Duracell 852-1807 1,800 Watt Five Outlet Rechargeable Power Source Review

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(More customer reviews)
UPDATE: After a few months sitting in the corner being charged, I tried it out today. Apparently there's at least one bad cell; a 600w load exhausts the batteries in about 45 seconds. So I revise my rating to ``piece of junk,'' niche or no niche. It needs a much better quality control on the batteries.
ORIGINAL Post:Pros : about three times the run times of a comparable capacity UPS, based on battery capacity (3 x 17AH, vs typical 2 x 9AH in a 1500VA UPS). Maybe nice to have around to switch to when a regular UPS runs down in a long power outage. I got mine for $180, which would be a good deal in the UPS market. The current $380 would be too high for me.
Cons : a lot of cons. It's hyped as if it's going to help out in the gas generator alternative market, but has nowhere near the capacity you'd need in terms or runtimes. It could run a sump pump for an hour maybe (one cycle of my 1/2hp sump pump runs it down to 80% of charge, so 5 cycles would run it out completely), which isn't going to help much. For all this stuff, like refrigerator and so forth, you just need a gas generator.
The transfer time (80ms) is too slow for a computer when the power goes out. A UPS is ten times faster. No power conditioning.
Really heavy. A woman is not going to like dealing with it. Handles are convenient for the weight though. A Honda EU2000i 2000w gas generator weighs the same.
There's no powered-off charge-the-battery-anyway mode, and it consumes 10w when plugged in. Can only be powered off when not plugged in, so you'd have to establish a routine to keep the battery charged if it's not in regular use.
So perhaps its niche is as a backup UPS when the power has been off too long for the regular UPS. Plug the computer into this, then. When the power comes back, charge it back up and put it back in the closet.
It's a nice product, just one with no obvious use.
Get a gas generator for the sump pump and the refrigerator.

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The DuracellPowerSource 1800 is the ideal emergency backup power solution for the home or office. During a power outage, it automatically supplies emergency backup power for a small office and household appliances like a refrigerator, TV, lights or sump pump. In an emergency, the Duracell PowerSource 1800 switches seamlessly to its built-in battery and provides 1800 Watts of household power, supplying up to 12 hours of uninterrupted backup power for a small office, or up to 4 hours of run time for essential home appliances and electronics. Application: Emergency backup for home or office, Watts: 1,800, Power Supply: Combines sealed, 60Ah AGM battery with 1800 Watt inverter to convert 12V battery power to AC current, Includes: LED display

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Xantrex Technologies 852-2071 Xpower AC/DC Powerpack Solar With 400 Watt Inverter, Two AC Outlets, USB Port, And Digital Display Review

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(More customer reviews)If the Xantrex Xpower Powerpack Solar lived up to its specifications, I would rate it 5 stars and consider it well worth the money. That's why I bought it in the first place. Unfortunately, its performance falls short of the manufacturer's claims.
The overall design of the product is very nice. I had considered building something similar based on a how-to article in Popular Science, but the Powerpack is so nicely packaged for only a couple dollars more, I chose to buy it.
The Powerpack disappoints in the amount of energy stored in its battery that is available to power other electronic devices. The battery is specified as 12 volts and 10 amp-hours. As such, I was expecting to get as much as 120 watt-hours from it, but I barely get half that.
As a test, I fully charged the battery using the included AC adapter. By "fully", I mean the unit claimed to be charged. I then ran the built-in LED lights. The manual claims they should run for 48 hours. They ran 27.5 hours for me.
I assumed this performance reflected a bad unit and exchanged it. The new unit performs similarly. Either the battery in the unit performs poorly, or the electronics to monitor and control the battery state-of-charge are weak.
As another example of the poor performance, I charged the unit completely (again based on its built-in indicator that charging is done). It indicated 100 percent charge when I turned on the AC or DC output, but as soon as I plugged in any load, it almost immediately dropped to 70 or even 60 percent. Soon after the unit's indicator dropped to 40 percent, the unit shut itself down.
So, on the one hand, this is a nice unit to carry around, and it does slowly-but-surely charge the internal battery using the included 5 watt solar panel. It does a fine job charging cell phones and iPods, and a barely acceptable job charging a notebook computer. Compared to its specifications, and for that matter my previous experience with the Xantrex Powerpack Mobile Mini, however, the product is a disappointment.


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Operate your favorite gadgets anywhere with the Xantrex XPower Powerpack Solar. This portable solar device provides 400 watts of household power to run appliances and electronics. The Powerpack Solar's solar panel continuously captures, stores, and converts the sun's energy and extends the runtime of many portable devices. Two AC outlets, a DC socket, and a USB port give you plenty of options for simultaneously operating anything from laptops to cell phones to small TVs.
Portable Power for All Your ElectronicsA perfect companion for road trips, vacations, and camping, the Powerpack Solar can simultaneously run multiple devices thanks to its two 120-volt AC outlets, single 12-volt DC outlet, and USB port. The powerful built-in 400-watt inverter and sealed, spill-free 10-amp/hour AGM battery can power anything from a CD player to a 13-inch TV to a laptop to an air compressor. At the same time, the built-in USB port makes it easy to charge digital music players, cell phones, computer peripherals, and more.
A handy three-digit display helps you keep tabs on your Powerpack Solar's battery power. For those times when you want to conserve your battery, an AC charger is included for charging from a standard wall outlet, and a DC charger is included for charging from a vehicle or RV battery.
For added convenience, the Powerpack Solar runs quietly, making it a great alternative to a generator. Non-slip rubber surrounds protect the Powerpack Solar from bumps and scuffs, and two built-in lamps help you set up the unit when the lights go out or when you're getting cozy in a tent.
Clean, Green Renewable Solar PowerThe XPower Powerpack Solar is the first power pack to incorporate solar power in a compact, portable power source. It's completely self renewing, which means the five-watt solar panel captures, stores, and converts the sun's energy, replenishes the XPower Powerpack Solar's battery, and extends the runtime of many devices by up to 25 percent. An added bonus, the solar panel is detachable, so you can charge the battery and leave the panel in a safe place when you go to the beach or tackle the trail.
The XPower Powerpack Solar is covered by a six-month warranty. It measures 15.0 x 4.5 x 10.25 inches (LxWxH) and weighs 12.3 pounds.
About XantrexXantrex Technology Inc. (xantrex.com), a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is a world leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of advanced power electronic products and systems for the renewable and mobile power markets. The company's products convert and control raw electrical power from any central, distributed, renewable, or backup power source into high-quality power required by electronic equipment and the electricity grid. Xantrex is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with facilities in the United States, Germany and Spain, and a joint venture in China.
What's in the BoxRechargeable solar-powered battery pack, AC charger, and DC charger.

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