Topsolar 100W Foldable Portable Solar Panel Charger Kits for Portable Power Station Generator Cell Phones Camera Lamp 19V DC Output

I have extensively used very many solar panels over the past 5-10 years. Most of these have been of the folding plastic portable variety. (including every previous model from topsolar).What i have found is that, in this class, topsolar panels are the ONLY brand which consistently lives up to the listed specs in every possible configuration. Most others don't even come close.The output voltages are regulated (but the load can pull them down a bit), so at 19 volts, you get a solid 5 amps or so in good sun, but you still get 19 volts even in poor sun.Many other cheap folders ($50 to 100) don't even have reverse bias protection. So, if a hard shadow falls across some other panel, many will actually start *sinking* current from your device or battery! Your battery may actually *discharge* if you aren't paying attention. This *never* happens with topsolar.**configurations**Aside from the 19 V output, the panel provides 14.5 V (at about 4 amps) and USB (at about 2 amps) including power delivery and quallcomm quickcharge at up to 12 volts.The 14.5 V output can be used to charge a 12 V lead or LiFePO4 battery at the same time as the USB is being used to charge a *single* device. (this is one ideal configuration)If you are using the 19 volt output, i recommend leaving the other outputs disconnected (this is the other ideal configuration)either way you can get close to 100 watts in full sun.**advanced configuration**If you need more than 19 volts, you can connect multiple panels in series by connecting the mc4 connectors black to red + black to red, etcFor instance, i use 3 of them in series to directly charge my electric bike from the sun. this gives me up to 57 effective volts to charge my battery. If the battery is low, the voltage may be pulled down to, say, 50 volts, and it will slowly increase as the battery charges. When the voltage reads 56V, my bike is recharged.^^this is definitely an advanced config, so be very careful to know the limits of your equipment. Also, be careful to cover the extra connections with electrical tape when creating series connections, or you risk creating an arc!!*NEVER* continue to charge a battery directly from solar once it has reached MAX voltage or you will damage it. (solar panels are a current source, not a voltage source). If you are in doubt, use a dedicated charge controller.other than that, it works great! Works just as well as the bikes included wall adapter (which is only 50 percent efficient, a common problem with ebikes)**form factor**this is something i dont like as well. These things fold in half and snap together with a magnet. They are maybe the size of an artist's folio. There is no way to carry them in even the largest backpack. If i want to take them with me, i have to put them in a large travel bag and strap it to my bike.By comparison, last year's 100 watt model folded in fourths and could be carried in a large backpack. Models from previous years folded in 10ths (size of a college textbook). These could easily be carried in *any* backpack!I wish topsolar would revisit these more compact form factors! This 2024 model is *just barely* "portable" in my opinion.**build quality**One other reviewer mentioned that his panels warped in the sun. I experienced the same thing when using the panels at 100F+ temps. The warping has not affected the performance.The same reviewer mentioned that the plastic film on the panels was bubbling off.. That was protective film which is intended to be removed before first use.That said, this new 2024 model kind of needs protective film when transporting. The new glossy topology is much less rugged than previous year's offerings.The panels can easily become scuffed when transporting. This scuffing, while unsightly, has not affected output. (and i do measure the output frequently, given my use case)The new topology is slightly more efficient and has slightly better low and indirect light performance than previous years, but i still prefer the older, more rugged, more compact models, which will still do 10 watts in the rain, if oriented correctly.And that brings me to my last concern about the 2024 model: They *removed* the solar insolation meter! WHY?? In some lighting, it can be difficult to correctly position the panels just by eyeballing it. Having a meter right on the panel was brilliant!**conclusion**Would i recommend this panel? I would say that it is the only "portable" panel i have tried that i *can* recommend!It actually does everything it claims to! And does it well.with typical cheap folders you are lucky to get 30 percent of the rated output in full sun... and most of these will discharge your battery if they become occluded by a hard shadow (or if you forget to disconnect before sundown)I don't love the new topsolar build quality and form factor which have stretched the limits of the term, "portable". But if you dont move them much, or if you move them by car or truck, then the new form factor is fine...I dont recommend them for a bike trip although they certainly work great for it! I am carrying my own, infinite fuel source on my vehicle! How cool is that?and the pricepoint is *truely* a dollar a watt! Plug and play!

First, I want to say how proud I am of myself for making this purchase. I would absolutely recommend this product to anyone who is a beginner at solar energy because this particular solar panel is (1) extremely convenient - no education necessary or problem-solving when it comes to operating this solar panel. You just set it up in the direct sun and start charging, (2) well-designed - the convenient carrying case comes with everything that you will need for easy use and interchangeable adapters that's suitable for just about every solar-power generator, (3) of excellent quality - I can tell that this generator will last me for a long time simply because of its design but also because of its material. You will have to really treat it terribly to damage it. Great product, Top Solar. I would definitely purchase another of this same wattage as well as others of a higher wattage because I enjoy using this one that much.

Went camping on a sunny day and got consistent 72w output from these panels. Was able to fill my modest 240w portable power station in 4-5 hours. Enough for my electronic power needs and phone charging. Panel was easy to manage and fold away. Comes with all the attachment to fit most devices and power stations. Has metal grommets to hang the panels if you’d like. Comes with a decent storage bag. The metal stands are kinda annoying to manage and a bit flimsy but not a deal breaker. For the price and the quality of the product, I think this was a good buy.

Since the documentation is missing on this (the manual is for a different item), maybe this will help some folks:The DC-OUT2 port is in fact a 14.5V DC port. (DC-OUT1 is the full 19V of the panel.)It does show 19V when floating if you connect a meter, which one of the manuals mentions, but under load in full sunlight, it makes the correct 14.5V charging voltage when connected to a battery/load. I did notice that anything less than bright sunlight and it struggles to keep up that voltage.Anyway, while this port does work, nothing is provided to help you actually connect to it. It looks like other versions of this product include alligator clips with that DC plug on one end, but this one does not. You will need to figure out your own way to wire that DC plug to the battery that you want to charge. You can make your own cable or there are some DC plug to alligator clip adapters on amazon. (This panel is cheaper than most portable 100W ones, so win some lose some I guess?)For an RV, this isn't all bad, you likely wanted to have your own ring connectors on the battery and some length of wire so you can position it in the sun. (Opening your battery box every time would be a pain anyway. Don't forget to make sure a fuse is inline somewhere.)Works great for keeping the RV battery topped up for multi-day trips without AC power hookup available.If you have a a fancy RV lithium battery replacement, get some kind of proper battery manager and just connect to the full 19V. Regular car/marine Flooded lead acid batteries don't mind 14.5V applied while being fully charged, but 14.5V will overcharge and cause damage to lithium chemistry batteries.