Fancy versus Cheapo Battery Systems

lqdchkn

lqdchkn

:)
Personally I not of fan of either but since you aked.


They are totally different man. Arkpak uses a replaceable car battery. El Cheapo, not so much. ArkPak has the potential to last you forever and you have control of how well it performs and its weight depending on the type/size battery you choose to load it with. El Cheapo, again not so much.
 
Xrunner

Xrunner

Explorer
It's all in what you want to do with the unit, but capacity is a huge issue too that hasn't been mentioned. A car battery in the ArcPak (80 to 120 amp hour roughly) will run a fridge for a couple of days (ballpark). The El Cheapo (probably 10 to 25 amp hour depending on the battery) wouldn't make it a day.

If the ArkPak doesn't fit your needs I would take a look at putting together something like the below before going the El Cheapo route...

$60 - Minkota Trolling power box
$85 - (on sale) Group 27 Diehard battery
$30 - 300w Inverter (or $100+ depending on wattage needed)

$175 total + a home battery charger if you don't have one around.
 
F

fike

Adventurer
So here are the things I want to charge or run:
Canon batter charger
Olympus camera battery charger
iPad mini retina
13" laptop
iPhone charger
Small 12v fridg (not essential)

I have used 12v chargers in the car for my camera batteries, but it can't charge them fast enough, and more importantly, the third party 12v charger only seems to charge batteries about 75% full. I am not sure if running my cheapo inverter with the factory original olympus AC charger would work better because I fear that the issue is related to the quality of the power supply. I know cheap inverters aren't as reliable for fine electronics...something to do with a square wave instead of a sin wave power source. I wonder if the expensive ark pal has a real sin wave inverter?


Several folks mention not liking either product. What would you recommend instead. I am over landing in a sube forester, so there isn't room for under hood spare batteries and high quality inverters.
 
U

unseenone

Explorer
I would suggest a rear mounted 2nd battery, small solar controller and panel. Add an inexpensive battery isolater, and you are 100%

The laptop seems to be the biggest power hog here, do / can you get the DC power cord for that, it will be much more efficient than an inverter. In fact, anything you can power straight DC without an inverter will help a lot.

Even if you do not mount a solar panel, but setup so you can connect and deploy it, it will help keep the 2nd battery topped up, without any risk to your starter battery, which is tiny in the Subaru.

If that's what you are interested in, we can help you spec out the bits and pieces necessary for such a setup.
 
F

fike

Adventurer
I think I have settled for a gooal zero yeti 150. I should be able to keep it charged with my car and charge the batteries I need to. My iPad mini and 65 watt laptop should work too. I don't expect to use the laptop too much. I also have a brunton battery I can use in a pinch.
 
O

Omar Brannstrom

Adventurer
I bought the Goal Zero 400, and Iam happy with that, charge my fridge over night and some LED lights. The 400 have real pure sine wave inverter and Goal Zero 150 uses a modified sine wave. Modified could be problem with delicate electronic, I dont want to fry expensive electronic. I have only read that, but I dont know.
I think the Goal Zero 150 is to small for a fridge

Anyway

Take a look at this, but it is only modified sine wave at low 100w

http://www.aspectsolar.com/energybar250-power-inverter-battery.html
 
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