Goal zero yeti 150 & cpap
Is anyone using a Goal Zero Yeti 150 to power their CPAP? If so, I would like to hear your feedback in how well it works for you. Thank you
Forum Discussion
Since "Goal Zero" is in the subject title I would like to say a few words about these Yeti unit, almost all of it positive.
While it is "one more thing to lug around" if you already have a battery, a charger and an inverter, when you have none of those things the Yeti is a very convenient method of toting them around. And while it is more costly than buying the individual parts separately, I know of no other combo setup anywhere near as convenient for travel as the Yeti units.
I first purchased the 150 for use snow camping in a tent where every last thing was being dragged in on sled by human donkey. All I needed to do was power a small tablet, but since I am addicted to electronic devices I needed the tablet powered on pretty much any moment I was awake.
The Yeti units are solidly built and lightweight--apart from the dead weight of the battery. My main gripe with the 150 is simply its small battery.
I bought the 400 even though it was less luggable, because it offered far more power. With the 400 I found that I could power both my laptop and sat reciever and tailgater, for short durations. The problem I found was that the power cord charger offered very low amperage--five, I think--and since there is no transfer switch in these devices, and power that goes into the cord has to be charged into the batts and then inverted out again. In practice this meant that they were still better suited for short-duration uses.
There are two ways to improve this. The first is simply to clamp a Meanwell single-stage power supply onto the external anderson ports and do bulk charging by that method. The second is to add solar panels and feed power inthrogh the solar input, which is higher. I did both these things, but in both cases you're now lugging around more clutter, and less clutter was the whole point with the Yeti units.
My Yeti 400 (and extra batts) now travels with me in my car. This allows me to run my power-hungry laptop for hours on end, say if I decide to head out to some picturesque spot and day-camp for the afternoon. For that use alone I don't know how I ever got along without it. Idling my car for hours on end, if memory serves.
Bottom line: Highly recommended for limited-duration uses where the recharge cycle is not part of the equation. Highly recommended for its portability. Neutral recommendation on price--high priced but there really is no other alternative short of making your own. Not recommented for long-duration uses beyond the onboard battery capacity. The cord charger takes an eternity and solar or a Meanwell adds that much more clutter.
In aperfect world I would go back and buy the 1250 (100 pounds) and keep it permanently in the back of the jeep, trickle charging every time I start the car and ready whenever I need it.
While it is "one more thing to lug around" if you already have a battery, a charger and an inverter, when you have none of those things the Yeti is a very convenient method of toting them around. And while it is more costly than buying the individual parts separately, I know of no other combo setup anywhere near as convenient for travel as the Yeti units.
I first purchased the 150 for use snow camping in a tent where every last thing was being dragged in on sled by human donkey. All I needed to do was power a small tablet, but since I am addicted to electronic devices I needed the tablet powered on pretty much any moment I was awake.
The Yeti units are solidly built and lightweight--apart from the dead weight of the battery. My main gripe with the 150 is simply its small battery.
I bought the 400 even though it was less luggable, because it offered far more power. With the 400 I found that I could power both my laptop and sat reciever and tailgater, for short durations. The problem I found was that the power cord charger offered very low amperage--five, I think--and since there is no transfer switch in these devices, and power that goes into the cord has to be charged into the batts and then inverted out again. In practice this meant that they were still better suited for short-duration uses.
There are two ways to improve this. The first is simply to clamp a Meanwell single-stage power supply onto the external anderson ports and do bulk charging by that method. The second is to add solar panels and feed power inthrogh the solar input, which is higher. I did both these things, but in both cases you're now lugging around more clutter, and less clutter was the whole point with the Yeti units.
My Yeti 400 (and extra batts) now travels with me in my car. This allows me to run my power-hungry laptop for hours on end, say if I decide to head out to some picturesque spot and day-camp for the afternoon. For that use alone I don't know how I ever got along without it. Idling my car for hours on end, if memory serves.
Bottom line: Highly recommended for limited-duration uses where the recharge cycle is not part of the equation. Highly recommended for its portability. Neutral recommendation on price--high priced but there really is no other alternative short of making your own. Not recommented for long-duration uses beyond the onboard battery capacity. The cord charger takes an eternity and solar or a Meanwell adds that much more clutter.
In aperfect world I would go back and buy the 1250 (100 pounds) and keep it permanently in the back of the jeep, trickle charging every time I start the car and ready whenever I need it.
