Anyone using the Suaoki G500 to power a fridge?

[67cj5]

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.

Yeah I can believe it to, No 2 days charging power are ever the same, sometimes it might go higher and on other days it's flat out reaching 70w, This is when 2 150w panels can be the way to go so can get enough charge in to the batteries,

It was the speed of charging that made me go with the PLB40's, I have 3 115 Ah batteries and the only t get the amount of power that one needs is to stay in camp and use one and charge another which then becomes an everyday event, Where as with lithiums I can fully charge it in a couple of hours and the rest of the day is mine,

Like Fridges the best Lithium battery is the one that works best for you and no two people are the same or have the same needs, For static Camping or living then Deep cycle batteries are a solid performer and the Lithium packs can be kept as a backup plan,

I am glad I did not buy the Goal Zero packs because of the way their voltage drops.

 

[john61ct]

I definitely would prefer **not** to DIY.

I just have not found a pre-made powerpak that measures up, especially in their crippling the C-rate, both discharging and charge input.

Accessibility of the BMS to verify balancing is getting done properly is another issue.

As is the ability to replace the internal cells when needed.

The crazy pricing would then be a little easier to swallow, especially since these are just design issues, would not even add much to the cost.

 

[67cj5]

I definitely would prefer **not** to DIY.

I just have not found a pre-made powerpak that measures up, especially in their crippling the C-rate, both discharging and charge input.

Accessibility of the BMS to verify balancing is getting done properly is another issue.

As is the ability to replace the internal cells when needed.

The crazy pricing would then be a little easier to swallow, especially since these are just design issues, would not even add much to the cost.

Yeah I see where ya coming from,

With me I want a system I can use everywhere and have my kit packed in under 10 minutes My Camper / MPV is stocked up ready to go when ever I want to, I bought some solar powered lights that run for over 12 hours So all my pack is powering it my fridges and my tablets and phones and maybe a small portable TV that only uses 8.3w, As I posted before the PLB 40 kept my fridge alive for 4 days with ease Fact is the PLB 40 will keep my little Dometic 20Qt fridge alive for 6 and a half days and still have 20% of it's power left, I can't argue with those kind of numbers,

For bigger jobs I have the 3 115Ah Deep Cycle batteries and a 2000w pure sign wave Gas/Petrol powered Generator and over a 1000w of Solar, But for all my everyday stuff the PLB40 has become my Go To Gadget.

 

[jbumx2]

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.

I recently purchased one of these Suaoki G500 units. My initial testing shows it only charges at 10-11 watts when plugged into my truck's 12v cig outlet. This was after I took it down to two bars remaining capacity. When plugged into 120v AC it pulls in 85 watts.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

I recently purchased one of these Suaoki G500 units. My initial testing shows it only charges at 10-11 watts when plugged into my truck's 12v cig outlet. This was after I took it down to two bars remaining capacity. When plugged into 120v AC it pulls in 85 watts.

That sounds like a really slow charge rate. (Even slower than mine). Solar is the way to go, or use the 110 charger with an inverter. More crap to deal with but much more usable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jbumx2]

That sounds like a really slow charge rate. (Even slower than mine). Solar is the way to go, or use the 110 charger with an inverter. More crap to deal with but much more usable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, I sent an email to the suaoki customer support asking if this is normal behavior.. should be getting a response soon I hope. Charging at 10 watts won't even keep up with the 12 volt fridge. I connect 100 watt portable solar panel when at camp... may consider the inverter unless suaoki tells me my unit is defective.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Yeah, I sent an email to the suaoki customer support asking if this is normal behavior.. should be getting a response soon I hope. Charging at 10 watts won't even keep up with the 12 volt fridge. I connect 100 watt portable solar panel when at camp... may consider the inverter unless suaoki tells me my unit is defective.

Have you tried connecting directly to the car battery and see what you get there? You might be getting voltage drop in the run to the outlet, in which case it could dramatically reduce the charging input rate.

 

[jdzl]

Looking into these myself, having run Group 27/31, BattleBorn, etc... I think we all tend to way overestimate our actual power needs and thus make suggestions like needing a 200ah battery bank and 400+ watts of solar... I've run an entire cabin with full kitchen, tv, lights, etc on 750 watts of solar and limited exposure...

These things are super appealing because they weigh next to nothing (vs well over 100lbs for a pair of GC batteries), and it's got the solar controller ($35-100), doesn't need a disconnect ($50-100), breaker / t-fuse ($20-30), wire, and TIME...

Thanks for the review!

 

[baughb]

SBSYNCRO,

I'm doing what you describe; running a CFX 50 from a "Solar Generator" that I charge from the truck while I drive and from Solar while I fish/park.

1). I use a South African made Flexopower 444 lithium solar generator. 40 ah (amp hours) with multiple output options and built in MPPT solar/input option.
A). I got lucky!! Mine has worked as advertised for 2 years. I can't say that about anyone else in America that I have seen on this and other Overland boards.
B). Will Prowse on you tube and here, https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/ is a delightful geek in the best ways. He has many reviews of what you are looking at along the lines of a solar generator.
C). I do NOT recommend the Flexopower unit but, since it is what I am using until I make my own, I can address some of your questions.

2). Charging and keeping it charged. I always start with a fully charged generator (444) and pre-chilled CFX (set to 36 degrees).

A). I keep my fridge and the 444 behind my driver seat of my Tacoma. I ran a 10ga hot and cold wire from the starter battery terminals (20' but I might cut it back to 8') w/ a 15amp in line fuse to a Blue Sea 3 banger panel with 2 12v cig outputs (I swapped out the USBs for a 2nd 12v cig) , a volt meter and a on/off switch.

1). While driving, I plug the fridge into 1 of the cigs and the 444 into the other. So I arrive at the river cold and charged.
2). When I arrive, I plug the CFX into the 12v Cig of the 444 to get its power. I NEVER use the 110v converters for anything.
3). Renogy 100watt suitcase - bypassing its own charge controller - and plug the panels straight into the 5mm input connector on the 444. (I did pick up a second 100 watt foldable to add to the set up this year)
4). Fish
5). Depending on the day's weather, 444 gets topped off while running fridge. Without sun, I've lasted over two days using just the 444 which lives in the truck.
A). I do cover my truck with an external sun shade (https://www.itscoolinhere.com/shop/suv-minivan-large-pick-up-size), crack the windows and put the driver/fridge side of the truck to the North as best as I can. Typically, when the sun is not out, the weather is cooler and the fridge works less/uses less amps.
6). I've done this for as long as 10 days in summer in the West Yellowstone area(s) and many trips up to the Sierra here in CA.
7). On one occasion, I forgot to actually plug the panels in to the 444 after setting them up and "chose" to take a little scenic drive the next day. That charged things up nicely after a couple of hours.

Like many others, I am planning a DIY box with a 100ah Lifepo4 (lithium iron) and a bcdc redarc 1225 and a Blue Sea fuse box with a few output options, so I can have a portable, plug and play set up for my fridge.

Bob

 

[SBSYNCRO]

Posting an update based on some additional field experience. I'm still a fan of this little Suaoki unit and its a great combo with my 100w HQST panel, but it definitely has a few issues that need to be worked around.

First, on a positive note, I have not yet run into a situation where the battery has left me without a fridge - it will power the fridge for several days, and normally never gets below the second out of 5 bars (indicating that I've never managed to draw it down past 60% capacity). With the high-input MPPT solar controller, it charges back up REALLY fast with a 100w panel and good sun. With no sun, the AC charger (which I can run off the Jeep's built-in inverter) it also charges very quickly.

The compact square size has allowed me to fabricate a mount that gets it up and out of the way (I repurposed an ARB air compressor mount from a company called "Hooke Road" on Amazon.) So far, its really nice to have it up above everything, with easy access to the controls and the outlets I care about (12v ciggie and USB). Its also easily removable with a single cinch strap if I want to take it out of the vehicle and use it to power something in camp.

,

Here are the issues I've run into that people should note before buying one of these:

1. The Suaoki seems to prefer solar input for charging. While in full sun, this is great, but while running down the road, this is not good. For example, I'd like to be able to leave it with the AC adapter plugged in at the same time as the solar input so that whatever is producing the most power would then "win" and feed power to the battery. In practice however, even when its cloudy or the sun is at a low angle and the panel is only producing 15w (but I know the AC charger will provide ~80w) the unit will only take the measly 15w from the solar unless I disconnect it. This means that whenever we're in the Jeep going somewhere, I have to remember to UNPLUG the solar connection if I want/need max input power.

2. The solar charging circuit doesn't reliably "auto start". Let's say we finish the day with the battery fully charged (so that it won't accept additional input). The fridge is plugged in and the solar panel is plugged in. Over night, the battery will have run down something less than 20% (1 bar). As the sun comes up, the unit does NOT reliably begin to charge when the panel starts to produce power. I have to remember to unplug the solar input and then plug it back in. Immediately upon doing this, the unit will show that it is accepting power.

3. Unit does not like to be powered on with anything plugged into it. Normally, I just leave it on all the time so this is less of an issue. However, if the fridge is plugged into the DC port while the DC output is powered on, it will generate an "E21" error code, and will not power the fridge. I have to remember to unplug the fridge, then power on the circuit, and then plug the fridge back in. The only reason this is a problem for me is that I had originally wanted to hard-wire the fridge to the battery to make the connection less bulky and more reliable. That's not going to work.

So bottom line, after a couple months of regular use, I'm still very pleased with this unit, but I've had to learn a few work-arounds to make sure my fridge stays powered up (and I have juice for charging other stuff). This has actually been a really useful exercise, because it helps me better understand some of the field issues I will solve for when I eventually build my own LiFePO based battery pack.

FWIW, it looks like all the Suaoki products are "offline" (no longer available from their own web site or from Amazon). I suspect this is either because of COVID-19/Coronavirus/Wuhan Virus disrupting the supply or possibly the tariffs. But if they come back available (or people are considering similar products) this information will hopefully come in handy for some.

 

[john61ct]

thanks for the report

 

[rajacat]

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.

UPDATE

The Suaoki G500 didn't work for me because it couldn't handle the starting surge of my refrigerator. My Maxoak 400 handles the surge well and has been very dependable. Presently, the G500 appears to be defunct. The LED shows that it's not taking a charge. I didn't treat it differently from my Maxoak 400. Maybe it didn't have a proper integrated BMS? The G500 was a total waste of money.

 

[SBSYNCRO]

UPDATE

The Suaoki G500 didn't work for me because it couldn't handle the starting surge of my refrigerator. My Maxoak 400 handles the surge well and has been very dependable. Presently, the G500 appears to be defunct. The LED shows that it's not taking a charge. I didn't treat it differently from my Maxoak 400. Maybe it didn't have a proper integrated BMS? The G500 was a total waste of money.

Just out of curiosity, what fridge were you running? Sorry to hear the Suaoki crapped out on you - is it totally "bricked" now and won't take a charge at all? Mine is still working fine, although it does have a lot of idiocyncrasies that I've learned to deal with (such as having to un plug and re-plug it everytime I want it to start charging). One of these days I will build my own system to avoid these issues, but having an all-in-one unit that handles solar, 12v, or 110v input and outputs a regulated 12v supply is super useful. I recently rented a Sprinter 4x4 but the factory aux 12v system had too much voltage drop to power my Dometic CFX50 - luckily I had brought along the Suaoki and it powered the fridge and we were able to have cold beer (and food) for our entire trip.

 

[jonyjoe101]

Recently I been having problems with my house battery 220ah lifepo4 (13.1 volts) running my fridge at night time after sun went down. Fridge works fine in the daytime with the solar charging the lifepo4. But once voltage on battery drops to 13.1 volts, the fridge compressor starts runs for 5 seconds and shuts off, then repeats every few minutes. Fridge finally runs when I go to sleep and turn off all other devices. The fridge battery protection switch was set to low, I switch to high and that didnt fix the problem.

I finally fix the problem by using a boost/buck converter connected from the lifepo4 to the fridge. The boost converter is set to 18 volts, the the buck converter reduces it to 13.4 volts, current output on the buck converter is set to 6 amps. I been running the fridge for the past 3 weeks nonstop and it hasnt stop working once. I even ran the fridge when I had the swampcooler/laptop/lights and my 12 amp roadpro running at the same time. Didn't shutoff once. One thing I notice since I have an LED on the boost/buck converter, when the fridge is running the voltage only drops to 13.2 volts, voltage is very stable. The reason you need both a boost and buck converter is because the 12-13 volts of the li-ion/lifepo4/lead acid is very similar to the voltage output you need to run the fridge, a buck or boost converter won't convert anything in that range by itself.

Since all these goal zeros/jackerys/suaoki are basically the same 3s li-ion 10.8- 11.1 volt powerpacks, I decided to test the boost/buck converter on something similar. I used a very small mobius 3s powerpack, its only a 26ah battery at 10.8 volts. I connected to the fridge and ran it from 6 pm to 6 am, I unplug the fridge at 6 am the powerpack still had 30 percent left, so it could have ran it some more.

If you have one of these 3s powerpacks, I definitely recommend a boost/buck converter, you can also set the boost/buck converter to 12.6 volts and charge your powerpack, its also cc/cv charger, it will easily give you 6 amps output. The 12 volt cigarette plug won't give you 6 amps because the voltage might be too low. You need to boost it up then buck it down.

Its something extra to carry around but the performance is excellent, it also uses extra power but if it keeps the fridge running its worth it to me.


Boost/buck converter. I built this as a 12.6 volt charger, but repurpose it to run my fridge and just increase voltage output to 13.4 volts.


parts I use

 

[john61ct]

Since all these goal zeros/jackerys/suaoki are basically the same 3s li-ion 10.8- 11.1 volt powerpacks

WUT?

If that is true for all their model lines, very good reason to avoid those brands completely!

LFP* is the only LI chemistry I would carry for House use in a small mobile living space.

All the 3.6-3.7Vpc chemistries are much too "thermally risky" (boom bad)

as well as 90% shorter cycle lifespan.

(*LMO is the other, much more rarely used)