Goal Zero Yeti 400 Experiences?

[snowblind]

My only hold up is the slow charging rate. The Anderson power poles on the front of the 1000 can take 240w of solar, 360w for the 1400. 240w is 20a at 12v, less at charging voltage. I wonder if I could hook a 20a AC/DC charger to the power poles. It would flow through the solar charge controller, which is PWM so it would lose some efficiency. Would the controller care if the amps were solar vs AC/DC converter? Don't think so. This would charge it much more rapidly than the 15 hours required if you just plugged it into a 110. Still this idea ruins the simplicity of the system.

Power input on the 8mm plug is limited to 10amps (120v max on Yeti400s 160w max on Yeti1400)
Power input on the Anderson plug is limited to 30amps (360w max on Yeti1400 NOT AVAILABLE on Yeti400)
You may be able to combine Anderson + 8mm but maybe still limited to 30/360)

As you have realized - AC charging is not the ideal way for Goal Zero. The best way is to provide a constant 14-30V DC current up to 30 amps. I'm thinking vehicle alternator or stand alone generator would be the most efficient.



Matt

 

[bigskypylot]

Hey BigSky.

The Yeti takes a fairly standard battery. I don't know the exact measurements but I'm sure you can find them. Here's the battery - http://www.goalzero.com/p/327/goal-zero-yeti-400-replacement-battery.

When using the Anderson Ports on the side of a Yeti you are direct connecting an additional battery and essentially making a bigger INTERNAL battery. That means the two batteries will equalize charge between themselves regardless of what the Yeti charge controller is doing. The Yeti charge controller will charge the unit properly but it is "seeing" one big battery. To that end you should probably use identical batteries (internal/external) if using the Anderson Ports. $100 to double your capacity is a pretty good deal. Only worries are strapping down the 2nd battery.

I would charge the Yeti with the briefcase using the GZ 4-input splitter so you can gang 12v vehicle with the solar. Down the road add a cheap solar controller for the battery if that meets your needs.

I have never used a generator for battery charging duties but that might be the determining factor in what you run. Main generator use for the Yeti would be good, clean, 14-15V power for bulk charging from 0-80% charge. Doubt that you want to run the fridge via 110V and constant generator so the 12v charge supply capabilities become important. You could also double up using two GZ 110V wall chargers off the 110 outlets on the generator.





I would do it a little different.

For me the best part(s) of solar/battery gear is that you can move it from vehicle to vehicle easily and also build redundancy fairly cheaply. I would get a totally separate unit for your camp lights and and phone/tablet use. Something very small and litho like the GZ Sherpas or Ventures or even a camp lantern with battery and USB charge outlet. These units are small enough for tent and backpacking use and way more convenient around camp than being tethered to the Yeti. Their intended use cycle also makes it easy to drain at night / charge in day.



Matt

Im going to just run off the Yeti I have for now and when a deal comes up on REI for 20% off of the 1400, i'll snag that. 132 ahr battery vs a 125 solar battery i was looking at with CTEK etc was gonna run close to what I'd pay for a sale on the 1400. Much more portable too!

 

[bigskypylot]

Ive thought about it but i like the quality package they offer and a warranty.

 

[North]

Hey North.....

Thanks for weighing in again Matt, that's an interesting setup you're running. It should be pretty easy to add an ANL fuse near the Yeti.

That said, I'm getting pretty close to throwing in the towel on the GZ. Initially I thought the all-in-one convenience and customer support would be worth it, but now I'm not so sure. It's been difficult to troubleshoot this system due to everything being self contained in a "magic box", and at this point I'm starting to think it would've been easier to build and troubleshoot my own system.

I did end up adding an isolator this weekend, but the net result is the same. I've tested the isolator - it's doing it's job, but somehow the 8mm input and 12V output are still tied together; whenever one is powered, so is the other. I actually opened up the unit to see if there was an obvious link between the two (that'd be too easy) but it's all PCBs.

I'll have a solar panel to play with soon. I'll test it with the Yeti to see if I can produce the same oddity mostly out of curiosity, but at this point I'll likely sacrifice the slick Yeti package for an uglier but more functional (for my application) system.

 

[snowblind]

Thanks for weighing in again Matt, that's an interesting setup you're running. It should be pretty easy to add an ANL fuse near the Yeti.

I have a fuse in the engine bay close to the battery and then I fused the direct 12V power wire to the fridge. The Yeti has an internal breaker so I didn't fuse that. This is all S.O.P. for car audio installs. I probably don't "need" the fuse on the fridge line but I don't trust the fridge breakers.

That said, I'm getting pretty close to throwing in the towel on the GZ. Initially I thought the all-in-one convenience and customer support would be worth it, but now I'm not so sure. It's been difficult to troubleshoot this system due to everything being self contained in a "magic box", and at this point I'm starting to think it would've been easier to build and troubleshoot my own system.

I understand where you're coming from and in many parts of life I see things the same way. For the solar / battery stuff I just see things a little different based on my own experiences. It sucks that your Yeti will power the 12V like that but does that ruin the functionality completely? For me the overall package is still better than making my own.

I camped last week in a place I could provide AC power to the fridge. I pulled the Yeti out of the truck and used it to power LED camp lights and charge devices. That is the sort of flexibility I like.

I did end up adding an isolator this weekend, but the net result is the same. I've tested the isolator - it's doing it's job, but somehow the 8mm input and 12V output are still tied together; whenever one is powered, so is the other. I actually opened up the unit to see if there was an obvious link between the two (that'd be too easy) but it's all PCBs.

I'll have a solar panel to play with soon. I'll test it with the Yeti to see if I can produce the same oddity mostly out of curiosity, but at this point I'll likely sacrifice the slick Yeti package for an uglier but more functional (for my application) system.

If your problem is unintended draining of the truck battery when the vehicle is off and the Yeti is connected – Why not just disconnect the charger cable?



Matt

 

[North]

I have a fuse in the engine bay close to the battery and then I fused the direct 12V power wire to the fridge. The Yeti has an internal breaker so I didn't fuse that. This is all S.O.P. for car audio installs. I probably don't "need" the fuse on the fridge line but I don't trust the fridge breakers.

Gotcha. I have a 30A fuse on the starter battery positive. Good to know that the Yeti has an internal breaker.

I understand where you're coming from and in many parts of life I see things the same way. For the solar / battery stuff I just see things a little different based on my own experiences. It sucks that your Yeti will power the 12V like that but does that ruin the functionality completely? For me the overall package is still better than making my own.

No it doesn't ruin it completely. Just another piece that taken together with some other considerations, diminishes the value. As I go along I'm learning more and more about what I value most out of the power system in my application (capacity - maybe, 12V functionality - yes, usb - yes, Pure sine wave inverter - no), and coupled with this annoying bug, the scales are starting to tip in favor of a different system.

I camped last week in a place I could provide AC power to the fridge. I pulled the Yeti out of the truck and used it to power LED camp lights and charge devices. That is the sort of flexibility I like.

I don't think I'd ever take the unit out of the van except to bring it inside to get a 120V charge boost. This could be pretty valuable in certain situations, and I've actually done this a few times already in the middle of trips when I used more power than expected.

If your problem is unintended draining of the truck battery when the vehicle is off and the Yeti is connected – Why not just disconnect the charger cable?

This is doable, just annoying to have to remember each time. I prefer set and forget solutions when possible, and this is a bit hack-ish especially for a $400+ system. Also, because still don't 100% understand how the 8mm is being powered when the car is off, to be safe I'd probably disconnect the 8mm input whenever I'm in the van during the day and using 12V power. This is a pretty common scenario (van is used mostly to ski out of during winter) and would render an important input (solar) useless at that time, and would also prevent me from leaving the roof fan on while away (helps dry wet gear and keeps van dry).

Swapping the GZ for a battery, charge controller, and inverter would be pretty easy at this point. I just need to use the GZ under this configuration for a bit and determine whether or not it warrants a swap. If nothing else, this process has forced me to learn a lot, which is really the goal of this entire (van build) project.

 

[quadforce4]

If you were going to buy a used Yeti 400 with the lead acid batteries, what would be the major things to check and questions to ask of the previous owner? I know these batteries aren't made to last forever, but what are the other things to look into before paying the cash?

 

[VicMackey]

I am looking into getting the Yeti 400 to charge phones/tablets, run some LED ambiance lights, and also run a medium sized fan at night (fan about the size of a tabletop 12" fan). Unlikely I would ever get a fridge.

Is the Yeti 400 the way I want to go? or maybe even the 150?

Thoughts?

 

[snowblind]

If you were going to buy a used Yeti 400 with the lead acid batteries, what would be the major things to check and questions to ask of the previous owner? I know these batteries aren't made to last forever, but what are the other things to look into before paying the cash?

The big questions are "Did they keep it charged?" and "How many times did they run it down to dead?"

If the the first answer is "No" or the second answer is "more than 2" - You should plan on buying a new battery in the future.



Matt

 

[snowblind]

I am looking into getting the Yeti 400 to charge phones/tablets, run some LED ambiance lights, and also run a medium sized fan at night (fan about the size of a tabletop 12" fan). Unlikely I would ever get a fridge.

Is the Yeti 400 the way I want to go? or maybe even the 150?

Thoughts?

150 would prob work for everything but maybe the fan. 400 would work for sure but the fan will still be the biggest draw.

What kind of fan do you want to run? Using the inverter for constant power to a 12" 110V fan could draw a good bit of power. Relatively speaking. 60w light bulb pulls almost as much power as my fridge.

A 12V fan would be a much better solution but might not fit your needs. Battery powered fans are another option. Search "RV fans" and "12V fans" on Amazon.


Matt

 

[VicMackey]

150 would prob work for everything but maybe the fan. 400 would work for sure but the fan will still be the biggest draw.

What kind of fan do you want to run? Using the inverter for constant power to a 12" 110V fan could draw a good bit of power. Relatively speaking. 60w light bulb pulls almost as much power as my fridge.

A 12V fan would be a much better solution but might not fit your needs. Battery powered fans are another option. Search "RV fans" and "12V fans" on Amazon.


Matt

I really want to run a good sized fan. I like the white noise and I like the air moving. I don't think a 12v version is going to cut it.

 

[snowblind]

I really want to run a good sized fan. I like the white noise and I like the air moving. I don't think a 12v version is going to cut it.

Start checking on the power consumption for a fan that meets your needs. You may find that you can run 2-4, 12V fans and still use less energy than a 110V fan on the inverter.

There are maybe some decent 12V options. This one is pretty big -> https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Tastic-0...rd_wg=Gvqq9&psc=1&refRID=QQVFFBQD25FY7VXWMNT9


Matt

 

[VicMackey]

Start checking on the power consumption for a fan that meets your needs. You may find that you can run 2-4, 12V fans and still use less energy than a 110V fan on the inverter.

There are maybe some decent 12V options. This one is pretty big -> https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Tastic-0...rd_wg=Gvqq9&psc=1&refRID=QQVFFBQD25FY7VXWMNT9


Matt

Matt, you may be on to something. That fan looks great. Thanks.

 

[john61ct]

Key is not just moving air around but exchanging stale & humid for fresh.

MaxxAir gets up to 900 cfm and the rain guard is built in.

 

[BulldoginaJeepwithaColt]

Matt, you may be on to something. That fan looks great. Thanks.

I own that fan for the same reasons you seek, and works great in my tent powered by a Yeti 400, circulating cooler air.

The fan has 3 settings, the lowest setting lasted 3.5 nights before depleting the Yeti down to zero. Now I also had two of the Goal Zero lamps plugged into as well, so not sure exactly how much longer it would have lasted sans lights, but probably a little longer.

The fasted setting lasted one night for me and the Yeti was down to the last bar "20" in the morning with power still remaining.

The fan moves a lot of air and provides a decent noise level, helps me sleep pretty good.




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