The New ArkPak Power Supply

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Corey

Corey

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Threads
63
Messages
1,381
Location
Auburn, WA.
Website
www.yotatech.com
As some may have seen by my other threads, I use a Goal Zero Ranger 350 battery/inverter setup for camping to run lights and recharge camera batteries.
Well the battery in it went bad, and I was all set to buy another one, but the reviews on Amazon show that the batteries life is not good, and the batteries often fail.

In the past few issues of the Overland Journal I saw an ad for a unit called the ArkPak.
It is a battery box that includes receptacles to power your stuff when in the great outdoors, or at home during a power outage.
You supply the battery for it as in a group 31 automotive/marine one.
You can use any of the four battery types up to 130 amp hours of capacity:
Lead Acid
Gel
Calcium
AGM

Over on Expedition Portals forum was already a thread about the subject, and a member named Mike got one of these units before the USA site went live, and he has been very helpful in my decision to order one of these yesterday.
I believe Mike is running a Sears Diehard Platinum Marine AGM Group 31 in his.
Have not decided yet what battery I will buy.

You can leave this unit plugged in all the time at home on 110v power as it has a smart charger in it that will not over charge it.
If you run it in the field and want to charge it via solar, you will have to use a charge controller in line as to not over charge the battery.

I will not be powering my ARB fridge with it, I run it off of the FJs stock battery, and keep it topped off via my Powerfilm 60 watt foldable solar panel.

For running seven Goal Zero lanterns and recharging up my camera batteries, I see no need to recharge this in the field.
With that size capacity battery, you should be able to power a fridge for 5 days or so before you would need to recharge the battery.

All specs and run times are at the links below.
Also including here four of their videos which go into great detail on this new unit from Australia.

This unit can also double as a dual battery setup in your vehicle, and you can get brackets to mount it inside of your rig.
I also ordered the 12 v to 12v charger, and also the mounting kit to hold the unit while traveling, then I will take it out of the rig when setting up camp.

Links:
Australian Site
US Site To Order From

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NW5cehzT98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5l-MX5Ztb4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM_I93nwzvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giZd8eqJrA0

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$400 for a box with a charger/inverter and some outlets is still a bucket load of money for not much.

150W inverter would run you $20 - $30.

6A smart charger maybe $50 - $80 max (with multiple stages/float charge etc etc).

A few fuses, plugs, wires etc, $10 - $20.

The only benefit I see with their unit is that it's already built, but that's a huge premium to pay.

I just run an aux battery and take along a 150W inverter for odd unit that I don't have a 12V charger for. <$200. While camped an 80W mono solar panel and a MPPT charger takes care of topping up the aux battery with no risk of overcharging while keeping up with the fridge. The alternator takes care of the remaining charging duties.

I personally would rather put the $$ into an aux battery setup which is much more useful and doesn't take up extra cargo space. A 150W inverter for 'power failures' at home is rather useless - not like you can power any useful home appliances with that.

Anyhow different strokes for different folks...

cheers,
george.
 
I will be powering my ARB fridge in my home via the 12v outlet and LED lights if there is a power outage which we have every winter here.
No need for me to even use the 110v side of it.
 
Corey said:
I will be powering my ARB fridge in my home via the 12v outlet and LED lights if there is a power outage which we have every winter here.
No need for me to even use the 110v side of it.
Click to expand...

Hmm - so then you basically are back to just needed a battery box and a decent charger... if you don't even require the minimal 150W inverter.

So, for <$100 and a battery you need to supply yourself (either way) you have a similar solution...

Anyhow, just seems like a lot of $$ for very little product other than a pretty case.

cheers,
george.
 
Here is another item I have been looking at if I want to charge up my ArkPak in the field.
http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/156/Guardian-12V-Charge-Controller/6:5/

The charge controller has battery clips on so you can attach it to the ArkPak or any 12v battery for that matter, and the solar panel inputs on the controller can accept two different size cables.
My Powerfilm 60 watt solar panel I have will mate to this controller.

guardian1.jpg
pdp_guardTech.jpg


Amazon has these, just ordered one.
http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-140...ords=goal+zero+Guardian+12V+Charge+Controller
 
1973Guppie said:
I don't get it, you can do the same thing with a spare car battery and any inverter? Get a generator for power outages.....
Click to expand...
Not all of us live where a generator can be used though, something many overlook.
This unit also has a charger built in, all compact and in one unit.
 
Over on Expedition Portals 12V/Solar section I saw a thread on a 120 watt solar panel from Ebay, then a member posted another link I felt more comfortable ordering from, a company called Solar Blvd that had a 100 watt panel.
Ordered it earlier this week.

FedEx just dropped it off 30 minutes ago, and I unpacked it and snagged a few pics.
First off I am very impressed with Solar Blvd's shipping and boxing.
The box had 90 degree angle stiff cardboard all around the outer box helping to hold the box secure.
When I opened the box I was met by a red/black bag, I did not know these shipped with one, but I am happy it did :D

Lots of cables came with it and instructions, which I will pour over tomorrow.
This will mainly be for charging up my AGM battery in my ArkPak when camping, since I have the Powerfilm 60 watt foldable for the FJs battery which runs the ARB fridge.

This unit looks very well constructed, and it is very hard to not get something made in China these days, know what I mean?

W Solar 100 Watt Foldable 12 Volt Solar Panel $270.00
only $169.00

No where does it mention on the URL above about it coming with a case.

In the case

1.jpg


Next to case

2.jpg


Back side showing cables and the folding aluminum frame for standing it up

3.jpg


Charge controller I assume

4.jpg


In position to catch some rays

5.jpg
 
I am a ZAMP Solar dealer and include a minimum of 60 watts with every Off Road Trailer that I build. I also install hard wired systems on motor homes, toy haulers and such. Winnebago, Tiffin, Forest River, Jaco,..... all use ZAMP systems because they quality built and the panels themselves are Bosch. Know that name? These panels have a 25 year warranty.

An 80 Watt portable system cost $480.00. MUD members take an additional 10% off. Small travel trailers equipped with an 80 Watt system and two 6 volt batteries will handle all of your needs including small TVs, lights, and computers. Air conditioners and microwave ovens are another thing, although I have been told by several people that they do run the microwave without killing the batteries.

I have tested these in the rain and SoCal dismal Spring weather for days on end and they keep right on charging. For more information and additional pricing, drop me a line or drop in at the shop in Cucamonga, CA.

Mitch Schliebs
 
Corey, those solar panel units are very common and popular in oz. Prices keep dropping - about $150 gets you a 140W or more mono panel over there. As does yours, the come with a reasonably padded bag and storage for the cables etc. The folding aspect is great for packing in the vehicle versus a large single array.

The mono panels work great in cloudy/non-optimal weather. For the USA that $170 for 100W is a pretty good price, for some reason they cost more here than oz - someone is making more profit here :)

Anyhow, I'm sure you'll be more than happy with that panel. The 'charge controllers' are simple PWM units, they work ok, but nothing 'wonderful'. You can always spend some $$ later if you're not happy with the PWM unit that came with the panel and pick up a MPPT controller or just a better US PWM controller. I used the cheapie PWM controller that came with my panel on a 2 week trip and it worked fine to run the fridge 24/7 on my aux battery even with clouds and some rainy days.

cheers,
george.
 
Thanks George for the info.
I noticed after taking the pics that the green "on" LED light was lit up on the charge controller.
This was with my drapes closed, as to much sun was coming in for pics.

Looking forward to using this unit later.
May do some experimenting with it and see if it will run a few of my Goal Zero LED lanterns with no battery in between.
 
Here's a pic of an 85W folding panel setup in oz 2 years ago. For same/less money I could now buy a 140W folding panel.

weo2.jpg


I did buy an MPPT solar controller that I used last Oct/Nov when I went back. The MPPT does put more current back into the battery and has many more options for charging and voltage profile etc. Though given how cheap a 140W panel is back there, it's cheaper to just size up and use a PWM unit.

Also, an MPPT would make a lot more sense for a more 'permanent' setup where the panel is used day in and day out versus just a day or three while stationary in one camp spot. Anyhow, I have it now, so may as well use it :)

Here's from last year, keeping the beer etc in the fridge cool. The panel with the MPPT controller was regularly putting 6A or more into the aux battery - very nice!

metzke2.jpg


I also replaced the supplied connectors (they are common on all those panels and happen to be the same style as used by Battery Tender etc) with Anderson 50A connectors (SB50) - which I use on both of my batteries and other higher power battery items I take camping.

fusep.jpg


YELLOW is the colour you should use for 12V (the various colours have different keys that prevent say a 24V connector being plugged into a 12V device etc).

ppole.jpg


cheers,
george.
 
Nice pics George.
I think the stock charge controller will be fine too for just camping for a few days or even a week at a time.
Nice to see the price of these have come down.

I paid nearly a grand a few years back for my Powerfilm 60 watt foldable, and a custom cable/ends to hook it to my rig.
 
Thanks, here are all six.
I rarely get out all six anymore unless we have a holiday weekend where I can leave them out longer.
During the week they are all asleep in their cases and in a cabinet except for the small guitar which stays out all the time so I can grab it while watching TV.

1.jpg
 
That is a Fernandes Z03 or Z01.
Runs on a 9V battery, and had a built in speaker, or you can plug it into am amp.

I really do not like the Pignose, to clean.
I have two very nice small modeling amps that run on 110V or AA batteries that have massive metal sustain sound, or can be clean, and have effects too.
They are very loud for small amps.

Yamaha THR 10X
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/guitar_amplifiers/yamaha/thr10x/index.html

Roland Micro Cube GX
http://www.rolandconnect.com/product_2013-06.php?p=micro_cube_gx

Videos at both sites.
 
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