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lightest solar panel
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › lightest solar panel
- This topic has 11 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 9 months ago by Mike J.
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May 21, 2018 at 10:08 am #3537058
lixada 10watt
3.56 mono panelWas looking at suntastic s5 5watt but today it went from $99 to $200+ 3rd party vendor.
Also stumbled on a 18watt battery trickle charger for 12.5oz but that includes gatorclips and its 11″x18″ kind of awkward
May 21, 2018 at 10:17 am #3537059May 21, 2018 at 1:51 pm #3537088For this price it’s easy to buy and try. Curious about water resistance. The USB port would need to be protected in any case. Same for Suntactics.
For lighter weight panel there’s powerfilm. $$$.. They don’t have the small form factor USB power output, so you might get to the same weight. I have a feeling you get what you pay for.
May 21, 2018 at 3:03 pm #3537110On second check those are a lot lighter
May 21, 2018 at 7:51 pm #3537233Russell, you can buy an S5 directly from Suntactics for $117.95 through their eBay storefront. Shipping is included in that price.
I’ve been using one of their S8s on long trips for quite a while and it’s reliably fast at charging and quite rugged to boot.
May 21, 2018 at 8:07 pm #3537244Newegg has the s5 for $99.95 right now — free shipping.
May 22, 2018 at 2:13 am #3537366I have a panel very similar to the lixada – claimed to be 6.5W, like most they are very unlikely to achieve their rated output. That said they are cheap, light and work well. Mine puts out between 800mA and 1000mA at 109 grams and happily charges my phone, steripen, and headlamp. Cost about $20 from BangGood https://www.banggood.com/6_5W-5V-Solar-Panel-USB-Charger-Semi-flexible-Portable-Solar-30_3x15_3cm-p-1278903.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN
The weight on the BangGood site is in packaging.
Jun 6, 2018 at 8:08 pm #3540581I received the Lixada Solar Panel 10W last night, and tried it out this morning at 11am in full-strength Southern Arizona sun (hot enough to fry an egg). Verdict: COMPLETE FAIL.
I don’t know what the problem is, but it just doesn’t work. I tried charging a Kindle I had lying around, and after 1hr: Zero; after 1.5hrs: Zilch. Gave up. Used the same Kindle with the same charging cable inside the house, and it charged up like a champ.
I’d LOVE to get something lighter than my Suntactics 5 (which works beautifully), but This. Ain’t. It.
@kramrelwof — Mark, if you see this, what is the weight of your panel (not in packaging)?Jun 6, 2018 at 8:12 pm #3540584First, it is not a 10 watt panel, but the issue usually is the panel does not put out the minimum wattage needed to charge the device. That is why those lower watt panels are used to charge a battery first. Then the battery is used to charge your device(s).
Jun 8, 2018 at 2:32 am #3540938I think the Suntactics chargers are still the backpacking standard. I use chargers a lot backpacking and it’s always the Suntactics charger. For boating where weight doesn’t matter I sometimes carry a bigger one.
Jun 9, 2018 at 6:25 pm #3541134Whatever became of the Enerplex Kickr FL, which was supposed to be out last year and claimed to be the lightest solar panel? Is the company still around?
Jun 19, 2018 at 7:57 pm #3542860I have used the Goal Zero by Nomad and really liked it. I used it on my High Sierra Trail Trip and it worked like a champ when I wasn’t under tree cover.
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