp is our patented Dynamic Voltage Output technology. When power-hungry devices need a high starting current, AmpUp can lower the output voltage to compensate, allowing for higher current at the same output power"

Nah ya idiots, that's not a patented feature, it's simply the "law" of electricity. Inrush current will droop the voltage if the supply can"t keep up.

Sometimes you can even witness your lights dimming when your fridge start, especially after a long load shedding where most if not all geysers went cold and are all trying to heat up, constraining the local minisub transformer
 
Last edited:
Crusader said:
Is 110W normal for slow charge on AC power?
Click to expand...
Yes, that tracks with what I get. It's not feasible for me currently to use slow charging with the frequency of load shedding, mine drains to about 20% when the power comes back on and it would take too long to charge if I left it on slow charge. If we only had stage 2 load shedding then it's fine.
 
zolly said:
FML. Called the one just down the road from me. They had 10 and they were all gone within a couple of hours :(
Click to expand...
Yep, doubt they'll stay in stock too long, and it's too far away for me to drive and get there and they have no stock. Guess the Gizzu will have to stay :laugh:
 
Anyone have suggestions of a rigid solar panel which would be a good fit for the River Pro and where you can order one?

I'm thinking something in the 160/180W range should be ideal.
 
Crusader said:
Anyone have suggestions of a rigid solar panel which would be a good fit for the River Pro and where you can order one?

I'm thinking something in the 160/180W range should be ideal.
Click to expand...
I have 2x160w in parrallel attached to mine, model CNCC160P-36 which I got from Geewiz but they don't stock anymore, Google shows other suppliers but I can't vouch for them.

Geewiz have this 160w in stock with similar spec :

Solar Panels

Buy Solar Panels online at the Best Prices! Door to Door and Overnight Delivery. Voted the best online store in SA. View Here
www.geewiz.co.za www.geewiz.co.za
 
KantSnyer said:
I have 2x160w in parrallel attached to mine, model CNCC160P-36 which I got from Geewiz but they don't stock anymore, Google shows other suppliers but I can't vouch for them.

Geewiz have this 160w in stock with similar spec :

Solar Panels

Buy Solar Panels online at the Best Prices! Door to Door and Overnight Delivery. Voted the best online store in SA. View Here
www.geewiz.co.za www.geewiz.co.za
Click to expand...
Now the big question is if that panel comes with MC4 connectors.
 
A 3rd party seller popped up on Takealot selling the MC4 to XT60 cable. https://www.takealot.com/ecoflow-mc4-to-xt60-connector-cable/PLID91449270

I'm still waiting to hear from Geewiz if they can source the cable. I decided to order one from Takealot even though I hate to use 3rd party sellers and the 5-7 business days for stock doesn't inspire much confidence.

So if anyone is also looking for the cable this might be an option. When I ordered they had 6 left.

Also managed to use the River Pro for the first time during load shedding. Powered my 40" TV, LTE Router and a lamp. Load was around 85-90W and it showed 77% left after the 2 hours. So it should cover 3 x 2 hour slots with a bit to spare.

I assume it's best to use the remaining charge first before charging it up again?
 
Heard back from the local Ecoflow site. They are only expecting cables to arrrive sometime 'early next year'.
 
Looking to get one of these for a week long trip off the grid. Will need it to charge phones and laptops but not much else. I already own a generic 100W solar panel (22V VOC, 5.78A Isc, 18.2V Vmp, 5.49A Imp) which would be the primary source of recharging. From what I can tell, this panel might output too much current for Gizzu boxes but it should work for Ecoflow or Jackery. Any advice?
 
The River Pro states that it can take a max of 200W, 10-25 Vdc and 12A max.

I'm not sure what exactly to look for on the solar panel. Does that mean the VoC must be lower than 25V?
 
Crusader said:
The River Pro states that it can take a max of 200W, 10-25 Vdc and 12A max.

I'm not sure what exactly to look for on the solar panel. Does that mean the VoC must be lower than 25V?
Click to expand...
Any idea how long a River would take to charge via solar?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X