CHECK OUT THE VITA 550: gohobo.io/vita550 use code OLHOBOFANS for $40 off. [This will be the last edited product review until March. Enjoy!] --- DISCOUNT CODES on SOLAR PANELS - GENERATORS - REFRIGERATORS: hobotech.tv/amazon

Hi, all Hobotech fans, here is Growatt official account. Thank you all for your valuable advice and feedback, and Growatt is always happy to hear your voices! As an answer to your questions: the VITA 550 is designed for outdoor & off-the-grid applications, therefore the passthrough & UPS features were not planned. Our larger models that are intended as backup power would support both features. But your opinions are always important to our better growth and development. We at Growatt would seriously consider your suggestions and continuously improve our green energy products.

@gavjlewis

Жыл бұрын

Any plans to bring a 240v version to the UK?

@Vibe77Guy

Жыл бұрын

Not mentioned yet that I've seen, battery expansion. One thing that is inconvenient on the EB3a is extending the battery capacity. Yes you can plug it into an external DC source, but that is not quite the same as a true battery expansion. A true add on battery expansion would be a semi permanent hook up, with charging by the inverter controller as well.

@Vibe77Guy

Жыл бұрын

I've run into the issue that panel suppliers are limiting installation to AC frequency tied optimizer/mini inverter equiped panels, negating the DC charging use at the generator. There are ways for the generator itself to feed that frequency to the panels for off grid use, but such an installation would render daytime use of this generator with panels as useless without pass through or UPS functionality.

@junkerzn7312

Жыл бұрын

@@Vibe77Guy None of these power stations can handle AC-coupled solar panels properly. And it is actually even more complicated than that. But is it possible? Yah, its possible. But not with dinky power stations. You need fairly beefy inverter/charging circuits to even have a chance. (I know some people use those cheap Chinese grid-tied micro-inverters to ac-couple small systems, but that's only because a lot of those micro-inverters don't implement the UL anti-islanding specification properly). * If the power station implements a UPS mode it will get into trouble. Because when it is grid-tied it has no ability to adjust the frequency at all (the frequency is going to be grid frequency, period), and thus no ability to control the amperage running through the unit from the AC coupled solar on its outputs back to its AC input. So it would have to measure it and trip-off the UPS relay if the backfeed exceeds what the relay and bus can handle (which will typically be 5-10A or so on these sorts of power stations). * When the power station is in stand-alone mode, it could theoretically control the frequency, but the regulation doesn't allow instant shifting of the frequency so the power station must be able to sink all excess power from the AC coupled array until it can servo the frequency to make their output match the load. That can take as long as 30 seconds. The only way to do it is to charge the battery and to have a fairly significant capability to charge the battery. Otherwise the AC-coupled micro-inverters will max-out their voltage and then go into shutdown due to the anti-islanding coding. * Let alone what happens if the battery becomes full in stand-alone mode in an ac-coupled system. That requires fine control by the firmware. It always needs headroom in the battery for buffering output discrepancies while it shifts the frequency. Typically these little batteries just don't have the charging amperage headroom when they are sitting at 90% or higher, so to make the feature work at all the power station would probably not be able to let the battery go above 80% or so. That's assuming it even has the amperage headroom in the charger to match AC-coupled solar. Which it probably won't. There just isn't enough battery in these little power stations to do it properly. An Eco Flow Delta Pro might have the headroom, but even a 200P would not and nothing smaller would either.

@butchbuoni

Жыл бұрын

16 Jan 23, 22:39. I appreciate the fact that you (Growatt) read and respond to the comments… Thank You.

This model Growatt would of made it on my list of possibilities, but not having pass through charging on the inverter is a big big buzz kill. It seems that people are expecting this feature to be standard. I was shocked when you tested the inverter and this feature was absent. I enjoy using the inverter and charging at the same time. It keeps the battery topped off and it would seem to increase the life of the battery if your not running it down all the time and then stopping to charge it again and not being able to use the inverter. You were nice about the elephant in the room but what was Growatt thinking when they omitted this feature?

@LiquidTurbo

Жыл бұрын

I wonder why they did this and I'm guessing there is probably a good reason. Maybe they thought pass through would reduce cycle life too much. Maybe it would raise the cost too much. Personally I don't find pass through charging useful (but I understand others might). This might help bring the cost down to a more attainable level for people, so people don't pay for features they don't need. Personally I don't use passthrough AC charging because I might as well plug it directly into the wall.

@ryanyoder7573

Жыл бұрын

Unusable without pass through charging.

@niktak1114

Жыл бұрын

That is how the cheaper all-in-one inverters (like growatts) work. You can only charge from the grid while in bypass mode.

pass through & ups is a must! Only reson i'm not a buyer.

Hmmmm. Darn you Hobotech, I need to stop watching as I have 9 solar generators and two refrigerators from watching these. Now I will want another. LOL

Glad to "hear" Growatt put a relatively clean inverter into this unit. It would have been pretty disappointing to find out otherwise. Nice price for the capacity, as long as you're OK with that hard limit on the inverter.

I appreciate the honest reviews. Good work.

Just bought one, thanks! Was looking for a LiFePo4 battery station similar to the EB3A but with double the watt-hours. Found a couple that were doing some false advertising about being LiFePo4, so getting this one. I don't really need the pass through AC (or any, since I have others units that do that) or UPS, so very happy to find this one. Love your reviews, thanks!

I think the Bluetti EB3A has set the bar high for these little devices. Having a powerful UPS function should now be a part of all these devices as they would serve a much broader use cases. I wish Growatt would do that as a 500WH power station would be perfect with that function for Server and higher end electronic devices backup.

@maptap6654

Жыл бұрын

Too bad the EB3A UPS feature does not work. I got 2 different units, both would go in "overload error" with a 38W load in UPS mode, after 9-24h. Very disappointing. The Growatt also has the same issues with the 600W inverter, absolutely zero overhead. Forget about running a compressor fridge with this, as soon as compressor kicks in, it konks out.

@worldcomicsreview354

Жыл бұрын

@@maptap6654 Interesting, I was thinking of getting one as a backup for my fridge. Might have to rethink.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

600w is not enough for a residential fridge. This one can handle a dorm size fridge or 12v compressor fridge.

@maptap6654

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH I should have been more specific. The 2 units I received could not handle a dorm style fridge, let alone a real full sized refrigerator. Standard Danby 4cu ft, not ancient or fancy. I saw 724W displayed for a half second, then inverter quit. Just surge power mind you, the refrigerator is nowhere near 724W in continuous cooling mode. Bottom line the EB3A could not do anything I wanted it to do. I wanted to like it, but had to return it.

@davidbailey3289

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH I have one of those first gen nmc 600 watt ecoflow river power stations that I have plugged in by my lift chair that powers my lift chair, my bipap machine, and more. I could go on and on with the things I have ran off that. Now I was hoping this growatt was going to be the lfp battery upgrade with the ups feature as the the nmc is struggling to keep up.

If this was pass through, it would be in my cart ready to buy. Even my little anker 521 has it.

Thanks for sharing, and CPAP use is perfect since so many mobile folks use them.

HOBOTEC is in the house. Happy New Year ! I know you’re getting some results from the manufacturing company updating the product. Because they have responded to your chats. And I can respect that and email going back and forth to the customer is good. But when they are willing to do it in the chat 💬 that’s fantastic. Thanks so much for your time and posting.

Nice product. Thank you for sharing. Blessings 👍🏼

EPIC CORD EFFECTS!!! WOW!!

Great review

Good info on the inverter charger stuff.

Man, I hadn’t watched your videos in a little while. I missed that Gen X snark! Love it

Superfast charging and high capacity for a good price but the lack of AC passthrough is a dealbreaker for me personally. Thank you for another top review. I've been impressed with Bluetti's EB models - I'm gonna check out your River 2 Max video now. 👍

nice review

👊 👊double fisted Friday will take your blues away! 🤘⚡️🤘✨👊💥

Not bad at all, great features even if it can't be use while charging AC... the quick charging makes it a winner for me!🤜💣🤛

Exactly what I was looking for, to replace my worthless Rockpals 300w & 550w

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Wri n g

I can't wait for you to get your hands on the NEW SODIUM ION BATTERY being produced please let us know as soon as you can !

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Sodium batteries are hype. They have a 1000 cycle life similar to NMC. No one is going to buy them when LiFePO4 has 3500 cycles.

Oh so close! If only they had a ups feature or at least a pass thru charging ability... I would buy several.

Love the ending themes song

Nice!!!

Ordered one with your code. I dont really need the ups since I'll be charging it in full at home before taking it to camp, and using solar to charge at camp.

@LiquidTurbo

Жыл бұрын

That's exactly what Growatt intended. Seems like a great little SoGen for the money!

Growatt please put a power in and out 100w USB-C, it will increase the charging options. Even my super cheap Golabs R300 has PD in and out. Charge an extra $10 or something. It would also allow you to charge from a USB power brick from the wall while being able to use passthrough on the AC or most solar panels now have a PD out. You're killing 2 birds with one stone and putting a PD in/out port on there has got to be cheaper than replacing the whole inverter for charge pass through. Also ALL the USB A's should be 3.0 not just one. Again my Golabs R300 at a 1/3rd of the price when I bought it both USB A's on it are 3.0 compatible. Pay the extra .50 cents a port. I haven't seen what it looks like inside but I'd wager the USB ports all come on a single PCB board that is put into the unit. Pay an extra $2 or $3 dollars more for a unit that has 3 USB-A 3.0's, 1 USB-C PD 100w in and out and charge the customer an extra $10. There I've made you $7 more profit and it's more competitive and functional. Where's my cookie?

@unknownquantity4440

Жыл бұрын

No cookie. But how about a thumbs-up? Totally agree on the bi-directional USB-C. It should be one of the new standard features on these solgens.

@GrowattPortable

Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for your valuable suggestions, we at Growatt will seriously consider your suggestions and continue to improve our green energy products.

@chrissinclair8705

Жыл бұрын

Also the addition of an actual button for the wireless would be nice or wire it up to the USB power switch. Not everyone uses wireless charging, it's a great feature but having the ability to turn it on and off so you don't have more parasitic drain would be a bonus. Overall a very good and compelling unit with just a few minor cheap tweaks would definitely be a winner.

Hope to see the new Renegy sogens soon

Hey man love the vids. Can you do a review on the Cloudenergy 12v 300ah 3.84kwh I would gladly appreciate it.

pass through charging on AC without a UPS feature is useless, just plug the item into the wall. DC pass through is important and it has that. The problem I see is the 12 amps when charging from the cars lighter socket, its a hi resistance connection that generates a lot of heat. Almost all dashboards are plastic now so I would be very concerned about them melting around the socket. This would be great if they could limit the amps to 10 or less.

I don't believe the lack of AC passthrough charging is as big a deal as some people think. I don't run anything continuously via AC power for any long period of time, and this unit at this size is not designed for that anyway. The items it's going to run via AC will be short-run items at best. Don't ding a product for not doing something it wasn't designed to do. Buy something else for that purpose. This sogen will do DC continuous running (refrigerators, fans, CPAP, etc) all day and all night with passthrough charging, and that is good enough for my use case. YMMV.

@toddyork5698

Жыл бұрын

It's only a big deal because some reviewers make it that way. Same with low temp disconnect on lfp batteries. If you want a UPS, a UPS is the right product, not a 'sogen'

Growatt add UPS and it's perfect to me.

@hobotech do you have a review of the mango power e coming?

Have you seen Yoshino power station with solid state battery. Also I picked up the DaranEner NEO2000 Portable are you going to review I would like to get your opinion???

Prefer a pass through - like driving through the town of Bakersfield.

I have 2 ebike chargers that are 36v - 13ah for 6 hours, what power bank would you recommend? thank you

@HOBOTECH question do you plane to review the Ecoflow wave 2 ? It’s release date is March on some websites taking preorders. I’m sure a lot of people would like to see it. A lot of efficiency claims and it has a heat pump. Considering it for a build out ever since I’ve seen the preview no one has any reviews or test out yet though.

Awesome

can you turn off the cell phone charger in the app? I would like to use it to run a dc refrigerator most of the time in a metal bear box and dont want the wasted power.

Lack of AC pass-through and UPS make the product a no-go for me. However, running exclusively on a DC charger allows some possibilities.

@stevepriority4219

Жыл бұрын

Wondering if the ups feature is there if you don't use the power charge AC mode.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Read Growatts response...

Yes solar generator☀ ⚡🔌💡🔋👍

Thanks for the review! What would you recommend as a good power station for camping? Thinking of bringing an air fryer, electric grill and a Iceco fridge. Also, charging is not a problem...looking more for portability, comfort and longevity.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Check out the AC180 review I just did.

Wireless (qi) charging requires a handshake between the phone and the charger before any power is activated. It won't hurt anything to put a purse or credit cards on top of the charging pad. It will waste a tiny bit of power to leave it on all the time, but you would be looking at much less than 1 watt of power overhead.

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Wring

Thank you so much for your reviews, they have been instrumental in our research. I’m curious, is there any real life environment where you could actually get the 240w from a solar panel without exceeding the volts or amps? Or am I looking for a unicorn? Growatt doesn’t seem to sell anything that will get those results and I can’t seem to find one with the appropriate specs. Suggestions?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

You can exceed amps all you want. It won't hurt anything.

@ellis1773

11 ай бұрын

@@HOBOTECH brilliant! That helps so much. Thank you!!

I noticed when you did the pass through charging, either the inverter or 110 charger works, not both. Were you doing the fast charger option? Maybe slow charging works with the inverter?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Makes no difference. See Growatt's response.

Positive Comment!!!!

Good Review However I like the EB3A much better

What's the difference between AC pass through charging and UPS? They sound like they're the same.

8:45 ... Just put a 30 amp fuse in it or a paperclip...🤣 I kid, I kid !!

I am asking anyone to help me. I can't download the app on either if my phone's. What the point in having bluetti if I can't get app

I am looking for a Solar generator with panels for around 2000.00 that will run my refrigerator in a power failure...what would you recommend.

Hey HoboTech...how about doing wireless charging with an OtterBox-type protective cover on. Many of the Qi or wireless chargers are not powerful enough to get thru the rubber. BTW, thanks for doing the "so watt" on the GoWatt; summarizing the different prices of competitors and who it would best be used for!

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

My phone has an Otterbox

Did you see if it will passthrough on "Normal" speed charging? Just wondering if the "Quick" charge shut off the pass through?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Makes no difference.

ho old is odin? enjoy your videos ... how about a comparison video of nimh and or lithium recargeable aa aaa 9v etc in hobotech style

They did the light right (diffused light with adjustable brightness).

Westinghouse has one review that one

Regarding UPS models I’d like to see comments regarding if you can have solar going through inverter to AC outputs while bypassing the battery. The reason would be reduce cycling battery unnecessary when using the system primarily for solar to power devices during daylight. Perhaps if the battery was only bypassed at 100%. But it seems a waste to dump power from solar to battery and out of battery into inverter and AC outlet. If solar has enough power it should have to go through battery. Thoughts / comments.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Solar doesn't go through the UPS or inverter.

@audiovideophile5317

Жыл бұрын

The inverter would be needed to get the DC to AC right? So it sounds like with no solar generator is capable of bypass the battery to reduce cycling when using only DC solar input and AC output.

Awesome price for only one really omission. thank you! Can you please explain the Watt+ Up To 1050W feature? Was that not turned on when Hobotech did the inverter test and it had a hard limit at 600w? Is that where it lowers the voltage?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Yes I don't bother testing voltage trickery options. They just aren't safe for a lot of electronics.

@cadefoster9279

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH Good point! For me the lack of wall charging while using the inverter is not a problem at all. The price and what you get way than make up for that omission.

I'd be curious to know if the ac inverter can be set to not turn off and how much it's idle power consumption is.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Yes

Looks like the same display and function buttons as the Bluetti EB3a.

No pass through/ ups function no dice!

Hobo!!!!!

This is obviously intended to be a portable device. I can't help but think that LiFePO4 is always the wrong choice for a portable device, as is the internal AC charger. I mean, compared to my admittedly larger NMC Pecron with an external power brick, this thing is a full 90% heavier per kWH. Unless you are Vasili Alekseyev, that's nuts! (I mean, sure, you get 3000+ cycles, but if you go camping with it, say, weekly, which is rather often, that gives you 60 years, which is ridiculous; that sort of number makes sense for, say, daily use, which points to a stationary device, not a portable one...) Having an app is nice though...

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Out last uce generatirs

Some wireless charging pads have a mechanism to sense 'metal' that isn't a coil to receive energy. So perhaps that would protect your cards? Can you put your credit card on top and test it out ? ;). Also, maybe I missed it, but can the display be turned off at night when I'm sleeping, but leaving charging on? Displays are nice but not great in a tent at night.

One test that I don't remember seeing is the efficiency of running the generators as a UPS. I would like to see how many watts in are required in for even pass thru to run a load. Can we compare power input to power output while running a load, after the battery is fully charged. My assumption is that, if the inverter is running it would take power to run in standby until it is needed. Possibly some generators could start the UPS on demand and eliminate the standby power required to keep the inverter running without a load, so it would be in a ready state. Maybe you could explain also if the inverter will have to run all the time or self start in the units you test that have a UPS function.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

This doesn't have UPS or AC pass through per the video...

@BruceCinader

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH The last sentence I said for the units that have pass thru. I understand this unit doesn't, I was asking for the many others that you test that do have it.

Seems like the WattFun 500 would be a much better deal if you can find one.

Ecoflow River 2 all day, every charge 🙂

Professor hobo have you? Gone to a secret laboratory and tested the new mango Battery?

Is it possible to add AC pass-through charging and some sort of UPS/EPS with a firmware update? Also, I think you asked if viewers were interested in having you take some of these generators apart to evaluate the innards. I can’t recall how I voted at the time but … If the manufacturer is well-respected and has a record of doing what they say, then dismantling one unit from the brand would helpful. After that, we know we can trust what’s claimed on the packaging/specs. If it’s a new manufacturer, has a questionable record, etc, then looking at the innards would go a long way to helping us understand some of the pricing on the plug/play consumer units. This is a good example because the company is a “known” entity for inverters making it especially odd that AC input/output is blocked. I wonder why. (Btw, I can think of plenty of innocuous reasons.) Thanks for your super informative videos. Your reviews hit the sweet spot: comprehensive for users, checking relevant features, explaining the basics of pv but avoiding excessive jargon. At my own pace, I’m learning more. Each time, I return to your videos to see how you approached the topic.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

UPS is a hardware thing, not software. Read the official reply from Growatt.

@dfastor9959

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH Thanks. Didn’t know this. Hoped it was something that could be changed after shipment. Alas.

Great review!! you always seem to find all the pros and cons! What is a comparable unit in power and price that DOES let you use inverter while charging unit with AC?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

The other two units I compared it two...

Do all these power stations have that annoying feature of shutting off by itself when not in use? I was disappointed to learn my Jackery had it

Wouldn't it compare better to the Bluetti EB55, which I'm thinking of buying?

Greetings Professor, I recently saw a product review from an Overlanding channel of the Blackfire Portable Power Station 1500W, and let's just say they aren't up to your standards. I wonder if you have the ability to do a review of this product and run it through your mad lab of tests and offer up your opinion, I am still rocking the 1st version of the Bluetti AC200 (purchased through your campaign discount way back in the day), I am considering a backup while I'm out and about in the back country. Much appreciated for your consideration of this request...

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't waste my time after doing this one kzread.info/dash/bejne/mqetqKajfNi_Z7g.html . Get something I reviewed recently.

Love it except for the fact it doesn't have UPS !!

I only watched this because I thought it would have pass thru charging for my Vita-Mix blender.

Good price but passthrough is a deal breaker.

@LiquidTurbo

Жыл бұрын

@@hificat101 I question how many people actually use Passthrough charging

With a built-in charger there is no excuse for missing pass through and UPS functionality. I am not interested in camping off grid. I am more interested in backup capabilities.

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

This isn't really large enough to be a backup power supply. Very few appliances can run on 600w.

@GaryMussar

Жыл бұрын

@@HOBOTECH To be fair, I have been looking at backs for CPAPs to handle power failures during the night. This can also handle remote hubs, dsl modems, etc..

14:05 what a deal breaker. Wow that’s terrible. Did you try it on slow charge?

@HOBOTECH

Жыл бұрын

Makes no difference. See Growatt's response.

Not being able to turn off the wireless charger is a turnoff - having to be super cautious what I put on top of a flat surface would be irritating.

Not a fan of the internal bricks. At least I can replace an external charger.

@LiquidTurbo

Жыл бұрын

I think most consumers prefer not having to carry a brick of a charger around.

No Rammstein? 😭

So this would run a 40watt LED shop light for 11 hours. Or provide a portable power source for a power tool with a less than 600w rated motor. A light duty hand drill and/or side grinder works with the EB3a, so should work with this as well.

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Yes

Lol no pass though in 2023…

No AC passthrough charging in 2023? Total fail. That is a showstopper for me.

375$ is the sweet spot for this solar generator, if someone gift me.

I think Your channel sounded better when you didn't say "you got it" before product review at the start of your videos

Ugh those solar input specs are horrid. They label it for 100W but apparently it can actually take up to 31VDC input which is compatible with most 200W panels... just doesn't make any sense why they would mis-feature it that way. At a minimum it should handle 48VDC on the solar input (for a modern product). And no UPS mode, and no pass-through AC charging. And poor 12-14VDC charging behavior. Geeze, so many mistakes making this product basically useless. Now what I'm still wondering about this unit is: * Is it connecting the ground through from the AC input to the AC outputs? And is it tying the grounds on the AC outputs together? * Is the polarity of the AC output's neutral and hot wires compatible with the AC input (e.g. the Oukitel P2001 reverses them, which is bad).

@n1chr0me6

Жыл бұрын

Seems like 12.3v @15:53

Why do makers of these "small" inverters put 2, 3 or 4 ac outlets ? its false advertising, its a SMALL inverter, you cant run much on one ac outlet with the max power output, When we will get a decent camping battery, we can always take our own inverter and plug it in, but camping, most don't take an induction plate, its for lights, charging phones, tablets etc Its about time that these manufactories sell what people want instead of selling crap that's unusable in the real world

@LiquidTurbo

Жыл бұрын

Because people are attracted to numbers. If they put one outlet, they would look "inferior" to some other sogen with 4 outlets. Look at all the people whinging about no AC passthrough - likely a feature only a small subset of people need.

@joshua.harazin

Жыл бұрын

Don't be melodramatic, there's plenty of low-wattage AC devices out there that a person might want to run simultaneously. And it costs pennies to have the extra outlets.

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Wrong no fake adeveramt

@dudleyedge1374

Жыл бұрын

@@sharonbraselton3135 explain ?

@dudleyedge1374

Жыл бұрын

No one has answered the question I asked

Sounds like a weed brand

I'm here after figuring out US plan against their own civilians

No thanks. Not enough power to do much of anything.

@sharonbraselton3135

Жыл бұрын

Wring