Goal Zero Yeti 400 Experiences?

[bjornb]

I was told the only way to remedy this is to charge through the Anderson port.

GZ meant for the Anderson port for chaining only. Has anybody tried charging through the Anderson port through an external battery bank? Does it pull as much after dark as it does during sun hours? Any input on this would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I have a Yeti 400 on the way shipping to me now, so I havent tested this personally yet, but I think connecting an external charger to the powerpole ports should work fine (according to Goal Zero the powerpole ports are directly connected to the battery, quote: "That port is direct to the battery with no regulation"). I'm a bit sceptical regarding connecting the Yeti directly to a huge 12V external power bank. There may be a huge in-rush current between the two depending on the voltage difference between the Yeti and your external bank. What size is your solar power bank (in Ah, Amp hours)?

The regular input charging port (8mm) has these specs: 14-29V, up to 10A. Your battery bank has about 13.x volts when full I guess, so that explains why that didnt work.

You could also consider connecting a DC-DC converter to your external bank, and connect this to the regular input port. The voltage on the converter should be set to the same as the included yeti AC wall charger to emulate the AC charger.

Example product:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-Converte...er-/290908894576?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

 

[snowblind]

I tried charging the Yeti via two Boulder 15 panels this weekend. I've used 12v and 120v in the past but never solar.

I purchased the panels at http://powerfulproducts.com/goal-zero-boulder-15-solar-panel.aspx. This is a package of TWO Boulder 15 panels, two clips to connect them and a padded carrying case for $99. This is a SMOKING deal!

I set the panels up at about 10 a.m. and connected the Yeti. Panels were clipped together and set on the ground while leaning on a lawn chair. Panels and Yeti were outdoors and the temp was 28ºF. I am located in Salt Lake City, Utah at 4300' and 40º 45' N

With about 30 secs of aiming the two 15 watt panels were pushing a combined 21 watts into the Yeti. I think this is impressive considering the low angle of the February sun. The input dropped to 10 watts as the sun grew weaker later in the day but I feel that averaging 20 watts input would not be difficult in the summer.

I also purchased some new GZ cables that I will modify to allow hardwired 12v to 8mm GZ charging in the truck and 6mm GZ to C7 12v wiring for fridge. Goodbye cigarette sockets!


Matt

 

[jflo]

Yeti 400

I tried charging the Yeti via two Boulder 15 panels this weekend. I've used 12v and 120v in the past but never solar.

I purchased the panels at http://powerfulproducts.com/goal-zero-boulder-15-solar-panel.aspx. This is a package of TWO Boulder 15 panels, two clips to connect them and a padded carrying case for $99. This is a SMOKING deal!

I set the panels up at about 10 a.m. and connected the Yeti. Panels were clipped together and set on the ground while leaning on a lawn chair. Panels and Yeti were outdoors and the temp was 28ºF. I am located in Salt Lake City, Utah at 4300' and 40º 45' N

With about 30 secs of aiming the two 15 watt panels were pushing a combined 21 watts into the Yeti. I think this is impressive considering the low angle of the February sun. The input dropped to 10 watts as the sun grew weaker later in the day but I feel that averaging 20 watts input would not be difficult in the summer.

I also purchased some new GZ cables that I will modify to allow hardwired 12v to 8mm GZ charging in the truck and 6mm GZ to C7 12v wiring for fridge. Goodbye cigarette sockets!


Matt

Just bought the Yeti 400 from Goal Zero's website for $459. Use promo code "B15forY400" and get two Boulder 15's for free and free shipping.

 

[snowblind]

I also purchased some new GZ cables that I will modify to allow hardwired 12v to 8mm GZ charging in the truck and 6mm GZ to C7 12v wiring for fridge. Goodbye cigarette sockets!
Matt

And here we go...

Left-to-right we have:
Power Input: GZ wall charger, GZ 8mm/MC4, homemade 18awg 12v/8mm, GZ 8mm/8mm
Power Output: GZ 6mm/ring terminals, homemade 18awg 12v/C7 fridge power,12v/6mm, 6mm to light-a-life, daisy chained to light-a-life.



Close-up on the plugs. All of the GZ stuff (including the wall charger) uses a single 18awg core for + with a "sheath" of wire wrapping it and providing the - . This allows for a thinner and more flexible cable but is a pain to splice. The new GZ 8mm/MC4 uses a MUCH heavier wire and splits to large individual wires!



I will be using the GZ 6mm power output to ring terminals to fashion a custom power cable for my fridge. Since it has ring terminals that means the wires are already split out to individual + and - wires and will be easy to splice on the fridge connector. This specific GZ connector is different than some in that it mates perfectly with the hexagonal shape of the Yeti 12v terminal and is very secure. NO MORE 12v socket!!!

The Yeti rates that connector to 10 amps so it should have no problem with the fridge. I'll use the other 6mm output for the daisy-chainable light-a-life LED lanterns.



And a final comparison of the old 18awg to 8mm input and the new MC4 to 8mm input. This new cable is designed for the new Boulder 90 solar panel. The combined input of two Boulder 90s could easily overwhelm the Yetis 120watt input limit. I will be using my connector to allow custom hardwired 12v vehicle charging.








Matt

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Upgrade from 350 to 400 via Costco Roadshow?

Thanks for an informative thread & educational discussion.

Question: Based on your experiences, is the new 400 battery better vs. the old 350?

I purchased an Extreme 350 & Boulder 30 panel 2 yrs. ago at Costco roadshow (with various items added for road show discounts), and the show is running again this weekend. The combo has worked fine, though the display went dead after a month or so.

I changed the fuses, to reset things (per GZ customer service instructions), and it seemed OK since then. I also try to keep it "topped off" by plugging it in and charging it monthly- again, per GZ's C/S recommendations.

But this month the Extreme's display has stopped showing charge rate/discharge levels, which worries me since I can't track depletion/recharge. It really hasn't been used all that much over the last 2 years. It happened while sitting in the garage- nothing out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, I added 2 boulder 15s to chain together. (thanks for tip reowerful Product $99 offer)

They seem to link fine but I can't really track the charging . It is sunny and in the 80s today, so I might try experimenting with it while I'm home to observe.

So- I'm thinking of returning the 350 to Costco since the display has failed (I still have the paperwork) and upgrading to the Yeti 400- if it has improved and the bugs have been fixed since it was first offered.

I like the more detailed/informative displays. I like the additional ports/outlets.
Does all this Information help with your usage, knowing when it is charging well, and how much is being drained?

Or should I just buy a voltage metering device to track things and keep the 350?



So... would appreciate hearing your thoughts:
Is the Yeti worthwhile?
And should I see about using the CostCo roadshow/return policy to upgrade?

Thanks!

PS- My needs have been mostly solo Baja trips, and sun in SoCali & Baja is typically good. I mostly have been charging small electronics (Ipad/Iphone/digital cameras) but want to add more people to travels, and stay in camp longer, and perhaps a fridge at some point.

With the 350 I usually carry a 25 foot extension cord (to charge from an outlet if we stop at an RV park or other rest stop and see one nearby) and a multi-port powerstrip for charging all the various devices' battery packs.

Could any of this relatively minor use have contributed to the display issue?

 

[snowblind]

Question: Based on your experiences, is the new 400 battery better vs. the old 350?

I actually have no direct experience with the Extreme 350. When I purchased the Yeti I was a little turned off at all the negative reviews of the 350. Lot's of stories of running hot and melting batteries, etc, etc. I just put it down to 1st gen technology. The Yeti series was obviously the next gen product.

I purchased an Extreme 350 & Boulder 30 panel 2 yrs. ago at Costco roadshow (with various items added for road show discounts), and the show is running again this weekend. The combo has worked fine, though the display went dead after a month or so. I changed the fuses, to reset things (per GZ customer service instructions), and it seemed OK since then.
SNIP
But this month the Extreme's display has stopped showing charge rate/discharge levels, which worries me since I can't track depletion/recharge. It really hasn't been used all that much over the last 2 years. It happened while sitting in the garage- nothing out of the ordinary.

That's a bummer. No display = Almost useless in my opinion.

So- I'm thinking of returning the 350 to Costco since the display has failed (I still have the paperwork) and upgrading to the Yeti 400- if it has improved and the bugs have been fixed since it was first offered.
I like the more detailed/informative displays. I like the additional ports/outlets.
Does all this Information help with your usage, knowing when it is charging well, and how much is being drained?

I would definitely get the 400 if you can warranty it simply because I think it's a better product. Mine has been bug free since purchase.

I love the informative display. It's really nice to see the watts or amps being used real-time and knowing if I'm getting near the limit of any given port. It was informative to watch the input watts go down as the battery charged up. There are some definite limitations though. The display only provides detail for output. The input display is limited ONLY to watts so you have no idea of the amps coming in.

PS- My needs have been mostly solo Baja trips, and sun in SoCali & Baja is typically good. I mostly have been charging small electronics (Ipad/Iphone/digital cameras) but want to add more people to travels, and stay in camp longer, and perhaps a fridge at some point.

Everything will be no problem until you add the fridge. At that point you will want to optimize your consumption and your recharging. This means keeping the Yeti as close to possible to the fridge and running as much solar as you can manage. It also means charging phones and tablets direct from USB whenever possible and packing extra batteries for the digicam instead of charging in the field.

With the 350 I usually carry a 25 foot extension cord (to charge from an outlet if we stop at an RV park or other rest stop and see one nearby) and a multi-port powerstrip for charging all the various devices' battery packs. Could any of this relatively minor use have contributed to the display issue?

The 350 is designed for a wide range of inputs so I don't see the extension cord creating any issues with input from the wall charger. Powerstrip should be fine also. I think the 350 design is just not that robust. Maybe it's a heat thing. The Yeti seems to have more venting.


Matt

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Yeti 400: $350 at Costco GZ roadshows

thanks for the replies/helpful Information.

The Yeti 400 is at Costco Goalzero roadshow in San Diego (Morena location) for $350 this week. I'm returning the Extreme 350 since the display has quit, and upgrading to the 400.

 

[snowblind]

Dedicated 12v charging for Yeti 400!

Hey everybody.

Last summer I cobbled together a 12v car-charger for my Yeti 400 and I was surprised to see it charge as well or better than the 120v charger. I hated using the 12v socket but I was excited by the idea of 12v charging while driving. Fast forward to today and I have a dedicated 12v power supply charging the Yeti at near peak (120 watt) input power!

I had the installation done by my car stereo guys. They offer a lifetime warranty so I know it will stay functional. Install location is were the old subwoofer used to live. We ran 8AWG wire from the battery to the rear of the vehicle and then split the power into three fused circuits - Two constant hot and one ignition hot. The two constant hot circuits power the fridge and rear lighting. The ignition hot circuit is connected to the Yeti 400 via a Goal Zero 8mm to MC4 adapter.



Charging is at the highest rate I have ever seen! The 120V maxes out at 80 watts. I saw rates above 100watts and that is with the vehicle only idling.



This photo shows my Trifecta of camping power! WeatherPack connector at far right is constant hot from AUX battery. WeatherPack connector at middle is constant hot from GZ via 6mm. plug at far left is ignition hot for 8mm GZ charging. This allows running the fridge off the AUX battery for as long or as little as I want and then switching to GZ power. When I'm driving to the next camp site I can run the fridge off the alternator and simultaneously charge the Yeti.




Matt

 

[Silasf]

HELP! My yeti 400 12v port is too small for the supplied ARB 12v plug, specifically the tip that holds the fuse. The metal piece can not get past a plastic piece built into the goal zero. ARB has no idea what to do other than splice a new plug on. Any ideas??

 

[snowblind]

HELP! My yeti 400 12v port is too small for the supplied ARB 12v plug, specifically the tip that holds the fuse. The metal piece can not get past a plastic piece built into the goal zero. ARB has no idea what to do other than splice a new plug on. Any ideas??

My recommendation is to abandon the universal 12V port and make a dedicated 6mm connector for your fridge. I used this 6mm Goal Zero wiring adapter The 6mm plug is much more secure and much lower profile than the 12V port and is rated at the same 10amp output.

Here is a photo with the 6mm plug installed. I used weatherpack connectors but it could be hard wired to the fridge power cord.





Matt

 

[mellorrob]

Here's my set up for my ARB 47 liter fridge and yeti 400. Thought I'd post up my set up in hopes some one can find it useful. Props to Matt for suggesting to use the 6MM on the yeti to run the fridge. I was just going to use the Anderson plug on the side until I read here that's only for chaining yeti's together. I guess I should have read the manual For the record the Anderson port on the side will power the fridge but there's no display of watts out on the yeti or voltage protection.


I got all my Anderson power plugs, wire and fuses from powerwerx. This is the power pole chassis mounted in my discovery 2. The bottom set is hot from the battery using 10ga zip cord with a 15 amp fuse at the battery and 45 amp power pole contacts. The top is spliced into the cig lighter that's keyed to the ignition. I used scotch splice connectors and then spliced in 18 ga wire (same as the factory cig plug) and used the 15 amp power pole contacts. This way I can still use the factory plug or the top set of Anderson plugs when the truck is running.



Here's the cables I've made. The one on the left is the factory ARB plug to Anderson, Anderson to goal zero 6mm and Anderson to cig adaptor. The one with the grey is Anderson to goal zero 8mm charging and the red/black is a yeti chaining cable. The factory chaining cable sucks, it's expensive, short and stiff. The only way you can use it is to stack the yetis which doesn't work so well driving with out them tied down. So I used some extra 10ga zip wire and 45 amp connectors to make a longer, flexible chaining cable.



Here's a close up of the ARB plug. This set up is ideal, I can run the fridge off the truck always hot or keyed to the ignition using the power pole chassis in the rover. Or click on to the end of the cable the Anderson/6mm cable to go to the yeti or the Anderson/cig adaptor for my wife's car. And the cable is always fused with an 8 amp fuse like the factory cig plug. I couldn't find the plug matt used (6mm to ring 98010) any where. Goal zero even said the ware house was out and she wasn't sure if it was discontinued. But the factory store (for us lucky ones in SLC) and the goal zero web site have cable 98009 6mm to alligator clips stocked. It's only a couple bucks more.



Here's my custom made yeti/Anderson charging cable. I used the 8mm to 4.7mm adaptor that shipped with my yeti 400 as the donor plug since my boulder panels are 8mm and I'll never own any legacy 4.7mm panels. Then I didn't have to buy another cable just for the 8mm plug. Matt was right, they use a center wire for the + then it's wrapped with small braided wire for the - similar to coax cable. I soldered the + wire to a cord I had and used the green heat shrink to cover it. Then I twisted the braided wire together and soldered it to the other wire in the cord and covered the whole splice in the grey heat shrink. That connected the 8mm plug to the cord, then the other end is an inline fuse holder (w/15 amp fuse) and the Anderson plugs w/15 amp connectors.





Using the 18ga ignition keyed Anderson plugs in the rover I see charging watts of around 70 watts using my Anderson to 8mm cable. When using the 10ga always hot plugs I see around 90 watts. When the rover is off neither set of Anderson plugs will charge the yeti. The keyed off set is obviously off and with the always hot set the blue light stays lit and the yeti displays low. I guess the resting voltage of the rover battery isn't high enough to charge the yeti since I believe it takes 14 volts min to charge. Here's a pic of the ARB on and the yeti plugged into the 18 ga keyed set with the truck running.



From powerwerxs I bought the power pole 15 amp permanently bonded set of 10. Every wire I put Anderson plugs onto fit the 15 amp size connectors (wire gauges 20,18,16) except the 10 gauge zip wire. For that wire I bought a pack of the loose 45 amp connectors (gauge 10.) The Anderson power pole chassis set came with 4 30 amp connectors (gauges 14 and 12) but I didn't end up using those 4 connectors at all. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any ?'s or want more pictures.

 

[calicamper]

Nice set up, just fyi the RC car guys use these connectors also you might find cheaper bulk connector packages sold via the RC car online resources. Funny I was just eyeing these thinking along the same lines of power plug options.

 

[mellorrob]

I found a couple of places that sold the bulk connectors cheaper but it was finding the 10 gauge stuff that was tricky on the RC car sites. I guess they don't have much use for 10 gauge wire or 45 amp connectors on an rc car Powerwerx had everything in stock from one place so I was only paying shipping once. I was also surprised that it shipped with in 2 hours of placing the order, it was nice to have everything in time for last weekend so I could spend Saturday wiring instead of doing yard work.

 

[snowblind]

Here's my set up for my ARB 47 liter fridge and yeti 400. Thought I'd post up my set up in hopes some one can find it useful.
SNIP
Using the 18ga ignition keyed Anderson plugs in the rover I see charging watts of around 70 watts using my Anderson to 8mm cable. When using the 10ga always hot plugs I see around 90 watts.

View attachment 283728

Nice set up Rob. Thanks for sharing. This is turning into a pretty good thread. Those Anderson plugs are pretty slick.

It surprises me that Goal Zero doesn't offer a 6mm to bare wire. It is SO much better than the cig socket.

One note about charging watts. You will only see max charging when the Yeti is 60% charge or lower. Above that and the charge tapers off.



Matt

 

[snowblind]

New Faceplate!

Hey Everybody.

I went by the Goal Zero headquarters today for some repairs on the Yeti 400. My Yeti is going into it's 3rd year of service and was getting a little ragged at the edges.

The LCD display on the Yeti had begun to fail. It was sort of delaminating internally and would only show a complete display when I pushed the front together. Also, the 8mm charging receptacle had begun to fail intermittently when charging. Rotating the connector would disconnect the charge. :-(

I emailed Goal Zero and detailed my problems. Since I live in Salt Lake City the engineers scheduled a time for me to come by the headquarters so they could complete the repairs.

It took about 15 minutes. They replaced the entire front panel. This new panel looks identical but contains a bunch of hardware/software behind it that has been updated over the last few years. The only visual difference is that the charge light is now blue while the other lights remain green.



Cost? $0

Good old fashioned customer service! Are you kidding me? Thank you Goal Zero for confirming my choice in your products!


Matt



P.S. One of the changes in the front panel must be the addition of a fan. I left the Yeti in the back of the truck with all the ports turned on in +90F temps and when I went to get it it was blowing air out like a computer on render! Pretty cool