Worried Solar Panels are Confusing? Meet "Bob"

For all of you out there who are concerned that power stations and solar panels are complicated and confusing, let me introduce my friend “Bob.” (Name changed to protect him because I am going to razz on him in the following paragraphs)

I have a friend who is starting a Wagyu Steak venture. For those of you who don’t know, Wagyu is probably the most delicious, tasty, and rich meat you will ever stuff in your mouth. And it's bloody expensive stuff so selling every pound is very important. 

So if my friend has a freezer full of Wagyu Steak and the power goes out, his blood pressure goes up every hour the power is out as he imagines his profits melting away as the meat unthaws. 

We got to discussing power stations and various options and it quickly became apparent he didn’t know a Watt from an Inverter. I was kind enough to give him a bit of my knowledge from the depth of the stores of my wisdom (actually, I tried to explain watt and watt hour like a milkshake and got lost and had to start over.)

From Noob to Solar Power Hero

The point is: my friend didn’t know anything about power stations or solar power. The next time I saw him, he not only had bought a power station and a solar panel, beaming with how easy it was to use. He went from a noob to capable with a simple search and a purchase. 

He got the Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus Portable Power Station and a Jackery 200 Watt Solar Panel. As he expressed in tones full of joy and delight, he had no idea it was going to be so easy right out of the box.

Did I mention we were camping together at a location which shall remain undisclosed because the internet has already spoiled so many greeting camping spots by alerting the unwashed masses to their location? 

But I digress. He excitedly went over to the power station and then demonstrated how easy it was to set up. He took out the solar panel, unfolded it, propped it up at about the right angle, ran the solar cord through his van, plugged it into the power station, and presto, he was charging with solar.

Solar Power Generators Are Really That Easy

To reiterate for those who are nervous about solar, “Bob: took 4 actions to get charging with his solar panels and portable power station. 

1. He unfolded the solar panel.

2. He adjusted the angle.

3. He plugged one end of a single cord into the back of the solar panel.

4. He plugged the other end of the cord into his power station.

5. He was charging with solar. 

It was really that easy. 

No special wiring, no special interpretive dances, just plug-and-play. 

User Friendly and Friendly for All Uses

Portable Solar Panels and Solar Generators are made to be user friendly. They can be used camping, at your outdoor barbecue, during a power outage, at your school picnic, and on and on and on. Once you get one and start using it, you will keep finding new and fun ways of utilizing that power.

Take another of my friends as an example. “Frank” and his wife briefly discussed power stations but she was not that convinced. Then, conveniently, a hay truck took out a power pole and they lost all power. 

“Get it,” was the simple text he received. My friend grinned.

Now, besides being ready for power outages, he uses it all the time when camping but he uses it most of the time to charge one of his passions: flying RC planes. He takes the power station along with him when he heads out to fly so he always has fully charged batteries ready to go. 

On top of that, his Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station is small enough to pack on his motorcycle. With a few bungee cords, he straps it down and suddenly, he has power wherever “Frank” and his wife drive. 

Power Stations: Easy, Versatile, Portable

If you are concerned about power stations, solar panels, or the combination of the two being super complicated or not that useful besides just for outages, think again. Power stations these days are powerful for their size, are extremely portable, are simple to use, and extremely versatile.

Just don’t use them to power a speaker while out camping like “Bob” wanted to do. My wife will hunt you down and bludgeon the speaker and possibly you with a canoe paddle.