Anyone using the Suaoki G500 to power a fridge?

[john61ct]

I dunno, just can't get excited at $10/Ah when you'd need to buy over three of them to get the usable capacity of one pair of GCs at $1/Ah.

But sure lighter more portable maybe the included gadgets fit your needs, not saying a terrible product

but not a value solution for those on a budget or with higher needs.

Personally I doubt would work for a fridge living off grid without frequent driving, my rule of thumb is at least three full days' storage

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Not a solution for everyone, for sure. But so far its a very good fit for my situation, and I wanted to update the thread, since it is entitled "Anyone using the Suaoki G500 to power a fridge?".

 

[john61ct]

Sure absolutely all data points from experience help the community.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Day 7 of continuous use with the Dometic CFX50 and the Suaoki - the last two of which have been in the desert in an actual camping scenario. I am finding it VERY easy to keep the battery at nearly 100% all day every day despite running a packed fridge at 36º and 80º ambient temps. In addition to running the fridge, I've been using it to charge headlamps, camp lights, and a GoPro, and it is handling everything with aplomb. The only issue I've seen is when I swap connectors (for example, swapping from solar while in camp to the 12v receptacle in the Jeep when leaving to run trails or explore) I get an "E21" error code which in the manual is an "over current or short". I find that if I shut off the DC side of the power before swapping the power sources I don't get this error. So essentially, it doesn't like to "hot swap" input sources.

So far, so good.

 

[67cj5]

I have the Suaoki G500. I also have a clone of the Suaoki 400. I have used the 400 on several week long trips and it easily kept my refrigerator charged overnight. I was moving often so I simply kept the 400 plugged in to my starter battery via cigarette lighter plug. I also have 200W of solar panels. When there was sun, I connected one panel to the 400. I keep one movable and flexible 100W panel in reserve to use in certain locations to give it more optimum angle to the sun. I can simply establish the place for the panel and then move the 12 lb. battery close to it.
In general, I'm happy with the arrangement but I wanted more reserve power thus I purchased the G500. I haven't tested this setup yet but I feel that it will provide all the power needed under most conditions. I'd like to keep the movable panel but add another permanently mounted 100W unit. One battery will stay in the cab and the other will always be connected to the 200W on the roof. I keep the refrig. in the cab where I either charge it off the truck or use the portable panel. I've never had a problem with the 400 timing out. I still don't have enough experience with the G500 to determine if it times out.

This whole setup eliminates a lot of complications and I feel it suits my minimalist style. I like not having to setup an electrical panel, solar controllers, USB, etc. I will charge and/or power all my camper lights directly off the G500 and thus eliminate a lot of wiring. The only time I'll be drawing from my truck starter battery is when the engine is running. I can easily move the lithium batteries around and substitute one for the other if needed. I'm OK with the lower cycling life(compared to LiPo) because the batteries will still charge after the 500 or whatever time life and after 500 cycles if the lower capacity isn't enough I'll simply buy one more. I've dealt with heavy golf cart batteries with the heavy cables and all the complications before on boats. I decided to go simple and light with my truck. It's nice to have your electrical setup isolated from the truck system.

That's similar to what I am doing but I am using 2 Dometic PLB 40's, I plugged the PLB in to the Cigar Socket and plugged the Fridge in to the PLB-40, I drove about 35 miles to my first stop for 24 hours and then I drove 120 mile to my second stop and both times the PLB 40 was reading 100%, Once I got to my site I left the PLB plugged in to the cigar socket with the fridge plugged for over 24 hours and it was still reading 100% because the PLB was still plugged in to the Cigar Socket so the fridge was being powered by the Vehicle battery and the PLB 40 this was now day 3, So then I Unplugged the PLB 40 from the Cigar socket for 27 hours and that became Day 4, So now after 27 hours the PLB 40 was reading 86% full So the fridge had used 14% of the PLB 40's Power, I then plugged the PLB 40 back in to the Cigar Socket and within 20/30 minutes the power was back up to 100%, On the 5th day I drove home and the PLB 40 was Always at 100%, which I am glad about because I never had to use the second PLB 40,

Yesterday I started another test using the same PLB 40 only this time I plugged in the ARB 47L/50Qt fridge and my Small Dometic Fridge, Both set to 0*c / 32*f, I ran them both Straight off the PLB 40 at the same time for a full 24 hours without the PLB 40 being plugged in to any form of charger and the PLB 40 SoC was reading 51%, So I am really impressed with the results from that, When I get enough frozen foods to fill the ARB 47L I will do another test running it at -18*c / 0*f.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

That's similar to what I am doing but I am using 2 Dometic PLB 40's...

I'm curious - does the PLB40 have a watt meter that shows input and output wattage? I'm curious how well it charges on the 12v "cigarette lighter" input. One downside of the Suaoki I've noticed is that using the 12v ciggie plug only supplies about 30 watts of input power, whereas if I plug the AC charger into the Jeep's inverter I can charge at about 80 watts which obviously makes a huge difference in charge times.

One of these days I will probably build a home made battery using LiFePO cells because I want better locking type connections for input and output, but this unit is really helping me figure out what my consumption and recharge patterns are like and it is so convenient to use. Those PLB40s are really nice and compact, but wow, they are breathtakingly expensive ($800 each last time I checked).

 

[67cj5]

I'm curious - does the PLB40 have a watt meter that shows input and output wattage? I'm curious how well it charges on the 12v "cigarette lighter" input. One downside of the Suaoki I've noticed is that using the 12v ciggie plug only supplies about 30 watts of input power, whereas if I plug the AC charger into the Jeep's inverter I can charge at about 80 watts which obviously makes a huge difference in charge times.

One of these days I will probably build a home made battery using LiFePO cells because I want better locking type connections for input and output, but this unit is really helping me figure out what my consumption and recharge patterns are like and it is so convenient to use. Those PLB40s are really nice and compact, but wow, they are breathtakingly expensive ($800 each last time I checked).

No It does not But I fitted one of those 150A power meters between the Power leads just to check out what it is doing IE when plugged in to the Car or When I am Charging it from a Solar Panel,

The PLB 40 has a Digital display that shows you its SoC as in % which is better because there is no Guess work involved, It also shows you an Arrow pointing at a picture of a battery showing you there is Charge going In and it also shows you power going out with an Arrow pointing away from the Battery and it also shows you which socket you are using be it the USB or the 12v Cigar socket or the 12v 2-Pin Socket like the ARB and Engel Fridges Use, It also Displays a heap of other info, The Power from the Cars Cigar socket is Maximized by the PLB 40's Internal DC to DC Built in Charger, In the PLB 40 has a 10 Amp Charger then it is charging at 120w not 30w so that's got to be a big improvement.

The PLB 40 Charges fast from the Cars 12v Socket because the PLB 40 has a built in DC to DC Charger Built in to it and it comes with a lead with a Cigar Plug on one End and one of the Big Anderson Plugs on the Other which plugs directly in to the Back of the PLB 40, AND It also has a round 8mm Pin Socket on the back Next to the Anderson Socket where you plug in the " Supplied" 10Amp Charger,

Also if you fit a 100 to 150w Solar Panel with an Adapter Lead that plugs in to the Panels MC4 Plugs on one end and on the other end you fit one of the Big Anderson Plugs you can Charge the PLB 40 Direct from the Solar Panel without the need of a Charge Controller because the PLB 40 uses it's built in DC to DC Charger to convert the solar panels power to suit the PLB 40,

Sorry but I can't find a picture showing all the info the Display shows, but it does have a fair bit of info when you power it up But like I said it also shows the state of charge Power going in and power going out and what sockets are being used, I think it is the ultimate No Fuss power supply and it charges fast, when you consider that it is a 40Ah Pack and it Charges at 10Ah that's a 25% Input making it pretty fast, I have done lots of testing with it and Not once have I ever run out of power and the best bit is You can Still Run your Fridge While it is Charging and it is still fast even so, Personally I think it is the ultimate power supply and it is light enough for the Good lady or the Kids to move around,

The picture here shows it at 68% SoC with the power ( Arrow ) going in to the Battery,

hope that helps,

 

[john61ct]

Anything using a ciggie port cannot fast charge.

At least not safely.

Standard ciggie sockets are IMO a dangerous abortion, avoid like the plague for anything important, or that you use regularly. Never more than 5-6A and only for short periods, as in a few minutes. Even then they are risky, an inherently poor design!

Blue Sea has a nice socket design that twist-locks with the matching plug, but will also accept standard ciggie plugs for smaller (
Also the BMW/ Hella/ Merit/ Powerlet "Euro-style DIN" (ISO 4165) style is very robust.

Anderson plugs for high amps, for me my standard, for almost all power connections.

If you standardize on one of the last two types, there are adapters for guests, temporary use of devices with standard ciggie plugs.

 

[john61ct]

Any lithium chemistry cells should have no problem full recharging in an hour or less.

aka 1C rate, so e.g. a 100Ah pack will accept 100A input

yes in cool weather not optimal for longevity, but not an issue at all in hot weather.

Now if the "powerpak" vendor cripples that capacity with limited charging electronics between your energy sources and the internal cells

that to me is just poor design or cutting corners to increase profits

no excuse for either with such crazy high pricing.

DIY is not just cheaper, but gets you a better result.

 

[67cj5]

The PLB 40 is the perfect Answer to anyone who does not have the DIY Skills or a person who does not want to Risk damaging the Vehicles Factory wiring or the Computers, Because it gives you a True stand alone 12v system that is as portable as a 6 Pack of beer, When I opened the Box I was not bowled over by what I saw But it was Small and it was Lithium and once I charged it up I soon realized that the Real Magic was inside the little black box, And that's where it Punches well above it's weight, My Fridges and my Compressors were my favourite Toys and I love em but the PLB 40 has that some thing special going On.

My Ford came factory fitted with either 15 or 20 Rating, And So far it has managed to keep Pace with the Fridge running non stop for 4 days and well as supplying enough power the keep the PLB 40 at Full Power the whole time it was connected,

In all fairness Dometic have done a first Class Job making the PLB 40, And the PLB 40 stood up to me Running my ARB 47L/50Qt fridge and my Dometic CDF-18 Fridge at the same Time with both Set to 0*c / 32*f for 24 hours straight without the PLB 40 being connected to any form of Charging device and it still remained above 50% SoC, Needless to say using the Supplied Charger it was back up to 100% in a couple of hours or so,

It's impossible to fault something that just works and works well. which is why I own 2 of them, Yes they are not Cheap but there again they are a worry free solution and I can take it from vehicle to vehicle or in a power outage I can use it indoors or in a Camper or Camper Trailer,

How many people here have done it their own way and run in to problem and had to buy new charge controllers or DC to DC Chargers or had to change wiring, The PLB 40 doesn't suffer from such issues.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

The Power from the Cars Cigar socket is Maximized by the PLB 40's Internal DC to DC Built in Charger, In the PLB 40 has a 10 Amp Charger then it is charging at 120w not 30w so that's got to be a big improvement.

The PLB 40 Charges fast from the Cars 12v Socket because the PLB 40 has a built in DC to DC Charger Built in to it and it comes with a lead with a Cigar Plug on one End and one of the Big Anderson Plugs on the Other which plugs directly in to the Back of the PLB 40, AND It also has a round 8mm Pin Socket on the back Next to the Anderson Socket where you plug in the " Supplied" 10Amp Charger,

Also if you fit a 100 to 150w Solar Panel with an Adapter Lead that plugs in to the Panels MC4 Plugs on one end and on the other end you fit one of the Big Anderson Plugs you can Charge the PLB 40 Direct from the Solar Panel without the need of a Charge Controller because the PLB 40 uses it's built in DC to DC Charger to convert the solar panels power to suit the PLB 40,

Thanks. I do like the % meter for SoC, thats a definite advantage versus an icon with 5 bars. That charge rate on 12v DC is very good as well, though the specs say 8 amp max (~100 watts), but that is still a lot better than 30! According to the specs, the max solar input is 100w. The big advantage I see of the PLB-40 is the long-term cost of ownership is very low because of the number of cycles that the LiFePO chemistry will support. It really becomes a "first cost versus total cost" sort of equation for some. I decided to go with the cheaper version since by the time I hit 500 cycles, I will probably have already replaced it with something else "better".

I also have to admit that I often find the AC outlets on the Suaoki to be very handy. For example I have a hand-held HAM radio that only charges from AC (I haven't acquired a DC charger for it yet) and charging my laptop from the Suaoki is also very handy so that I don't have to run the Jeep to operate its inverter.

Here's a quick little comparison I did between the Yeti 400, the PLB-40, and the Suaoki units. It obviously doesn't compare ergonomics or other important elements, just the basic tech specs.

 

[67cj5]

Thanks. I do like the % meter for SoC, thats a definite advantage versus an icon with 5 bars. That charge rate on 12v DC is very good as well, though the specs say 8 amp max (~100 watts), but that is still a lot better than 30! According to the specs, the max solar input is 100w. The big advantage I see of the PLB-40 is the long-term cost of ownership is very low because of the number of cycles that the LiFePO chemistry will support. It really becomes a "first cost versus total cost" sort of equation for some. I decided to go with the cheaper version since by the time I hit 500 cycles, I will probably have already replaced it with something else "better".

I also have to admit that I often find the AC outlets on the Suaoki to be very handy. For example I have a hand-held HAM radio that only charges from AC (I haven't acquired a DC charger for it yet) and charging my laptop from the Suaoki is also very handy so that I don't have to run the Jeep to operate its inverter.

Here's a quick little comparison I did between the Yeti 400, the PLB-40, and the Suaoki units. It obviously doesn't compare ergonomics or other important elements, just the basic tech specs.

I am not sure where those specs came from But Dometic say you can use a solar panel up to 150w and the Charge rate is not 8 Amps as per what is stated in the manual because the Factory Charger is a 10 Amp Unit As per the Label on the back of the Charger and it can handle an AC Inverter of up to 150w,

It also says in the Manual that the Charger unit is a 10 Amp unit, and the PLB 40 is 512w. Also in the manual it says to use a Solar Panel that puts out 10 Amps which means a 120w Panel or dues to panels wattage out put that you can use Solar Panels from 100 to 150w.

Dometic Power Cord - PLB40

Dometic Power Cord - PLB40 - Portable lithium battery, 40 Ah

www.dometic.com

Another thing with the PLB is there is zero voltage drop as the SoC depletes The Output voltage remains over 12v right to the end,

Either way you have to get what is right for you, For me ease of use and speed of charging was the key factor for me,

good luck and I hope it does all you need.

There is a lot of misinformation about the PLB 40 on the net

 

[SBSYNCRO]

I am not sure where those specs came from But Dometic say you can use a solar panel up to 150w and the Charge rate is not 8 Amps as per what is stated in the manual because the Factory Charger is a 10 Amp Unit As per the Label on the back of the Charger and it can handle an AC Inverter of up to 150w,

I pulled all the specs from the Dometic web site and the user manual. The actual charge rates for any of these devices aren't determined by the capacity of the brick providing the power, but rather by the internal charge controller(s) on the input side. According to the manual, it is a max of 8 amps:



and yes, the PLB-40 is capable of operating an external AC inverter off the 12v outlets up to 15 amps ~180 watts (they probably round that down to 150w for their specs). The Suaoki and Yeti have 300w inverters built in (which is why they are larger sized, probably)

With regard to the regulated 12v output, you are absolutely right - anything without that (like the Yeti) is a No-Go for running a fridge because of the low voltage cutoff most fridges have. (apparently Yeti offers a separate $40 cable that has a regulator built into it, but... meh)

All this data just helps each individual make an informed decision about what is best for them. There is no "universal best option" in my opinion. For example, it is fairly obvious that John61ct likes to build stuff, and would MUCH prefer to DIY something that meets his needs perfectly without any compromises. I, on the other hand wanted the lowest cost option that had some basic requirements (like regulated 12v output, a 300w AC plug, and fast solar charging) in a compact portable form factor and at the lowest price point ("QPR"). I'm guessing that you wanted the highest quality plug & play device with the lowest total cost of ownership (regardless of initial price) backed by a very well respected brand and didn't care about a built in AC inverter or USB-C quick charge ports, and were not concerned with a high purchase price.

We all get what we want - what a wonderful world of options we have!!!

 

[67cj5]

I pulled all the specs from the Dometic web site and the user manual. The actual charge rates for any of these devices aren't determined by the capacity of the brick providing the power, but rather by the internal charge controller(s) on the input side. According to the manual, it is a max of 8 amps:

View attachment 571044

and yes, the PLB-40 is capable of operating an external AC inverter off the 12v outlets up to 15 amps ~180 watts (they probably round that down to 150w for their specs). The Suaoki and Yeti have 300w inverters built in (which is why they are larger sized, probably)

With regard to the regulated 12v output, you are absolutely right - anything without that (like the Yeti) is a No-Go for running a fridge because of the low voltage cutoff most fridges have. (apparently Yeti offers a separate $40 cable that has a regulator built into it, but... meh)

All this data just helps each individual make an informed decision about what is best for them. There is no "universal best option" in my opinion. For example, it is fairly obvious that John61ct likes to build stuff, and would MUCH prefer to DIY something that meets his needs perfectly without any compromises. I, on the other hand wanted the lowest cost option that had some basic requirements (like regulated 12v output, a 300w AC plug, and fast solar charging) in a compact portable form factor and at the lowest price point ("QPR"). I'm guessing that you wanted the highest quality plug & play device with the lowest total cost of ownership (regardless of initial price) backed by a very well respected brand and didn't care about a built in AC inverter or USB-C quick charge ports, and were not concerned with a high purchase price.

We all get what we want - what a wonderful world of options we have!!!

See the trouble is that Chart says 8 Amp charging current, But the Supplied Charger is rated to 10 Amps And on Page 12 of the Manual it says About using a 10 Amp Solar Panel,

See here,

QUOTE,


Charging with the smart alternator, 12 V accessory socket or solar panel


➤ Connect the charge cable to the connection socket (fig.29, page 3).

➤ Connect the DC plug to the DC inlet Anderson socket on battery side.

✓ The symbol lights up the battery state of charge as a percentage.

✓ The display shows the charging status.

➤ If charging the battery pack with a solar panel, observe the following requirements:

– Use without a solar controller:

Ensure that the solar panel outputs between 8 – 25 V DC and a maximum

charging current of 10 A.

– Use with a solar controller:

Ensure the solar charger does not need a counter voltage from the battery

side to start charging. Ensure that the maximum charging current is 10 A

(check with the solar panel manufacturer). END QUOTE,

 

[SBSYNCRO]

in my research, I've found that it is pretty common for solar to be the highest input power rating of all the options. Perhaps because there is a separate circuit optimized for slightly higher DC voltages. I know my 100w panel puts out just over 18v. In full sun, I've seen power input (on the display of the Suaoki) up to 96 watts.