[roXterra]

AMPROAD Epic 1000 Portable Power Station 1000Wh

$500

Amazon.com : AMPROAD Epic 300 Portable Power Station 300W, 300Wh Backup Power Supply with 4*LED Lights and AC/DC/QC USB Ports, Solar Generator for Home Use, Camping, RV, and CPAP(Without Solar Panel) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : AMPROAD Epic 300 Portable Power Station 300W, 300Wh Backup Power Supply with 4*LED Lights and AC/DC/QC USB Ports, Solar Generator for Home Use, Camping, RV, and CPAP(Without Solar Panel) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

direct from manufacturer in Ontario, Canada
Needs 10+ buyers

my experience:
I had the 300Wh unit for the past month, and I took it through several charge and discharge cycles with DC and AC charging and USB-C and AC loads.
Worked great.
I am a fan of the shape, I keep it behind front passenger seat.

if you are a casual user, go for the $180+ tax 300Wh version. It’s great.

Either unit has solar panel storing ability (which I don’t use). Or for my use, 100Watt DC charging at the same time as 65 Watt USB C charging (both in the car for me). That makes for a good recharge

If you are a power user like me, you will not find a better deal than $500 out the door, on a 1000Wh unit with tech support. (Texting preferred, I have taken advantage of that for info about charging while using loads)
I have done research for the past year and I haven’t found a competitor for my interest.

————-
I will have an email/text contact when we reach a count of 10 buyers. Let me know in here or privately if you are ready to buy. Or just comment here about your thoughts on this and other power banks.

if you look at the Group Buy Forum history, we had a good run with Maxtrax tread boards a year ago.

 

[roXterra]

Charge it from solar panels (sold elsewhere),
Or AC at home,
Or DC in the car with 12 V (male to male, included) at 100W….. while at the same time from USB C (if so equipped, if you have a power inverter) at 65W — combined at 165W

I didn’t find a comparable unit I liked and from past experience with 300Wh I know I need more capacity. Still I opted for a $180 version as a research and 30 day Amazon return policy.
I didn’t find a reason to return, it’s a winner in my book.

The only thing better is 1000Wh vs 300Wh.


here is my photo of charging at 142W while AC using at 37 Watts (computer) and battery bank at 80%

 

[roXterra]

I was not excited about power banks over a year ago. So much so that I went for dual battery instead. There were $800 options. LiFePO. Then they have to charge somehow. Solar? Not for me. Some power banks are meant for home, not car (different technology)

well, there is time and place for both, dual battery or power banks.

Maybe you switch cars (this power bank has a nice handle). Maybe you want to power your fridge without draining your second battery (you may be gone for 24 hours or more).

it’s good to have options and I like this option

 

[545]

This seems fairly cheap for the specs; you can get it for $550 on amazon right now, but it seems to fall in the general new company, new product, no unsponsored reviews on YouTube, etc. there are many power banks and companies like this right now.
They may have a Canada address but the website screams Chinese, with terms like “Inquiry to us:” and the domain is registered to a Zhigang Lou, using a gmail email address, and registered less than a year ago. The address on the website is just a home in suburbia in canada, with some other corporations registered to other people at that address as well as a courier company. This is extremely likely to just be a paper company that forwards packages.

I advise caution, and recommend you go with a more well known company in the business.

Roxterra, I hope you don’t take offense at what I posted, just doing a little research and wanted to share it. It looks looks like a good product honestly, by the specs, but I can’t even find anyone testing the advertised specs.

 

[roXterra]

Good research @545
“Goal Zero” brand (different company, unrelated) has been around for a long time, but they don’t have the above unit shape.

will this last 2 years? Even big brand would charge for replacement battery inside and in 2 years technology changes. Can it be trusted from Amazon reviews.
What is an acceptable life span?
Do even big companies like LG and Samsung have “real” warranties for electronics like $2000 TVs or are they just exercises in frustration? I haven’t seen a TV company without bad customer reviews. Yet our LG lasted for 5 years without issues.

do you need a device like this, and are there better alternatives for you?

 

[roXterra]

YouTube review follows, I think I saw a different one before, google AMPRoad review or Epic 1000 review

 

[roXterra]

I bought the following unit on Oct 3, 2017. For $300.

CHAFON 346WH Portable Power Station,UPS Emergency Lithium Battery Backup,Solar Generator Pure Sinewave 110V/500W Triple AC Outlet 12V DC,USB Output for CPAP Camping Travel Fishing

Buy CHAFON 346WH Portable Power Station,UPS Emergency Lithium Battery Backup,Solar Generator Pure Sinewave 110V/500W Triple AC Outlet 12V DC,USB Output for CPAP Camping Travel Fishing at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

I needed a portable fridge power during daytime when the car was in the shade and standing.

The unit served me well, didn't have enough capacity for the charge/discharge I wanted (charging from car), but for the specs it did ok. It still doesn't want to die to this day, I stopped using it because of its age and I even drilled it through its case to attach it.
The company is no longer in business (or the name isn't) and there were same case products (maybe same product inside) from different companies.

Then on January 28 this year I bought "Aeiusny Portable Solar Generator 500W 288WH UPS Power Station Emergency Battery Backup Power Supply Charged by Solar/AC Outlet/Car for CPAP Laptop Hom"

The link on Amazon doesn't even work now (unlike the Oct 3, 2017 unit above), what happened there?
I needed a same footprint unit for my single electronics use back then, and there weren't other options.

July 21 this year - I bought the AMPRoad 300Wh. I was cautious too (thinking it over, waiting, do I need it?) with the 1000Wh, and then lowest price was $650+tax, then $600+, so about $650 at the lowest price, and the price does move up and down several times a month (between same 2-3 amounts).
Now it's $550+tax so about $600.

I had my eye on it all this year and finally decided for the 300W, and no real complaints yet, one heat related charging issue, probably same as in the video above, when the unit heats up, it will stop working and allow input/output, but that's if you either are near its 120 degree internal temp, due to environment (my hot Arizona car, no airflow by it) or when you put a near 1000W load on it.

In my case I was at 93% storage and it didn't want to go up anymore, even showing that input was at 0 instead of the 100Watts earlier. Later on, after cooling, I got it to charge to 100%.

 

[roXterra]

Amazon.com: Goal Zero Yeti 500X Portable Power Station, 505 Watt-Hours, Solar-Powered Generator with USB Ports and AC Outlets (Solar Panel Not Included), Portable Generator for Camping or Emergency Power : Everything Else

Amazon.com: Goal Zero Yeti 500X Portable Power Station, 505 Watt-Hours, Solar-Powered Generator with USB Ports and AC Outlets (Solar Panel Not Included), Portable Generator for Camping or Emergency Power : Everything Else

www.amazon.com

Goal Zero (above link) -- that is what I would get if I wanted brand name, but they haven't changed their bulky, car unfriendly size in years, price now is double and capacity half.

Not that capacity is not inflated by companies.
Can I make this Goal Zero work for me? No. Nowhere to put it and operate while driving.
Good company, lots of history, no options for shape and fitting into a car with space considerations.

"EF ECOFLOW" i think is the other kind for home use, different battery technology. 1000Wh for $800.
"Bluetti" -- either a model name for some products, or company name for another product, there was also something not right for me

Some of them have loud fans. Others are home backup kind, use technology that makes them last for less cycles or needs more recharge time or needs AC recharge.

You can spend a lot of time researching, but I am open to other suggestions, we all have different needs.

The 300Wh version is down to $170+tax now, the lowest I have seen it, from Amazon (direct order).

 

[campisi]

AMPROAD Epic 1000 Portable Power Station 1000Wh
View attachment 146649

$500

Amazon.com : AMPROAD Epic 300 Portable Power Station 300W, 300Wh Backup Power Supply with 4*LED Lights and AC/DC/QC USB Ports, Solar Generator for Home Use, Camping, RV, and CPAP(Without Solar Panel) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : AMPROAD Epic 300 Portable Power Station 300W, 300Wh Backup Power Supply with 4*LED Lights and AC/DC/QC USB Ports, Solar Generator for Home Use, Camping, RV, and CPAP(Without Solar Panel) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

direct from manufacturer in Ontario, Canada
Needs 10+ buyers

my experience:
I had the 300Wh unit for the past month, and I took it through several charge and discharge cycles with DC and AC charging and USB-C and AC loads.
Worked great.
I am a fan of the shape, I keep it behind front passenger seat.

if you are a casual user, go for the $180+ tax 300Wh version. It’s great.

Either unit has solar panel storing ability (which I don’t use). Or for my use, 100Watt DC charging at the same time as 65 Watt USB C charging (both in the car for me). That makes for a good recharge

If you are a power user like me, you will not find a better deal than $500 out the door, on a 1000Wh unit with tech support. (Texting preferred, I have taken advantage of that for info about charging while using loads)
I have done research for the past year and I haven’t found a competitor for my interest.

————-
I will have an email/text contact when we reach a count of 10 buyers. Let me know in here or privately if you are ready to buy. Or just comment here about your thoughts on this and other power banks.

if you look at the Group Buy Forum history, we had a good run with Maxtrax tread boards a year ago.

$500? For that 1000wh version? Yes, sign me up.

 

[roXterra]

Thank you @campisi for taking the leap, I wouldn't be part of this if I didn't want this product for myself.... and having tested it for 30+, I don't see a good alternative. And I don't test it for 5 minutes and put it away, it gets tested pretty much daily with my electronics loads, and charging from DC car source.
I sent you a private message with contact info.
The latest word is 1-2 days before shipping and 7 days before delivery.

I am a demanding user, the more I like the product the more I want to influence it (and/or contact the manufacturer with my input) and this looks like a product with a past and future to me.

 

[roXterra]

One more heat comment, my iPhone and laptops (present and past both) fail and shutdown with/without a message and need AC blown on them (or to be inside a fridge for a while), that's how hot it gets inside my car at times.
Any phone or laptop will do that, my laptop even had a flat aluminum multiple blower assembly under it, phones going back to iPhone 4 and Android phones would do that.
The only thing that's heat immune apparently? Garmin Driveluxe 50, 5+ year technology, metal structure, it gets "can't touch hot", has been in direct sunlight in the past too, it didn't once shut down or complain of heat. Everything else has a limit.

So Epic 300 failing to charge was no exception.
Heat is the biggest enemy of electronics, over 100 degrees and they are not happy, get over 105 or direct sunshine and they shut down. If you are miserable in a closed space, so will the electronics be.

 

[campisi]

Consumer grade semiconductors are spec'd to 70 deg C (158 F). Above that temp all bets are off. In reality, most will work fine far above that but there's no guarantee so manufacturers of things like lithium battery packs etc (pretty much anything with a battery) have them shutdown above a certain temp to avoid thermal runaway and other effects.

 

[Lowcountry idn]

Good for you to try to get a group buy going. Unfortunately there aren't too many members here anymore, so I hope enough join.

I might try the 300 wH version, it will be my first attempt at such a device so I don't want to flip 5 bills before I know what I need or the other ins and outs. I can spend a couple hundred as a learning experience and go from there.

 

[Gingie]

Would you happen to know whereabouts in Ontario this place is located?

 

[roXterra]

Oakville by Toronto, above you saw comments (not from me) about it, they have a phone number if you want to call them.

this can of course be mailed to Canada, as far as pickup, you will have to check with seller, I can send you their phone number. (Phone texting may be faster to communicate).

 

[Gingie]

Thanks. My parents live in Oakville and I visit them pretty regularly. So can you ask if there is an option to save on shipping via local pick-up?

For anyone else living along the 401 GTA to 416 NCR, I don't mind picking up a battery for you.

 

[roXterra]

No but you can 😀
Because questions lead to questions… questions if not A then B…
AutoLife
(289) 681-4592

product: epic 1000, $500 Group Buy

 

[RamTest]

This seems fairly cheap for the specs; you can get it for $550 on amazon right now, but it seems to fall in the general new company, new product, no unsponsored reviews on YouTube, etc. there are many power banks and companies like this right now.
They may have a Canada address but the website screams Chinese,

Still a good price, but definitely china made.

Cytolity brand on AliExpress at top . . . . . . Amproad on Amazon at bottom

www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803271117571.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.3b1b6d43PfQuxj&algo_pvid=f22f318a-2130-45a3-94dd-78d985c18a94&aem_p4p_detail=202208311559418833280028163850004645605&algo_exp_id=f22f318a-2130-45a3-94dd-78d985c18a94-3&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000025953954668%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%211061.99%21690.29%21%21%21%21%21%402101d4a716619867815082940ef503%2112000025953954668%21sea&curPageLogUid=Nmd2iNnIvvB7&ad_pvid=202208311559418833280028163850004645605_4

 

[roXterra]

Ok I asked.
Answer was that main stock for Epic-1000 is in US, so you can’t pickup in Oakville.
Which led me to ask where in US and can Canadians get in on the $500 deal too.

Answer was yes, $500 shipped to US or Canada.

feel free to ask them questions.

 

[campisi]

I still haven't pulled the trigger on that power cube yet. I'm spooked by the thermal (mis)management on that thing. No fan, no air vents. I certainly don't need to pull 1kw continuously out of it but even pulling ~85W (my use case) I'm worried about it shutting down on hot desert days.