Wow, that is a great unit. It seems that if you want to use a genset to charge the Anker while the Anker is outputting 240 VAC & 120VAC, then you'll just need to install an AC to DC converter to convert your genset AC power to DC power (i.e. to simulate Solar Charging input for your Anker unit).
I'm probably the only living human being living on the Florida Coast without a solar system... I've got a gas generator, and obviously have had to use it MANY times during hurricanes. I've wanted a solar system for years, but couldn't afford a large enough one... This might be great as my gas generator will charge the solar battery when needed, and I don't have to worry about it being stolen.
@@Lordsheva80 It's been good for me, however, 2 years ago, we had hurricane IAN which took out 2 bridges and destroyed the power for many days! I only had about 15 gals of gas, and without power, obviously we couldn't pump gas. Fortunately, my car was full, and I was able to syphon it. I would love to get a solar system with a battery large enough to power an AC unit in one room so we can sleep nights, and I don't have to stay up to watch for generator thieves! {They stole the police generator being used for traffic Control lights}!! 🙄
Not an awful value, but I put in a 14kwh , 6kw solar inverter backup system for about that same price. Now it's just raw LFP cells on a shelf, so not nearly as clean packaging. But a big unit like that You're not very likely to move it around much anyway, I wouldn't think. I've got a small bluetti portable unit if I need it.
What unique about them is that they sell a bazillion chargers for phones, etc which gives them an advantage for pricing as they can probably share tech, engineering, etc that cross over into this space.
You clearly didnt hear about the security issues with EUFY then, a company they own, that made home cameras with an easily accessed backdoor that allowed anyone with a fucking URL link to LIVE VIEW YOUR CAMERA FEED! After that, their refusal to acknowledge the problem, and then their refusal to apologize for it after being called out, id recommend never buying their shit again.
@@SilverCymbal Dont forget their unique ownership of a security camera brand that lets random ass strangers view your live camera feed with a fucking URL link. Dont know what im talking about? google the EUFY vulnerability.
The 240v output is nice, however the 25a limit reduces the use cases for this unit. It certainly won't act as a "whole house" power backup in a larger, modern home in a southern area during the warmer seasons. Nice emergency UPS, but crippled capacity compared to Tesla or EcoFlow Delta Pro.
The 25A limit on the backup load side of the HPP is only if you have 1 F3800. If you have 2 F3800s, you can double the backup load output to 50A max. But when used for grid-on Time of Use, it's derated between 1.9 KW to up to 6 KW going on 1.9 KW increment for each 3.8 KWH capacity.
I appreciate that, I would never, ever buy a new Snapon box and nowadays the harbor freight Icon boxes are equal or better than Snap On. I was lucky to buy that Snap On box 15 years ago I paid $2500 which is still a lot, but it was a $14k box! The person I bought it from got it as an anniversary gift 10 years earlier, covered it and never used it. he was a plumber and said he couldn't bring himself to dirtying it. I drove hours to get that thing as it was always a dream to get one, but as you get older (now) I like snap on hand tools a lot but there are such better options for tools and boxes that Snap On isn't really worth the extra money any more. Long answer but there is the history.
This is promising. I like anker overall based on much more basic products of theirs I've used. I don't think this would be the right product for me. However, it does get me excited for what they evolve this into. A few comments in here are pessimistic towards it but this is ankers entry into the game and it seems to be a pretty good one. Rarely does a company go full bore into a product line and dominate the market. They typically tip toe in enough to be competitive and get attention but don't invest too heavily incase it doesn't take off. Plus but starting off easy it allows them to quickly identify market wants and reconfigure to that without wasting a ton of resources into things that don't work. It also allows them to scale up as a marketing angle because the next product they can say how much better it is than the last one rather than peak instantly and then go stale for a few years until the next real big revelation comes along. So while i don't love this product for my needs i like where this is hopefully headed.
My one gripe with this system (and to be fair this is unfortunately the same with most of the commercial battery backup systems) is that I don't want one that has the inverter and battery integrated into a single unit; I really want them as separate units. A) This would make it easier to buy in parts, and B) it gives me more redundancy. Ideally I want something where I can have multiple batteries AND multiple inverters, that way in case something breaks, I have a backup, especially since as Murphy's law implies, the most likely time a battery or inverter breaks, will be during a time when you need it most. Unfortunately I haven't found anything that really meets my criteria, short of just buying the individual rackmount components, which is what I was hoping to avoid in the first place.
The F3800 inverter in this setup only has 1 3.8KWH battery integrated with it. The other 6 BP3800 expansion batteries that can be added on to this F3800 inverter are completely separate. If you want inverter redundancy, get 2 F3800s and you can now add up to 12 BP3800 expansion batteries to both of them. That should give plenty of redundancy for you.
I appreciate the video, but I'm one of those that will still complain about price. For half the price of that unit, I can get a quality, tri-fuel, generator that will output a continuous 43amp at 240V or 87amp at 120V. Batteries run out. The generator will run forever on gasoline, propane, or natural gas. Before anyone gets upset with me, I like battery generators. They have their place (silent, no exhaust, always ready, [expensive] solar charging, etc) and I'd like to own one. I don't like the hype or expense. It's a ton of money for limited use. Personally, I paid $200 (amazing deal) for a quality 3300watt continuous (4000W starting), 120V, generator that has gotten me through moderate (2 day) outages, similar to what a much more expensive battery generator would have gotten me through. The only thing it won't do is power my central air. I need to pick up a portable AC. :)
@@claraqi623OMG, it's $1300! I guess EcoFlow is accustomed to charging absurd sums of money. More insane is that there's an audience out there that is accustomed to paying absurd sums of money.
@@Dharmarenee You provided another example of where battery generators have their place. That's why I don't discount any solution completely. It doesn't make sense for me, but it does for you.
In just a few short years from now, the new gen will be laughing at us that we had to wheel our power around on a trolley, and plug in a tower worth to provide home back-up. Exciting how fast this LiFePO4 evolution is progressing 😊
An electrician told me this device can't power a 3.5 ton AC unit because it lacks the wattage necessary. Is this true? The startup wattage is typically around 13,000 watts says the electrician. What device will be able to power my AC unit during an outage?
Any/most AC generators except for the biggest ones cannot handle the in-rush current of a central AC compressor. Your electrician should have known better to also tell you that for backup generators to run central AC units, usually a soft start device needs to be installed on the compressor side of the HVAC. The F3800 has a 6000W power output and it should be able to power a 4 to 5 ton AC unit AS LONG AS the AC unit has a soft starter installed. The question is how long it can run a 3.5 ton AC unit in a power outage. Its 3.8 KWH capacity can probably run it for only 1 hour, unless you have more expansion batteries added, to run it up to 7 continuous hours with an F3800 and 6 expansion batteries.
If you used this 100 times per year, which is a lot of power outages. That batteries would hold 90% of their original capacity for 30 years. These are Lithium Iron Phosphate. Now the bigger problem is will the electronics last that long? These are all concerns of course but by their specs the batteries should provide very long life.
Yes if you go to 4:14 you will see a little link pop up. I spent years trying to find the right light at the right price. These are lithonia, a REAL brand and the reason these are awesome is you can get them at a great price there, they have adjustable color and brightness so they can match other bulbs or pick what yuou like best all in one fixcture and they are sealed for the leds, so no bugs inside, super bright and they are impact reistent. I have bought 7 of these and I have never found a better or more capable light.
@@SilverCymbal thanks but $200 is too much. That wont save me any money and i don’t like integrated bulbs. I like to be able to replace bulbs, not entire units.
You’re lucky. I’m in the PNW and we’ve lost power twice this year alone (substation fire, and a car accident took down power pole blacking out the neighborhood)… and it’s only March 😭
@@Fabulousprofound168 We have been lucky. The 5 hour was actually all in one day here (-35 day) otherwise only momentary blips is all anyone can recall. Certainly all thinking about it now.
The sound level varies but for about 90% of the testing and use it was silent. Eventually a fan turned on but only during charging and you can hear it, but it was about the same fan noise as a quieter bathroom fan. Again though this was for a very short amount of time though.
I agree, none of these are cheap but until this year the cheapest 120v/240v power station was $5k so at least the prices are heading in the right directio
And then one needs to add the gizmo for attaching it to your panel and then the electrician to come out and make it all play nice with one another. So, maybe close to $4,000 or $4,500? I'm looking to get a generator for my house, but I already have a propane supply, so I am probably go with that option.
Really, a Uber to Mia from Pinecrest cost $60. 3k to have power during a hurricane induced power outage seems like a good deal to me, people need to stop complaining about Florida. You can always move to a fly over state like Kansas, when you get beach front views you get beach front problems
Would rather buy a tri fuel 7500w generator for a third the price of this, hook It up to use the natural gas in your home and you’re golden forever. No need to worry about the battery going bad. Who cares about the noise as long as you have power in an emergency.
Good video, but the Anker F3800 system is decent, but they essentially have no customer service. Each call or chat takes hours and each response it automatic and says they will reply in 2 days... even for the most basic questions. So unless you're a solar expert, don't count on ANKER for any help unless you have a ton of patience.
Love your videos. Curious; any way to lay this on its side in your airstream and use some sort of internal 50am retrofitted plug for boon docking discreetly? Only obstacle seems to be adding the additional battery on the one side (just looking at it)
Yes you would have to charge via solar or take it offline and cgarge with a gas generator. In some locations having it run silently through the night is a big advantage though.
give this and the Ecoflow DPU another year or so - we're going to see a huge price drop, and an increase in capacity. Seems logical there will be more people considering full-time off-grid realistically in another couple years. 240v and modular.
Yes, 2 F3800 with the HPP will give up to 50A max on the backup load side during a grid outage. However, if used for grid-on Time of Use mode, the power output will be derated by Anker to 6 KW total instead of 12 KW total.
Can the 50A outlet be connected to a home transfer switch? The very limited info I can find (not on their website) says it's for an EV. That would be a waste. What the amperage of the proprietary home connector? I'm trying to determine if I can bring 50A into my home with a single unit.
The 'car charging' mode bonds the neutral and ground on the 240v output so it can charge an EV. It's enabled with a double press of the AC button. The F3800 can put out 25 amps of power at 240v, or 6000w continuous. You'll need their smart home panel and two units to get double that 50 amps. I use mine with a transfer switch without an issue.
@@Jasonoid thanks. I'm still looking for a solution for 50A to my house. That should allow us to run the A/C and work from home in the summer during our lovely brown out season.
I'm about to rent a house so I can't do any electrical work. I have a car lift which runs 30 amp off of the 120v outlet. I currently run it off a 20 amp outlet and it works but sometimes flips the breaker. Will this f3800 put that kind of amperage power out?
My area has blackouts sometimes for 6-48 hours. Batteries just aren’t practical. 17KW generac with automatic transfer switch makes more sense. Whole house. Fire and forget. Can run for a week before needing an oil change.
You had me at UPS, but I caught that caveat about 240v. So my question is why do I care about 240v? (Showing my ignorance.) If I could plug this in such that it provides backup to my condo for those annoying 2-3min. brownouts/flickers, I'd be satisfied. But I'm getting the guessing that something like the refrigerator or the hot water tank is the problem you were inferring, right?
Contrary to popular belief, US homes are 240V. I won't bore you with the details (even your 120V appliances are run from a 240V system), but it means that if you really want to properly power your full home in an outage, a 240V generator is the correct choice. This comes from someone who manages to do just fine with a 120V generator.
@@goosedeathable OK, but I'll keep it short. If you want detail, there are youtubers that will do a much better job than myself. 240V is coming into your house. That 240V is divided into dual 120V segments. In your breaker box, every other breaker 'slot' is one of those two segments. A 120V breaker uses one of those slots. A 240V breaker uses two of those slots. Two adjoining 120V breakers are out of phase with each other. If you want a generator to properly feed your breaker box, it needs to be 240V in order to cover those combinations. If you use a 120V breaker, naturally you can't run 240V appliance. However, you also can't (legally) feed the breaker box and run both segments.
Just one fridge for 1.5 days? That sucks, then it's a no for me! I have 2 refrigerators and now in CA Newsom engages in rolling blackouts throughout the summer that can last for 3-5 days.@@SilverCymbal
Ya right! Take a guess on how much you think I'm willing to spend on solar panels?Considering I won't spend 3K+ on a battery pack to keep my two refrigerator/freezers going for a couple of days.@@trevorritchie2575
The backup load side sub panel is optional. If you just want grid-on Time of Use operation, you can opt out of having a sub panel on the backup load side. Just connect to the grid side's main panel via a circuit breaker and the AC Coupling will drive the main panel during peak hours, or work in conjunction with a load-side-tap AC coupled solar system to optimize self consumption of the solar power generated.
I wonder if someone could make an AC to DC power supply at the right voltage and with the right plug to charge via the solar plug while discharging at 240v
There are plenty of AC to DC switching power supplies you can buy to do this. I have 2 of these that is rated at 60V 25A 1500W each to supply my F3800's 2 solar input. They each deliver 1150W into each solar input, darn close to the 1200W spec. The only drawback is that they're not very efficient. You can easily have a 35% efficiency loss this way. But it's better than nothing.
Been wanting to pull the trigger on the Eco Flo but keep hearing horror stories about customer support. When this thing comes out with pass through charging I’m in.
Hi I was just listening to the video and I thought he said you can charge it while running (120) or you can charge it with solar as well...did I hear that wrong ??
@@brianruckert9389 You can charge it with 120vac while outputting 120vac. But you can't charge it via 120vac while outputting 240vac. You can charge it viua DC/Solar while outputting 120vac or 240vac. Hopefully this is helpful.
Functionally they are roughly the same, but the ecoflow allows 120v charging while outputting 240v and that can be a huge deal, if you want to charge with a small generator while running. But even with my coupon the Ecoflow is $5199. Compared to the Anker for $2999 its a huge price difference, so if you can live without the 120v charging it's honestly a bargain at that price. It's amazing that this stuff barely existed just a few years ago and now we are at a point where we can do full output on these. Crazy!
You can input 2400 watts on each F3800 so it can be 4800 at max. But if you need more than that, the Ecoflow Delta Ultra would be a better choice as it has insane solar input ability. th-cam.com/video/2K9mlryo8lI/w-d-xo.html
@@simon359 Agreed, Apollo designed their systems really for all solar operation. The AC is not their strongpoing but they told me 90% of their customers don't even use AC so that can be a great option for big off grid power systems.
Misleading title: "Cheapest 240v Generator" when the opening lines state that "you have 6 x 120v outlets" with ONE 240v... that makes this power station predominantly 120v - for use in America only, because here 240v has been the default since 1938 😅
Your 220v European single phase. We have split phase 240v, its very different, and its a huge deal that we are getting these. Not saying its better but its not clickbait and its a huge deal for us since it requires double inverters to work,
Not European, am Australian. I think we have multi-phase (3) installed for the last twenty or more years. Aus/NZ have excellent electrical standards that I think even EU and Nth America are adopting...slowly.
Cheap is right. I would never install one of these low budget high frequency, transformerless solar generators in my home. They offer much poorer peak power (surge) capacities as well as a shorter life expectancies than longer lived, higher peak power capacity, low frequency, transformer based inverter chargers. And without a transformer to provide galvanic isolation between the DC boost stage and its AC output, they're not as safe as low frequency inverters.
You are drawing less than 3kw and it can only sustain for 2.5hr. This is not a practical backup solution. It wouldn’t sustain you through a single day power outage.
Yes agreed, we just had an ice storm here, power was out just after this video for 2 days. Bright and sunny both days, so initially the battery would carry you, but if you had solar you could add additiional charge. No backup solution will be right in every situation, I always reccomend if you can having a secondary if you are in a cold climate especially or at least backup heat. If I wasn't testing I woudl have run only my pellet stove and some lights which woudl extend it further.
I enjoyed the humor. A natural gas fueled generator can also run for much longer. But generators have their own problems. For my home, where get a number of power outages, and they can last up to 7 days, NG generator is tier one backup, EV battery is tier two. But if neither is practical, these battery generators make sense for shorter power outages. Hopefully prices keep coming down.
@@laxtimercomi run on 1500W inverter on 40 kWh EV battery as primary, and 3000W tri fuel natural gas/propane/gasoline inverter generator as backup if i need more power, but if I'm going to run the generator, I'll be using 50% to recharge the EV battery if I need to so I can shut it down at night!
It’s cheaper than having something installed but more expensive than buying a dedicated set of batteries and inverters for the power. As part of a solar quote I was given a quote of about 10K for 5kWh of battery with a 3.8kW maximum load capacity. This included all the overhead, hardware, permitting, etc. the Anker is cheaper and more capable than that and skips the permitting requirements in my area (if you skip the transfer component). Not the best solution for all situations but I think it’s more competitive than other solutions advertised. That said, it doesn’t seem to be ideal for a home solar or backup setup. It’s probably best if you just need to add backup or power to a shed/garage that lacks capacity.
Now you don't really believe that right? What about apps, who makes it, 240v integrated, warranty, size, expansion. It's like saying only mpg between two trucks is all that matters.
Do you mean the inlet? Thats universal, at least for generators, work with battery systems or gas. Here is when I installed it: th-cam.com/video/pPMm0reEBPM/w-d-xo.html
The Anker is now the cheapest power station in the US with 120volt & 240volt - $2999 for the next 10 days: amzn.to/49dvTLZ
still expensive
Wow, that is a great unit.
It seems that if you want to use a genset to charge the Anker while the Anker is outputting 240 VAC & 120VAC, then you'll just need to install an AC to DC converter to convert your genset AC power to DC power (i.e. to simulate Solar Charging input for your Anker unit).
Its $3,499 how do i buy it for $2,999?
I'm probably the only living human being living on the Florida Coast without a solar system... I've got a gas generator, and obviously have had to use it MANY times during hurricanes. I've wanted a solar system for years, but couldn't afford a large enough one... This might be great as my gas generator will charge the solar battery when needed, and I don't have to worry about it being stolen.
Remember you cannot charge it with the 120v port while using 240v output. You would have to feed it DC.
I wonder if you can recharge it with a non-invertor (high THD) type of gas generator?
@@Lordsheva80
It's been good for me, however, 2 years ago, we had hurricane IAN which took out 2 bridges and destroyed the power for many days! I only had about 15 gals of gas, and without power, obviously we couldn't pump gas. Fortunately, my car was full, and I was able to syphon it. I would love to get a solar system with a battery large enough to power an AC unit in one room so we can sleep nights, and I don't have to stay up to watch for generator thieves! {They stole the police generator being used for traffic Control lights}!! 🙄
Love in Miami. I just got a generac 26 kWh and will be getting this Solix just to supplement other units such as my fridge.
Wish you could run batteries on a whole house auto transfer switch rather than a sub panel and having to love your circuits to it.
Not an awful value, but I put in a 14kwh , 6kw solar inverter backup system for about that same price. Now it's just raw LFP cells on a shelf, so not nearly as clean packaging. But a big unit like that You're not very likely to move it around much anyway, I wouldn't think. I've got a small bluetti portable unit if I need it.
I love Anker. Also, their customer service is the best in my experience.
What unique about them is that they sell a bazillion chargers for phones, etc which gives them an advantage for pricing as they can probably share tech, engineering, etc that cross over into this space.
You clearly didnt hear about the security issues with EUFY then, a company they own, that made home cameras with an easily accessed backdoor that allowed anyone with a fucking URL link to LIVE VIEW YOUR CAMERA FEED! After that, their refusal to acknowledge the problem, and then their refusal to apologize for it after being called out, id recommend never buying their shit again.
@@SilverCymbal Dont forget their unique ownership of a security camera brand that lets random ass strangers view your live camera feed with a fucking URL link. Dont know what im talking about? google the EUFY vulnerability.
Thank You for supporting Clean Energy and All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤
Looks like a good value, thanks for the review! 👍
The 240v output is nice, however the 25a limit reduces the use cases for this unit. It certainly won't act as a "whole house" power backup in a larger, modern home in a southern area during the warmer seasons.
Nice emergency UPS, but crippled capacity compared to Tesla or EcoFlow Delta Pro.
The 25A limit on the backup load side of the HPP is only if you have 1 F3800. If you have 2 F3800s, you can double the backup load output to 50A max. But when used for grid-on Time of Use, it's derated between 1.9 KW to up to 6 KW going on 1.9 KW increment for each 3.8 KWH capacity.
Little off topic but I'm surprised to see a snap-on box for what I consider a budget friendly channel
I appreciate that, I would never, ever buy a new Snapon box and nowadays the harbor freight Icon boxes are equal or better than Snap On. I was lucky to buy that Snap On box 15 years ago I paid $2500 which is still a lot, but it was a $14k box! The person I bought it from got it as an anniversary gift 10 years earlier, covered it and never used it. he was a plumber and said he couldn't bring himself to dirtying it. I drove hours to get that thing as it was always a dream to get one, but as you get older (now) I like snap on hand tools a lot but there are such better options for tools and boxes that Snap On isn't really worth the extra money any more. Long answer but there is the history.
@@SilverCymbal haha. I figured there would be a good reason and that hefty discount definitely explains it.
@@SilverCymbalcouldn’t bring himself to dirty it 😂
Been there
This is promising. I like anker overall based on much more basic products of theirs I've used. I don't think this would be the right product for me. However, it does get me excited for what they evolve this into. A few comments in here are pessimistic towards it but this is ankers entry into the game and it seems to be a pretty good one. Rarely does a company go full bore into a product line and dominate the market. They typically tip toe in enough to be competitive and get attention but don't invest too heavily incase it doesn't take off. Plus but starting off easy it allows them to quickly identify market wants and reconfigure to that without wasting a ton of resources into things that don't work. It also allows them to scale up as a marketing angle because the next product they can say how much better it is than the last one rather than peak instantly and then go stale for a few years until the next real big revelation comes along. So while i don't love this product for my needs i like where this is hopefully headed.
SC do you keep all these units that you test? Because by now you should have enough backup batteries to last a looooong time 😆
My one gripe with this system (and to be fair this is unfortunately the same with most of the commercial battery backup systems) is that I don't want one that has the inverter and battery integrated into a single unit; I really want them as separate units. A) This would make it easier to buy in parts, and B) it gives me more redundancy.
Ideally I want something where I can have multiple batteries AND multiple inverters, that way in case something breaks, I have a backup, especially since as Murphy's law implies, the most likely time a battery or inverter breaks, will be during a time when you need it most. Unfortunately I haven't found anything that really meets my criteria, short of just buying the individual rackmount components, which is what I was hoping to avoid in the first place.
The F3800 inverter in this setup only has 1 3.8KWH battery integrated with it. The other 6 BP3800 expansion batteries that can be added on to this F3800 inverter are completely separate. If you want inverter redundancy, get 2 F3800s and you can now add up to 12 BP3800 expansion batteries to both of them. That should give plenty of redundancy for you.
I appreciate the video, but I'm one of those that will still complain about price. For half the price of that unit, I can get a quality, tri-fuel, generator that will output a continuous 43amp at 240V or 87amp at 120V. Batteries run out. The generator will run forever on gasoline, propane, or natural gas.
Before anyone gets upset with me, I like battery generators. They have their place (silent, no exhaust, always ready, [expensive] solar charging, etc) and I'd like to own one. I don't like the hype or expense. It's a ton of money for limited use. Personally, I paid $200 (amazing deal) for a quality 3300watt continuous (4000W starting), 120V, generator that has gotten me through moderate (2 day) outages, similar to what a much more expensive battery generator would have gotten me through. The only thing it won't do is power my central air. I need to pick up a portable AC. :)
EcoFlow has their portable AC named WAVE2 :)))
@@claraqi623OMG, it's $1300! I guess EcoFlow is accustomed to charging absurd sums of money. More insane is that there's an audience out there that is accustomed to paying absurd sums of money.
I do not have a safe space for a gas generator and since I live in a 1300 square ft. condo this is the available option for me.
@@Dharmarenee You provided another example of where battery generators have their place. That's why I don't discount any solution completely. It doesn't make sense for me, but it does for you.
@@BillyBobDingledorf Thank you for acknowledging, having different options/solutions is always a plus.
I'm more into the wall mounted batteries, but competition is good.
In just a few short years from now, the new gen will be laughing at us that we had to wheel our power around on a trolley, and plug in a tower worth to provide home back-up. Exciting how fast this LiFePO4 evolution is progressing 😊
An electrician told me this device can't power a 3.5 ton AC unit because it lacks the wattage necessary. Is this true? The startup wattage is typically around 13,000 watts says the electrician. What device will be able to power my AC unit during an outage?
Any/most AC generators except for the biggest ones cannot handle the in-rush current of a central AC compressor. Your electrician should have known better to also tell you that for backup generators to run central AC units, usually a soft start device needs to be installed on the compressor side of the HVAC. The F3800 has a 6000W power output and it should be able to power a 4 to 5 ton AC unit AS LONG AS the AC unit has a soft starter installed. The question is how long it can run a 3.5 ton AC unit in a power outage. Its 3.8 KWH capacity can probably run it for only 1 hour, unless you have more expansion batteries added, to run it up to 7 continuous hours with an F3800 and 6 expansion batteries.
What kind of lifespan do these batteries have?
An internal combustion backup can last 20+ years. How long do lithium iron phosphate batteries last before they go below 70% - 80%?
If you used this 100 times per year, which is a lot of power outages. That batteries would hold 90% of their original capacity for 30 years. These are Lithium Iron Phosphate. Now the bigger problem is will the electronics last that long? These are all concerns of course but by their specs the batteries should provide very long life.
Do you have a link to those led lights hanging? We want to replace our garage lights.
Yes if you go to 4:14 you will see a little link pop up. I spent years trying to find the right light at the right price. These are lithonia, a REAL brand and the reason these are awesome is you can get them at a great price there, they have adjustable color and brightness so they can match other bulbs or pick what yuou like best all in one fixcture and they are sealed for the leds, so no bugs inside, super bright and they are impact reistent. I have bought 7 of these and I have never found a better or more capable light.
@@SilverCymbal thanks but $200 is too much. That wont save me any money and i don’t like integrated bulbs. I like to be able to replace bulbs, not entire units.
3.8kwh does not seem like a lot, to be honest
You will definitely need two extra batteries
Definitely I use 20kwh/day
@geraldk9791 Well, I wouldn't buy these for charging your EV but it would be good to throw in the back for backup in case you need 10-20 miles.
They are coming down and it’s starting to get interesting. Where I am in Canada we’ve only lost power a total of 5 hours in 10 years…but it’s coming
You’re lucky. I’m in the PNW and we’ve lost power twice this year alone (substation fire, and a car accident took down power pole blacking out the neighborhood)… and it’s only March 😭
@@Fabulousprofound168 We have been lucky. The 5 hour was actually all in one day here (-35 day) otherwise only momentary blips is all anyone can recall. Certainly all thinking about it now.
My 6500 W Honda generator cost me $ 2600. It runs everything and then something!
Damn! My 4000W Duromax was $200. That's quite a premium for Honda.
How is the noise level in this? Would it disturbe somebody if it was used in the same room? Also is this the Unit with the low Volt VOC?
The sound level varies but for about 90% of the testing and use it was silent. Eventually a fan turned on but only during charging and you can hear it, but it was about the same fan noise as a quieter bathroom fan. Again though this was for a very short amount of time though.
Maybe the cheapest but still unaffordable by most people that are trying to get there selves some sort of backup power
If you got $3G laying around...
I agree, none of these are cheap but until this year the cheapest 120v/240v power station was $5k so at least the prices are heading in the right directio
And then one needs to add the gizmo for attaching it to your panel and then the electrician to come out and make it all play nice with one another. So, maybe close to $4,000 or $4,500? I'm looking to get a generator for my house, but I already have a propane supply, so I am probably go with that option.
Really, a Uber to Mia from Pinecrest cost $60. 3k to have power during a hurricane induced power outage seems like a good deal to me, people need to stop complaining about Florida. You can always move to a fly over state like Kansas, when you get beach front views you get beach front problems
Would rather buy a tri fuel 7500w generator for a third the price of this, hook It up to use the natural gas in your home and you’re golden forever. No need to worry about the battery going bad. Who cares about the noise as long as you have power in an emergency.
@@AznTony360 When gas isn't available because all stations are depleted, what are you going to do to fuel your gas generator?
Good video, but the Anker F3800 system is decent, but they essentially have no customer service. Each call or chat takes hours and each response it automatic and says they will reply in 2 days... even for the most basic questions. So unless you're a solar expert, don't count on ANKER for any help unless you have a ton of patience.
Are the lithium batteries safe inside a dwelling?
Love your videos. Curious; any way to lay this on its side in your airstream and use some sort of internal 50am retrofitted plug for boon docking discreetly? Only obstacle seems to be adding the additional battery on the one side (just looking at it)
Great Video, would this work as a stand alone level 2 charger for an EV? Charge battery during the day and charge EV overnight?
It's definitely not good during an extended outage like several days or so. Once those batteries drain you're dead in the water.
Yes you would have to charge via solar or take it offline and cgarge with a gas generator. In some locations having it run silently through the night is a big advantage though.
The sun shines almost every day
give this and the Ecoflow DPU another year or so - we're going to see a huge price drop, and an increase in capacity. Seems logical there will be more people considering full-time off-grid realistically in another couple years. 240v and modular.
I agree. Having Anker in the game as a real competitor will help a lot.
If you use two on the box will it become 50 amps at 240v? Or still only be 25amps? 25 is too low for me cause I want to be able to charge my EV
Yes, 2 F3800 with the HPP will give up to 50A max on the backup load side during a grid outage. However, if used for grid-on Time of Use mode, the power output will be derated by Anker to 6 KW total instead of 12 KW total.
Can the 50A outlet be connected to a home transfer switch? The very limited info I can find (not on their website) says it's for an EV. That would be a waste.
What the amperage of the proprietary home connector? I'm trying to determine if I can bring 50A into my home with a single unit.
The 'car charging' mode bonds the neutral and ground on the 240v output so it can charge an EV. It's enabled with a double press of the AC button.
The F3800 can put out 25 amps of power at 240v, or 6000w continuous. You'll need their smart home panel and two units to get double that 50 amps.
I use mine with a transfer switch without an issue.
@@Jasonoid thanks. I'm still looking for a solution for 50A to my house. That should allow us to run the A/C and work from home in the summer during our lovely brown out season.
Sobasically it can only run entire house for few hours is that what you're saying?
I'm about to rent a house so I can't do any electrical work. I have a car lift which runs 30 amp off of the 120v outlet. I currently run it off a 20 amp outlet and it works but sometimes flips the breaker. Will this f3800 put that kind of amperage power out?
I’d bet you could output 240v and charge at 120v if you connect it via an adjustable charger through the solar port.
I don't understand why anyone would need to do this anyway...if you have power, usually you already have 240V right?
@@trevorritchie2575
One could recharge the battery(s) with a gas generator in a relatively short time, particularly if connected via 240v.
Yeah, like an EG4 Chargeverter
My area has blackouts sometimes for 6-48 hours. Batteries just aren’t practical. 17KW generac with automatic transfer switch makes more sense. Whole house. Fire and forget. Can run for a week before needing an oil change.
Really? Not even a logical argument. How much did you pay for your Generac, installation, fuel container and delivery?
Plus the maintenance for the generator. And then the noise if in the city.
weekly oil changes if using it? What other maintenance is needed between running it? I assume it runs on natural gas?
just drop 3-6k...sure
Do they have euro standart option, in 220V?
You had me at UPS, but I caught that caveat about 240v. So my question is why do I care about 240v? (Showing my ignorance.) If I could plug this in such that it provides backup to my condo for those annoying 2-3min. brownouts/flickers, I'd be satisfied. But I'm getting the guessing that something like the refrigerator or the hot water tank is the problem you were inferring, right?
Contrary to popular belief, US homes are 240V. I won't bore you with the details (even your 120V appliances are run from a 240V system), but it means that if you really want to properly power your full home in an outage, a 240V generator is the correct choice. This comes from someone who manages to do just fine with a 120V generator.
@@BillyBobDingledorfI’d like the boring details please.
@@goosedeathable OK, but I'll keep it short. If you want detail, there are youtubers that will do a much better job than myself.
240V is coming into your house. That 240V is divided into dual 120V segments. In your breaker box, every other breaker 'slot' is one of those two segments. A 120V breaker uses one of those slots. A 240V breaker uses two of those slots. Two adjoining 120V breakers are out of phase with each other.
If you want a generator to properly feed your breaker box, it needs to be 240V in order to cover those combinations. If you use a 120V breaker, naturally you can't run 240V appliance. However, you also can't (legally) feed the breaker box and run both segments.
About how long would this power a standard refrigerator/freezer combo and a separate freezer?
With just the base system, meaning just ther built in single bttery you could run most fridges for 36-48 hours
Just one fridge for 1.5 days? That sucks, then it's a no for me! I have 2 refrigerators and now in CA Newsom engages in rolling blackouts throughout the summer that can last for 3-5 days.@@SilverCymbal
@@chuckdawitif you live in CA then I'm sure you could greatly extend the runtime with a few solar panels!
Chest freezers use surprisingly little power.
Fridge/freezer combos use a lot more and vary quite a bit depending on design.
Ya right! Take a guess on how much you think I'm willing to spend on solar panels?Considering I won't spend 3K+ on a battery pack to keep my two refrigerator/freezers going for a couple of days.@@trevorritchie2575
Do these type of non permanent batteries qualify for federal incentives?
Does the home panel require the additional smaller critical load box or can it connect direct to my main panel?
The backup load side sub panel is optional. If you just want grid-on Time of Use operation, you can opt out of having a sub panel on the backup load side. Just connect to the grid side's main panel via a circuit breaker and the AC Coupling will drive the main panel during peak hours, or work in conjunction with a load-side-tap AC coupled solar system to optimize self consumption of the solar power generated.
I wonder if someone could make an AC to DC power supply at the right voltage and with the right plug to charge via the solar plug while discharging at 240v
Check out the EG4 Chargeverter
There are plenty of AC to DC switching power supplies you can buy to do this. I have 2 of these that is rated at 60V 25A 1500W each to supply my F3800's 2 solar input. They each deliver 1150W into each solar input, darn close to the 1200W spec. The only drawback is that they're not very efficient. You can easily have a 35% efficiency loss this way. But it's better than nothing.
can you sell power back to the utility?
*I appreciate your efforts to produce your shows, good information; but it would be better if they were at least 15 to 20 minute shows.*
Been wanting to pull the trigger on the Eco Flo but keep hearing horror stories about customer support. When this thing comes out with pass through charging I’m in.
Hi I was just listening to the video and I thought he said you can charge it while running (120) or you can charge it with solar as well...did I hear that wrong ??
@@brianruckert9389 The 220 kicks off when plugged into the grid. The 110 still puts out.
@@brianruckert9389 You can charge it with 120vac while outputting 120vac. But you can't charge it via 120vac while outputting 240vac. You can charge it viua DC/Solar while outputting 120vac or 240vac. Hopefully this is helpful.
@@SilverCymbal thanks for replying. I enjoy your shows they are informative and direct
battery cap aside: as good as / better than / worst than, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra ty
Functionally they are roughly the same, but the ecoflow allows 120v charging while outputting 240v and that can be a huge deal, if you want to charge with a small generator while running. But even with my coupon the Ecoflow is $5199. Compared to the Anker for $2999 its a huge price difference, so if you can live without the 120v charging it's honestly a bargain at that price. It's amazing that this stuff barely existed just a few years ago and now we are at a point where we can do full output on these. Crazy!
@@SilverCymbal thank you, the market is moving quickly.
Nice
The main problem I have with the system is not enough solar input! They should have another option?
You can input 2400 watts on each F3800 so it can be 4800 at max. But if you need more than that, the Ecoflow Delta Ultra would be a better choice as it has insane solar input ability. th-cam.com/video/2K9mlryo8lI/w-d-xo.html
@@SilverCymbal
I like the Apollo system more!
@@simon359 Agreed, Apollo designed their systems really for all solar operation. The AC is not their strongpoing but they told me 90% of their customers don't even use AC so that can be a great option for big off grid power systems.
What's the estimated battery life?
Says 25 amps max, that wont run a well pump or water heater, and definitely not a central ac system
The sine wave doesn't seem to be good from it, does it?
yea definitely not the cleanest but it was also on a power analyzer and not an oscilloscope so I wonder how the output would change
Looks like it has distortion, not sure whether or not the measurement was under a load.
29.99. I instantly thought that meant only 30 bucks and said "what a deal!!". Wishful thinking huh? 😂
I'll buy 1000 of them at that price.
300% battery with 2 expansion batteries.
Misleading title: "Cheapest 240v Generator" when the opening lines state that "you have 6 x 120v outlets" with ONE 240v... that makes this power station predominantly 120v - for use in America only, because here 240v has been the default since 1938 😅
Your 220v European single phase. We have split phase 240v, its very different, and its a huge deal that we are getting these. Not saying its better but its not clickbait and its a huge deal for us since it requires double inverters to work,
Not European, am Australian.
I think we have multi-phase (3) installed for the last twenty or more years. Aus/NZ have excellent electrical standards that I think even EU and Nth America are adopting...slowly.
Like connecting a cel phone battery to your house
Cheap is right. I would never install one of these low budget high frequency, transformerless solar generators in my home. They offer much poorer peak power (surge) capacities as well as a shorter life expectancies than longer lived, higher peak power capacity, low frequency, transformer based inverter chargers. And without a transformer to provide galvanic isolation between the DC boost stage and its AC output, they're not as safe as low frequency inverters.
$2999 is still expensive. I might as well get an ecoflow smdh 🤦♂️
Like
$3000 is still too much for many, and that is on sale from $4000.
👍👍
You are drawing less than 3kw and it can only sustain for 2.5hr. This is not a practical backup solution. It wouldn’t sustain you through a single day power outage.
Yes agreed, we just had an ice storm here, power was out just after this video for 2 days. Bright and sunny both days, so initially the battery would carry you, but if you had solar you could add additiional charge. No backup solution will be right in every situation, I always reccomend if you can having a secondary if you are in a cold climate especially or at least backup heat. If I wasn't testing I woudl have run only my pellet stove and some lights which woudl extend it further.
Yeah that's still way too expensive. 😂
Just got a diff one at Costco for $899. Same as this on but gas.
Gas 240v is definitely way more affordable, but its a different technology
I enjoyed the humor. A natural gas fueled generator can also run for much longer. But generators have their own problems. For my home, where get a number of power outages, and they can last up to 7 days, NG generator is tier one backup, EV battery is tier two. But if neither is practical, these battery generators make sense for shorter power outages. Hopefully prices keep coming down.
@@laxtimercomi run on 1500W inverter on 40 kWh EV battery as primary, and 3000W tri fuel natural gas/propane/gasoline inverter generator as backup if i need more power, but if I'm going to run the generator, I'll be using 50% to recharge the EV battery if I need to so I can shut it down at night!
🤝😎
Too bulky
It’s actually not cheap, it’s literally a glorified portable charger.
It’s cheaper than having something installed but more expensive than buying a dedicated set of batteries and inverters for the power.
As part of a solar quote I was given a quote of about 10K for 5kWh of battery with a 3.8kW maximum load capacity. This included all the overhead, hardware, permitting, etc. the Anker is cheaper and more capable than that and skips the permitting requirements in my area (if you skip the transfer component).
Not the best solution for all situations but I think it’s more competitive than other solutions advertised.
That said, it doesn’t seem to be ideal for a home solar or backup setup. It’s probably best if you just need to add backup or power to a shed/garage that lacks capacity.
Can you say GARBAGE.....
Same shit different product. Price per kW is the most important.
Now you don't really believe that right? What about apps, who makes it, 240v integrated, warranty, size, expansion. It's like saying only mpg between two trucks is all that matters.
One very important question is do you know JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?
Feels kinda bad to permanently install something in your house that can only be used with this specific device
Do you mean the inlet? Thats universal, at least for generators, work with battery systems or gas. Here is when I installed it: th-cam.com/video/pPMm0reEBPM/w-d-xo.html