When sufficient sunlight is detected, the integrated 16Ah lithium-ion battery begins charging, and you’re off to the races. Renogy estimates that the 20 watt solar array will charge up the integrated battery in about 6 hours of good sunlight, but this will vary depending on where in the world you’re using it, the angle it is charging at, shading, and the like. Pro tip: don’t try to charge this (or any PV solar panels) indoors, as a significant portion of the usable light is lost on the way in through the glass.
In addition to pulling in power from the sun, the Phoenix Portable Solar Generator can also be charged up from a normal AC wall outlet or a 12 volt car adapter. As the internal battery charges up, the state of charge is displayed on the front screen as it moves from 0 to 100%. The internal NMC lithium-ion battery is also replaceable, allowing for a long life beyond the included battery’s estimated 1,500 cycle life.
When the time comes to start using the power from the Phoenix Generator, you’ll find that it has been packed full of options for pushing out AC or DC power, depending on what you’re looking for. First, turn on the generator with the large power button under the handle. Then, select AC or DC by tapping the corresponding button on the front of the unit. The LCD will light up, indicating which is active, or both.
The Phoenix can push out 110 volt power at 60 hertz through its built-in inverter which, while convenient, is nothing to write at home about with a minimum efficiency of just 80%. It can support loads of up to 150 watts, so don’t expect to be powering construction equipment off of it. It is much better suited to keeping a host of personal electronics such as phones, tablets, DSLR cameras, and laptops topped up while on the go.
We put these to the test and found that Renogy’s impressive claims held true, providing 20-30 charges of a smartphone (1900-2600 mAh battery), 8 charges of an iPad Air or similar tablet, or 4-5 charges of a laptop battery, depending on the size of its battery. For my MacBook Pro, the Phoenix was able to consistently keep me topped up while out on the road. The ability to then top up the battery in the Phoenix from the sun is also extremely useful and was a nice reminder about how functional and refreshing solar power is.
Summary
Renogy Phoenix Portable Solar GeneratorSolar generators pull down the power of the sun to charge up a set of batteries for use in any number of off-grid use cases. The Renogy Phoenix Portable Solar Generator takes that concepts and rolls it into a package that is easy to move and use. Its inefficient inverter will sap some of the stored power, but the ability to generate more from the sun, and the sheer number of output and input options, help mitigate the loss due to inefficiency to some extent.
The 16Ah battery is more than sufficient to keep electronics, cameras, and rechargeable lights topped up, while the solar generation options make it easy to recharge the battery through the day. The ability to add an additional 100 watts of solar generation into the mix makes it a viable candidate for RVs, tiny houses, or that large family campout.
Laptops are ideal for students as they can carry these portable PCs between class in a backpack, allowing them to work on the same Windows 10 PC in class and back at their dorm. Notebooks come in a variety of sizes, configurations, and colors, making choosing one for your student a daunting task. We've gone through things you should consider, and now we run you over some things you shouldn't do when buying a student a new laptop.
There are a few different screen sizes to choose from when shopping around for a laptop. 11-inch laptops are the smallest, while 17-inch portable workstations are designed for those who prefer using their notebook on a desk. The sweet spot for most consumers — and students — are between 13 and 15 inches. This would also depend on what the student would prefer to use. You shouldn't buy the largest display size out there believing it to be the best.
Smaller displays are better for portability and word documentation, while larger displays make it easier to be creative. As well as screen size, the resolution of the display is also essential. A 1080p (1920 x 1080) 15-inch display will constrict a budding student more than a 1440p (2560 x 1440p) 13-inch panel, allowing you to run more apps side-by-side or see more without having to reduce the size of text or scaling.