​​I posted a review of the Jackery 1000Wh solar generator earlier this month with my overall impression being that it is a very well designed and built power supply which can power even the hungriest astronomy setup for 8-10hrs without needing a recharge.  While the Jackery can be recharged fastest with an AC outlet using the supplied charging cable, it can also be recharged quickly during the day using Jackery's Solar Saga 100w solar panels.  Here I review the results of over a month's testing of a pair of 100w solar panels along with the generator both at my home observatory and during a 3 night trip to a dark site.​

​Jackery makes two versions of their solar panels, a 60w and a 100w model.  While I tested a pair of the 100w models, they share design features with the 60w model as described here with the differences being size, weight and power output.  Both panels use Monocrystalline solar cells with up to 23% efficiency and a voltage output of 18V and a current of 5.55A.  The panels have over voltage, short circuit and surge protection built in.  They have an operating temperature range of 14 deg F to 149 deg F.   They come with a 24 month warranty but an included registration card will extend that to 36 months.  The 100w  panel is 48in x 21in x 0.2in when fully extended to capture the sun's rays.  For transport and storage it conveniently folds in half.  A pair of magnets cleverly embedded in plastic at two corners of the panel help to keep the panel folded when not in use or during transport.  It also has a built in rubber carrying handle and weighs only 9.1lbs.  All of these smart design features make it very easy to transport and set up in the field.

​ Each half of the full panel has a kickstand which stays put with velcro for travel and can be extended to support the panel when charging.  The panels have a protective laminate layer for dust and weather resistance.  A zippered pouch on the backside holds the 3m charging cable which is hard wired to the panel.  The 8mm connector on the other end plugs into the charging port on the Jackery when charging the generator. Each panel also has a 5V 2.4A USB-A and a 5V 3A USB-C charging port on the backside so that a cell phone or tablet can be charged directly from the panel with the proper charging cable.  Overall, I am impressed with the quality of the build and cleverness of the design making it easy to use.   I give Jackery an A+ for design smarts and convenience.

​​I ran a series of tests with the 1000Wh solar generator using my typical astrophotography imaging setup over 4 weeks at my home observatory and in a three night field test at a dark site location.  In between tests I had multiple occasions to recharge the generator with the pair of 100w solar panels under varying sky conditions including best (full sun) and worst (overcast) case skies along with the in between cases of partial sun and clouds.  To use two solar panels a Y adapter cable which is supplied with the 1000Wh generator is used to combine the outputs of both solar panels which are then fed into the generator's input port.  It is not absolutely necessary to use both solar panels but the recharging time will be significantly reduced with two panels instead of one.   I should point out that all of these took place in late September and early October as we moved into fall and the sun is lower in the sky and the days are roughly 11hrs long.  

The first thing I checked was the output of each solar panel.  Keep in mind the output power of a solar panel varies with sun intensity and angle of the panel relative to the suns rays.  Maximum output is seldom achieved, and when it is it is not sustained over long periods unless you re-align the panel due to changing solar intensity and angle. The meter on the Jackery 1000Wh generator showed that panel #1 was charging at a rate of 87/88w on a sunny day which is well within what other reviews have shown.   Next I tested the second panel but its output was only 42/43w.  Clearly the second panel was not performing up to spec.  I contacted Jackery and they made arrangements for the second panel to be returned to them and a new one sent in its place, but since I was headed to a dark site for new moon in a week I asked them to wait until after my excursion to replace the second panel and forged ahead with the panels I had on hand.   On a very sunny day the input to the generator with the pair of panels connected in parallel with the Y adapter cable varied from 118w to 125w over the course of the day as it charged from 20% to 100% in just 7 hrs.   This rate of charge says that it should take ~ 8.75hrs to fully recharge the battery from 0% to 100%, which is in line with the advertised time of 8hrs.   

​Not all days will be sunny so I checked how well the panels worked during several days with very little direct sunlight.  The second solar recharge took place during the massive CA wildfires including three of the largest in the state's history very close to my home.  With smoke filled hazy skies the entire day, the panels were able to recharge from a SOC of 23% to 100% in approximately 9.5hrs.  The input to the solar generator typically read between 80w and 90w for much of the day.  Apparently, enough UV light made it through the smoke particles in the sky.  I was quite surprised.

For the third solar recharge I picked a day with periods of partial sun, high thin clouds, but mostly a steady overcast condition.  The output power of the panels fluctuated from 0w to 122w but hovered mostly around 22-48w throughout the day.  In this case the two 100w panels could only provide enough power to recharge the generator from 18% SOC to 67% SOC in 9 hours.  The Jackery panels are not unique in this regards as no solar panel can provide much output if the sun doesn't shine.  But I was impressed that even under these gloomy skies I was able to recharge the generator by almost 50%.  Odds are that if the day is that overcast we would not expect a clear night for astronomy so this would not be a problem.

The charging rate was very linear with the SOC increasing just over 9% per hour of solar exposure up until the final 1% percent.  This is nice in that, if the sky conditions are expected to remain fixed throughout the day, one can make a fairly accurate estimate of how long it will take to recharge under different sky conditions.

During my 3 night field trip to do astrophotography during the new moon I had the opportunity to recharge the panels after the first two nights.  The first night I spent 8 hours imaging resulting in the generator dropping to 28% SOC.  With full sun the next day I was able to fully recharge the generator as well as top off my laptop battery with Jackery's pass through charging option in a bit over 6 hours.  Pass through charging allows the generator to be recharged at the same time it is supplying power to a load.  The second night I imaged for only 6 hours and was easily able to recharge the generator in less than 6 hours in full sun.  With this setup I could have easily imaged 8 hours a night indefinitely, fully recharging the generator, laptop and my cell phone during the day with the solar panels so long as I had ~7 hours of sunshine.

Once I returned from my field trip I returned the under performing panel to Jackery with a prepaid voucher and quickly received a replacement.  The first thing I did was to test it against the first panel under fully sunny skies.  This time both panels consistently output 96/97w of power in tests on two different sunny days.  This is exceptionally high compared to what I have read for any 100w solar panels on the market.  Obviously the sun's intensity and angle or both are extremely important to obtaining maximum power output.  I could easily improve the output by ~10w carefully adjusting the azimuth and angle of the panels.

Next I checked the output with the pair of panels connected in parallel with the Y adapter.  The configuration produced 129w of input power to the generator which remained steady over time.  Why not 192W you might ask yourself.  If you read my review of the solar generator you will see that with the supplied AC adapter the input power was 164w.   Then why the difference with the two 100w panels?  Well, I read in one review that the Jackery limits the total input current and since the AC adapter supplies current at 24V that would mean that the current limit is 164w/24V = ~7A.  Considering that the solar panels supply current at 18V, and assuming the same current limit of 7A that would set the maximum input power at 18V x 7A = 126W which is very close to what I measured.  The net result is that one does not get the full advantage of the two 100w solar panels due to this current limitation which is disappointing. 

The input power limit of ~126w led me to the next test measuring the total recharge time with a single 100w panel.  I monitored the panel output hourly and used that opportunity to adjust the position of the panel to maximize its output, thereby keeping above 90w for most of the time.  Since the days are shorter now and the sun is lower in the sky I had to run the test over two days to fully recharge the generator from 1% to 99% SOC.  It took a total of 10.5hrs to recharge completely, which is a rate of 9.3% per hour and the rate was very steady all the way up until 99%.  9.3% of 1000w is 93w which is consistent with my observation of the fact that the output remained above 90w for most of the charging period.  Also, 93w x 10.5hr = 977Wh which is also consistent with the fact that the SOC went from 1% to 99%, or 98% of 1000Wh = 980Wh.   So, I suspect that during the typical star party season with the sun rising earlier and setting later than it does in Nov, one could fully recharge the 1000Wh generator with a single panel in one day.

Overall, I was suitably impressed with the build quality, design smarts and obvious capabilities of the Jackery Solar Saga 100.  My truly on complaint is the price.  At a price of $299.99 the Jackery 100w solar panels are more expensive than other folding panels.   However, none of the other folding panels I have reviewed on line appear to have as durable, compact and ergonomic design as the Jackery.  Nonetheless, it is best to keep an eye out for one of Jackery's  sales to get the best possible price.

Summary

Pros
High efficiency solar cells
Lightweight with handles
Sturdy, durable design
Embedded USB charging ports

Cons
​Price
No protective case
Hard wired charging cable

You can shop for Jackery products at Amazon.com.  Links are Amazon Associate links.

Jackery Solar Saga 100 amzn.to/48XXdyk

​Edit: You can find a video version of my Jackery 1000 and 500 review on YouTube

​I have been powering my astronomy rig in the field using either two 100Ah lead acid deep cycle batteries or my Yamaha EF2000is generator for a dozen years.  While relatively cheap,  batteries are heavy (50-60lbs), can only be discharged to 50% of capacity, are not voltage regulated, need to be maintained monthly, and do not have built in meters, USB charging, AC output, etc.  At $1000 a generator is expensive,  heavy (~50lbs), does not have either DC or USB outputs and is not permitted at most star parties.  So I decided it was time to look at Li based power with solar recharging.  Why Li?  Because the power to weight ratio is much, much better than lead acid batteries, Li batteries have a higher depth of discharge (DoD) than lead acid batteries without damage and they maintain their voltage through most of the discharge cycle.  The obvious downside to Li based power is the higher initial cost. 

​Solar Generators
At first I considered 100Ahr LiFePO4 batteries like the well regarded Battleborn batteries marketed primarily to the RV and boating industries since I am planning to use these to add solar to my new RV in the coming year.  But after much research I decided that a "solar generator" rather than a standalone Li battery is a much better match for astronomy applications.  What is a solar generator?  It is a Li battery with a battery management system (BMS),  DC, AC and USB outputs, power input/output/SOC meter, an LCD display, power charging ports and a solar charge controller all built into a single lightweight, rugged and portable unit.   There are many different suppliers  of solar generators available today which are primarily marketed to the outdoor adventurer.  Many solar generators use Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) chemistry instead of LiFePO4
​because of its nearly 2 to 1 advantage in energy density to weight ratio.   I zeroed in on the solar generators from Jackery after reading many positive reviews about their design, features and performance.  Their line of solar generators includes 160Whr (13.9Ah @ 12V), 240Whr (20Ah @ 12V), 300Whr(25Ah @ 12V), 500Whr (41.7Ah @ 12V) and 1000Whr(83.5Ah @ 12V) models with prices ranging from $139.99 to $999.99 with frequent sale pricing.  These provide plenty of options for different astronomy needs.  I contacted Jackery and suggested that amateur astronomers might be a market for them and they were kind enough one of their 1000Whr generators with a pair of their 100w solar panels for me to put to the test with my astronomy rig.  Below are the results of more than a month of extensive testing in my backyard observatory and on a 3 night star gazing adventure in the field.

The Jackery comes well packaged with the generator shipped triple boxed.  The PS1000 generator includes an AC charger in a soft carrying case, a car charger cable, an adapter to connect two solar panels in parallel for faster charging and a user manual.  It enjoys free shipping, a 30 day free return and a 2 year warranty.  Inside the box I found a registration card which enables a warranty extension to 3 years.   The generator is solidly built using rigid ABS plastic casing and sports a smart functional design.  With dimensions of 13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 in. (L x W x D) it is only slightly larger than my lead acid batteries and fits nicely between the tripod legs of my mount.  It's molded handle and weight of only 22lbs makes it a breeze to transport.  Everything one needs to access is conveniently located on the front of the generator including:
1) a 10A DC cigarette adapter socket with dust cap;
2) a 5V 2.4A USB-A output ;
3) two 3A USB-C  outputs;
4) a USB-A Quick Charge 3.0 output;
5) three 110V AC outputs from the internal 1000w pure sine wave inverter;
6) 8mm and Anderson Power Pole inputs to recharge the generator;
7) an LCD display which shows power output, input and battery % SOC and is low enough intensity as to not disturb fellow astronomers.
8) On/Off buttons for the power outputs and the display.
​
A small LED light is mounted on the side.  The Jackery can be recharged with the included AC charger, with optional solar panels or by car.

Observatory Testing
I conducted a series of tests of the Jackery using my Software Bisque MyT mount, Celestron C11 OTA, Celestron focuser, ASI1600MC camera, Orion SSAG guide camera (not shown in the accompanying photo), Astrozap dew heat strap, TEMP-est cooling fans, and a Pegasus Power Box Advanced (PPBA).   I used a cigarette adapter to 5.5mm x 2.1mm cable to supply power from the Jackery to the PPBA which in turn distributed power to the MyT, dew heater and focuser.  The cameras and fans drew their power from the MyT.  Since the MyT requires 48V I used  a DC-DC up converter on the output of the PPBA to transform 12V to  48V rather than using the less efficient AC adapter.  I use The Sky X (TSX) to control everything except the PPBA which is controlled by its own application. I did run one test using the Jackery's AC outlet to power the MyT without any problems but that method unnecessarily wastes power in the conversion process.   




























​Since the first month of testing occurred during the massive wildfires here in CA I could not actually image.  Instead, I ran everything exactly as I would during a regular imaging session with the ASI capturing dark frames to the laptop, the fans running, the guider taking dark frames and the heater powered at 50%.  ​Since a laptop is typically the most power hungry device used and not everyone uses the same laptop, if they use one at all, I decided to run 3 different test setups:

1. Everything but the 15.4" laptop powered by the Jackery through the PPBA.

​2. As in 1 but with the laptop powered through the Jackery's AC inverter.

3 As in 1 including a BeeLink mini-pc powered by the Jackery through the PPBA.  The Beelink ran TSX and I used my laptop on its internal battery linked to the Beelink via Team Viewer as a monitor only to minimize power consumption. 

​For these tests I tried not to discharge the generator batteries below 20% SOC to be very conservative in terms of long term battery lifetime.  The manufacturer specs the batteries to > 500 full discharges to 0% SOC so you could increase all of my total times below by 25% if you are comfortable using the full capacity of the Jackery.  Here are the test results:

​Test #1:  I was able to achieve a total run time of 27hrs over 3 successive sessions before reaching a SOC of 20%.  That is enough power for 3 nights of 9 hour imaging sessions without the need for a recharge in between, although a recharge is always possible.   I noted that the ouput voltage of the Jackery remained steady at 12.9-13.1V all the way down to 20% SOC.

Test # 2: To extend the session as long as possible, I disconnected the laptop from the Jackery when it reached a SOC of 25% and let the laptop run on its own internal battery until it reached ~5% and the Jackery reached 20%.  This powered everything for 9hrs, sufficient for a long overnight imaging session powering everything with the Jackery.  Considering that the Jackery was able to be fully recharged with 2 solar panels in 7.5hr , one could run indefinitely this way so long as a reasonable degree of sunshine is available during the day.  Alternatively, the Jackery could be recharged in 6-7hrs with an AC outlet.
​
Test#3:   For this test I only used my laptop on its internal battery to check in on the BeeLink via Team Viewer occasionally.  As I show below, the BeeLink which has no monitor consumes much less power than a 15.4" laptop so I was able to run for 8hrs and only draw the Jackery's SOC down to 59%.  At that rate of power consumption I should be able to run for 15.6hrs without dropping the Jackery below a 20% SOC.   That is nearly enough power for 2 nights of 8hr imaging without the need to recharge in between.  Or I could use the extra power of the Jackery to keep my laptop powered using it as a monitor to check on imaging progress from time to time.​

​Additional Observations
As noted above, the Jackery has a regulated power output.  In my tests, the output voltage remained between 12.9 and 13.1V all the way down to 15% SOC showing excellent power stability.  Another thing to note is that the drop in SOC was very linear with time, falling by the same % each hour all the way down to 15%.  

Like all other solar generators that I have investigated, Jackery specs the battery life to  >500 full cycles after which the full capacity of the batteries will drop to 80%, or 800Wh for this particular model.   At that point it will still supply 80% of its original capacity so one would still be able to get continued use out of it but the total run time would be shorter than during the first ~500 or more cycles. 

The Jackery can be used to power devices over the temperature range of 14deg F to 104deg F which will cover the typical star party season but might be a problem for hardy soles who like to observe away from home during frigid nights.   Recharging of the Jackery requires a temperature above freezing, 32deg F, but I read of a clever trick where the generator is placed inside a cooler so that it stays warm enough under its own heat while recharging at temperatures below 32deg F.  These are limitations typical of Li-chemistry batteries and it should be noted that the BMS will prevent the battery from being used outside these conditions so it cannot be accidentally damaged.  Maintenance of the generator is simple requiring a discharge to 50% SOC and recharge once every 3 months.

Summary
I am thoroughly impressed with the build quality, performance and ease of use of the Jackery PS1000 as a source to power a typical astro-imaging session through a long night under dark skies.  With the option to recharge within 7hrs by AC outlet and 8hrs by twin solar panels, if not less, I can look forward to eliminating those heavy lead acid batteries and avoid annoying my friends with my generator running through the night.  The biggest downside to the PS1000 is its price.  However, when I look at the cost of two 75Ah AGM batteries needed to match the Jackery's power, plus a quality pure sine wave inverter, MPPT charge controller for solar charging, power meters, USB charging sockets, cases, etc. I believe the cost of a DIY system easily exceeds $600 not counting the assembly effort.  And one still has to carry two 50lb home built power supplies and connect them in series.   Another consideration is that the Jackery can double as a backup generator in case of a power outage.  The PS1000 will keep my refrigerator running for 9hrs before needing a recharge and, unlike my Yamaha generator, I can use it inside my house.  For those with lesser power needs, say 40-60w the $499.99 Jackery 500 would be a lower cost option to achieve a 7-8hr imaging session.  And for visual observers, the much less expensive 160 and 240w models would be more than sufficient for their power needs. 

I gave the folks at Jackery feedback on how they might make their generators more user friendly to the astronomy community.  First, they might consider a 5.5mm x 2.1mm or an Anderson Power Pole DC output in addition to the cigarette adapter output.  Or they could supply a cigarette adapter to 5.5mm x 2.1mm or Anderson Power Pole extension cable to make it easier to for us to connect the Jackery to our equipment.  However, it was easy to find a cigarette to 5.5mm x 2.1mm power cord on Amazon that serves the purpose.

The Jackery generator can be recharged with one or two of the Jackery Solar Saga panels in parallel or, with an MPPT to 8mm adapter with any solar panel under 30V and 10A.  I plan to do a separate review of their solar panels in another blog soon so look for that soon.

Pros
High capacity and DoD
Extremely light weight
Voltage regulation
Well designed and simple to use
Simple to add solar recharging

Cons
Price
Single 12V output
​No 5.5mm x 2.1mm or Anderson Power Pole output
500 cycles to 80% remaining capacity

You may also want to watch my video review of the Jackery 1002Wh and 518Wh  solar generator models on my YouTube Channel.

If you want to find out more about and shop for Jackery products, you can find them here Amazon.com.  Links are Amazon Associate links.

Jackery 1000  amzn.to/47DIVSm
Jackery 500   amzn.to/47zeWep
Jackery 240   amzn.to/3RX7QdM