Anybody tried Goal Zero solar?
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I just recently got sponsored by Goal Zero and I have two models so far with a third on it’s way once it gets released.
So far I have had NO issues with these units and that guy did not mention it in his video but Goal Zero “IS” the solar power company that is used by the professional climbers of Mt. Everest..! We all know how violent that weather can be so everything they take there HAS to be top notch because in truth, their lives depend on it.
I will have reports and photos and vid's as I move forward with Goal Zero. But so far in the testing we have done it has been perfect and their customer service is unmatched! They REALLY care about you, the buyer and hope to keep you as a customer for years to come. You don't get that trying to sell junk!
Here is what I have so far:
http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/66/Extreme-350-Base-Camp-Kit/1:3/
and this one:
http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/79/Guide-10-Adventure-Kit/1:1/
And once it is relased in June/July time frame… this Solar Generator:
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The following is from their site, once again as a sponsored person I can repost info from their site as needed to help show and get the product out there for you to see and learn about.
Silent, Safe, Sustainable Trade-up Generator
• The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator is Goal Zero’s highest capacity portable recharger to date and is the most easy to use, affordable, dependable and complete solution available for those looking to “trade-up” from their conventional gas-powered back-ups. The Yeti 1250 is a generating beast, standing 16 inches tall, 11.6 inches wide and 14.5 inches deep and weighing 103 lbs., and much like its namesake, the Yeti 1250 is extremely powerful, but rarely seen or heard.
• The Yeti 1250 not only features multiple ports so you can charge several devices at once, but it offers a variety of output types, including AC, 1.5 amp USB, 33amp 12V DC, 6.6 amp 12V DC, which are compatible with a wide array of electronics from GPS units to refrigerators. All the ports are easily activated with a flick of the master switch, but can also be micro-managed by power group to individually protect circuits.
• The Yeti 1250 charges fully in 20-22 hours via sun or in 16-20 hours via a wall outlet and in turn will power a laptop for 30+ hours; support a printer through 18,000+ pages of printing; keep a full sized refrigerator cold for two to four days straight and maintain subzero temperatures in a chest freezer for eight days! Furthermore, unlike traditional gas-fueled generators, the Yeti 1250 never produces more power than is being drawn from it, so users needn’t worry about wasting power or unnecessary maintenance.
“At Goal Zero, it’s not just about making an amazing product; it’s about the application of our products in consumers’ daily lives. We consistently strive to take out the complicated guess work of utilizing a solar unit and build simplicity in, so that we can deliver the most dependable and useful solutions to our customers,” said Joe Atkin, President of Goal Zero. “I think consumers will be eager to see the strides we have made with the new Sherpa 50 and Yeti 1250 as they are both not only some of our most advanced products to date, but they each address a major consumer need.”
The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator will be available in May 2012, both as a single unit ($1499.99) and as part of Yeti 1250 Solar Generator Kit ($1999.99) which also includes two Boulder 30 solar panels and a carrying cart for the kit.
People of various lifestyles from outdoorsmen to photographers to soccer moms can continue to look forward to additional product releases from Goal Zero in 2012, such as their smallest and most affordable portable recharger yet – the Switch. Consisting of a small, but powerful 5 inch, cylindrical, lithium battery, the Switch will pump out 1.5 amps of power – enough to charge up an iPhone or kick-start an iPad – without a cord directly into users’ devices.
So far I have had NO issues with these units and that guy did not mention it in his video but Goal Zero “IS” the solar power company that is used by the professional climbers of Mt. Everest..! We all know how violent that weather can be so everything they take there HAS to be top notch because in truth, their lives depend on it.
I will have reports and photos and vid's as I move forward with Goal Zero. But so far in the testing we have done it has been perfect and their customer service is unmatched! They REALLY care about you, the buyer and hope to keep you as a customer for years to come. You don't get that trying to sell junk!
Here is what I have so far:
http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/66/Extreme-350-Base-Camp-Kit/1:3/
and this one:
http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/79/Guide-10-Adventure-Kit/1:1/
And once it is relased in June/July time frame… this Solar Generator:
The following is from their site, once again as a sponsored person I can repost info from their site as needed to help show and get the product out there for you to see and learn about.
Silent, Safe, Sustainable Trade-up Generator
• The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator is Goal Zero’s highest capacity portable recharger to date and is the most easy to use, affordable, dependable and complete solution available for those looking to “trade-up” from their conventional gas-powered back-ups. The Yeti 1250 is a generating beast, standing 16 inches tall, 11.6 inches wide and 14.5 inches deep and weighing 103 lbs., and much like its namesake, the Yeti 1250 is extremely powerful, but rarely seen or heard.
• The Yeti 1250 not only features multiple ports so you can charge several devices at once, but it offers a variety of output types, including AC, 1.5 amp USB, 33amp 12V DC, 6.6 amp 12V DC, which are compatible with a wide array of electronics from GPS units to refrigerators. All the ports are easily activated with a flick of the master switch, but can also be micro-managed by power group to individually protect circuits.
• The Yeti 1250 charges fully in 20-22 hours via sun or in 16-20 hours via a wall outlet and in turn will power a laptop for 30+ hours; support a printer through 18,000+ pages of printing; keep a full sized refrigerator cold for two to four days straight and maintain subzero temperatures in a chest freezer for eight days! Furthermore, unlike traditional gas-fueled generators, the Yeti 1250 never produces more power than is being drawn from it, so users needn’t worry about wasting power or unnecessary maintenance.
“At Goal Zero, it’s not just about making an amazing product; it’s about the application of our products in consumers’ daily lives. We consistently strive to take out the complicated guess work of utilizing a solar unit and build simplicity in, so that we can deliver the most dependable and useful solutions to our customers,” said Joe Atkin, President of Goal Zero. “I think consumers will be eager to see the strides we have made with the new Sherpa 50 and Yeti 1250 as they are both not only some of our most advanced products to date, but they each address a major consumer need.”
The Yeti 1250 Solar Generator will be available in May 2012, both as a single unit ($1499.99) and as part of Yeti 1250 Solar Generator Kit ($1999.99) which also includes two Boulder 30 solar panels and a carrying cart for the kit.
People of various lifestyles from outdoorsmen to photographers to soccer moms can continue to look forward to additional product releases from Goal Zero in 2012, such as their smallest and most affordable portable recharger yet – the Switch. Consisting of a small, but powerful 5 inch, cylindrical, lithium battery, the Switch will pump out 1.5 amps of power – enough to charge up an iPhone or kick-start an iPad – without a cord directly into users’ devices.
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790 Posts
Goal Zero makes very well designed, sturdy products that really do work. It is not junk. That's the good news.
The bad news is that Goal Zero is obscenely expensive on a dollars-per-watt basis, which is an important metric when choosing a solar power system.
For example, the Extreme Base Camp 350 model is over $2200 for what is basically a 120 watt solar panel, some batteries, lights, and an inverter. And it's not even a pure sine wave inverter! That's over $700 more than I paid for a recent 400 watt upgrade (with additional batteries) that I made to my own home system...and I have far more battery capacity.
My advice is if you need something portable & easy to use for camping, hiking, bugging out, etc., and money is not a big issue, Goal Zero is an excellent if not your only choice!
If you will be using your solar mostly at one location, or you're on a budget, or portability/small size is not a critical issue, then you can get a lot more power for the buck elsewhere.
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49 Posts
I have one of the little Nomad 7 / Guide 10 Plus models - works as advertised and is a pretty small package. Going to keep it in my GHB. You can also purchase the "AAA" batts/insert separately (got it just in case!...do have some AAA stuff).
Seems pretty rugged and I like the little loops around the edges for hanging stuff (or hanging the panel on to a backpack). Only downside is the pocket (third panel of the Nomad 7) is a little small and it's pretty tough to fit everything in there. I hang the guide 10 plus off the panel when stored (with the included caribiner), and that leaves room for the rest of the cords in the little pouch.
Won't be running a fridge off of it, but for recharging small items like gps/phone/anything "AA" or "AAA" it'll work just fine.
Seems pretty rugged and I like the little loops around the edges for hanging stuff (or hanging the panel on to a backpack). Only downside is the pocket (third panel of the Nomad 7) is a little small and it's pretty tough to fit everything in there. I hang the guide 10 plus off the panel when stored (with the included caribiner), and that leaves room for the rest of the cords in the little pouch.
Won't be running a fridge off of it, but for recharging small items like gps/phone/anything "AA" or "AAA" it'll work just fine.
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I have the nomad 13.5 and love it. I made my own battery pack because I cannot see spending the money they want for a battery and a charge controller though. Superb products though.
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41,533 Posts
Will it charge a Nook or Kindle ot hand held Ham radio?
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I also have the Nomad 7/Guide 10 model and am very happy with it.
Downside? As mentioned above the $/W ratio is high. But the package itself is worth the extra cost to me.
I also have "real" solar panels (200W of polycrystalline Kyocera's) that are used here at the homestead to provide plenty of 12v charging power. But my Goal Zero Nomad is dedicated to charging AA Eneloop's in the field for use in radios, etc.
Downside? As mentioned above the $/W ratio is high. But the package itself is worth the extra cost to me.
I also have "real" solar panels (200W of polycrystalline Kyocera's) that are used here at the homestead to provide plenty of 12v charging power. But my Goal Zero Nomad is dedicated to charging AA Eneloop's in the field for use in radios, etc.
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891 Posts
These guys have way too much markup. Its pretty easy to build a 1500w/3000w peak system for 25% of the price of this 350watt system. This includes 200+ Watt solar panels, larger inverter, Faster charging and more battery capacity.
DIY with 5 times the output and 1/4 the price. I don't see any advantages here? Maybe for someone thats willing to pay for plug and play but if you build your own you can repair or replace parts if needed. It's also about 10 times easier then building your own PC.
120V AC <--- 12v Inverter <--- 12v battery <-- 200w Solar panels
and or
120V AC <--- 12v Inverter <--- 12v battery <-- 120v to 12v 25A Charger
BTW: Costco has the Goal Zero kits discounted.
http://www.costco.com/Common/Search...e=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US
DIY with 5 times the output and 1/4 the price. I don't see any advantages here? Maybe for someone thats willing to pay for plug and play but if you build your own you can repair or replace parts if needed. It's also about 10 times easier then building your own PC.
120V AC <--- 12v Inverter <--- 12v battery <-- 200w Solar panels
and or
120V AC <--- 12v Inverter <--- 12v battery <-- 120v to 12v 25A Charger
BTW: Costco has the Goal Zero kits discounted.
http://www.costco.com/Common/Search...e=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US
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891 Posts
I think you need to upgrade to a $30 a month merchant account and post in the merchant section.
Here's the link:
http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=3797
$30 isn't much of an investment. You could always try it for a month and see if it's profitable.
Also Quote: "3. If a member ask a question about something, (like a water filter) and you sell it, merchants are allowed to link to the product at their store - this applies site wide.
In other words - If a member wants something, then sell it to them."
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5,278 Posts
Question, how long is the cord from the panels?
I wasn't really asking about myself. I don't plan on selling anything here...seems like one of the posts above from a merchant hawking wares is getting cheap advertising. I agree...the ad should be in the merchant area...not here with what appears a full page website advertisement. Just my humble opinion though.
I Second that. While it was interesting to see this product sheet from Gunner-Firsherman (Believe me, it was informative), it definitely fall on the advertising side of the fence. Not that I think that it was intentional, but it's not fair to have ads here, while the merchants pay for the right to advertise in a specific session. I am not a mod, and this is not my business, so I am not censoring anyone, just stating my point of view on this.
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I cannot believe how much they are overcharging...
All it is, is a solar panel, a battery, a charge controller and an inverter (same as every other solar system on the block). The system is not well suited to expansion, and can easily be beaten price wise with little to no construction on the part of the user.
This is what happens when "Green" takes over as a buzz word. Over priced technology gets marketed as a revolution to those that don't know the difference.
All it is, is a solar panel, a battery, a charge controller and an inverter (same as every other solar system on the block). The system is not well suited to expansion, and can easily be beaten price wise with little to no construction on the part of the user.
This is what happens when "Green" takes over as a buzz word. Over priced technology gets marketed as a revolution to those that don't know the difference.
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891 Posts
The ad was from a Forum Mod Here and there were no affiliate or commission links connected to the URL. The mod also stated he was sponsored by them so I don't see any issues. Mod's put in endless work and that work definitely adds up to more then $30 a month.
This forum has almost no ads (besides tiny imbedded google/amazon stuff) and adding a few could help the site grow. Adding in depth first hand articles and product reviews is customary in most forums and gives it unique content that people search for.
I agree you make good points...however...looks like a full page ad to me. So what is a "sponsored person"? Any monetary gain involved?
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49 Posts
Not very long...maybe a foot or so, IIRC.
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