Review – Long-term (well, the past 4 years) readers may remember that in addition to my daily work and responsibilities as a commentator for The Gadgeteer, I was also actively involved in the Boy Scouts. Recently, I added the role of adult army quartermaster to my long-time role as assistant scout chief. One of my current tasks is to identify and acquire solar energy systems for our troop trailers for charging and maintaining the safe radios we use in various camping and volunteer activities. In addition to the trailer installation solution we are currently evaluating, the NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 power station appears to be a reasonable portable solution that can turn off our radio on site. Let’s see if it reaches the level.
What is it?
NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 power station is a multi-input (multi-volt DC, USB-C)/multi-output (USB-A, USB-C, 12V, DC, AC) portable power solution, including an integrated flashlight.
What’s in the box?
The NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 power station is packed in double boxes (well, it is actually three times, because the warehouse of NTONPOWER sent me a shipping carton with 2 units), and the rack boxes are packed in a shipping box.
Inside the display box, the NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 Power Station is protected by plastic transport bags and custom-shaped packaging materials. Accompanying the device is a small box containing accessories.
The included accessories list includes
- Country/region dedicated power cord (wall-mounted enclosure)
- AC power adapter
- Car charger
- Small power strip with AC power outlet and USB-A port
- Mounting screws of the power supply board (2)
- Rubber ring for installing power board
- user’s manual
Hardware specifications
- 569.4 watt-hour lithium-ion battery
- 6.5 kg
- 290 x 168 x 218 mm
- Barrel port for charging (12-24V DC 65W max)
- USB-A port(2) 5V 2.4V max
- USB-A QC port(1) 5V 2.4V max
- USB-C PD 60W port (charging/powering)
- AC power socket 110V (60 Hz 500W / 650W max)
- Integrated flashlight
Design and features
My first impression of the NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 Power Station is that its design is very retro. It is visually reminiscent of a 1950s radio, and even shares its color with my late grandfather’s antique (now) pickup truck. However, once you pick up the device and realize that it is much denser than any old radio, this impression will be alleviated.
Leaving aside the design clues, the first impression is a practical power bank, not something with a sleek design aesthetic (such as Target Zero), but it seems to have the same functions as a sleek product.
set up
Before using the device, it must be charged (as shown above, for safety reasons, the device is almost discharged during transportation). Using mains or generator power and the attached power brick, the device can be charged in about 9 hours. I did not test the car charger, but the document says it should take about the same time as using the power brick, but the exact time depends on the capabilities of the vehicle’s electrical system. I was able to use a borrowed 50 W portable solar device to test the charging of the Solar Rover. Using those panels/controllers that output 12V, I was able to charge the Solar Rover from 75% to 100% in about 6 hours. The document shows that the best case for charging with a 100W solar panel system can charge the Solar Rover 500 in about 10 hours.
Performance
Since I received two identical units, I decided to describe my experience with each unit separately to see if there are any performance differences between the two units.
Unit 1
The first unit I opened worked as described in the user guide. I was able to easily charge the Solar Rover overnight with the included power supply. I used it around the house for a few weeks without any problems. I use it to power my 12V air compressor when I work on my truck (the compressor wire is about 3 feet short and can be connected from my dashboard to the rear tire of my truck), while changing engine oil and checking gears Provide extra light to refuel in my rear differential, charge my phone/Bluetooth hearing protector/Bluetooth speaker, and run my small AC vacuum cleaner while cleaning my wife’s car. Before charging with the included power adapter, I only reduced the battery power to about 25%. Borrow a friend’s portable solar panel and controller to test solar charging performance. Likewise, the solar rover works well.
I am very satisfied with the performance of the device in terms of running time and charging time.
Unit 2
During my review, there was an opportunity to test a unit with the Boy Scout unit I used during a camping trip, so I took the second unit out of its packaging and prepared for the initial charge. This is where things develop into a pear shape.
When I opened the 2 unit package, I noticed that the control panel was partially ejected.
I thought it was just the front panel that fell off, but I couldn’t make the panel break again.
This allowed me to open the second unit and see what happened. I am very worried about my findings: the entire battery/control board assembly has broken through the thin ribs that should have held it in place, and the control panel popped out.
The image above shows the end of the second unit with the end baffle removed. The black circuit board assembly should be recessed enough to leave enough space for the two sockets so that they do not touch the circuit board. I was also disappointed by the amount of adhesive and insulation “mucus” present on the components.The discrete components seem to be of good quality, but the assembly is a bit worrying
As shown in the figure below, the integral rib that should fix the battery assembly fails, causing the battery to move to the end and eject from the end panel.
The battery pack itself was also damaged. The cells look intact, but the cage has been damaged.
The displaced battery pack also damaged the two leads on the wiring between the external control panel and the charging board on the battery pack assembly.
Although these problems may only be the result of unfortunate accidents during transportation, I found other problems that are more worrying.
During the inspection, I found that part of the wire harness was sandwiched between the two parts of the molded case. The squeezing is so severe that it leaves permanent dents in the composite sheath of the wire harness, which may also cause damage to a single wire in the wire harness.
In addition to the battery tray and wiring issues, I found that the shell of the second unit was “short-circuited”. For those who are not familiar with forming/casting, this means that too little material is injected/poured into the mold, resulting in incomplete castings. Some short shots may not have any consequences.
Over time, others may cause major structural problems.
what do I like
- Change options
- Power output options
- size and weight
Areas for improvement
- Quality of injection molded case
- Quality control during assembly
- Overall sturdiness
Final thoughts
I want to like the NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 Power Station. I will continue to use the first unit, but only around the house. However, I will only store it in a garage away from flammable materials, just in case there is a potential electrical problem. I want to be able to use it while camping, but I just don’t believe it will be stored with my other camping gear.
Due to the manufacturing problems that I found, I cannot conscientiously recommend the NTONPOWER Solar Rover 500 Power Station. Based on the manufacturing failures I found, and 50% of the devices sent to me in the same shipping box are DOA due to structural failures, I am very worried about the lifespan of one of the devices (which indicates that they should not leave the factory, poor packaging or Extremely improperly operated equipment during transportation). This is not a good survival rate for items intended to be carried when going out, as it may fall, be kicked, or suffer minor wear and tear in other ways.
Price: $399.98
Where to buy: Dongdian
source: The sample of this product is made by Dongdian.
