One thing to note with the cheap solar panels is that the panels outputs into the charging box (buck convertor ) then to the usb port as well as the barrel connector. You're not getting direct output to the barrel connector, you're getting a regulated voltage. You're better off dismantling the charging box and soldering powerpoles, with an extension lead, directly to the solar panels. A slight improvement in performance with an increase in reliability. One advantage of monocrystalline, polycrystalline panels (TP solar) is that for a given wattage they will always have a smaller surface area than thin-film solar panels (Powerfilm) . Another great educational video Jason. Lance VK6LMK
@@KM4ACK Not sure about the TP solar panel but my panels barrel connector was regulated to output 19V, perfect for laptops. Those cheap panels are design as laptop/ mobile phone chargers. That row of connectors which came with the panel will fit all the different styles of laptops, that weird yellow one you commented on in the video, its for lenovo laptops. I would never use one as a mobile device charger but great as a cheap panel for us hams ;-)
Very nice real-world comparison. A couple of notes, though. Square footage efficiency is much better with the TP panels, and if limited in square footage availability I'd pick the TP. If I were to have one destroyed or fail, I'd rather have to replace the TP panel ( or I could have 3 times the amount of capacity for redundancy )...
Having only three of something it’s not redundancy at all redundancy is more like having at least 10 to 15 of the same thing. One is none two is one 3 is Che-ap, 4 is poor, 5 is sore, 6 is sticks, 7 is pleasant, 8 is great, 9 is divine 10 is plen-ty.
Have you tested the Bioenno solar panels? I have a couple of the 28w foldable units. They are much heavier than the PowerFilm 30w but are less than half the cost. They also have the USB charge port, but I don't think I will ever use that. If I want USB charging, I'll either pull that from the PowerMini or have a buck converter that can charge from the battery.
If you do any further follow-up testing I would be interested in how they compare after heating up. My understanding is there is some loss in efficiency as the cells heat up, so the products might behave differently in their cold vs hot performance or in the heat retention characteristics of the panels themselves.
Likewise, that was crazy!! It must boil down to the circuitry of the panels, and from memory, PowerFilm goes into this on their website, whereby they point out that they have wired each little cell in such a way that covering the adjacent cells doesn't cause a cascaded drop in energy-gathering efficiency...
Powerfilm sure is proud of their thin film CIGS products. I would go with the monocrystalline silicon technology especially considering you get 6 times the wattage for the same price..... I would be interested to see how powerfilm holds up over time. I know the silicon pv cells can last for a couple of decades.
I still think its a no brainer. The power film 30Watt @$300 gives 1.17Ahr shaded. The TP 60Watt@$100 gives within a gnats cock the same output. Two ways to look at that: You've spent less money, get the same out put in the shade, ie no worse off, but for a few hours most likely you have had twice the input current out of the TP. Win win. The other is, buy two. Still less than than a power film 30watt. You now have 4 times the output current in full sun and double the output of the power film partially shaded. You also have a back up panel and saved one hundred bucks to put toward that new shiny Icom 705. I wouldn't get too hung up over that difference in shaded conditions. That just leaves the unknown and thats longevity, but not forgetting you already have a spare if you went the buy two route.
Can the tp panel be used to charge the power film faster via 12v? Thinking the TP would be good for base camp and the power film is good for on the move. Would be nice to use both to charge batteries faster.
Great video as always! I have very much appreciated your content. I am taking my exams online next week and look forward to perhaps making a contact with you one day!
It must boil down to the circuitry of the panels, and from memory, PowerFilm goes into this on their website, whereby they point out that they have wired each little cell in such a way that covering the adjacent cells doesn't cause a cascading drop in energy-gathering efficiency...
Didn't test it but I would say that it will not function if some cells are destroyed. The powerfilm on the other hand will still perform at a reduced capacity.
Thanks for the review. I would have liked to hear more about what features the TP has. For example one usb port is a higher voltage for charging vehicle batteries. I agree the connectors were mostly junk with tiny wire gauge, but there was a lot of flexibility in the $100 that was glossed over for simple performance comparison. I was just given the 100w version... looking forward to how it does for mobile ops and my 6ah Miady lifepo4!
Yeah I got a 10watt Renogy USB I have yet to see passed 1.8watt on a perfect day less than with my USB tester. so 2 watts max in my window and yes my window is clean at this rate should only take a year to get my 20,000mAh from 33% to 50%. been 10 days I just know im gonna get to 34% today I can feel it.
I liked the demo and approach. Do you know why The Amazon panel drops its voltage so much? What can we learn from this when comparing other brands and manufacturing techniques?
Fine review. I was looking for a review of the Power Film and this was a good comparison with a cheaper model. Now to find out how to design a system for my icom 705 so I can get the right power film solar set up. Thanks a lot !!
Specifically for the 705, you might consider the PowerFilm Lightsaver Max amzn.to/31aPITF I have heard a lot of great things about them. It includes everything you need in one package.
I had seen the 100 and 60 watt versions for some time now. This is the review I was needing to pull the trigger. I will someday get the power film 60 watt folder (not roller), but this can power some today
I have the 60 watt powerfilm panel and I love it. Lightweight and rugged, it is hard to beat. Unfortunately, you are going to pay the price, but you get what you pay for. It really shines when you are in a wooded area and you are dealing with shadows.
Great stuff, Jason. I am close to picking an ultra light/compact solar panel for man portable, multi day backpacking trips. Julian, OH8STN, has been using PowerFilm products for awhile, so I'm leaning in that direction. Thanks for the comparison. 73 de KT1RUN.
I love the powerfilm that I have owned for a couple of years. It is a great panel but for those that don't have the budget or won't splurge on a powerfilm, this is a pretty good alternative.
Please tell me how to use the tp accessories..I love the panels.. I bought TP 100 solarpanels..for my jackery 160 ...I only need it for my cellphone and tablet and my quadcopter battery no heavy duty work.....I was charging my jackery 160 with my scooter when I'm riding around the city...didn't buy a solar panel for 3 years.....but one day I charge my tablet and phone with my scooter battery ignition turned off.......drained the battery on the scooter...it was a small battery or a bad battery .....I was thinking next time I'm" jammed!!? up like that hook some alligator clips to the small scooter battery and get a solar charge on it......but there's a problem ? the instructions on the T P accessories....this step down module that's in the bag is used for ?...instructions video please!?😟😕⁉️
The only way these 2 panels are the same is that they’re both foldable solar panels. Pv film and crystalline cells do not perform the same. Also, they are different wattages. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
TP Solar would be good for an unobstructed POTA site next to your picnic table. Take the Powerfilm for those SOTA expeditions. BTW, don't try to use a TP Link for solar. It does not work very well, but you can use it for WIFI, LOL
lol youre saying tp link had me laughing with your comments written on screen. You were thinking of the tp link routers or switches. I probably would've done the same.
Never seen a buddipole power mini ($150) before... Used with radio equipment, that explains the anderson connections... Too bad you don't use the string to get panels close to sun angles...
Great video.. Durability, look how flimsy the TP panel is held together. Also what weather conditions are you going to use it in. Power Films rollable panels are waterproof. Look at Julian's OH8STN's Survival Tech Nord videos on reviews as well. ruclips.net/video/hiA9C9H9GQk/видео.html
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
One thing to note with the cheap solar panels is that the panels outputs into the charging box (buck convertor ) then to the usb port as well as the barrel connector. You're not getting direct output to the barrel connector, you're getting a regulated voltage. You're better off dismantling the charging box and soldering powerpoles, with an extension lead, directly to the solar panels. A slight improvement in performance with an increase in reliability. One advantage of monocrystalline, polycrystalline panels (TP solar) is that for a given wattage they will always have a smaller surface area than thin-film solar panels (Powerfilm) . Another great educational video Jason. Lance VK6LMK
Thanks for the info Lance. I might try to take off the charging box at some point in the future.
@@KM4ACK Not sure about the TP solar panel but my panels barrel connector was regulated to output 19V, perfect for laptops. Those cheap panels are design as laptop/ mobile phone chargers. That row of connectors which came with the panel will fit all the different styles of laptops, that weird yellow one you commented on in the video, its for lenovo laptops. I would never use one as a mobile device charger but great as a cheap panel for us hams ;-)
2:10 The rectangular connector on the end is for Lenovo laptops. I have two laptops with that connector.
Thanks for another great video!
73 - VE3KLT
Very nice real-world comparison.
A couple of notes, though.
Square footage efficiency is much better with the TP panels, and if limited in square footage availability I'd pick the TP.
If I were to have one destroyed or fail, I'd rather have to replace the TP panel ( or I could have 3 times the amount of capacity for redundancy )...
Having only three of something it’s not redundancy at all redundancy is more like having at least 10 to 15 of the same thing. One is none two is one 3 is Che-ap, 4 is poor, 5 is sore, 6 is sticks, 7 is pleasant, 8 is great, 9 is divine 10 is plen-ty.
Thanks for the video! Just pulled the trigger and ordered one.
Have you tested the Bioenno solar panels? I have a couple of the 28w foldable units. They are much heavier than the PowerFilm 30w but are less than half the cost. They also have the USB charge port, but I don't think I will ever use that. If I want USB charging, I'll either pull that from the PowerMini or have a buck converter that can charge from the battery.
If you do any further follow-up testing I would be interested in how they compare after heating up. My understanding is there is some loss in efficiency as the cells heat up, so the products might behave differently in their cold vs hot performance or in the heat retention characteristics of the panels themselves.
That rectangle plug that looks almost like a USB-A is what I have on my Lenovo T440 laptop power supply
Great video Jason. I was quite surprised at the 52% reduction in output with just your hand covering a small portion of the panel.
Likewise, that was crazy!! It must boil down to the circuitry of the panels, and from memory, PowerFilm goes into this on their website, whereby they point out that they have wired each little cell in such a way that covering the adjacent cells doesn't cause a cascaded drop in energy-gathering efficiency...
Powerfilm sure is proud of their thin film CIGS products. I would go with the monocrystalline silicon technology especially considering you get 6 times the wattage for the same price..... I would be interested to see how powerfilm holds up over time. I know the silicon pv cells can last for a couple of decades.
I still think its a no brainer. The power film 30Watt @$300 gives 1.17Ahr shaded. The TP 60Watt@$100 gives within a gnats cock the same output. Two ways to look at that: You've spent less money, get the same out put in the shade, ie no worse off, but for a few hours most likely you have had twice the input current out of the TP. Win win. The other is, buy two. Still less than than a power film 30watt. You now have 4 times the output current in full sun and double the output of the power film partially shaded. You also have a back up panel and saved one hundred bucks to put toward that new shiny Icom 705. I wouldn't get too hung up over that difference in shaded conditions. That just leaves the unknown and thats longevity, but not forgetting you already have a spare if you went the buy two route.
Thanks for the review, its 16 vs 31w. so even with shading TP shows similar to PowerFilm results, interesting.
Can the tp panel be used to charge the power film faster via 12v? Thinking the TP would be good for base camp and the power film is good for on the move. Would be nice to use both to charge batteries faster.
You can use them both in parallel to charge faster. Just don’t connect them in series.
Great video as always! I have very much appreciated your content. I am taking my exams online next week and look forward to perhaps making a contact with you one day!
It must boil down to the circuitry of the panels, and from memory, PowerFilm goes into this on their website, whereby they point out that they have wired each little cell in such a way that covering the adjacent cells doesn't cause a cascading drop in energy-gathering efficiency...
One other test I’d like to see is if the China-panel will still function if it is damaged and some of the cells are destroyed.
Didn't test it but I would say that it will not function if some cells are destroyed. The powerfilm on the other hand will still perform at a reduced capacity.
"Orientated" is not a word. "Oriented" is just fine. Just picking on you, thanks so much for your content!
Thanks for the review. I would have liked to hear more about what features the TP has. For example one usb port is a higher voltage for charging vehicle batteries. I agree the connectors were mostly junk with tiny wire gauge, but there was a lot of flexibility in the $100 that was glossed over for simple performance comparison. I was just given the 100w version... looking forward to how it does for mobile ops and my 6ah Miady lifepo4!
Yeah I got a 10watt Renogy USB I have yet to see passed 1.8watt on a perfect day less than with my USB tester. so 2 watts max in my window and yes my window is clean at this rate should only take a year to get my 20,000mAh from 33% to 50%. been 10 days I just know im gonna get to 34% today I can feel it.
I liked the demo and approach. Do you know why The Amazon panel drops its voltage so much? What can we learn from this when comparing other brands and manufacturing techniques?
Fine review. I was looking for a review of the Power Film and this was a good comparison with a cheaper model.
Now to find out how to design a system for my icom 705 so I can get the right power film solar set up. Thanks a lot !!
Specifically for the 705, you might consider the PowerFilm Lightsaver Max amzn.to/31aPITF I have heard a lot of great things about them. It includes everything you need in one package.
I had seen the 100 and 60 watt versions for some time now. This is the review I was needing to pull the trigger. I will someday get the power film 60 watt folder (not roller), but this can power some today
I have the 60 watt powerfilm panel and I love it. Lightweight and rugged, it is hard to beat. Unfortunately, you are going to pay the price, but you get what you pay for. It really shines when you are in a wooded area and you are dealing with shadows.
Is the different shade vs sun performance related directly to the construction of the two panels? What are they each made of? Thanks!
So now the question would be is there a different power drop based on which subpanel section is covered by your hand?
I don't think so. From past experience covering roughly the same portion of any section of the panel will produce the same loss.
Great stuff, Jason. I am close to picking an ultra light/compact solar panel for man portable, multi day backpacking trips. Julian, OH8STN, has been using PowerFilm products for awhile, so I'm leaning in that direction. Thanks for the comparison. 73 de KT1RUN.
I love the powerfilm that I have owned for a couple of years. It is a great panel but for those that don't have the budget or won't splurge on a powerfilm, this is a pretty good alternative.
@@KM4ACK Great point. It's great to have a budget friendly alternative.
Great review. The comparison was really good.
Please tell me how to use the tp accessories..I love the panels.. I bought TP 100 solarpanels..for my jackery 160 ...I only need it for my cellphone and tablet and my quadcopter battery no heavy duty work.....I was charging my jackery 160 with my scooter when I'm riding around the city...didn't buy a solar panel for 3 years.....but one day I charge my tablet and phone with my scooter battery ignition turned off.......drained the battery on the scooter...it was a small battery or a bad battery .....I was thinking next time I'm" jammed!!? up like that hook some alligator clips to the small scooter battery and get a solar charge on it......but there's a problem ? the instructions on the T P accessories....this step down module that's in the bag is used for ?...instructions video please!?😟😕⁉️
Great test and good info for actual use.👍. Keep up the good work
Great video man!
Thanks.
Just ordered this and the buddipole mini. Building a go kit with a G90, hope to have it ready to go for field day. 73. N9SAN
Thanks! Very helpful.
Another great video! I definitely want a good solar panel for emcomms! 👍🏻
The only way these 2 panels are the same is that they’re both foldable solar panels. Pv film and crystalline cells do not perform the same. Also, they are different wattages. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.
TP Solar would be good for an unobstructed POTA site next to your picnic table. Take the Powerfilm for those SOTA expeditions. BTW, don't try to use a TP Link for solar. It does not work very well, but you can use it for WIFI, LOL
What's the (affiliate) link for the PowerFilm panel?
amzn.to/3m7zDWR (affiliate link) THANKS for taking the time to ask. It really helps to support the channel. 73, de KM4ACK
lol youre saying tp link had me laughing with your comments written on screen. You were thinking of the tp link routers or switches. I probably would've done the same.
Can the TP be placed in series with another panel?
I tried it in parallel with my powerfilm and it worked fine but didn't try a series connection because the two panels are different sizes.
Never seen a buddipole power mini ($150) before...
Used with radio equipment, that explains the anderson connections...
Too bad you don't use the string to get panels close to sun angles...
How about price of both
TP Solar amzn.to/3gKe8dL (affiliate link) is $110 and the PowerFilm is ~$350.
@@KM4ACK ok that's not to bad thanks for the info
Can they be left outside?
While the Amazon listing indicates that the TP solar panels are water resistant, I doubt it would be a good idea to leave them outside long term.
@@KM4ACK Good I was just thinking for a power outage for a couple of hours.
Great information. Exactly what I wanted. "Chi-nez-eim" Awesome
Haha, 'Chinesium'..
Next video should be TP Solar vs TP Link. Hahahaha... Sorry for my joke
Great review Jason ...Just purchase one. John Limanowski N9DNB
The one connector you said you didn't know what it was belongs to a line of Lenovo laptops
Thank you for calling junk, junk. Too many do not.
So 30W panel is really 17W and 60W one is only 35W......
Fantastic review!
You buy a product, then thow half of it away?
Great info Jason 👍👏👏
Good video 👍
Chud M1PUP QTH London
Stop costing me money!!! :-)
Great
Great video.. Durability, look how flimsy the TP panel is held together. Also what weather conditions are you going to use it in. Power Films rollable panels are waterproof. Look at Julian's OH8STN's Survival Tech Nord videos on reviews as well. ruclips.net/video/hiA9C9H9GQk/видео.html
chinesium LOL
comercial every 3 minutes..
Excellent information, thank you!