The latest advances in battery and solar power technologies have turned what once seemed impossible dreams into reality.
The result is a portable power station. Clean, efficient and easy to handle, this is a portable power source made for living, working or just having fun in the great outdoors.
Maxwatt has been at the forefront of developing these state-of-the-art devices. Read on for the lowdown about what makes the best portable power station money can buy.
What Are Portable Power Stations?
Think of a power bank that you may use to charge up your smartphone when you run out of juice on the road. Portable power stations work on the same principle, providing off-grid electricity using a rechargeable battery.
They’re very similar to power banks but have a far bigger capacity and higher power output.
Maxwatt portable power stations have AC and USB outlets as well as a wireless charging pad. They also boast super-fast charging outlets for Type-C port electronic devices for added convenience. You can plug in anything from phones to larger appliances as though you were at home.
What Will You Use Your Portable Power Station For?
Before you decide on the wattage and capacity of your portable power station, you need to think about how you plan to use it. They’re ideal for:
- Camping, fishing, hiking and any kind of road or boating trip
- Remote working or becoming a true career nomad
- Use on construction sites and for emergency backup at home
The number of Australians working remotely has been hovering around the 40 per cent mark for quite some time. Having a portable power station opens a whole new world of opportunity, as it means you can work just about anywhere.
It was only a few years ago that a record number of Australians went camping or caravaning. They made nearly 14 million caravan and camping trips in one year alone. Many stayed off-site, making the opportunity to own a portable power station for camping very tempting.
Models vary in weight and size depending on the amount of power you’ll need and the length of time you’ll need it.
What Happens When the Battery Runs Out?
One of the star attractions of a portable power station is independence. You won’t need to feel reliant on a grid connection once you use up your battery power. There have been considerable advances in MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) that regulate the charge of a portable power station. These ensure faster solar recharge rates than we’ve become used to.
You can charge each of the 6 Maxwatt portable power stations with either or both our 100-watt and 200-watt Solar Panels connected in parallel. The configuration will depend on the model, with full charging taking between 3.5 to 6 hours, subject to the size of the portable power station.
If necessary, you can recharge all Maxwatt portable power stations to 100 per cent power capacity from a wall outlet in 2.5 to 4 hours. Again, the length of time will depend on which of our 6 models you choose.
And all our portable power stations have a Regulated 12V car socket. Car charging is a valuable alternative to solar panels and wall outlets. It’s ideal if you’re in a remote area on a trip away. The charge time does tend to be longer, however.
What Size of Portable Power Station Is Best?
This is going to depend on what you use your portable power station for. Let’s say you’re going to use yours as a power station for camping or fishing. You plan to bring:
- A powered esky (55 watts)
- A set of lights (20 watts)
- A slow cooker (80 watts)
All your devices add up to 155 watts, meaning for 3 hours, they would use 465Wh. A certain amount of battery storage gets lost when powering up devices. It would, therefore, be worth weighing up:
- The wattage of the appliances you intend to use
- How long you plan to use them
- Your recharging options
It’s best to keep the power station in the 80 – 20 per cent sweet spot for maximum lifespan.
Maxwatt offers these 6 capacities:
- The MXPRO3600I: 1601,5Wh (1800W rated wattage & a 3600-watt surge wattage)
- The MXPRO1200I: 509Wh (600W rated wattage & a 1200-watt surge wattage)
- The MXPRO2000I: 1019Wh (1000W rated wattage & a 2000-watt surge wattage)
- The MXPRO1600I:7Wh (800W rated wattage & a 1600-watt surge wattage)
- The MXPRO2600I:4Wh (1300W rated wattage & a 2600-watt surge wattage)
- The MXPRO600: 265Wh (300W rated wattage & a 600-watt surge wattage)
What is the Lifespan of the Rechargeable Battery?
All rechargeable batteries will subtly lose capacity over their lifetime. This is partly down to their discharge and charge cycles.
A full cycle means you’ve used 100 per cent of the battery’s charge. So, if you were to use 50 per cent today, 35 per cent tomorrow and 15 per cent the next day, that would make one cycle. This is regardless of whether you recharged the battery on these days.
The stable type of lithium batteries Maxwatt uses, along with the professional Battery Management System (BMS), gives eight layers of protection. This ensures battery life to 500+ life cycles.
The completion of 500 cycles does not mean your battery is at the end of its life. It may typically mean it’s 80-90 per cent of its original health. So, a battery that once powered a device for 100 hours may only be able to power it for 80-90 hours.
When considering the lifespans of portable power stations, it’s crucial to check both the number of cycles and the capacity. A battery that’s 500 cycles to 85 per cent capacity is better than a battery that’s 500 cycles to 55 per cent capacity, for example.
Bag the Best Portable Power Station Now!
There’s never been a better time to invest in a portable power station. We’ve made huge technological advances in batteries that mean they are lighter, last longer and can power more appliances than ever.
Whether it’s a power station for camping or a portable power source for a construction job, Maxwatt has you covered with its new range of 6 portable power stations. Order yours today.
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