This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Mate this unfortunately is a problem with all solar panel / blanket manufacturers, it's not just Redarc. I agree that Redarc's sin might be seen as worse because of the price premium, but as per 15:30 the problem is there's no real-world testing standard, so every manufacturer is forced to advertise ideal lab condition results, otherwise it looks like their product's inferior to their competitors. The fact we're discussing a 150W Redarc blanket vs a 200W Kings blanket, when testing showed the Redarc performs BETTER than the kings, just proves this point. If Redarc advertised this as a 120W blanket for $1600, the situation would be even worse (although you could argue at least they're being realistic).
Glad it was helpful and thank you for those kind words! Redarc has since updated their blanket so make sure you check out the updated review ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html particularly parts 3 and 4.
One of the best reviews i’ve ever watched! Companies like kings need to stop making crap for the environments sake! As you said a lot of wasted resources!
Mate so glad you found it helpful, please share it on your socials! You might also like the follow up video ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html where I look at the updated Redarc blanket along with a few others!
Great review and valuable information, thank you! I bought a Hard Korr blanket. I added a soft cotton/nylon tie loop to all points (cut from a small tent rope) for easier handling to move around and hang with hooks. I devised a 'stand' using my spacer bars (normally used for my annex) - using a bolt and nut to join 2 together to make an adjustable A x 2 - the 5th I threaded in the loops I had already attached and fed it into U bolts on the outer A type frames. It is a little bit of work to set up, yet you can adjust the angle during the day by extending the individual spacer bars. I've also tried using some lightweight coreflute sheets to place at the back of the blanket (for stability) and used a cut down noodle as legs which you do have to add a rock or something to keep it in place. After much trial and error, I worked out to park my van east/west (when I can) to prop it at an angle for am/pm on the windscreens and lay flat in the middle of the day. After 3 months it is already showing those small circular bubble holes of the surface lifting. Which is very disappointing. *My head is not even close to understanding the output and percentages as you have explained so well. So thanks so much for this information.
No worries at all Lexa, glad it was useful. Thanks for sharing how you made the stand, that sounds a good approach. Sorry to hear of the problems with your Hard Korr blanket though, if I were you I would be looking to get it replaced while it's still under warranty. Cell delamination is the beginning of the end for solar panels as it can allow air and moisture into the cell and cause corrosion. Let me know if you need clarification on any of the geeky data! Cheers, Greg
@@TheMusingGreg I sent off an email to them Friday night and received a reply 9am Monday. Filled out the forms photos etc and shall see how the next one fairs. Need to watch more on your chanel. Always learning while travelling. Thanks again for your valuable information.
Comprehensive testing and data collection...well done....... My kings blanket does the job asked of it. Previously running thru a Projecta DCDC charger is was a bit slow to start, but now running thru an Enerdrive DCDC and it is working great. For 1600 bucks I would buy another 7 kings blankets and have about 600w feeding my battery, which btw is only running a kings fridge, ARB compressor, some camp lights and charge points, so the one blanket is fine........
Kings make crappy stuff agreed. Redarc on the other hand is simply not realistic with their pricing. You could buy 6 x Kings Panels and allow for 3 failures and you would be ahead.
You would be, although there's the e-waste and inconvenience side of things, and long-term you might be better with Redarc. It's a very long horizon though!
I've had one of the early Kings 120w blankets for many years now (no longer available) and it's a beast. Similar power output to these two and zero damage so far. I run a high quality MPPT controller and it charges everything I need it to with ease. I guess I got a good one before the quality dropped away.
I'm sure that's exactly it. Wouldn't be the first time a company gets a good product to establish a passable reputation, then the bean counters get involved and things slowly die away!
@@TheMusingGreg between the two, I think I'd go the Kings, purely because of costs. But to throw a curveball, it would be great if Hardkorr could provide you with their 200W heavy duty solar matt for the same rigorous testing against the Redarc. Pricing is pretty reasonable, but the 3yr warranty is what stands out to me.
@@task82 That would be an interesting shoot-out for sure! Unfortunately the Redarc blanket's now gone back to Redarc but I probably have enough data vs the Kings to do a comparo with the Kings and be able to extrapolate how it would have compared to the Redarc.
I am happy to accept that the advertised power rating is a nominal amount based upon "ideal" performance conditions. That is, only during peak mid summer, mid day, no clouds or shade, angled correctly at the sun, no dust on the panel and no damage on the panel. As soon as you use it morning/afternoon, some clouds, not angled perfectly, some dust or some panel degradation, obviously you get less than 100%. This reduction varies a lot of how you use it and I would suggest its better for the consumer to know the ideal Watts and de factor according to their own intended use. I use a cheap unbranded 100W panel that came with cables and a charge controller for about $250. Rarely would I get more than 60W and probably averages more like 40W and gives me good value for money (similar to Kings review). If I really thought I need 100W actual power I would simply own 2 of them.
Hi Peter thanks for your comment. I agree with your first sentence and I feel the same, but the problem is that even under those ideal conditions which you mentioned, the blankets (particularly the Kings) still didn't come close to their rates capacity. As you would have seen I did various tests including those ideal conditions and didn't get more than 120W out of either blanket (ie 80% of the rating for the Redarc, and only, 60% for the Kings). That's why I wanted to do this test, to see how they actually work in the real world.
I agree with comments relating to Redarc solar blanket pricing. Gouging is the word that comes to mind. I agree with your comments Greg about it being more suitable for someone doing a lot of travelling (although the price is too rich for me). Yes, you can buy 8 Kings blankets for the price of the Redarc, but that would be a huge hassle if you're on the road a lot and relying on solar input. And why would you want to keep purchasing the same product that fails regularly ? I wouldn't. On a very minor side note, surely the Redarc can be easily held by cupping your hand under the blanket rather than trying to hold it from above. Thanks for the video - it was informative.
Thanks Dunnart100, I appreciate your comments, and you've clearly 'got' the message in terms of he value proposition of Kings vs Redarc. If you're travelling a lot then the inconvenience of failed Kings panels, returns, credits, trips to the post office to pick up replacement units etc has to be taken into consideration (and that was a reality for us with all three failed Kings units). That's why I recommended the Redarc for full-time travellers. Yep you could hang your arm down and cup / wrap your hand around the underside edge of the blanket, I don't think I ever tried that, although I think the size might make it a bit of a challenge. If it was smaller like a ream of paper you could carry it that way and it would come just above your wrist; if it was larger like the Kings blanket it'd come close to your armpit and still be OK as your armpit would stop the top from wobbling around. But I reckon the size of the Redarc means it's going to be up around your elbow where the top half is going to want to wobble around. Interesting thought though, I wish I'd tried it.
Well stay tuned mate because I'm currently testing the 200W itechworld blanket! ruclips.net/video/2sRO7alXiac/видео.html I thought about the 300W version but the 200 makes for a fairer comparison with the others in the mix, however I actually got my hands on a 300W blanket for about half an hour and did some testing which will be in the review, so stay tuned!
yes kings works nowhere near as much as a Redarc, i'l still buy one 100% tho, becuase for the price of 8 King's you get 1 redarc, thats either 7 replacements or run 2 and outperform the Redarc easily for still waaaay cheaper
There is literally no brand worse than kings. From the product, to the practises of the company themselves. You’re incredibly short sighted if you buy on price alone. Even if you are on a budget, there are so many budget options out there that perform better, and are sold my companies with less questionable morals.
You're right you could get 8x Kings blankets for the price which is the biggest mark against Redarc, although I'd still be backing the Redarc to be still going strong well after the 8th Kings panel's gone to landfill :(
Good suggestion is to let people know how much extra the cables and accessories will cost on top of the initial price. But, this was a great video comparison, well done.
Thanks for the suggestion Peter, good point! I've actually already got that info for their updated 160W Redarc blanket which I'm comparing at the moment with a few other blankets so I'll make sure that goes in. Make sure you subscribe if you'd be interested in seeing that when it's done.
Fantastic review Greg. Subbed based on this one vid... will now binge watch some more! I have Kickass solid folding panels that I can't fault, but also have the Kings folding solar blanket for the times when I need a bit more space in the vehicle/camper. I replaced the original PWM controller with a Kickass controller and have taken the Kings blanket around the country a few times... never had an issue. I'm all about buying Aussie made where I can, but given they are both made in China and the ridiculous price of Redarc stuff, I'll continue with my Kings blanket if/when it gives up the ghost... been a few years now and still going strong though. Great review as I said.... keep them coming. Cheers 🍻
Mate it's great to have you on board, hope you enjoy checking out the other content! I can't say I had a great run with my the Kings blankets, and would not want to rely on them. It's true they're both made in China, but Redarc has a lot more involvement in the process and specifies better components which is why I'd trust it much more. Pity about the price! But thankfully Redarc listened, they've got a new blanket out that's half the price which I'm testing at the moment along with Hard Korr, itechworld and Companion ruclips.net/video/2sRO7alXiac/видео.html so that review should be along in a couple of months. Stay tuned!
great testing. i own a kings and wish i saw this before i brought it. if kings blanket was advertised as 100w it would be great because thats about the most i have seen out of mine
Thanks mate glad it was helpful. Yep the unrealistic advertising on Kings in particular really bothers me, because people buy it thinking they're going to get something they're not, and they buy it in preference to a different which will actually get them more what they wanted.
My pleasure Craig, thanks very much for the feedback. I'm glad you found it helpful. Please subscribe if you haven't already (apologies if you have, YT makes it hard to check individual subscribers!)
thanks for the review, is there another brand that is better than Kings at around the same price or only 100 or 200 more but superior to Kings? Thanks..
I'm looking at testing some products in the $500-600 range but haven't yet. Others have recommended hard korr and itechworld which might be starting points. My concern about $200-300 blankets is they might not be much better, or could even be the same thing just with a different brand. But in the cheaper range you could look at xtm or ridge Ryder. Again I've not used these yet but they're alternatives to consider.
Glad you enjoyed it! I'll pop that on my list. At the moment I'm testing itechworld, Hard Korr, Companion and Redarc's updated 160w blanket, hopefully you like that review when it's done!
Ive got a Jaycar folding blanket, identical to the Kings one. Same solar regulator, same configuration, includes same leads and bag etc, just rebranded differently. I dont use the solar regulator as my portable battery station has one inbuilt so I just plug the panel in directly to this. On full sun days, I regularly get 130 watts out of my blanket and up to about 80 watts on cloudy days. That seems to be better than your experience?
Yeah that does sound to be better than what I typically get from my Kings when it was new. I can only assume Jaycar must use better panels than Kings does - certainly for the $450 price tag vs $250 or so for the Kings they can afford to use better components.
What makes you think the Redarc doesn't last long? I agree the Kings doesn't last too long but in my experience with the Redarc its performance was consistent the whole way through. That said a solid panel will probably give better performance because you can prop it up at the right angle and that helps the blanket to run cooler too, but you then have a larger product to try to store. A blanket is much better if you're short on space.
@@TheMusingGreg I thought in your review it suggesting the folding blanket form was good for a few uses per year gao what I meant was if you are on the road permanently and use it say 180 days per year it will wear out way faster that a fixed or solid folding unit. So I mean compared to a folding or fixed setup this form factor doesn't last long.... Make sense? Accurate?
@@nzadventurer Ah OK I get what you're saying. -Look- If you have room for a folding panel you will *probably* get better performance because they're less likely to overheat, however I haven't tested this so I can't say for sure. That said, what I meant was that the Kings unit, not the Redarc, would be good for a few times a year because of its demonstrated performance loss, because although the Redarc would potentially suffer the same heat issues over time, its performance stayed rock solid in the time I had it and there was no sign of physical degradation to the surface. So if you needed a power solution for full-time travel and didn't have the space for a folding panel, I would pick the Redarc blanket over the Kings.
@@TheMusingGreg mate your content is excellent please don't take my comments as any criticism. I live on the road in a caravan and was assessing more fixed solar on caravan vs blanket vs folding. From what I can see the blanket has benefits but also introduces potential increased wear n tear due to the construction. Whereas at first I was thinking they will last ages I can sort of see from your review that they may not last the distance if I expect to use them 100 days/year and if I want long term reliability that's where fixed is probably king
@@nzadventurer No problems at all mate, and I was not at all upset by your comments nor thought they were critical. Sorry, my response must have came across as cranky or impatient but it certainly wasn't intended to read that way! The trials and tribulations of communicating by text only! :) I will go back and reword that response in case it misleads anyone else. There is really no perfect solution with solar unfortunately, but having done 12+ months full time on the road, if I had to pick between the three options you've suggested I would go with a portable folding panel if I had room to store it, otherwise if no room I would go with a blanket with folding legs to prop it up at the right angle and keep it cool. The reason I shy away from a fixed panel on the roof of the van is because here in Australia at least in hot weather, you want to park your van in the shade and then your solar won't achieve anything. I don't want to be stuck parking in the hot sun just to recharge the batteries. Also I have a DCDC charger installed to charge the batteries while driving, so I don't need the additional solar from the van while it's in transit. If I was to get a blanket again I would not be getting a Kings blanket but I'm not sure I'd be picking a Redarc as my first choice either. I hope there's a better middle ground for around maybe $400 that does 90% of what the Redarc does but for 25% of the price! Good luck, and sorry again if my comment came across the wrong way! 👍
I bought the same Adventure kings blanket. 2 of the 6 panels bubbled up but was still charging at 13.8 volts instead of hitting 14.8+ as it did when i first tested the output. I called them up I got sent a new blanket whithin the week. Even if does break they still warrant it. Now I have a 2 blankets for the price of 1.
Same issue with me and the same result, except in my case it was 3 blankets for the price of 1 at one stage! Their service is great, pity the product quality is so poor.
I have had a Kickass 300watt Portable Panel for 3 years now and only recently bought a proper DCDC/MPPT dual charger, Battery monitor, and an Enerdrive Btech 200ah Lithium set up. Although the panel is now permanently flat mounted on the roof of my Van due to its bulky size and weighing in at 35kgs.... But I can finally see how much power I am getting from it. From what I have gathered after 6 months of being on the road in Victoria I typically get around 9 amps mark around 11am-3pm when the sun is directly above it. Which amounts to around 108watts which is a third of it's rated out put. In the most ideal conditions I have seen it max out and sit around the 14 amps marks which is still only slightly above the rated output at just 168watts. Have to say I am pretty damn annoyed, but I did only pay $350 for it at the time. I am currently looking into either fitting a few more panels on the roof to get around 650watts (think that is the max input the DCDC charger can handle), or trying my luck at making my own mechanism that'll allow me to raise the panels on the roof to get more out of it. The most realistic and practical approach is to look into something similar to the REDARC blanket panels to fit inside the Van more easily and just have it connect up to the total watts from the flat mounted panels. It is certainly a damn shame they cost so frigging much though, it really doesn't seem feasible. Luckily my DCDC charger outputs 50ah from the alternator when driving when I forget to switch off the 2000watt inverter over night and drain the battery more than I'd planned haha I live fulltime out of my Van and need more solar though so I am grateful you have done such a thorough study of these blankets though. Gives me a much more educated idea of what to spend my hard earned cash on. Maybe I may have to just fill my roof with more panels instead, definitely much much much cheaper than REDARC, here's to hoping they'll start to drop dramatically in price.
Thanks for that perspective mate, always good to hear from someone who's got longer-term experience and some hard data behind their thoughts. And glad you found the video helpful in determining your best course of action - that's the ultimate outcome of these videos! I can relate to your frustration with your panel's output, however remember it's 3 years old now so it's quite possible it's not producing what it would have when new, just like the Kings blankets. Also having it permanently mounted means it's generating power and heat even when possibly not needed, so it will probably degrade more than if it was only put out in the sun when needed. But then you're trading off the convenience of having power there all the time. Solar is very much a series of compromises! Solar blankets like the REDARC are brilliant as far as convenience goes, but as I said they're more of a pain to set up than a folding panel (unless they have integrated legs) and if they're flat against a surface they get pretty hot which reduces their efficiency. If I were you and the funds allowed: If you want to have a permanently installed panel then I would be getting a new ~350W unit and seeing what sort of output you get from that, and then keeping your current one as a backup / additional power source to pop out in the sun when you need it. Good luck with whatever you decide! Cheers, Greg
Haha yeah I'm sometimes not as clear-headed as I'd like to be! 😂 Glad you enjoyed it! I'm currently reviewing an updated version of the Redarc blanket (160W vs 150W, and only half the price), so if you're interested in that and you haven't subscribed yet, please subscribe so you get notified when that video's released.
Great review. For me not nearly enough difference in performance to justify the price differential. Wold love to see a Kings vs Mid Tier e.g. kick ass or similar as others have mentioned around that $800 price point. Given you can buy around 8 of the kings blankets for 1 redarc, not to mention if you do a true cost comparison and buy the leads and PWM charger also from redarc it's probably 10:1.
Thanks for the comment mate, yeah upfront the Kings is certainly very compelling, although I guess after a decade you'll probably end up more out of pocket and still have no working blanket. It's a long horizon to get that payback though. I'm hoping to get a few mid-range blankets together and do another shoot-out, so stay tuned and subbed for that one!
That's good to hear David. What sort of output are you getting from it now compared to when you got it, and how are you measuring that output? Or do you just mean the physical appearance of the panel?
@The Musing Greg I haven't measured the amps for a while, but it comfortably recharges the 110 amp agm, which runs a 35 ltr fridge freezer plus Led lighting and a cpap machine, on a good sunny day.
Hi there David, That sounds pretty good, but how much charge was the battery to start with? I ask because it's not possible for a 200W blanket to fully charge a 110Ah battery from empty in a single day. Please don't take what I'm about to say as me being a smart alec, but I just want to demonstrate why that is. Kings claim their blanket can deliver 10.42A of current at maximum power, so even assuming their claims are correct, to completely fill a 110Ah battery the solar panel would need to be delivering full power for over 10.5 hours (110Ah/10.42A - 10.55h). On a completely clear day, you're lucky to get more than 6 hours of sun capable of producing full power from a solar panel, so allowing for an hour's shoulder either side at partial power you might sneak in 7 hours' worth of full power in a full day. But never 10.5 hours. There just aren't enough hours of sunlight in a day. For this blanket delivering 10.42A, an optimistic 7 hours of full power would give you about 72A (10.42A x 7 hours - 72A), or 66% of a full charge. And that's all assuming there are no losses in the cables and regulator which never happens - if we allowed only 10% loss in all those, the max input current is likely to be only about 9A, which would require over 12 hours of full sun to generate 110A in a single day. That's why I figure the battery can't be completely empty at the start of the test, if you've observed it's able to give you a fully charged battery. If the battery was say half empty by the morning, it's certainly conceivable a 200W blanket might be able to deliver 55A during a day and top that back up - if you worked on 9A over 6 hours, you've got 54Ah (9A x 6h) or about half a full charge. I seek this level of clarification because I get that everyone's experiences are different, and some units may perform better than others; but similarly if people don't have an objective way of measuring the power then they can end up assuming a position which may not actually be correct, which others then read and assume must be so. I appreciate you sharing your experiences David, and I would be very interested to hear what you find if you happen to get hold of a power meter like the one I was using or something similar, and are able to measure the power coming out of the blanket before the regulator. Cheers, Greg
@The Musing Greg I keep the battery topped up at home with a ctek battery charger permanently connected. During a trip, apart from a bit of use during the day running the fridge in the car when stopped, I then put the solar panels out when setting up camp. So during the day the panels are enough to keep the battery charged enough to get through the next day. So far, it works for me, as I can't afford the prices some places are charging for solar products.
Perfect, that makes absolute sense, thanks for clarifying David. It should work fine for that, and it sounds like you've got some more capacity in the battery for if you get a shady day. Hope it continues to work well for you mate!
I've owned the Kings and you're spot on, especially with alignment to the sun. I sold it on pretty quick for ridged KickAss 350w which is about $800AU, much better.
Thanks for this fantastic review. I need more solar panels when I can afford them, and it's really, really doing my head in. Be it the massive differences in price, the coatings that allegedly make them work better and so on... Yeah Kings are certainly appealing when you think of price, but--- Yeah. There are so many bad, non-detailed reviews and/or influencers who've made a video in absolutely optimum conditions with their brand new supplied blankets! I love that your video is very in depth, considers multiple options and situations and is absolutely fantastic, thank you! I can appreciate the time and effort taken to make a video like this too. The 2 ones I initially got were rated at 100 watts but got maximum about 65 watts (usually less). They also have the damage happening to them that the Kings one you showed have amongst other things as they are used every day (I currently do not have the right amount of solar panels for the power I wish to use as I cannot afford it). I was thinking once I find some good ones (is it possible, I'll watch some more of your videos!), I want them on a thing with wheels, already at the right (ish) angle, so I can just roll them out and turn them to face the sun instead of mucking around moving them in the dirt 3 times a day.
Thanks for your comment mate, I'm glad you found the review so helpful! You are right in the money with the quality of many reviews, that's actually why I got started doing these myself so I could determine real world results in a range of conditions. Your idea of panels in wheels sounds a good one if you have room to store them. The other video you commented on, the solar blanket review, is coming, I've got another two weeks of travelling and testing to go and then it's putting five months of data all together into something hopefully clear enough! Thanks for your support!
@@TheMusingGreg Thanks I'm really looking forward to the other video - I will have enough money saved by then hopefully to buy one of the reviewed blankets, which hopefully performs somewhat or exactly as it claims (crosses fingers). I also hope I have some extra $ by then to be able to send you on RUclips like you showed. I really want the panels on wheels (like say maybe 4 positioned in a way/angle on one side as to not throw shade on each other, I'm picturing the base to be triangular ish and stable/able to be weighted down if needed due to wind) as my hands look like that of a gardener due to mucking around with the dirt. I have a big house which I paid $12500 for, so plenty of room if I make it right. But there's got to be something out there similar already or something that can be hacked to make it happen.
Cheers mate, your support is really appreciated as it does take a lot of time to test everything out, plus buying the products to test too. Preliminary findings show there are some candidates which definitely perform better than either the Kings or the Redarc, so I'm pretty sure you'll find something that works for you there. However you may find the panels on wheels idea works better for your situation, if you've got the room for it. Blankets are great in that they're very compact and portable (especially the incredibly light Redarc), but the fixed or folding panels are certainly better value (dollars per watt), and according to others generally perform better too. So a blanket may not be the right solution for you if size and weight aren't a factor.
Glad you enjoyed the review Steven! As far as fixed panels go, I'll defer to the experience of the community here as I've only used folding blankets. I would expect the brands mentioned here to do a similar job in panels as they do blankets but that's just a guess.
Good comparison. While a lot of commenters here are aghast at the Redarc price (as am I), I do think we need to keep the long-term total cost of ownership (and potentially resale value) in mind when looking at these products, not just the upfront cost. From a quick survey of the carparks we saw in the Kimberley earlier this year, clearly many people are happy to spend extra on a 79, so maybe we shouldn't be so critical of Redarc's price in the same context. Cheers.
We spent 6 months on the road with a Kings blanket (an earlier model, but similar) charging our caravan battery. We did this via the cheaper Redarc solar charger. We had to replace the product before our trip, as the previous one failed, so were starting with a new unit. Generally the blanket preformed as required, keeping our 120 amp hour AGM battery charged with two or three hours of sunlight each day. Battery was used for lights and general charging of phones etc so if you are trying to run a fridge your experience will be a lot different. I didn't really baby the blanket, with it occasionally getting blown around in unexpected storms, but it survived the trip with only surface damage (dodgy cell coating) and having most of the stupid little cloth tabs ripped off giving me a chance to practice my sowing. Generally happy, although I'm expecting to have to replace the blanket in the near future as it's certainly starting to show its age. Personally for our caravan charging needs and If we had the room to store it, I'd go with a fixed solid panel rather than a blanket, given you get more power, cheaper and you don't have the difficulty of propping things up.
Thanks Peter, sounds like your experience is pretty similar to mine! It would be interesting to know how much output you're getting from yours now compared to when it was new! Is yours still a 200W or one of the older 10 panel 160W setups? We had 2x100Ah batteries and an inverter for charging laptops so our power needs were a bit higher. Yep a panel is probably the way to go if you have the space.
@@TheMusingGreg I think ours is the 160W version, the cells are smaller than what you demoed. Certainly it charged pretty quickly and did the job we needed. Incidentally we've the same van as you, except the on road version.
Sounds good. You might like to try one of those power meters to see how much power you're actually getting going into the batteries. Can be useful to have for diagnostics down the track too if you "think" it's not working so well, as you have some hard data to back it up.
My red arc solar panel on the roof is a fix one. It’s 160W I drove the tunnel through real thick vegetation. Hard large branches that managed to even bend a awning a little and the panel still intact. Real good stuff But so expensive Second hand is the go
I just want to say that this review is very well done and very accurate to real world testing. The result would have been the same for any solar panel tested by Greg in these conditions. Having said that there is something not mentioned in this review that is very important information for those relying on solar panels for rv-ing and camping. Temperature. Temperature of the solar panel greatly affects the power output of a solar panel. In fact temperature can have a greater affect on the working ability of your solar panel than the sunlight it relies on to work. Solar panels efficiency drops off greatly above 25C, 25C being their optimal maximum efficiency temperature as tested in a laboratory by the manufacturers. Temperatures above their optimal temperature can see as much as 40-50% reduction in efficiency, reduced power output as shown in this review. Does your car still run great and get good fuel economy when it is overheating? My personal experience is that my panels will see temps in excess of 60C in the Northwest of WA sun, this is why I have learned to not rely only on solar for recharging my batteries. If you are going to use a solar blanket don’t lay it on the ground. Put them on the roof of your car or caravan where they won’t absorb the hot ground temperature and they’ll get a little air flowing over them, they will reward you by work a lot better. Just like the solar panels on your house they are not attached directly to the roof because they are more efficient with air flow to cool them down.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Richard, I appreciate it! You're quite right that temperature is very important, and it's one of the things I would have liked to have mentioned if it wasn't already a 20+ minute video! This is one of the problems with solar blankets, as they tend to be leaning up against a solid surface, unlike a portable panel which normally has ventilation around the back and can be easily propped up towards the sun. Cheers!
Glad you found it helpful mate! Yeah the Redarc pricing was pretty ambitious, but fortunately they've released a new version which is only half the price. I'm reviewing it now and so far I like it more, so if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up make sure you subscribe if you haven't already.
Good review mate! I've got the old kings 120w as well (mentioned a few times in the comments) and it's still producing the goods after 3 or 4 years of use up north in WA as well as Wilbinga to Jurien Bay. I got it for about $130 on one of their specials and although some of the polyester is starting to show signs of wear n tear, I can't really fault it (I gently wipe it before and after use!). But yeah, get a good controller as the one it ships with is not that good. Guess I could get about 13 or 14 (if you add the accessories) of these for the redarc price... Keep up the good work ;)
Thanks for the comment Patrick, glad you enjoyed it! A few people have mentioned on my other Kings blanket reviews that the earlier ones lasted longer than the newer ones so it's possible you might have an older better one. The 120W unit I bought would have been 3 years ago now and only produced 40W in pretty good conditions (Buxton, QLD, April so sun was overhead, clear skies). I'm glad to hear you're happy with yours - do you know what sort of power output you're getting from it? The Kings MPPT controllers are pretty ordinary too I've found. You're right though that the old Redarc was very expensive. Fortunately Redarc took on the feedback and have released an updated version (160W vs 150W) for about half the price. I'm taking that through its paces at the moment so make sure you're subscribed if you want to hear how that stacks up against some other mid-range blankets. Love Jurien Bay, we've been through there a few times and it's a beautiful spot!
@@TheMusingGreg Good to hear manufacturer's take your feedback on board! Come to think of it, I got the panel before covid so it'll be 5+years since I got it. It has recently started to drop off but I don't know current output as I haven't been camping for several months now. I do recall it raised a few eyebrows when it put out close to 90W - similar to the two tested in your video but with only 120W advertised (!). Anyways, keep up the good work and I'll check out your other vids too. Next time you visit Jurien Bay, make sure you take the side track north of the camping site (free camping and some beautiful little quiet coves and reefs)
Very good video ! I am a believer of if you buy cheap you’ll buy it twice. Most Kings products are very cheap and you get what you pay for ! I don’t and I won’t buy cheap crap. Hopefully, with this very informative video Red Arc will actually look ! Review and make some changes ! Hopefully drop the price to a sensible price as they do have a better quality but probably not worth the price ! my opinion only
You're absolutely right! Of course Kings is so cheap you can afford to go through several before reaching the cost of the Redarc. But it means you still end up with a cheap blanket. Redarc has definitely listened; their new version is half the price and I'm currently testing it, so make sure you're subscribed as that should be along in the next few months!
Congrats mate! That was a perfect review 👌 especially the testing graphs and who should buy summary! I hope to see more like this in the future. I'm currently trying to decide between a Safiery 250W solar blanket and a 300W kickass solar blanket (high vs low pv voltage)
Glad it was helpful mate! I've got some similar content coming so make sure you subscribe! I'd be interested to know which one you decide and why! Cheers, Greg
@@TheMusingGreg Looking forward to it! Have you seen this? ruclips.net/video/Kh3ch53Vh6M/видео.html. Impressive if true. I'll get back to you on our decision. Also its interesting to compare the panel average watts per m². Redarc is almost 50% larger then kings. Using your average power values for the panels and the surface area: Redarc = 44W/m² vs Kings = 60W/m²
@@watto_2445 That Safiery does look impressive, although without seeing how the whole setup was configured it's hard to be sure. Regarding the power per square metre, not sure how you worked those out, but if you look at the ACTUAL average power measured in the test you'll find the Redarc is comfortably more efficient for the same surface area as it produces more power for a slightly smaller surface area: Kings surface area: 1.11x1.15m = 1.27sqm Kings average power: 76.5W Kings power/sqm: 76.5/1.27 = 60W/sqm Redarc surface area: 1.21 x 0.92m = 1.132sqm Redarc average power: 83.44W Redarc power/sqm: 83.44/1.132 = 74.95W/sqm
@@watto_2445 the main point of difference is the solar controller I reckon. You'd get much more out of those 2 blankets with a top quality mppt controller like the victron that safiery use in their products and builds. Safiery are a top notch no bs company. But like redarc, they're bloody expensive!
I use a fair bit of King's gear but wouldn't touch their solar blankets again. I had a 200-watt blanket and didn't use it. I ended up giving it to mate, and when he eventually connected it up, it was a dead blanket. I now have 2 x 160-watt fixed panels and have designed a system so I can tilt them in any direction with the removal of a couple of straps. Of course, I haven't built the design that's still in my head, so it may work in theory...but maybe not in a practical context.
Yeah I won't be buying Kings solar again! Your adjusting angle design sounds good, maybe you should manufacture 'The Griffin Frame'! In the current video I'm working on (itechworld vs Hard Korr vs Companion vs Redarc) I've already seen the benefit gained by a small adjustment in panel angle under certain conditions.
Gday. I have the same kings blanket. I also have the same meter u were using for input. Most the blanket ever fed my batteries was 1.8amps. That was cloudless day sun at 12 o’clock. Unfortunately money wasted.
Thanks Andrew. That sounds even worse than the performance I got from mine! Kings is cheap but I think it's cheap for a reason. Have you upgraded to anything else yet? I'm in the process of shooting out four mid-range blankets so if you're still in the market that might be of interest.
@@TheMusingGreg that sounds great. I havnt bought a replacement yet, so a comparison would be very interesting. Amps input in different conditions from different blankets would be really helpful
@@andrewt3952 Perfect I've already captured a lot of that (overcast, morning, full sun midday so far, and a few tests of each). So stay tuned and subscribed, I'm sure it'll be of interest! If you'd like to help offset the cost of buying the blankets for the review, you can hit the Thanks button.
Buy cheap get cheap, as for angling the redarc panel I always park my cruiser facing north and lay the panel over the windscreen that way it serves 2 purposes
I have two Kings blankets and one older Redarc solid sandwich type panel. The Kings do scratch up, but I have learned to put an old towel over it prior to folding, which stops the damage. The Redarc panel is awesome but just way too heavy to carry in the car and also to get out and set up. My decision was two Kings blankets……and I am way in front on power, ergonomics and price. There is just no way I could justify the current pricing on the Redarc blanket!
Yeah a towel is probably a good idea if you remember to use it and keep it out of the dust. I've not used their solid panels so far. The Redarc blanket in this review has now been superseded and they've replaced it with a 160W unit for about half the price. I'm testing it at the moment so if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up make sure you're subscribed!
Great review 👍 For me that Redarc is very underwhelming WRT output... you would have thought rated at 150w it may have consistently made above 100w given the quality/cost. I'd spend the money on a decent blanket if it performed, that for me didn't perform.
Yep I agree mate. But stay tuned because I'm currently reviewing the Redarc blanket which replaced the one in this review - it's half the price and rated slightly higher so is most of what I asked Redarc to provide!
@@TheMusingGreg Cool, I watched your Allspark test just after this one, that was definitely reasonable. look forward to your mid priced comparison also. I'm looking at them now to replace solid folding panels.
Ah cool, yeah the Allspark is my pick of the bunch so far without taking into account anything in the upcoming review. It performed as expected and while pricey was reasonable for the product.
Hi Greg I have a Redarc 190 watt folding panel pumps out 11 amps eats my mate's 200 watt Kings panels only thing was the price ..ouch but you get exactly what you pay for. Also I was a bit pissed to see it was made in China.
Thanks for the comment Ian. I still think the Redarc is overpriced, but I agree the performance outguns the Kings, especially as time goes on. I would expect your Redarc panel will still be going strong well after your mate's sent six Kings blankets to e-waste recycling!
@@TheMusingGreg I hoped they'd be a bit cheaper. But it's nice to see a local company at least designing electronics. Redarc do heaps of components for mining trucks, like relays. They're pretty reliable considering the conditions and constant vibrations they go through.
Yeah good point. I did do a video of this with a Kings blanket ruclips.net/video/djdiCAl_zc0/видео.html but didn't in this test. I'm hoping to include a shading test in an upcoming video I'm working on which includes the updated and cheaper version of the Redarc blanket, so make sure you subscribe if you want to see how the newer version performs.
I got mine off eBay www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=12v+anderson+plug+power+meter&_sacat=0&mkcid=1&mkrid=705-53470-19255-0&siteid=15&campid=5338943146&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1 There were lots of sellers listing the same thing. The sticky plastic cover explaining what's displaying what on mine came unglued after a while but most of them still appear to be the same thing.
Question, some of the clips in the video show the kings regulator still connected to the solar panel, was this bypassed when connected to the redarc system in the car?
Yes absolutely. Most of the time I used the Redarc one but at times I used the Kings one, and during these times the Redarc unit was out of the system.
@@farnzy2011 Yeah this did surprise me too. As I mentioned towards the end, it's because ratings are based on lab tests, not real-world conditions - hence the value of independent 'real-world' tests like this one!
Pretty unhappy with the 200w Kings solar blanket we bought. The connection on the back of the panel has come completely off and so now there is no output from the panels. The unit may be out of warranty but it really did not see a lot of use. The Allspark 130w panel we have is much older and still working fine so I have to say we are never likely to buy another Kings solar blanket.
Thanks for the comment Peter. I have definitely taken into account my previous experience with Kings blankets, but I don't think that's the wrong thing to do because it means a more realistic recommendation on how the Kings is likely to perform longer-term. It would have been ideal to have had the Redarc blanket for 12 months too and really do a good side-by-side but Redarc couldn't spare the blanket for that long. However, the lack of any visible panel damage or performance degradation over the three months with the Redarc, compared to both occurring on the brand new Kings blanket over the same period, suggests the conclusions about quality would be valid even if I ignored my past experience with Kings blankets.
In one single test they did, but over a range of conditions which reflects normal use, the Kings was consistently lower. You cannot expect 120w in typical use from the Kings. That said Kings is still much better bang for buck than the 150W Redarc. Since this review, Redarc has a released an updated 160W blanket for about half the price which I'm testing at the moment, so make sure you subscribe if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up.
I don't think either of them are. Redarc's website lists some amorphous blankets at a higher price point so I assume the unit I had was not, and in light of that I would think it almost certain the Kings is not either.
Panel rating is a wierd one. They can be made of different materials which leads to worse efficiency. Then the material of the protective cover and glass or plastic can lead to a higher working temperature which also leads to worse efficiency. Great video mate love the depth of information
Thanks for the input Hugh and glad you enjoyed it! Yes there are lots of factors but this is why there should be a testing standard which reflects real world use so all those factors can be considered, rather than just say the bare panel before adding the coating.
Can I suggest you look at the Bluetti gear for a comparison test? As well as solar blankets, they also manufacture portable power stations for which the solar blankets can connect directly into for charging and simultaneous power use. Sure, the Bluetti gear is made in China but as far as I can tell, the quality of the build, reliability and value for money is fantastic!! Redarc need to have a good look at themselves particularly in relation to their pricing. Yes there’s supporting Australian business etc. but for me personally, it comes down to useability, reliability and price and Redarc has lost the plot in some of that. $1600 for a 150W solar blanket that doesn’t produce anything near that (after taking into account normal losses)?? The Redarc GoBlock is another fine example. At $3K, you don’t even get an inverter unlike the Bluetti for a cheaper price!! I recently purchased a Bluetti AC200 Max matching it with 3 x SP200 portable solar panels (about $700 ea on sale) based on prominent Aussie and US RUclipsr reviews and so far, it’s working an absolute treat!! In addition to being my alternative to a dual battery system permanently installed in the vehicle, I use it at home to power my fridges and kitchen appliances when not camping/touring. In perfect sun conditions, the panels output up to 650W which is clearly over and above their rated 600W total. Time will only tell as to the reliability but thus far, I am super impressed with the system.
Thanks for the tip Rich. I looked at Bluetti's website a week or so ago and they look to have some nice gear. I'll see if I can look at these in a future video. Cheers!
Excellent question Figjam! I'm hoping to look at that in a future video, but individual recommendations from other commenters here include Safiery, Hard Korr, Ridge Ryder and Allspark. I've never used any but they might be worth starting with.
Good review! however you fell into the common trap of not saying the state of the battery. The claimed output of panels is when they are in full sun and have a load they can provide the power to. No matter how good your regulator is they all have to follow Ohm’s law. So a battery that is flat at say 10v will accept more power than one that is fully charged at say 14v. Just like any modern charger they have steps. Bulk, Absorption and Float as the voltage of the battery rises. If you want to test a little better then you need to have electronic battery simulators where the voltage can be adjusted. If you have solar on your house you can see that the panels work harder in the morning when your batteries are lower than in midday when sun is higher and directly overhead. Reason is once batteries are charged they will not take any more charge.
You're right I forgot to mention this! However I'm definitely aware of how battery voltage could affect performance, and I regularly checked the battery voltage to make sure I only did the tests when they were low enough to have the Redarc DC-DC charger (shown at 11:12) running flat out (Boost mode). When it's in Boost mode it's pumping whatever the blankets produce straight into the batteries, whether they'd be floating at 12.0 or 12.8V. If the charger is in Absorption mode, I've noticed the readings on the power meter fluctuate around a lot, so it's very obvious to me when I'm taking measurements if the charger's suddenly switched charging mode. You can be sure they were all fair comparative tests under full load conditions, but I'll make sure I specifically point out that detail in future. Cheers!
@@reddyman6915 it’s been excellent- we are genuinely surprised at how good it is. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one. Two things to be aware of with the XTM, one it isn’t waterproof- not major negative for us and as with most blankets they certainly don’t seem to produce as much power as the solid ones, again not a major issue for us. It charges our batteries super fast and doesn’t take up a huge amount of space.
Thanks Mark, glad you enjoyed it. I'm currently testing out Redarc's updated blanket which is half the cost, so make sure you're subscribed if you'd be interested in seeing that when it's done!
great review . I run a kings 200W blanket for my trailer .I know it's a low end blanket but honestly for the money how can you justify a $1600 blanket that doesn't perform that much better than the kings. Redarc is overpriced . I Only running a cfx355 and some strip lights in the camper and charging chromebooks etc i don't have huge loads . The kings blanket for the money performs very well . hooked up to an intervolt dccpro charing 2 x 100ah gel .
Kings certainly has the upfront value proposition stitched up, you're right there Tim. In terms of power output the Redarc isn't that much better that's right - it will last longer and keep going, but I find it hard to justify THAT much more of a premium for that feature unless you're a full-time traveller and need the ultimate in reliability.
Hi Greg, I took your advice and bought a solar blanket other than Kings. It's a Baintech 180w and made in Aust. (Cheaper than Redarc, $750.00) What's your thoughts about laying it on the bonnet of a car? I see it as a recipe for disaster with regards to overheating. Most panels have a max operating temperature and I think without proper ventilation that temperature could be exceeded easily on a hot day. My friends "stick on panels" died prematurely because of excess heat.
Thanks for the update mustangdude, I've never heard of Baintech so I'd be interested if you can comment back later to report how you find its performance! I agree 100% re the overheating thing. Resting on a bonnet or windscreen is a very convenient way to use the solar blanket, but the lack of ventilation will certainly make them run hotter and *likely* reduce the service life. If you can have some sort of a frame / spacer between the back of the blanket and whatever it's resting on it will certainly go a long way to reducing that issue. Cheers, Greg
I have 2 blanket solar panels one cheap from online rated for 300 watts but only ever gets around 80 watts full sun where as the king's gets around 130watts full sun but if the day is pretty hot like over 32c the king's gets stupidly inefficient goes all the way down to like 50 watts where as the other panel stays working normally no matter how hot it gets?
I even noticed this morning it was really overcast and still cool because the sun hadn't been out long I was getting 80-90 watts as soon as the sun came out properly it dropped down to 50 watts any ideas why this is?
That's strange! My guess is that the '300W' version must use a different type of panel which is less susceptible to heat than the Kings versions. I assume the construction of the blankets is comparable? Did both have about the same amount of airflow behind the panel? I have found the Kings blankets don't perform that well when hot - it sounds like the heat factor is causing more problems than the extra energy from the sun! You could try spraying the panel gently with a water sprayer to see if that brings the power back up, although don't soak it as the rapid drop in temperature could damage the panel.
@@TheMusingGreg yeah both have the same airflow yeah I actually do that every now and then and I always try to keep it elevated so it doesn't heat up as much but I'm leaving Darwin tomorrow heading south so hopefully it's not going to be as hot and cause so many problems
The humidity up there wouldn't help with evaporation of the water to cool the panels either, we were up there September 2020 before '21's big wet and after a swim in the pool you hardly felt any different!
Good review mate, I have a question though. What sort of load was placed on the electrical system at time of testing? As when I go camping with my wife and kid's we have a 60ltr Engel and various other things to power, day and night and I couldn't see much in your video in regards to this. Cheer's 🍻
Hi Sean, thanks for the comment. Check out 11:07 - the blanket was charging a single 12V 100Ah AGM battery so that was the only load on the system. The battery was only about half charged during the testing so was able to absorb all the power the regulator (and thus the blanket) could throw at it. You shouldn't run devices directly from the regulator as the regulator is expecting to see a 12V battery there that can absorb large amounts of current. You'd use the blanket to charge the battery, and then connect the battery to your devices. To work if either blanket is going to work for you (and what size batteries you need) you'd just have to work out what your total electrical load draw is across 24 hours. So for example if your Engel fridge draws about 3A DC when it's running, and it's running 2/3 of the time, that means on average it would draw 2A - so across an hour that would be 2Ah. Do this for all your devices to get a total load, work on having about 4x the battery capacity of your combined loads (you shouldn't run a battery all the way to flat, and you'll only charge it for about 9 hours a day), and you'll be able to work out what size battery and blanket(s) you need. If you're charging from the vehicle's alternator too you can maybe go back to 2.5-3x instead of 4x. Cheers, Greg
Interesting. I see it's on clearance so maybe that's what they're doing, although unless you're referring to a different unit the only 250W unit I see is the one with the legs which they've had in their catalogue for a long time. I briefly mentioned that unit in an earlier video ruclips.net/video/cfCM_p21cGs/видео.html and at the time the price was $519 - so at least it's come down somewhat now. It will be interesting to see if they do indeed have a replacement for the 200W unit.
I have had my Kings 200w blanket for 18 months and it has performed quite well, hasn't failed yet, I use a Redarc BCDC 1225 controller. I think the Redarc wins overall on form factor, the Redarc is so much easier to stow away and space is very important when touring. I think the slight inconvenience of folding and unfolding is well worth it. I just got back from a 10 day trip out in Western NSW so I grabbed my Kings panel to check for the milky residue. There was a minimal amont but I wiped it down with a damp rag and put it in the sun. When dry it was hardly distinguishable from a new panel and better than expected considering the amount of use it has and the fact that it lives in my vehicle.Yours looks very noticable and yet mine I have to carefully inspect to find any signs of degradation. Just tested the output and got 93w at 4.8 amps. Fairly cloudy right now so not a great test but I was getting up to 7.5 amps at around 150w over the last 10 days on the clear days. On a good summers day it gets up to 9 amps and 180w ocassionaly a touch higher but that requires good direct sun. One thing that also affects the output is the load. If the battery is full it won't draw much power without a load on it so the amps stay fairly low. For what it costs I don't think you can beat it. Only down side is the larger size. Probably won't last as long either but hey, for the price it's a bargain and I'll just buy another one if it fails. Great review with lot's of good info. Unfortunate you have had a bad run with these. I am not that keen on Kings gear but I have this and their awning plus a bit of cooking gear and it has all been good value for the price.
Thanks for the input Paul. It certainly sounds like you're getting a better run than I got from any of mine. How old is yours? I wonder if it's from a different batch, although I had blankets from two different batches (v4 and v5 I think) and they both had similar issues. My blanket lives in our caravan so a low dust environment, though used in dusty outback conditions. I have certainly never had close to 180W, as I showed even when this one was brand new its output was substantially lower. When I did my testing the batteries were always low enough to have my Redarc BCDC1225 in boost mode so that's not the issue either. All curious.
@@TheMusingGreg Hi Greg, just checked the receipt and I bought it on 23/02/2021, no idea what version it is. Mine lives in my 4WD and it does get a little bit knocked about when folded but has survived well. Lies on the ground a lot when I use it too so plenty of dust and dirt. I guess I was lucky and got a good one. My first Kings awning had a small hole in it when I opened it to check it out so I had to take it back and swap it before I even used it.
That's probably a V5 then which is what I used for this review - I got it as a replacement for a unit which failed late 2020 and I'm sure I got it early 2021 too. Maybe you did get lucky then, or maybe it was right at the start of a better batch. This is the problem though, you can't really be sure what you're going to get with Kings given the manufacture seems outsourced to various different suppliers.
Great comparison. I wouldn't buy either. If I'm not mistaken? A new 200 watt Kings outputs about 50% of it's rated 200W (so 100w) Give it 3mths and it looses another 50% (so 50w?) And this is your 4th Kings blanket due to warranty issues. Lucky the last 3 failed within the warranty period I guess... otherwise you'd be close to $800 down (for what soon will be... in 3 mths) a 50W solar blanket?
Yep that's about the sum of it mate. I can't say everyone's experience would exactly mirror mine, it would depend how much you're using them, how hot they get etc, but in all cases I found output started much lower than expected and for steadily worse reasonably quickly.
The rated wattage is at OC voltage which for the Kings is 22.35 and the Redarc is 17.6, all solar panel and blankets are rated like this, so you will never see the rated wattage at 12V, this is unfortunately a common misunderstanding with solar panel/blankets.
Thanks for the comment but I don't think that's correct. You're right that Kings does advertise the open-circuit voltage as 23.15 (on the unit they currently sell - under Specifications on www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/kings-200w-solar-blanket.html), and you're also right that it wouldn't make sense to do that because when it's open circuit it's not generating any power. But it's not what they use to calculate power. Kings also lists Maximum Power Voltage (Vmp) as 19.1V and Maximum Power Current (Imp) as 10.42A. Both of these figures would be under heavy load. Multiply those two figures together and you get your 200W.
@TheMusingGreg those figures aren't under load, that is just output (OC) so no load applied. Panels put out current they don't draw current (load) Google current calculator and see what voltage does to current, one reason why panels have meters it to regulate the output. Even if the panel is putting out 19v unregulated it still is putting out power.
@mikefoster7085 They must be under load. The 19.1V and 10.42A figures I took from the Kings site (which multiplied together make up the 200W rating) are stated as being at "Maximum Power". As you'd know, Power = Current x Voltage which means you need both current and voltage to get power. Voltage but no current (i.e. an open-source situation) means no power - a source can't deliver current unless there's a load applied to it, which means by definition it's done under closed-circuit conditions with a load applied, not under an open-circuit condition. The 22.35V figure you referred to is open circuit i.e. with no load and no current flowing, but as I showed it's not what Kings are using to calculate the 200W rating. I'm pretty comfortable with the basics of electronics and actually cover them in another video ruclips.net/video/aLPSiFwbxDQ/видео.html, though I imagine this would be pretty rudimentary information for you too, so let me know if I've misunderstood something. Cheers, Greg
Thanks Simon I'll see if I can add that into the next blanket shootout I'm working on at the moment. I really want people to have data that helps guide a purchasing decision that's right for them so that may well help. Cheers!
Redarc is "havin' a laugh" with that pricing. A lot of Kings stuff is cheap and nasty, best avoided, although I have one of their winches and it's very good. There are plenty of "intermediate" solar blankets available, none of which will ever produce their claimed output in the field. I have a 120W Korr panel which will put about 6ah via a PWM into a nearly full AGM, which is good. From memory it was around $350.
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![[FAILED 2x] Adventure Kings Solar Blanket - should you buy one??](/img/1.gif)
Thanks
My pleasure mate, thanks so much for your support!
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Which one did you like the best?
What an awesome piece! It screams coolness.
Which one did you like?
Understand kings stuff is the bottom end of the scale but Redarc should be held up to false advertising because of the price premium.
Mate this unfortunately is a problem with all solar panel / blanket manufacturers, it's not just Redarc. I agree that Redarc's sin might be seen as worse because of the price premium, but as per 15:30 the problem is there's no real-world testing standard, so every manufacturer is forced to advertise ideal lab condition results, otherwise it looks like their product's inferior to their competitors. The fact we're discussing a 150W Redarc blanket vs a 200W Kings blanket, when testing showed the Redarc performs BETTER than the kings, just proves this point. If Redarc advertised this as a 120W blanket for $1600, the situation would be even worse (although you could argue at least they're being realistic).
Greg this is one of the easiest to understand comparison I have seen. Great job.
Mate I really appreciate that comment, glad to know it hit the mark for you. Cheers!
thanks for this video, it was realy clear and easy to understand everything you went through. youd make a great teacher!
Glad it was helpful and thank you for those kind words! Redarc has since updated their blanket so make sure you check out the updated review ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html particularly parts 3 and 4.
One of the best reviews i’ve ever watched!
Companies like kings need to stop making crap for the environments sake!
As you said a lot of wasted resources!
Mate so glad you found it helpful, please share it on your socials! You might also like the follow up video ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html where I look at the updated Redarc blanket along with a few others!
Very thorough, excellent review and shoot out
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Brilliant testing and video mate, well done!
Thank you very much! Glad it was helpful!
Great review and valuable information, thank you! I bought a Hard Korr blanket. I added a soft cotton/nylon tie loop to all points (cut from a small tent rope) for easier handling to move around and hang with hooks.
I devised a 'stand' using my spacer bars (normally used for my annex) - using a bolt and nut to join 2 together to make an adjustable A x 2 - the 5th I threaded in the loops I had already attached and fed it into U bolts on the outer A type frames.
It is a little bit of work to set up, yet you can adjust the angle during the day by extending the individual spacer bars.
I've also tried using some lightweight coreflute sheets to place at the back of the blanket (for stability) and used a cut down noodle as legs which you do have to add a rock or something to keep it in place.
After much trial and error, I worked out to park my van east/west (when I can) to prop it at an angle for am/pm on the windscreens and lay flat in the middle of the day.
After 3 months it is already showing those small circular bubble holes of the surface lifting. Which is very disappointing.
*My head is not even close to understanding the output and percentages as you have explained so well.
So thanks so much for this information.
No worries at all Lexa, glad it was useful. Thanks for sharing how you made the stand, that sounds a good approach. Sorry to hear of the problems with your Hard Korr blanket though, if I were you I would be looking to get it replaced while it's still under warranty. Cell delamination is the beginning of the end for solar panels as it can allow air and moisture into the cell and cause corrosion.
Let me know if you need clarification on any of the geeky data!
Cheers,
Greg
@@TheMusingGreg I sent off an email to them Friday night and received a reply 9am Monday. Filled out the forms photos etc and shall see how the next one fairs.
Need to watch more on your chanel.
Always learning while travelling.
Thanks again for your valuable information.
Great so they honoured the warranty then? Glad the channel's been helpful, travelling is a constant learning experience!
Comprehensive testing and data collection...well done.......
My kings blanket does the job asked of it. Previously running thru a Projecta DCDC charger is was a bit slow to start, but now running thru an Enerdrive DCDC and it is working great. For 1600 bucks I would buy another 7 kings blankets and have about 600w feeding my battery, which btw is only running a kings fridge, ARB compressor, some camp lights and charge points, so the one blanket is fine........
Thanks for the feedback Darrin, glad it was helpful!
I'm confused with this pricing, I've just ordered a 300w Redarc, $1400. I'll post how it goes
Kings make crappy stuff agreed. Redarc on the other hand is simply not realistic with their pricing. You could buy 6 x Kings Panels and allow for 3 failures and you would be ahead.
Not all Kings stuff is crap though. I have loads of their stuff that’s lasting and working well.
You would be, although there's the e-waste and inconvenience side of things, and long-term you might be better with Redarc. It's a very long horizon though!
KIngs is unbelievable value for money. Crappy stuff.. hardly!
Yep more and more and more landfill. Great attitude champ.
@@MrFastFarmer Not with their solar blankets. Kings fridges are quite good
I've had one of the early Kings 120w blankets for many years now (no longer available) and it's a beast. Similar power output to these two and zero damage so far. I run a high quality MPPT controller and it charges everything I need it to with ease. I guess I got a good one before the quality dropped away.
I'm sure that's exactly it. Wouldn't be the first time a company gets a good product to establish a passable reputation, then the bean counters get involved and things slowly die away!
For the price difference ill stick with kings and just buy 2 to make up the power difference
What MMPT brand you run? heard the Kings ones are crap. Thanks
@@cackle067 you'll still save a lot of coin for fuel :D
What an incredibly in-depth review!!
Thanks mate, glad you found it helpful! Which one do you think is best for you?
@@TheMusingGreg between the two, I think I'd go the Kings, purely because of costs. But to throw a curveball, it would be great if Hardkorr could provide you with their 200W heavy duty solar matt for the same rigorous testing against the Redarc. Pricing is pretty reasonable, but the 3yr warranty is what stands out to me.
@@task82 That would be an interesting shoot-out for sure! Unfortunately the Redarc blanket's now gone back to Redarc but I probably have enough data vs the Kings to do a comparo with the Kings and be able to extrapolate how it would have compared to the Redarc.
I am happy to accept that the advertised power rating is a nominal amount based upon "ideal" performance conditions. That is, only during peak mid summer, mid day, no clouds or shade, angled correctly at the sun, no dust on the panel and no damage on the panel. As soon as you use it morning/afternoon, some clouds, not angled perfectly, some dust or some panel degradation, obviously you get less than 100%. This reduction varies a lot of how you use it and I would suggest its better for the consumer to know the ideal Watts and de factor according to their own intended use.
I use a cheap unbranded 100W panel that came with cables and a charge controller for about $250. Rarely would I get more than 60W and probably averages more like 40W and gives me good value for money (similar to Kings review). If I really thought I need 100W actual power I would simply own 2 of them.
Hi Peter thanks for your comment. I agree with your first sentence and I feel the same, but the problem is that even under those ideal conditions which you mentioned, the blankets (particularly the Kings) still didn't come close to their rates capacity. As you would have seen I did various tests including those ideal conditions and didn't get more than 120W out of either blanket (ie 80% of the rating for the Redarc, and only, 60% for the Kings). That's why I wanted to do this test, to see how they actually work in the real world.
I agree with comments relating to Redarc solar blanket pricing. Gouging is the word that comes to mind. I agree with your comments Greg about it being more suitable for someone doing a lot of travelling (although the price is too rich for me). Yes, you can buy 8 Kings blankets for the price of the Redarc, but that would be a huge hassle if you're on the road a lot and relying on solar input. And why would you want to keep purchasing the same product that fails regularly ? I wouldn't. On a very minor side note, surely the Redarc can be easily held by cupping your hand under the blanket rather than trying to hold it from above. Thanks for the video - it was informative.
Thanks Dunnart100, I appreciate your comments, and you've clearly 'got' the message in terms of he value proposition of Kings vs Redarc. If you're travelling a lot then the inconvenience of failed Kings panels, returns, credits, trips to the post office to pick up replacement units etc has to be taken into consideration (and that was a reality for us with all three failed Kings units). That's why I recommended the Redarc for full-time travellers.
Yep you could hang your arm down and cup / wrap your hand around the underside edge of the blanket, I don't think I ever tried that, although I think the size might make it a bit of a challenge. If it was smaller like a ream of paper you could carry it that way and it would come just above your wrist; if it was larger like the Kings blanket it'd come close to your armpit and still be OK as your armpit would stop the top from wobbling around. But I reckon the size of the Redarc means it's going to be up around your elbow where the top half is going to want to wobble around. Interesting thought though, I wish I'd tried it.
Good to see I’m not the only one that had a kings blanket drop off in efficiency after a few months of use.
This amature testing at best
@McGeeNZ No I think that's about standard for the newer Kings panels at least. The older ones sound to have gone for longer.
@@brucemcgeehan8255 Let me know when you've done a better job.
Would love to see the itechworld 300w panel tested by you.
Well stay tuned mate because I'm currently testing the 200W itechworld blanket! ruclips.net/video/2sRO7alXiac/видео.html
I thought about the 300W version but the 200 makes for a fairer comparison with the others in the mix, however I actually got my hands on a 300W blanket for about half an hour and did some testing which will be in the review, so stay tuned!
yes kings works nowhere near as much as a Redarc, i'l still buy one 100% tho, becuase for the price of 8 King's you get 1 redarc, thats either 7 replacements or run 2 and outperform the Redarc easily for still waaaay cheaper
There is literally no brand worse than kings. From the product, to the practises of the company themselves.
You’re incredibly short sighted if you buy on price alone.
Even if you are on a budget, there are so many budget options out there that perform better, and are sold my companies with less questionable morals.
You're right you could get 8x Kings blankets for the price which is the biggest mark against Redarc, although I'd still be backing the Redarc to be still going strong well after the 8th Kings panel's gone to landfill :(
@@fatchunk3678 you have to be selective. Some of their gear is good, some not so good.
@@shane0yourgod I would stay clear of kings electrical gear
You like to support Australian companies...they are both Australian companies selling Chinese made products...
Good suggestion is to let people know how much extra the cables and accessories will cost on top of the initial price. But, this was a great video comparison, well done.
Thanks for the suggestion Peter, good point! I've actually already got that info for their updated 160W Redarc blanket which I'm comparing at the moment with a few other blankets so I'll make sure that goes in. Make sure you subscribe if you'd be interested in seeing that when it's done.
Fantastic review Greg. Subbed based on this one vid... will now binge watch some more! I have Kickass solid folding panels that I can't fault, but also have the Kings folding solar blanket for the times when I need a bit more space in the vehicle/camper. I replaced the original PWM controller with a Kickass controller and have taken the Kings blanket around the country a few times... never had an issue. I'm all about buying Aussie made where I can, but given they are both made in China and the ridiculous price of Redarc stuff, I'll continue with my Kings blanket if/when it gives up the ghost... been a few years now and still going strong though. Great review as I said.... keep them coming. Cheers 🍻
Mate it's great to have you on board, hope you enjoy checking out the other content!
I can't say I had a great run with my the Kings blankets, and would not want to rely on them. It's true they're both made in China, but Redarc has a lot more involvement in the process and specifies better components which is why I'd trust it much more. Pity about the price! But thankfully Redarc listened, they've got a new blanket out that's half the price which I'm testing at the moment along with Hard Korr, itechworld and Companion ruclips.net/video/2sRO7alXiac/видео.html so that review should be along in a couple of months.
Stay tuned!
great testing. i own a kings and wish i saw this before i brought it. if kings blanket was advertised as 100w it would be great because thats about the most i have seen out of mine
Thanks mate glad it was helpful. Yep the unrealistic advertising on Kings in particular really bothers me, because people buy it thinking they're going to get something they're not, and they buy it in preference to a different which will actually get them more what they wanted.
Amazingly informative, very thorough testing with all variables accounted for. Well done!
Glad you enjoyed it Jock! Please subscribe if you haven't already as I have more solar content in the works!
Honest, Fair review. . Thanks for the video and the time you put into this.
My pleasure Craig, thanks very much for the feedback. I'm glad you found it helpful. Please subscribe if you haven't already (apologies if you have, YT makes it hard to check individual subscribers!)
next test Kickass vs Hardkorr Vs Redarc. Thanks for the testing super helpful!
Almost! It's going to be ruclips.net/video/2sRO7alXiac/видео.html plus Redarc!
thanks for the review, is there another brand that is better than Kings at
around the same price or only 100 or 200 more but superior to Kings? Thanks..
I'm looking at testing some products in the $500-600 range but haven't yet. Others have recommended hard korr and itechworld which might be starting points. My concern about $200-300 blankets is they might not be much better, or could even be the same thing just with a different brand. But in the cheaper range you could look at xtm or ridge Ryder. Again I've not used these yet but they're alternatives to consider.
Well done great review mate, I’d like to see you do a KT blanket review 🌞👍🏽
Glad you enjoyed it! I'll pop that on my list. At the moment I'm testing itechworld, Hard Korr, Companion and Redarc's updated 160w blanket, hopefully you like that review when it's done!
Ive got a Jaycar folding blanket, identical to the Kings one. Same solar regulator, same configuration, includes same leads and bag etc, just rebranded differently. I dont use the solar regulator as my portable battery station has one inbuilt so I just plug the panel in directly to this. On full sun days, I regularly get 130 watts out of my blanket and up to about 80 watts on cloudy days. That seems to be better than your experience?
Yeah that does sound to be better than what I typically get from my Kings when it was new. I can only assume Jaycar must use better panels than Kings does - certainly for the $450 price tag vs $250 or so for the Kings they can afford to use better components.
@@TheMusingGreg Yeah thats true. Im interested to see the longevity of my panels to see if they last longer than the kings one.
@@jamieotter23 Sounds good, keep me posted!
Great review. Both actually seem expensive given they don't last that long. Perhaps solid panel is a better, more reliable option?
What makes you think the Redarc doesn't last long? I agree the Kings doesn't last too long but in my experience with the Redarc its performance was consistent the whole way through.
That said a solid panel will probably give better performance because you can prop it up at the right angle and that helps the blanket to run cooler too, but you then have a larger product to try to store. A blanket is much better if you're short on space.
@@TheMusingGreg I thought in your review it suggesting the folding blanket form was good for a few uses per year gao what I meant was if you are on the road permanently and use it say 180 days per year it will wear out way faster that a fixed or solid folding unit. So I mean compared to a folding or fixed setup this form factor doesn't last long.... Make sense? Accurate?
@@nzadventurer Ah OK I get what you're saying.
-Look- If you have room for a folding panel you will *probably* get better performance because they're less likely to overheat, however I haven't tested this so I can't say for sure. That said, what I meant was that the Kings unit, not the Redarc, would be good for a few times a year because of its demonstrated performance loss, because although the Redarc would potentially suffer the same heat issues over time, its performance stayed rock solid in the time I had it and there was no sign of physical degradation to the surface. So if you needed a power solution for full-time travel and didn't have the space for a folding panel, I would pick the Redarc blanket over the Kings.
@@TheMusingGreg mate your content is excellent please don't take my comments as any criticism.
I live on the road in a caravan and was assessing more fixed solar on caravan vs blanket vs folding. From what I can see the blanket has benefits but also introduces potential increased wear n tear due to the construction. Whereas at first I was thinking they will last ages I can sort of see from your review that they may not last the distance if I expect to use them 100 days/year and if I want long term reliability that's where fixed is probably king
@@nzadventurer No problems at all mate, and I was not at all upset by your comments nor thought they were critical. Sorry, my response must have came across as cranky or impatient but it certainly wasn't intended to read that way! The trials and tribulations of communicating by text only! :) I will go back and reword that response in case it misleads anyone else.
There is really no perfect solution with solar unfortunately, but having done 12+ months full time on the road, if I had to pick between the three options you've suggested I would go with a portable folding panel if I had room to store it, otherwise if no room I would go with a blanket with folding legs to prop it up at the right angle and keep it cool. The reason I shy away from a fixed panel on the roof of the van is because here in Australia at least in hot weather, you want to park your van in the shade and then your solar won't achieve anything. I don't want to be stuck parking in the hot sun just to recharge the batteries. Also I have a DCDC charger installed to charge the batteries while driving, so I don't need the additional solar from the van while it's in transit.
If I was to get a blanket again I would not be getting a Kings blanket but I'm not sure I'd be picking a Redarc as my first choice either. I hope there's a better middle ground for around maybe $400 that does 90% of what the Redarc does but for 25% of the price!
Good luck, and sorry again if my comment came across the wrong way!
👍
I bought the same Adventure kings blanket.
2 of the 6 panels bubbled up but was still charging at 13.8 volts instead of hitting 14.8+ as it did when i first tested the output. I called them up I got sent a new blanket whithin the week. Even if does break they still warrant it. Now I have a 2 blankets for the price of 1.
Same issue with me and the same result, except in my case it was 3 blankets for the price of 1 at one stage! Their service is great, pity the product quality is so poor.
Volts largely irrelevant. It's the amps that would drop and what you need to charge a battery.
I have had a Kickass 300watt Portable Panel for 3 years now and only recently bought a proper DCDC/MPPT dual charger, Battery monitor, and an Enerdrive Btech 200ah Lithium set up. Although the panel is now permanently flat mounted on the roof of my Van due to its bulky size and weighing in at 35kgs....
But I can finally see how much power I am getting from it.
From what I have gathered after 6 months of being on the road in Victoria I typically get around 9 amps mark around 11am-3pm when the sun is directly above it. Which amounts to around 108watts which is a third of it's rated out put.
In the most ideal conditions I have seen it max out and sit around the 14 amps marks which is still only slightly above the rated output at just 168watts.
Have to say I am pretty damn annoyed, but I did only pay $350 for it at the time. I am currently looking into either fitting a few more panels on the roof to get around 650watts (think that is the max input the DCDC charger can handle), or trying my luck at making my own mechanism that'll allow me to raise the panels on the roof to get more out of it.
The most realistic and practical approach is to look into something similar to the REDARC blanket panels to fit inside the Van more easily and just have it connect up to the total watts from the flat mounted panels.
It is certainly a damn shame they cost so frigging much though, it really doesn't seem feasible. Luckily my DCDC charger outputs 50ah from the alternator when driving when I forget to switch off the 2000watt inverter over night and drain the battery more than I'd planned haha
I live fulltime out of my Van and need more solar though so I am grateful you have done such a thorough study of these blankets though. Gives me a much more educated idea of what to spend my hard earned cash on.
Maybe I may have to just fill my roof with more panels instead, definitely much much much cheaper than REDARC, here's to hoping they'll start to drop dramatically in price.
Thanks for that perspective mate, always good to hear from someone who's got longer-term experience and some hard data behind their thoughts. And glad you found the video helpful in determining your best course of action - that's the ultimate outcome of these videos!
I can relate to your frustration with your panel's output, however remember it's 3 years old now so it's quite possible it's not producing what it would have when new, just like the Kings blankets. Also having it permanently mounted means it's generating power and heat even when possibly not needed, so it will probably degrade more than if it was only put out in the sun when needed. But then you're trading off the convenience of having power there all the time. Solar is very much a series of compromises! Solar blankets like the REDARC are brilliant as far as convenience goes, but as I said they're more of a pain to set up than a folding panel (unless they have integrated legs) and if they're flat against a surface they get pretty hot which reduces their efficiency.
If I were you and the funds allowed: If you want to have a permanently installed panel then I would be getting a new ~350W unit and seeing what sort of output you get from that, and then keeping your current one as a backup / additional power source to pop out in the sun when you need it.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Cheers,
Greg
Great review, but there seems to be a strange haze around your head in the video, might need to get that looked at 😂
Haha yeah I'm sometimes not as clear-headed as I'd like to be! 😂 Glad you enjoyed it! I'm currently reviewing an updated version of the Redarc blanket (160W vs 150W, and only half the price), so if you're interested in that and you haven't subscribed yet, please subscribe so you get notified when that video's released.
Great review. For me not nearly enough difference in performance to justify the price differential. Wold love to see a Kings vs Mid Tier e.g. kick ass or similar as others have mentioned around that $800 price point. Given you can buy around 8 of the kings blankets for 1 redarc, not to mention if you do a true cost comparison and buy the leads and PWM charger also from redarc it's probably 10:1.
Thanks for the comment mate, yeah upfront the Kings is certainly very compelling, although I guess after a decade you'll probably end up more out of pocket and still have no working blanket. It's a long horizon to get that payback though. I'm hoping to get a few mid-range blankets together and do another shoot-out, so stay tuned and subbed for that one!
I bought the Kings 200w panel and mppt controller two tears ago and have had no problems.
That's good to hear David. What sort of output are you getting from it now compared to when you got it, and how are you measuring that output? Or do you just mean the physical appearance of the panel?
@The Musing Greg I haven't measured the amps for a while, but it comfortably recharges the 110 amp agm, which runs a 35 ltr fridge freezer plus Led lighting and a cpap machine, on a good sunny day.
Hi there David,
That sounds pretty good, but how much charge was the battery to start with? I ask because it's not possible for a 200W blanket to fully charge a 110Ah battery from empty in a single day. Please don't take what I'm about to say as me being a smart alec, but I just want to demonstrate why that is.
Kings claim their blanket can deliver 10.42A of current at maximum power, so even assuming their claims are correct, to completely fill a 110Ah battery the solar panel would need to be delivering full power for over 10.5 hours (110Ah/10.42A - 10.55h). On a completely clear day, you're lucky to get more than 6 hours of sun capable of producing full power from a solar panel, so allowing for an hour's shoulder either side at partial power you might sneak in 7 hours' worth of full power in a full day. But never 10.5 hours. There just aren't enough hours of sunlight in a day. For this blanket delivering 10.42A, an optimistic 7 hours of full power would give you about 72A (10.42A x 7 hours - 72A), or 66% of a full charge. And that's all assuming there are no losses in the cables and regulator which never happens - if we allowed only 10% loss in all those, the max input current is likely to be only about 9A, which would require over 12 hours of full sun to generate 110A in a single day.
That's why I figure the battery can't be completely empty at the start of the test, if you've observed it's able to give you a fully charged battery. If the battery was say half empty by the morning, it's certainly conceivable a 200W blanket might be able to deliver 55A during a day and top that back up - if you worked on 9A over 6 hours, you've got 54Ah (9A x 6h) or about half a full charge.
I seek this level of clarification because I get that everyone's experiences are different, and some units may perform better than others; but similarly if people don't have an objective way of measuring the power then they can end up assuming a position which may not actually be correct, which others then read and assume must be so.
I appreciate you sharing your experiences David, and I would be very interested to hear what you find if you happen to get hold of a power meter like the one I was using or something similar, and are able to measure the power coming out of the blanket before the regulator.
Cheers,
Greg
@The Musing Greg I keep the battery topped up at home with a ctek battery charger permanently connected. During a trip, apart from a bit of use during the day running the fridge in the car when stopped, I then put the solar panels out when setting up camp. So during the day the panels are enough to keep the battery charged enough to get through the next day.
So far, it works for me, as I can't afford the prices some places are charging for solar products.
Perfect, that makes absolute sense, thanks for clarifying David. It should work fine for that, and it sounds like you've got some more capacity in the battery for if you get a shady day. Hope it continues to work well for you mate!
I've owned the Kings and you're spot on, especially with alignment to the sun. I sold it on pretty quick for ridged KickAss 350w which is about $800AU, much better.
Cheers thanks Peter!
Thanks for this fantastic review. I need more solar panels when I can afford them, and it's really, really doing my head in. Be it the massive differences in price, the coatings that allegedly make them work better and so on... Yeah Kings are certainly appealing when you think of price, but--- Yeah. There are so many bad, non-detailed reviews and/or influencers who've made a video in absolutely optimum conditions with their brand new supplied blankets! I love that your video is very in depth, considers multiple options and situations and is absolutely fantastic, thank you! I can appreciate the time and effort taken to make a video like this too. The 2 ones I initially got were rated at 100 watts but got maximum about 65 watts (usually less). They also have the damage happening to them that the Kings one you showed have amongst other things as they are used every day (I currently do not have the right amount of solar panels for the power I wish to use as I cannot afford it). I was thinking once I find some good ones (is it possible, I'll watch some more of your videos!), I want them on a thing with wheels, already at the right (ish) angle, so I can just roll them out and turn them to face the sun instead of mucking around moving them in the dirt 3 times a day.
Thanks for your comment mate, I'm glad you found the review so helpful! You are right in the money with the quality of many reviews, that's actually why I got started doing these myself so I could determine real world results in a range of conditions. Your idea of panels in wheels sounds a good one if you have room to store them. The other video you commented on, the solar blanket review, is coming, I've got another two weeks of travelling and testing to go and then it's putting five months of data all together into something hopefully clear enough! Thanks for your support!
@@TheMusingGreg Thanks I'm really looking forward to the other video - I will have enough money saved by then hopefully to buy one of the reviewed blankets, which hopefully performs somewhat or exactly as it claims (crosses fingers). I also hope I have some extra $ by then to be able to send you on RUclips like you showed. I really want the panels on wheels (like say maybe 4 positioned in a way/angle on one side as to not throw shade on each other, I'm picturing the base to be triangular ish and stable/able to be weighted down if needed due to wind) as my hands look like that of a gardener due to mucking around with the dirt. I have a big house which I paid $12500 for, so plenty of room if I make it right. But there's got to be something out there similar already or something that can be hacked to make it happen.
Cheers mate, your support is really appreciated as it does take a lot of time to test everything out, plus buying the products to test too.
Preliminary findings show there are some candidates which definitely perform better than either the Kings or the Redarc, so I'm pretty sure you'll find something that works for you there. However you may find the panels on wheels idea works better for your situation, if you've got the room for it. Blankets are great in that they're very compact and portable (especially the incredibly light Redarc), but the fixed or folding panels are certainly better value (dollars per watt), and according to others generally perform better too. So a blanket may not be the right solution for you if size and weight aren't a factor.
Great review
What solar do people recommend? I'd prefer a solid roof rack mounted panel.
Glad you enjoyed the review Steven! As far as fixed panels go, I'll defer to the experience of the community here as I've only used folding blankets. I would expect the brands mentioned here to do a similar job in panels as they do blankets but that's just a guess.
thanks for the video mate, sums it all up perfectly! 👌
id say the kings blanket is the GWM to the Redarcs 79 series 😁
Good comparison. While a lot of commenters here are aghast at the Redarc price (as am I), I do think we need to keep the long-term total cost of ownership (and potentially resale value) in mind when looking at these products, not just the upfront cost. From a quick survey of the carparks we saw in the Kimberley earlier this year, clearly many people are happy to spend extra on a 79, so maybe we shouldn't be so critical of Redarc's price in the same context.
Cheers.
Thank you for this fantastic review!
My pleasure! Stay tuned and subscribed as I've got another Redarc solar blanket video coming this year!
Can you do a test with itechworld 200 watt blanket ?
Thanks for the suggestion Stevo, I'll add that to the potential list of candidates for a future video!
We spent 6 months on the road with a Kings blanket (an earlier model, but similar) charging our caravan battery. We did this via the cheaper Redarc solar charger. We had to replace the product before our trip, as the previous one failed, so were starting with a new unit. Generally the blanket preformed as required, keeping our 120 amp hour AGM battery charged with two or three hours of sunlight each day. Battery was used for lights and general charging of phones etc so if you are trying to run a fridge your experience will be a lot different.
I didn't really baby the blanket, with it occasionally getting blown around in unexpected storms, but it survived the trip with only surface damage (dodgy cell coating) and having most of the stupid little cloth tabs ripped off giving me a chance to practice my sowing.
Generally happy, although I'm expecting to have to replace the blanket in the near future as it's certainly starting to show its age.
Personally for our caravan charging needs and If we had the room to store it, I'd go with a fixed solid panel rather than a blanket, given you get more power, cheaper and you don't have the difficulty of propping things up.
Thanks Peter, sounds like your experience is pretty similar to mine! It would be interesting to know how much output you're getting from yours now compared to when it was new! Is yours still a 200W or one of the older 10 panel 160W setups?
We had 2x100Ah batteries and an inverter for charging laptops so our power needs were a bit higher.
Yep a panel is probably the way to go if you have the space.
@@TheMusingGreg I think ours is the 160W version, the cells are smaller than what you demoed. Certainly it charged pretty quickly and did the job we needed. Incidentally we've the same van as you, except the on road version.
Sounds good. You might like to try one of those power meters to see how much power you're actually getting going into the batteries. Can be useful to have for diagnostics down the track too if you "think" it's not working so well, as you have some hard data to back it up.
A well detailed and fair comparison video. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure Mr Glass, glad you found it helpful!
My red arc solar panel on the roof is a fix one. It’s 160W
I drove the tunnel through real thick vegetation. Hard large branches that managed to even bend a awning a little and the panel still intact.
Real good stuff
But so expensive
Second hand is the go
Wow sounds like a great panel, and good job getting it second hand! They sure are expensive new but second hand is a really good way to get them.
I just want to say that this review is very well done and very accurate to real world testing. The result would have been the same for any solar panel tested by Greg in these conditions.
Having said that there is something not mentioned in this review that is very important information for those relying on solar panels for rv-ing and camping. Temperature. Temperature of the solar panel greatly affects the power output of a solar panel. In fact temperature can have a greater affect on the working ability of your solar panel than the sunlight it relies on to work. Solar panels efficiency drops off greatly above 25C, 25C being their optimal maximum efficiency temperature as tested in a laboratory by the manufacturers.
Temperatures above their optimal temperature can see as much as 40-50% reduction in efficiency, reduced power output as shown in this review. Does your car still run great and get good fuel economy when it is overheating? My personal experience is that my panels will see temps in excess of 60C in the Northwest of WA sun, this is why I have learned to not rely only on solar for recharging my batteries.
If you are going to use a solar blanket don’t lay it on the ground. Put them on the roof of your car or caravan where they won’t absorb the hot ground temperature and they’ll get a little air flowing over them, they will reward you by work a lot better. Just like the solar panels on your house they are not attached directly to the roof because they are more efficient with air flow to cool them down.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Richard, I appreciate it! You're quite right that temperature is very important, and it's one of the things I would have liked to have mentioned if it wasn't already a 20+ minute video! This is one of the problems with solar blankets, as they tend to be leaning up against a solid surface, unlike a portable panel which normally has ventilation around the back and can be easily propped up towards the sun.
Cheers!
L
would have been good to know to cost of the extras for Redarc, guess it would be crazy
Yeah that's a good point. I think they were about $300 but I'll put that into the next review I'm working on which includes an updated Redarc blanket.
Excellent video.. I guess you get what you pay for, but Redarc are taking the proverbial with their pricing!
Glad you found it helpful mate! Yeah the Redarc pricing was pretty ambitious, but fortunately they've released a new version which is only half the price. I'm reviewing it now and so far I like it more, so if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up make sure you subscribe if you haven't already.
Good review mate! I've got the old kings 120w as well (mentioned a few times in the comments) and it's still producing the goods after 3 or 4 years of use up north in WA as well as Wilbinga to Jurien Bay. I got it for about $130 on one of their specials and although some of the polyester is starting to show signs of wear n tear, I can't really fault it (I gently wipe it before and after use!). But yeah, get a good controller as the one it ships with is not that good. Guess I could get about 13 or 14 (if you add the accessories) of these for the redarc price... Keep up the good work ;)
Thanks for the comment Patrick, glad you enjoyed it! A few people have mentioned on my other Kings blanket reviews that the earlier ones lasted longer than the newer ones so it's possible you might have an older better one. The 120W unit I bought would have been 3 years ago now and only produced 40W in pretty good conditions (Buxton, QLD, April so sun was overhead, clear skies). I'm glad to hear you're happy with yours - do you know what sort of power output you're getting from it? The Kings MPPT controllers are pretty ordinary too I've found.
You're right though that the old Redarc was very expensive. Fortunately Redarc took on the feedback and have released an updated version (160W vs 150W) for about half the price. I'm taking that through its paces at the moment so make sure you're subscribed if you want to hear how that stacks up against some other mid-range blankets.
Love Jurien Bay, we've been through there a few times and it's a beautiful spot!
@@TheMusingGreg Good to hear manufacturer's take your feedback on board! Come to think of it, I got the panel before covid so it'll be 5+years since I got it. It has recently started to drop off but I don't know current output as I haven't been camping for several months now. I do recall it raised a few eyebrows when it put out close to 90W - similar to the two tested in your video but with only 120W advertised (!). Anyways, keep up the good work and I'll check out your other vids too.
Next time you visit Jurien Bay, make sure you take the side track north of the camping site (free camping and some beautiful little quiet coves and reefs)
Great review. Hard to beat the kings for $ per output. Would be nice the find a quality panel for a reasonable price
Thanks Mark! Check out my Kings vs Allspark review ruclips.net/video/L8mzNTfVS1Y/видео.html
Maybe that's the product you're looking for?
Very good video ! I am a believer of if you buy cheap you’ll buy it twice. Most Kings products are very cheap and you get what you pay for ! I don’t and I won’t buy cheap crap. Hopefully, with this very informative video Red Arc will actually look ! Review and make some changes !
Hopefully drop the price to a sensible price as they do have a better quality but probably not worth the price ! my opinion only
You're absolutely right! Of course Kings is so cheap you can afford to go through several before reaching the cost of the Redarc. But it means you still end up with a cheap blanket.
Redarc has definitely listened; their new version is half the price and I'm currently testing it, so make sure you're subscribed as that should be along in the next few months!
Congrats mate! That was a perfect review 👌 especially the testing graphs and who should buy summary! I hope to see more like this in the future. I'm currently trying to decide between a Safiery 250W solar blanket and a 300W kickass solar blanket (high vs low pv voltage)
Glad it was helpful mate! I've got some similar content coming so make sure you subscribe! I'd be interested to know which one you decide and why!
Cheers,
Greg
@@TheMusingGreg Looking forward to it! Have you seen this? ruclips.net/video/Kh3ch53Vh6M/видео.html. Impressive if true. I'll get back to you on our decision.
Also its interesting to compare the panel average watts per m². Redarc is almost 50% larger then kings.
Using your average power values for the panels and the surface area:
Redarc = 44W/m² vs Kings = 60W/m²
@@watto_2445 That Safiery does look impressive, although without seeing how the whole setup was configured it's hard to be sure.
Regarding the power per square metre, not sure how you worked those out, but if you look at the ACTUAL average power measured in the test you'll find the Redarc is comfortably more efficient for the same surface area as it produces more power for a slightly smaller surface area:
Kings surface area: 1.11x1.15m = 1.27sqm
Kings average power: 76.5W
Kings power/sqm: 76.5/1.27 = 60W/sqm
Redarc surface area: 1.21 x 0.92m = 1.132sqm
Redarc average power: 83.44W
Redarc power/sqm: 83.44/1.132 = 74.95W/sqm
@@TheMusingGreg yes you're correct! I was looking at the wrong dimensions for the redarc blanket.
@@watto_2445 the main point of difference is the solar controller I reckon. You'd get much more out of those 2 blankets with a top quality mppt controller like the victron that safiery use in their products and builds.
Safiery are a top notch no bs company. But like redarc, they're bloody expensive!
Good test mate !
Glad you found it helpful! Cheers!
Very thorough review 👍
Glad you liked it, thanks for the feedback! Please subscribe as I have some more solar / MPPT content coming!
Great review
Glad you enjoyed it mate! The Redarc blanket has since been updated, and I covered it in this shootout: ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html
Very thorough review, thanks
Glad it was helpful! Stay tuned for the next one where the updated Redarc blanket goes up against some 200W units!
Very thorough test.
Thanks Shane, glad you found it helpful!
I use a fair bit of King's gear but wouldn't touch their solar blankets again. I had a 200-watt blanket and didn't use it. I ended up giving it to mate, and when he eventually connected it up, it was a dead blanket.
I now have 2 x 160-watt fixed panels and have designed a system so I can tilt them in any direction with the removal of a couple of straps. Of course, I haven't built the design that's still in my head, so it may work in theory...but maybe not in a practical context.
Yeah I won't be buying Kings solar again! Your adjusting angle design sounds good, maybe you should manufacture 'The Griffin Frame'! In the current video I'm working on (itechworld vs Hard Korr vs Companion vs Redarc) I've already seen the benefit gained by a small adjustment in panel angle under certain conditions.
@@TheMusingGreg Sounds great, Greg. I look forward to seeing the results.
Cool stay tuned! :)
Gday. I have the same kings blanket. I also have the same meter u were using for input. Most the blanket ever fed my batteries was 1.8amps. That was cloudless day sun at 12 o’clock. Unfortunately money wasted.
Thanks Andrew. That sounds even worse than the performance I got from mine! Kings is cheap but I think it's cheap for a reason. Have you upgraded to anything else yet? I'm in the process of shooting out four mid-range blankets so if you're still in the market that might be of interest.
@@TheMusingGreg that sounds great. I havnt bought a replacement yet, so a comparison would be very interesting. Amps input in different conditions from different blankets would be really helpful
@@andrewt3952 Perfect I've already captured a lot of that (overcast, morning, full sun midday so far, and a few tests of each). So stay tuned and subscribed, I'm sure it'll be of interest! If you'd like to help offset the cost of buying the blankets for the review, you can hit the Thanks button.
Excellent review mate well done you should be very proud of yourself. Bloody good job mate ✌️💚🍄
Oh thanks very much mate, I appreciate it! 👍 Glad you found it helpful. Cheers!
@@TheMusingGreg yes and I probably won't buy the kings. I did buy their new 45lt fridge though. Very impressed
Yeah some of their products are better than others that's for sure! Nice to hear the fridge works well.
Thanks heaps for your work and sharing. Great information. Appreciated
My pleasure! Did you see the updated Redarc one? ruclips.net/video/pPy_5Lm-Mo0/видео.html
Note Redarc is aware of this video and is trying to post a comment but RUclips's not letting them. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon.
Buy cheap get cheap, as for angling the redarc panel I always park my cruiser facing north and lay the panel over the windscreen that way it serves 2 purposes
That's a great suggestion!
Great review mate!
My pleasure mate, glad it was helpful! Which one do you reckon's better for you?
The information and stats were well presented.
Thanks Paul, I appreciate your support!
excellent evaluation. thank you sir
My pleasure John, glad you found it helpful. Stay tuned and subbed for more solar content coming soon!
I have two Kings blankets and one older Redarc solid sandwich type panel. The Kings do scratch up, but I have learned to put an old towel over it prior to folding, which stops the damage. The Redarc panel is awesome but just way too heavy to carry in the car and also to get out and set up. My decision was two Kings blankets……and I am way in front on power, ergonomics and price. There is just no way I could justify the current pricing on the Redarc blanket!
Yeah a towel is probably a good idea if you remember to use it and keep it out of the dust. I've not used their solid panels so far.
The Redarc blanket in this review has now been superseded and they've replaced it with a 160W unit for about half the price. I'm testing it at the moment so if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up make sure you're subscribed!
Great review 👍 For me that Redarc is very underwhelming WRT output... you would have thought rated at 150w it may have consistently made above 100w given the quality/cost. I'd spend the money on a decent blanket if it performed, that for me didn't perform.
Yep I agree mate. But stay tuned because I'm currently reviewing the Redarc blanket which replaced the one in this review - it's half the price and rated slightly higher so is most of what I asked Redarc to provide!
@@TheMusingGreg Cool, I watched your Allspark test just after this one, that was definitely reasonable. look forward to your mid priced comparison also. I'm looking at them now to replace solid folding panels.
Ah cool, yeah the Allspark is my pick of the bunch so far without taking into account anything in the upcoming review. It performed as expected and while pricey was reasonable for the product.
Hi Greg I have a Redarc 190 watt folding panel pumps out 11 amps eats my mate's 200 watt Kings panels only thing was the price ..ouch but you get exactly what you pay for. Also I was a bit pissed to see it was made in China.
Thanks for the comment Ian. I still think the Redarc is overpriced, but I agree the performance outguns the Kings, especially as time goes on. I would expect your Redarc panel will still be going strong well after your mate's sent six Kings blankets to e-waste recycling!
@@TheMusingGreg I hoped they'd be a bit cheaper. But it's nice to see a local company at least designing electronics. Redarc do heaps of components for mining trucks, like relays. They're pretty reliable considering the conditions and constant vibrations they go through.
@@Chrazzari I'd agree they have a great reputation, which is why I wanted to check them out.
Very thorough review!!!
Thanks mate glad it was helpful!
What about a test where a single panel (section) is in the shade?...
Yeah good point. I did do a video of this with a Kings blanket ruclips.net/video/djdiCAl_zc0/видео.html but didn't in this test. I'm hoping to include a shading test in an upcoming video I'm working on which includes the updated and cheaper version of the Redarc blanket, so make sure you subscribe if you want to see how the newer version performs.
Where can I buy 1 of those digital monitors?
I got mine off eBay
www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=12v+anderson+plug+power+meter&_sacat=0&mkcid=1&mkrid=705-53470-19255-0&siteid=15&campid=5338943146&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
There were lots of sellers listing the same thing. The sticky plastic cover explaining what's displaying what on mine came unglued after a while but most of them still appear to be the same thing.
Love your work mate
Cheers mate, appreciate it! Stay tuned for the next solar blanket shootout currently in testing!
Thanks for an informative interesting video
Glad you enjoyed it! Please share on your socials! 🙂
Question, some of the clips in the video show the kings regulator still connected to the solar panel, was this bypassed when connected to the redarc system in the car?
Yes absolutely. Most of the time I used the Redarc one but at times I used the Kings one, and during these times the Redarc unit was out of the system.
@@TheMusingGreg thanks for clearing this up. The fact that the output you got was so far below the rated capacity on both panels is very alarming.
@@farnzy2011 Yeah this did surprise me too. As I mentioned towards the end, it's because ratings are based on lab tests, not real-world conditions - hence the value of independent 'real-world' tests like this one!
Pretty unhappy with the 200w Kings solar blanket we bought. The
connection on the back of the panel has come completely off and so now
there is no output from the panels. The unit may be out of warranty but
it really did not see a lot of use. The Allspark 130w panel we have is much
older and still working fine so I have to say we are never likely to buy
another Kings solar blanket.
Thanks for the update, yeah recent Kings blankets don't have the best track record. Good luck with the fix!
I would love to see you do this with the Enerdrive folding panel.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add that to the list of candidates for potential future videos!
Thanks for the informative video.
My pleasure mate!
Good review, unfortunately you have allowed a bias based on your previous experience of the King Blanket creep into to conclusions.
Thanks for the comment Peter. I have definitely taken into account my previous experience with Kings blankets, but I don't think that's the wrong thing to do because it means a more realistic recommendation on how the Kings is likely to perform longer-term. It would have been ideal to have had the Redarc blanket for 12 months too and really do a good side-by-side but Redarc couldn't spare the blanket for that long. However, the lack of any visible panel damage or performance degradation over the three months with the Redarc, compared to both occurring on the brand new Kings blanket over the same period, suggests the conclusions about quality would be valid even if I ignored my past experience with Kings blankets.
Great honest appraisal thank you 👍
Thanks David, appreciate your feedback! Stay tuned and subbed for more solar content!
Looking at the percentages of advertised output. Both blanks provided 120W Therefore Kings is far better bang for the Buck
In one single test they did, but over a range of conditions which reflects normal use, the Kings was consistently lower. You cannot expect 120w in typical use from the Kings. That said Kings is still much better bang for buck than the 150W Redarc.
Since this review, Redarc has a released an updated 160W blanket for about half the price which I'm testing at the moment, so make sure you subscribe if you're interested in seeing how that stacks up.
Are both panels amorphous? That makes a huge difference in the southern states that regularly have more cloud cover.
I don't think either of them are. Redarc's website lists some amorphous blankets at a higher price point so I assume the unit I had was not, and in light of that I would think it almost certain the Kings is not either.
Panel rating is a wierd one. They can be made of different materials which leads to worse efficiency. Then the material of the protective cover and glass or plastic can lead to a higher working temperature which also leads to worse efficiency. Great video mate love the depth of information
Thanks for the input Hugh and glad you enjoyed it! Yes there are lots of factors but this is why there should be a testing standard which reflects real world use so all those factors can be considered, rather than just say the bare panel before adding the coating.
Can I suggest you look at the Bluetti gear for a comparison test? As well as solar blankets, they also manufacture portable power stations for which the solar blankets can connect directly into for charging and simultaneous power use.
Sure, the Bluetti gear is made in China but as far as I can tell, the quality of the build, reliability and value for money is fantastic!! Redarc need to have a good look at themselves particularly in relation to their pricing. Yes there’s supporting Australian business etc. but for me personally, it comes down to useability, reliability and price and Redarc has lost the plot in some of that. $1600 for a 150W solar blanket that doesn’t produce anything near that (after taking into account normal losses)?? The Redarc GoBlock is another fine example. At $3K, you don’t even get an inverter unlike the Bluetti for a cheaper price!!
I recently purchased a Bluetti AC200 Max matching it with 3 x SP200 portable solar panels (about $700 ea on sale) based on prominent Aussie and US RUclipsr reviews and so far, it’s working an absolute treat!! In addition to being my alternative to a dual battery system permanently installed in the vehicle, I use it at home to power my fridges and kitchen appliances when not camping/touring. In perfect sun conditions, the panels output up to 650W which is clearly over and above their rated 600W total.
Time will only tell as to the reliability but thus far, I am super impressed with the system.
Thanks for the tip Rich. I looked at Bluetti's website a week or so ago and they look to have some nice gear. I'll see if I can look at these in a future video. Cheers!
What is a good quality middle of the range blanket if I don't want kings trash or pay top dollar for redarc?
Excellent question Figjam! I'm hoping to look at that in a future video, but individual recommendations from other commenters here include Safiery, Hard Korr, Ridge Ryder and Allspark. I've never used any but they might be worth starting with.
@@TheMusingGreg thanks
Good review! however you fell into the common trap of not saying the state of the battery. The claimed output of panels is when they are in full sun and have a load they can provide the power to. No matter how good your regulator is they all have to follow Ohm’s law. So a battery that is flat at say 10v will accept more power than one that is fully charged at say 14v. Just like any modern charger they have steps. Bulk, Absorption and Float as the voltage of the battery rises. If you want to test a little better then you need to have electronic battery simulators where the voltage can be adjusted. If you have solar on your house you can see that the panels work harder in the morning when your batteries are lower than in midday when sun is higher and directly overhead. Reason is once batteries are charged they will not take any more charge.
You're right I forgot to mention this! However I'm definitely aware of how battery voltage could affect performance, and I regularly checked the battery voltage to make sure I only did the tests when they were low enough to have the Redarc DC-DC charger (shown at 11:12) running flat out (Boost mode). When it's in Boost mode it's pumping whatever the blankets produce straight into the batteries, whether they'd be floating at 12.0 or 12.8V. If the charger is in Absorption mode, I've noticed the readings on the power meter fluctuate around a lot, so it's very obvious to me when I'm taking measurements if the charger's suddenly switched charging mode.
You can be sure they were all fair comparative tests under full load conditions, but I'll make sure I specifically point out that detail in future.
Cheers!
We avoided the Kings and went with a 200w XTM blanket from BCF. It has been excellent so far.
Another interesting unit I was considering! Thanks for the info Charlotte - do you have any data on its performance?
You are aware xtm and king's are the same just rebranded
@@jessiewhittaker9417 incorrect Jessie. in fact it’s the Ridge Ryder and the XTM that are the same.
Was looking at the 200 XTM yesterday at BCF ....was wondering how good they are . Would appreciate your feedback .Thanks .
@@reddyman6915 it’s been excellent- we are genuinely surprised at how good it is. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another one. Two things to be aware of with the XTM, one it isn’t waterproof- not major negative for us and as with most blankets they certainly don’t seem to produce as much power as the solid ones, again not a major issue for us. It charges our batteries super fast and doesn’t take up a huge amount of space.
change that pmw controller that comes with kings to mppt and you will get better results.
I used a MPPT regulator for all tests, see 11:07. The Kings does come with the PWM regulator but I didn't use it for this test.
Keep up the good work very good video
Thanks Mark, glad you enjoyed it. I'm currently testing out Redarc's updated blanket which is half the cost, so make sure you're subscribed if you'd be interested in seeing that when it's done!
great review . I run a kings 200W blanket for my trailer .I know it's a low end blanket but honestly for the money how can you justify a $1600 blanket that doesn't perform that much better than the kings. Redarc is overpriced . I Only running a cfx355 and some strip lights in the camper and charging chromebooks etc i don't have huge loads . The kings blanket for the money performs very well . hooked up to an intervolt dccpro charing 2 x 100ah gel .
Kings certainly has the upfront value proposition stitched up, you're right there Tim. In terms of power output the Redarc isn't that much better that's right - it will last longer and keep going, but I find it hard to justify THAT much more of a premium for that feature unless you're a full-time traveller and need the ultimate in reliability.
Hi Greg,
I took your advice and bought a solar blanket other than Kings. It's a Baintech 180w and made in Aust. (Cheaper than Redarc, $750.00)
What's your thoughts about laying it on the bonnet of a car? I see it as a recipe for disaster with regards to overheating. Most panels have a max operating temperature and I think without proper ventilation that temperature could be exceeded easily on a hot day.
My friends "stick on panels" died prematurely because of excess heat.
Thanks for the update mustangdude, I've never heard of Baintech so I'd be interested if you can comment back later to report how you find its performance!
I agree 100% re the overheating thing. Resting on a bonnet or windscreen is a very convenient way to use the solar blanket, but the lack of ventilation will certainly make them run hotter and *likely* reduce the service life. If you can have some sort of a frame / spacer between the back of the blanket and whatever it's resting on it will certainly go a long way to reducing that issue.
Cheers,
Greg
I have 2 blanket solar panels one cheap from online rated for 300 watts but only ever gets around 80 watts full sun where as the king's gets around 130watts full sun but if the day is pretty hot like over 32c the king's gets stupidly inefficient goes all the way down to like 50 watts where as the other panel stays working normally no matter how hot it gets?
I even noticed this morning it was really overcast and still cool because the sun hadn't been out long I was getting 80-90 watts as soon as the sun came out properly it dropped down to 50 watts any ideas why this is?
That's strange! My guess is that the '300W' version must use a different type of panel which is less susceptible to heat than the Kings versions. I assume the construction of the blankets is comparable? Did both have about the same amount of airflow behind the panel? I have found the Kings blankets don't perform that well when hot - it sounds like the heat factor is causing more problems than the extra energy from the sun!
You could try spraying the panel gently with a water sprayer to see if that brings the power back up, although don't soak it as the rapid drop in temperature could damage the panel.
@@TheMusingGreg yeah both have the same airflow yeah I actually do that every now and then and I always try to keep it elevated so it doesn't heat up as much but I'm leaving Darwin tomorrow heading south so hopefully it's not going to be as hot and cause so many problems
The humidity up there wouldn't help with evaporation of the water to cool the panels either, we were up there September 2020 before '21's big wet and after a swim in the pool you hardly felt any different!
@@TheMusingGreg yeah it sucks can't wait to get down to somewhere a bit cooler haha
Excellent review. Thank you Sir.
My pleasure!
Good review mate, I have a question though. What sort of load was placed on the electrical system at time of testing?
As when I go camping with my wife and kid's we have a 60ltr Engel and various other things to power, day and night and I couldn't see much in your video in regards to this.
Cheer's 🍻
Hi Sean, thanks for the comment. Check out 11:07 - the blanket was charging a single 12V 100Ah AGM battery so that was the only load on the system. The battery was only about half charged during the testing so was able to absorb all the power the regulator (and thus the blanket) could throw at it. You shouldn't run devices directly from the regulator as the regulator is expecting to see a 12V battery there that can absorb large amounts of current. You'd use the blanket to charge the battery, and then connect the battery to your devices.
To work if either blanket is going to work for you (and what size batteries you need) you'd just have to work out what your total electrical load draw is across 24 hours. So for example if your Engel fridge draws about 3A DC when it's running, and it's running 2/3 of the time, that means on average it would draw 2A - so across an hour that would be 2Ah. Do this for all your devices to get a total load, work on having about 4x the battery capacity of your combined loads (you shouldn't run a battery all the way to flat, and you'll only charge it for about 9 hours a day), and you'll be able to work out what size battery and blanket(s) you need. If you're charging from the vehicle's alternator too you can maybe go back to 2.5-3x instead of 4x.
Cheers,
Greg
This is a great vid mate, thanks!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the feedback - make sure you stay subbed as I'm planning more solar-related videos soon!
that kings panel is discontinued now, replaced by a 250watt panel which is 5x1 in layout so easy to lean against things
Interesting. I see it's on clearance so maybe that's what they're doing, although unless you're referring to a different unit the only 250W unit I see is the one with the legs which they've had in their catalogue for a long time. I briefly mentioned that unit in an earlier video ruclips.net/video/cfCM_p21cGs/видео.html and at the time the price was $519 - so at least it's come down somewhat now. It will be interesting to see if they do indeed have a replacement for the 200W unit.
I have had my Kings 200w blanket for 18 months and it has performed quite well, hasn't failed yet, I use a Redarc BCDC 1225 controller.
I think the Redarc wins overall on form factor, the Redarc is so much easier to stow away and space is very important when touring. I think the slight inconvenience of folding and unfolding is well worth it.
I just got back from a 10 day trip out in Western NSW so I grabbed my Kings panel to check for the milky residue. There was a minimal amont but I wiped it down with a damp rag and put it in the sun. When dry it was hardly distinguishable from a new panel and better than expected considering the amount of use it has and the fact that it lives in my vehicle.Yours looks very noticable and yet mine I have to carefully inspect to find any signs of degradation.
Just tested the output and got 93w at 4.8 amps. Fairly cloudy right now so not a great test but I was getting up to 7.5 amps at around 150w over the last 10 days on the clear days.
On a good summers day it gets up to 9 amps and 180w ocassionaly a touch higher but that requires good direct sun.
One thing that also affects the output is the load. If the battery is full it won't draw much power without a load on it so the amps stay fairly low.
For what it costs I don't think you can beat it. Only down side is the larger size. Probably won't last as long either but hey, for the price it's a bargain and I'll just buy another one if it fails.
Great review with lot's of good info. Unfortunate you have had a bad run with these.
I am not that keen on Kings gear but I have this and their awning plus a bit of cooking gear and it has all been good value for the price.
Thanks for the input Paul. It certainly sounds like you're getting a better run than I got from any of mine. How old is yours? I wonder if it's from a different batch, although I had blankets from two different batches (v4 and v5 I think) and they both had similar issues. My blanket lives in our caravan so a low dust environment, though used in dusty outback conditions. I have certainly never had close to 180W, as I showed even when this one was brand new its output was substantially lower.
When I did my testing the batteries were always low enough to have my Redarc BCDC1225 in boost mode so that's not the issue either. All curious.
@@TheMusingGreg Hi Greg, just checked the receipt and I bought it on 23/02/2021, no idea what version it is.
Mine lives in my 4WD and it does get a little bit knocked about when folded but has survived well. Lies on the ground a lot when I use it too so plenty of dust and dirt.
I guess I was lucky and got a good one.
My first Kings awning had a small hole in it when I opened it to check it out so I had to take it back and swap it before I even used it.
That's probably a V5 then which is what I used for this review - I got it as a replacement for a unit which failed late 2020 and I'm sure I got it early 2021 too. Maybe you did get lucky then, or maybe it was right at the start of a better batch. This is the problem though, you can't really be sure what you're going to get with Kings given the manufacture seems outsourced to various different suppliers.
Great comparison. I wouldn't buy either.
If I'm not mistaken? A new 200 watt Kings outputs about 50% of it's rated 200W (so 100w) Give it 3mths and it looses another 50% (so 50w?)
And this is your 4th Kings blanket due to warranty issues.
Lucky the last 3 failed within the warranty period I guess... otherwise you'd be close to
$800 down (for what soon will be... in 3 mths) a 50W solar blanket?
Yep that's about the sum of it mate. I can't say everyone's experience would exactly mirror mine, it would depend how much you're using them, how hot they get etc, but in all cases I found output started much lower than expected and for steadily worse reasonably quickly.
The rated wattage is at OC voltage which for the Kings is 22.35 and the Redarc is 17.6, all solar panel and blankets are rated like this, so you will never see the rated wattage at 12V, this is unfortunately a common misunderstanding with solar panel/blankets.
Thanks for the comment but I don't think that's correct. You're right that Kings does advertise the open-circuit voltage as 23.15 (on the unit they currently sell - under Specifications on www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/kings-200w-solar-blanket.html), and you're also right that it wouldn't make sense to do that because when it's open circuit it's not generating any power. But it's not what they use to calculate power. Kings also lists Maximum Power Voltage (Vmp) as 19.1V and Maximum Power Current (Imp) as 10.42A. Both of these figures would be under heavy load. Multiply those two figures together and you get your 200W.
@TheMusingGreg those figures aren't under load, that is just output (OC) so no load applied. Panels put out current they don't draw current (load) Google current calculator and see what voltage does to current, one reason why panels have meters it to regulate the output. Even if the panel is putting out 19v unregulated it still is putting out power.
@mikefoster7085 They must be under load. The 19.1V and 10.42A figures I took from the Kings site (which multiplied together make up the 200W rating) are stated as being at "Maximum Power". As you'd know, Power = Current x Voltage which means you need both current and voltage to get power. Voltage but no current (i.e. an open-source situation) means no power - a source can't deliver current unless there's a load applied to it, which means by definition it's done under closed-circuit conditions with a load applied, not under an open-circuit condition. The 22.35V figure you referred to is open circuit i.e. with no load and no current flowing, but as I showed it's not what Kings are using to calculate the 200W rating.
I'm pretty comfortable with the basics of electronics and actually cover them in another video ruclips.net/video/aLPSiFwbxDQ/видео.html, though I imagine this would be pretty rudimentary information for you too, so let me know if I've misunderstood something.
Cheers,
Greg
Check out the Sunman 235w folding solar panel. 5 years warranty and will out perform both.
Thanks for the tip David!
Yep 235w should definitely outperform 150 and 200w rated units
Please expand your data to include "$/watt" and finally a durability test of "days usage/$", that'll will give a better consumer focused result.
Thanks Simon I'll see if I can add that into the next blanket shootout I'm working on at the moment. I really want people to have data that helps guide a purchasing decision that's right for them so that may well help. Cheers!
Redarc is "havin' a laugh" with that pricing. A lot of Kings stuff is cheap and nasty, best avoided, although I have one of their winches and it's very good. There are plenty of "intermediate" solar blankets available, none of which will ever produce their claimed output in the field. I have a 120W Korr panel which will put about 6ah via a PWM into a nearly full AGM, which is good. From memory it was around $350.
Thanks for the comment Ein. It's that 'intermediate' range I'm particularly interested to explore in future videos, so thanks for the tip on Korr!