Good Product, But Not Right for Me
July 29, 2017
Now the price per W for 100s is 15% or more less expensive for the 100s. On mostly sunny to sunny days, this does not help the Yeti 400 as it will charge almost as fast with three 50-panels as with two 100s.
I have now tested the different size panels with the Yeti 1400. These conclusions should also apply to the new Yeti 1000. I won't write out all the details and just summarize.
Using 4 Boulder 100s connected via the Anderson Power Pole port will recharge a Yeti 1400 and Yeti 1000 25% to 30% faster than using 8 Boulder 50s that must have their connection split between the Power Pole and the 8mm input ports.
For those curious, on a totally sunny early August day at 35°N latitude, you can charge a Yeti 1400 from 20% back to 100% using 4 Boulder 100s in 6 hours from 10:00AM to 4:00PM daylight time. This is without repositioning the panels once optimally setup and not using any extension cables to make the connection.
Using a 30ft 16awg extension cable could add 1 to 1.5 hours to the charge time. You could also add 1 Boulder 50 panel connected to the 8mm port and charge up to 30 minutes faster. Any more panels than four 100s with one 50 will not speed the charging in bright sunshine, and could damage the battery and controller as you would be exceeding the maximum amp input for the system.
Pros- 1 panel to work with rather than 2.
Cons- Not pre-wired for instant simple chaining like the Boulder 50. But still easy to chain.
Best UsesCharging Yeti 1000 and Yeti 1400 in a home/base installation.
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