Warning re Jackery product quality/design

[jhmoore]

Current status: stuck in Jackson Hole waiting on FedEx to deliver the new Jackery. It was supposed to be here Friday, but somehow got delayed until Monday (I hope!). I'd like to get the broken Jackery fixed and then sell one or both of them and will probably lug around the broken one for the next month of travels to then try to find someone qualified to fix it back home in San Diego... unless anyone who knows something about batteries thinks that the thing is at all a fire risk in my 4Runner for the next month? I've had it in a bear bin since it broke--just in case.

Jackson Hole is not a bad place to be stuck:

 

[67cj5]

Sorry, a not very helpful answer: I don't know if it still operates. I think yes? I used it on my laptop and a few other things briefly and it did appear to be powering them. However... something killed my laptop battery that same day that I used the broken Jackery to power it. My laptop battery (-ies; there are two) no longer will charge when plugged in. So after going through some troubleshooting, I am awaiting replacement batteries. Not sure if this is a coincidence or caused by something wrong with whatever the Jackery is putting out. Nor do I have equipment here to check what the Jackery is putting out.

I had been trying to burn the Jackery down to zero because Jackery had asked me to do a "hard reset" (hold the display button down for 10 seconds until the display fully lights up, then burn the battery to 0%, then charge to 100%). But after my laptop batteries got destroyed on the same day, I was no longer willing to plug anything into it to continue trying to burn it down to 0%... nor do I know how I would know when it got to 0% other than whatever was plugged in would stop working.

Try and rig up a 12v Headlamp Bulb to a Cigar plug and use that to drain it down, It will do 2 things, 1) it will show if there is power there and 2) it does not have any electronics dictating how it operates,

hope that helps.

 

[jhmoore]

My experience with Jackery customer service:

1. Last year I had an issue with my 100W solar panel. They were absolutely fabulous in their response. A lady named Judy helped me.

2. In this incident, (a) they offered no option for me to pay to fix the unit, and (b) while they initially responded on Tuesday when I contacted them, they did not respond again until Friday--despite my reaching out to them every day between. I was very clear that I was starting a trip and needed quick help. Yes, ultimately they offered me a good deal on a cosmetically damaged refurbished unit. I do not know whether this same offer exists for anybody who calls or just for existing owners.

My primary issue is lack of product robustness. Unlike some armchair quarterbacks responding here, I was actually there when it fell and saw and felt what happened. I took a fair amount of the force out with my foot. I personally believe that the product should have survived. Everyone else is entitled to their own opinion. No one else was there. When I get back home I will be doing research to see if any of the YouTube guys who get sent free everything (or some that pay) has done any stress testing. Then I'll decide whether to sell the Jackery stuff and switch. I don't know whether any other brands will be more robust. I hope so. But that's what I'll try to figure out.

 

[67cj5]

My experience with Jackery customer service:

1. Last year I had an issue with my 100W solar panel. They were absolutely fabulous in their response. A lady named Judy helped me.

2. In this incident, (a) they offered no option for me to pay to fix the unit, and (b) while they initially responded on Tuesday when I contacted them, they did not respond again until Friday--despite my reaching out to them every day between. I was very clear that I was starting a trip and needed quick help. Yes, ultimately they offered me a good deal on a cosmetically damaged refurbished unit. I do not know whether this same offer exists for anybody who calls or just for existing owners.

My primary issue is lack of product robustness. Unlike some armchair quarterbacks responding here, I was actually there when it fell and saw and felt what happened. I took a fair amount of the force out with my foot. I personally believe that the product should have survived. Everyone else is entitled to their own opinion. No one else was there. When I get back home I will be doing research to see if any of the YouTube guys who get sent free everything (or some that pay) has done any stress testing. Then I'll decide whether to sell the Jackery stuff and switch. I don't know whether any other brands will be more robust. I hope so. But that's what I'll try to figure out.

See if you can open it and check for any loose wires, Just don't touch the capacitors coz that might sting a bit, ???????

 

[Verkstad]

Check the grounding wires before anything.

Ahh.
The ’ol ”checks the grounds” trope.
Much like Godwins Law, that one comes out sooner or later.

 

[OllieChristopher]

Ahh.
The ’ol ”checks the grounds” trope.
Much like Godwins Law, that one comes out sooner or later.

I have found when working with electrical (automotive in particular), That almost all odd unexplainable electrical issues are caused by a bad ground. It is the very first thing I check.

stuck in Jackson Hole waiting on FedEx to deliver the new Jackery.

Not bad at all!! At least you are making the best of it!! Gosh I don't know what to tell you. I would take it apart and try to fix it. OTOH who wants to work on stuff while vacationing. Finding someone to work on it when you get home might be a better option.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Ahh.
The ’ol ”checks the grounds” trope.
Much like Godwins Law, that one comes out sooner or later.

With old, rusty Toyotas that's usually correct, though. Maybe not so easy on the Jackery to blame rotten bolts in the frame and what not.

 

[s.e.charles]

look at it this way: if you foot was broken as a result of the charger falling on it, the co-pay & additional expenses might have exceeded the $500 cost to replace the unit.

 

[s.e.charles]

OP shared his experience. ...

i took a picture of my pancakes this morning. if i want to share my breakfast experience, that's what facebook is for.

 

[OllieChristopher]

i took a picture of my pancakes this morning. if i want to share my breakfast experience, that's what facebook is for.

Come on guys what is up with the trolling? How about you post something helpful and worthwhile. I really feel bad for the moderators that have to put up with the childish posts on this forum.

I'm pretty confident that Scott Brady and his friends did not expect this forum to allow this deplorable behavior. This used to be a really great place to learn and share great info. Now I have to sift through a bunch of trolls to get any worthwhile info. It's not right.

It's the same dozen or so members in each sub forums that are out of control. My suggestion to the moderators is to remove these members permanently after one warning.

 

[jadmt]

Come on guys what is up with the trolling? How about you post something helpful and worthwhile. I really feel bad for the moderators that have to put up with the childish posts on this forum.

I'm pretty confident that Scott Brady and his friends did not expect this forum to allow this deplorable behavior. This used to be a really great place to learn and share great info. Now I have to sift through a bunch of trolls to get any worthwhile info. It's not right.

It's the same dozen or so members in each sub forums that are out of control. My suggestion to the moderators is to remove these members permanently after one warning.

Out of control? over react much? who deems what is useful and helpful?

 

[s.e.charles]

Come on guys what is up with the trolling? How about you post something helpful and worthwhile. I really feel bad for the moderators that have to put up with the childish posts on this forum.

I'm pretty confident that Scott Brady and his friends did not expect this forum to allow this deplorable behavior. This used to be a really great place to learn and share great info. Now I have to sift through a bunch of trolls to get any worthwhile info. It's not right.

It's the same dozen or so members in each sub forums that are out of control. My suggestion to the moderators is to remove these members permanently after one warning.

you're right. eight pages of commentary on a problem that was finished in the first three posts is just plain silly.

 

[OllieChristopher]

I’m a longtime member of the So. Cal. SCUBA diving community and we lost 30-some people not long ago to a boat fire likely caused by lithium batteries

I forgot to mention I'm sorry and sad that happened. I remember hearing about that in our local news. I had no idea it was caused by lithium batteries overheating. I'm pretty confident as long as it's not overheated while you still are carrying it around, you should be ok to carefully tear it down and when you get back from your trip.

Off topic, but I did a Yellowstone extended stay and Grand Teton day ride during my Western states ride 11 years ago. I can imagine this little issue with the Jackery is going to be nothing more than a faded memory when compared to all the fun you are having on your trip. Please post a trip report when you get back home and share it on the forum.

Don't let a few bad apples (who don't even own a solar generator or battery pack) ruin your experience or opinion of this product. That being said, If you have the budget, the PLB40 looks to be the most robust choice for consumer battery packs.

 

[Ryanmb21]

Come on guys what is up with the trolling? How about you post something helpful and worthwhile. I really feel bad for the moderators that have to put up with the childish posts on this forum.

I'm pretty confident that Scott Brady and his friends did not expect this forum to allow this deplorable behavior. This used to be a really great place to learn and share great info. Now I have to sift through a bunch of trolls to get any worthwhile info. It's not right.

It's the same dozen or so members in each sub forums that are out of control. My suggestion to the moderators is to remove these members permanently after one warning.

Ollie,

Please quit it with the pathetic little tattle tale act.

Quit inferring that those who don't agree with you aren't contributors to this forum - it's an absolute joke! Dig up some of the old threads. You'd learn a lot. The OP started this thread to drag a company through the mud and vent for "his experience". Rather than jump on his band wagon and cry "poor customer service" the reality is they offered him a solution, which he took. The problem wasn't that their product failed in the field, the problem it was dropped from about 3ft from the ground.

The expectation that this solar generator ($420 mind you), would be repairable isn't realistic. Same can be said for similar electronics with batteries and screens, this isn't surprise.

If the OP had started this thread with the title along the lines "I broke my solar generator, how do I fix it?" Or, "jackery says it can't be fixed with reasonable effort, are they correct?", he wouldn't gotten a lot more participation.

Also laughable that you assume I (and others who don't agree with you) don't have experience with using similar products....hahahah

 

[OverlandNA]

Please post a trip report when you get back home and share it on the forum.

WFNH: Working from Not Home... Wyoming, then... ??

Been planning all spring to head up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to photograph bears and then continue on wandering ... somewhere ... Montana, Idaho, Washington ... maybe? This trip would be difficult because it was multi-purpose and 5th gen 4Runners simply aren't all that large. The trip would...

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