Comparisons...

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Hello folks. A follow up to my last post regarding power stations. I have been watching videos, reading reviews and sending emails in my search for the best power stations for MY NEEDS and wants. I want a power station that fills those needful hours when solar is not available or batteries are low, etc. You know those days when the sun is too low to charge things fully or the seeming endless days of gloom or rain. Those times when the endless sun power is well not quite endless. We bought a large residential fridge with a bottom freezer last year and I would like to sleep well knowing it will still be cooling when I wake up in the morning. This power station is to give me peace of mind. It is also a starter piece for a time when we may need a larger power source  and knowing I can add extra batteries to expand its usefulness is comforting. So keeping those things in mind I compared apples to apples. 

All of the companies I researched originate in China, they all have outlets in many countries. The technology is pretty much the same but each company seems to focus on an aspect/feature/function they deem to be most important. I compared only those power stations that are expandable. Based on that criteria first, the next was WH (watt hours) available for use, so I researched only those staring over 2000 WH but less than 2500. My third criteria is outlets, which offers the best options, not necessarily the most, and of course charging methods is also of great interest.  Add to these of course is safety, durability, price and weight but this is a mostly moot point as I don't really intend on moving it often.  So with those things in mind I looked into 3 companies, Bluetti, Anker, and EcoFlow.

1. Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2. The unit is 2400w with a 4000w peak output, contains the standard 2048 WH LifePo4 battery. Six ways to charge the unit, battery expansion possible, has a great app for the phone, easy to set up and use. Sends notifications to your phone as well. Fast charge is a big feature but the flexible charge setting is an important component with this unit, allowing you to slow the rate of charge if desired, or speed it up for small sunlight filled days. Approximately 10 year life span, 5 year warranty. It appears that an adapter is necessary for solar charging. The inverter in this unit is a bit bigger to enable the start up of appliances without problems.  It claims to have the ability to run a double door refrigerator for 32 hours.  It weighs 42 lbs, expansion batteries are heavy, cables are bulky. For those Canadians out there, you can buy it at Canadian Tire Stores as well as other places. I will admit I struggled with this brand. The recall due to fire hazards turned me off. Although the recall was some time ago so I'm certain the issue has been corrected.  Overall I'm sure it would prove to be a good option, some of the features are definitely worth considering and might sway an on the fence sitter. The price point is fair for original unit but the expansion pack is quite expensive. I am quoting CANADIAN dollars.This unit is approximately $1000 CAD with add on battery pack starting at $2000. I did not contact this company as there were no questions I wanted to ask them. 

2. EF EcoFlow Delta 3 Max. This unit is also the standard 2048 WH but with a 3400 w boost and 4800watt surge. The boost power ensures big appliances get a constant feed, no lag, and the inverter has a bigger surge output than the Anker.  I believe this unit has three ways to charge, solar, car, electric. I did not find any mention of special solar connectors, so I assume nothing is proprietary. Four plugs, four USB ports, pretty standard. A smart app offers lots of options and information, seemed to be easy to use. Fast charging is again one of the highlights. Expandable with battery pack as well. Pretty standard 10 year life span, 5 year warranty. It weighs in around 45 lbs. The expansion batteries are also heavy but the connection cables appear to be less bulky. The positive side of this unit is the boost, and the less bulky cables. The price point is almost the same for the unit at $1100 and the expansion batteries are more reasonably priced at $1000 with the connection cables showing up at $85. Again Canadian dollars. A point to consider, a unit that I was NOT considering had some difficulties in the past year, a recall due to overheating/fire but it was a recall for what appeared to be a single batch or production number, limited to that particular unit only. It is however something to keep in mind. I didn't contact this company about this unit but I did contact EcoWorthy which is the parent company about something else with 5 or 6 questions. The reply from customer service was less than satisfactory, the first reply answered just one basic question. My return email thanking them for the single answer but pointing out the lack of  complete answers netted me a second email but again they failed to answer the question referenced in my subject line, connecting my current system with theirs. So for that reason I wonder how good their customer service would be. It was timely but incomplete even after two attempts. I opted not to ask a third time, the question for writing them in the first place, it seemed pointless. Not impressed. However I have found a local Sudbury solar supply place that sells EcoWorthy system/pieces and that  may negate any need to contact the company directly. Research shows Eco Worthy solar pieces and systems get great reviews, and so I will be keeping that in mind as I go forward.

3. Bluetti AC200L is pretty much the same as the other two in many ways, 2400 w, 2048 WH, with a 3600w boost. It is very different in a number of ways. The expansion battery packs to select from is variable with varying capacity giving a great deal in flexibility as to final output in ah and watts, price points also vary depending on which EP you select. This unit can be expanded up to 8192 WH in total. The outlets are the usual with a few extras that prove interesting. An RV plug, 30 amp to RUN your rig and a DC port, 48V/8A with a D40 voltage regulator to CHARGE your rigs battery. This unit can be charged in multiple ways including the capacity to charge with 1200 watts of solar. All charging is considered fast. It has Bluetooth and wifi capabilities. Sadly it is the heaviest of the three weighing in at 62 lbs. The warranty is the standard 5 years. The reviews mostly indicated this unit is very reliable, very tough and very good value for money. The price point is a bit on the high side with the unit at $1400 and the various expansion batteries  coming in very pricy at $2000, $2200, $3000 dollars for the B210, 2150 WH, B300k, 2765 WH, and the B500k, 5120 WH, respectively.  Two of the same expansion packs can be added, not mix and match, so decisions need to be made before expanding. I am not certain if EP connection cables come with or need to be purchased. You know me, I had questions and so I made contact via email, was immediately informed they received my email, gave me a ticket number to use, indicated a few days due to volume, holidays, etc. within  day or two they came back with an excellent, informative reply to all of my questions. They sent a couple of follow up emails as well, inquiring if I needed more information, would I take a survey, feel free to inquire again if something came up or if there were questions. I love good customer service, I am impressed.

I am quite aware that as the add ons are put in place a dolly will be required for moving and I am fine with that but I would be more likely to just leave them in place. As to the original units, the weight is important but not detrimental as they too would probably remain in one place or between us Riley and I could move them. The apps are a bonus that allows a great deal of flexibility and Bluetooth or wifi connectivity is just a bigger bonus. Wifi I think is extremely good, you can connect as long as both units have wifi connections. A problem at our spot as we receive wifi via our phones and if the phone isn't there, no wifi is available, but I can remedy that if I feel it is necessary. As I am looking into the future I feel the flexibility of these units is very important and being able to charge them solely with solar power is very important to me both now and in the future. 

So there you have the results of my research. The information I gathered came from many sources, and I tried hard to be impartial and take everything with a grain of salt. No review is ever absolute, good or bad, it is always based on personal preference and/or experience.  I'm looking for both present and future needs, I'm also looking at ease of use, ease of set up, ease of charging. I feel I have compared apples to apples even if only 3 times. These three I am comfortable with in general and so that is the reason I limited my research. I hope the information has been helpful.

Since it is my money I'm spending I will be purchasing the Bluetti as I think for me it is the best option both now but also in the future. I plan on ordering it to arrive before I get home, asking my brother Rick to pick it up and charge it for me. As we removed all of our batteries from the cabin and the rig and stored them in my dad's basement for the winter, I will hopefully be able to use this unit to power up the RV to extend the slides. The first big test, after that its main job will be to run the big residential fridge freezer, with a number of side jobs that will involve power tools. My plan is to connect solar panels directly to the unit allowing it to charge all day even while in use but leaving it full for the night time use. Will my plan work? I'm hopeful. 

There you have it folks. I hope this information is useful, interesting and perhaps will assist you in making a choice of your own, or keeping the information in mind for the future. All prices I quoted were the best I could find available at the time I was researching, all sites used were in Canada, and in Canadian dollars. Amazon was used as the gauge for my pricing as I felt it would be the most consistent in comparison. I also checked out prices on each companies Canadian home page. Yes, I will make a post or two in the future letting you know if the reality lives up to the research.

I ordered the Bluetti unit  April 16, it is currently in the hands of CanPar. 

Until next time......

Deb

Bluetti or Anker power stations

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Hola!  This will not be a regular post, just a short quick one with a question for ya! In approximately 4 weeks we will be returning to our off grid home base. I would like to ask your input on a new power station. We already have an Aferiy solar generator which we love but the problem is we cannot add to it, it will always remain the same. It cannot be linked with another to increase the storage capacity. That is a problem for us as I want to have a system I can add to from time to time. Which brings me to my question. Which one would suit our needs better? Bluetti or Anker, or do you have another recommendation?

I have been looking for a power station with enough output to comfortably accommodate running our big residential fridge/freezer for approximately 15- 20 hours which would be about the length of hours for spring/fall necessity.  Yes we have lots of battery storage with our Li Time system but I want something that I can count on for those nights when the battery bank could not be filled or if we have multiple bad collection days in a row in the spring and fall. Yes I know there are other solutions but I am also looking ahead to a time when we move out of the Igloo and into a house. It would be nice to have a back up system for emergency times. 

I'm looking at the Bluetti  Elite 300V or the Elite 200V. Both which can be added to over time with multiple power banks. (I'm seriously thinking this is the one, but I'm not sure of the model I want)

I'm also looking at the Anker Solix C2000. Although this one appears to have add on capabilities for one power pack only. 

I wondered if any of you out there have any recommendations or suggestions, any personal knowledge or second hand knowledge. I would greatly appreciate anything you would like to share. My plan is to keep the power station fully charged from the battery bank and I think between the two systems spring and fall shorter cloudier days/weeks will cease to be an issue.

Thanks all.

Deb

A catch up..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

A quick catch up and a few pics. The days are slipping past, we are winding down to single digit weeks before we head home. I will admit that I'm looking forward to getting home but we may have some left over snow when we arrive because they can't seem to get it shut off up there. I talk to dad every day and it snows, snows, and snows more. He and brother Rick have put hundreds of miles on the quads just moving snow this year. 

Riley and I are enjoying our time here, we have discovered the wonderful cool and safety of evening outings. We go out after I chat with dad and just enjoy the coolness of 25/27 C or 77/80 F. We have ventured out most evenings, sipped a few adult beverages, enjoyed some cuisine, and truly just enjoy the sights. 

This is milk, boxed milk. It does not require refrigeration until opened.

Sorry for the glare. This is a type of bread that is available only for a short period 
around Christmas. There are actually two kinds, the other kind is in a red box and looks
to have lots of cherries, etc ( reminded me of a fruit cake). This one is more chocolate oriented.
They reminded me of the Mardi Gras King Cakes because of the large size.

We have booked next winter's accommodation, again in Mexico but not here in Cabo. Of course that could change depending on a number of things but we will worry about that if and when it becomes necessary.

Edgar the bear in the Plaza at Valentines Day..

Happy Birthday to Hudson, he turned 5 recently! He is a sweetheart, lots of excitement for the kids as I noticed some sledding pics! Also a belated happy birthday to Robert, he celebrated early in February. Condolences to Candice and her family in the loss of her mother on Feb 14. Condolences to Amanda and her family in the loss of her sister today. Also condolences to the Corbiere family and friends in the passing of Curtis. 

At the marina in the evening having an adult beverage.

The violence in PV has subsided according to all news sources. It is an interesting situation here in Mexico. The locals seem to accept it without any overwhelming concern but cautiously, they seem quite calm, just stay in doors and wait it out. A few days pass, the debris is cleared and life picks up as normal after a day or two. Here in Cabo everything was normal. We did not experience any major change in the air quality which isn't the best at any time, but the toxic black smoke of the vehicles on fire didn't seem to come this way. We stayed in just that one night just as a precaution for air quality but otherwise life is normal here. 

Keeping with the theme of sharing some Canadian music I thought I would share some Kd Lang, an amazing voice, truly can give you goosebumps. She performs if possible in her bare feet. She claims it gives her a feeling of being more grounded. I picked this song that was written and performed by another Canadian, Leonard Cohen. I was never a fan of Cohen, although Richard liked a few of his tunes. So a double shot of Canadiana for you. The song is called 

Hallelujah

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit.

Until next time, 

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

An apology, musings, rant...

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas 

Baja, Mexico 

I would like to start off by giving our good friends Lorne and Sue an apology. I'm truly sorry I was so rude and sharp in my reply to your text. There is no excuse, please accept my most sincere apology. Thank you for your kind words.

Riley and I are enjoying the people of Mexico a great deal. Very warm and friendly, always ready to include us, help us and just are amazing people. 

I would like to just mention a few things, birthday wishes to Isabel, Barry, Jason, Sheila and Amber. Condolences to Amanda, Brian and families on the passing of their grandmother, Sandra. Condolences to Nancy and family on the passing of Grant. Condolences to the family of Joanne Smith, a true community spirit. Condolences to Nancy and Stephen and their families on the passing of their mother Eileen.  

The snow and rain continue to fall on our little rock in the middle of Lake Huron. The ground is very much ice covered and the January thaw is upon them. The snow falls and gets beaten down by the rain that falls next. A vicious circle. Sun is rare there, how I wish I could send them some, they definitely need it.

The days are monotonous here and while we love the people, we would not come back here to Cabo, but we will be returning to Mexico next winter, or that is the plan at this point. Plans are forever changing as family ages and life gets in the way, it is just a fact.

 The next paragraph is not for everyone, although you are welcome to read it. Sometimes I just have to let the words flow, I can't keep them bottled up. Often times I write them and delete them many times over, they haven't come out in the right order or they aren't quite the right ones, but often times, like below, they just flow out of my fingertips almost faster than my fingers can type. Sometimes I write and then just delete them permanently  today was not one of those days. As I said, please do not feel you need to read or comment on the next grouping of words, in fact no comments are necessary at all. It is just how I feel at this time, in this space, in this upheaval around us.

Death makes us reflect and internalize, it makes us believers and non believers. Death makes us feel things we aren't sure we accept or understand. It leaves a residue, a film of some kind over our thoughts. It dregs up memories we have forgotten and leaves us feeling cheated. The residue eventually slips away until the next death, and cycle begins again. Dual deaths in the family in recent weeks have me in this mood. I'm not looking for sympathy nor kind words, I'm not seeking comfort nor compassion. I am merely explaining why this post is so disjointed. Life has a way of getting in the way but death stops it instantly, it invades and overcomes, seeping into every crevice of our being until life once again begins to chug along. We rejoice at the birth of new life, it too makes things change but death, the natural ending to life seems to upset the balance in a very different way. It is a new lesson every time it comes to call.

I am a fan of music, many different genres. I have been listening to some of my favourite artists although I will admit I've been very Canadian leaning these last few weeks for many reasons. I will also admit I have always been/am a huge Boss fan, Bruce Springsteen in case you don't know who the Boss is. He is one of the most talented songwriters of our times, in my opinion. He has a talent of making us see the haunting vision in his narratives and yet gives the rush of hope, attainable goals and the possibility of a true kind of love. However he has not been on my playlist for a few weeks, no fault of his, just my ear is tuned to something else right now.  I have always been a big fan of Gordon Lightfoot, I've been to many concerts at Toronto's Massey Hall to see him live. Truly a privilege to have been able to do so. He once joked that if something bad happens the world knows Gordon Lightfoot will write a song about it, and so he has written many. Mr. Lightfoot left us May 1, 2023. Like the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, his legend lives on.  This song is about a lost love, it has so many levels, it can be  peeled like an onion. So another famous Canadian singer/songwriter for you to listen to if you like. It is called, If you could read my mind.  Enjoy.

Gordon Lightfoot

It appears Google is demanding I allow cookies and I will not, so no pics folks.  I'm tired of the effort and demands of blogger and Google to have access to my information. Yes it's a rant and I am totally p*ssed off. 

Thanks for visiting.

Deb

It’s supposed to rain…..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas

Baja California, Mexico 

I’m soon going to stop and give up, Blogger will win and I will post nothing. This is my third and final attempt.

Buenos días amigos. Cómo estás? 

Good morning friends. How are you?

The heat has lessened and two days of rain are forecasted. The average daily temps are running 26/27 C or 79/80 F with the night time lows hovering no more than 5 degrees lower. Hopefully the rain washes away some dust and helps settle it down for a few days. Time will tell I suppose.

Not very appealing

Yuck……

Tequila anyone?

Talking to dad every night, it seems Old Man winter is coming with a vengeance, snow, snow, snow in the forecast. A white Christmas seems likely there this year. It appears cold and frigid north winds are also present and will remain for a while as well. Blowers, blades, shovels and mittens are all at the ready.

Our glorious Maple Leaf flies here in the harbour of Cabo San Lucas.

The marina is a very busy spot.

It is pretty.

Daily life is quiet, unassuming and predictable here. People are very friendly, very warm and welcoming. Their pace of life is very different and something I struggle with. Poco a poco, little by little or step by step, I’m getting better. We have been to the beach, the marina and the local shopping plaza. We are choosing an activity that is of interest to us both. We have both opted to bypass the camel rides.

We stopped here for a cerveza fría ( cold beer).

At the shopping plaza.

Testing my walking abilities one day.

I have chatted with Deb and Tom a few times. Once we even managed to have coffee together after the delivery of a can opener here to our little spot. It is always fabulous to chat with them, we managed to get caught up and have a few laughs at the same time. I see more morning coffees in the future. Deb is back to blogging and mentioned that some pictures from us might be nice. Deb I have delivered. 

The beach is pretty.

A cruise ship leaving the harbour.

The beach is near the end of the Palm trees.

A different cruise ship.

I’m learning a little Spanish which in some ways reminds of my high school French, so it is not like starting from zero, after all I already knew 5 Spanish words before I arrived. I’m hoping to be able to at least understand things I read, even in a general way, it would be most helpful. However we shall see what time brings.

A tree outside one of the resorts.

Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas to all. We wish for this season to be filled with peace and love, inclusion and acceptance. We hope for ALL to be with those they love and cherish, to be safe, warm and happy. To have full bellies, no worries and to know true joy. Peace on earth and goodwill toward ALL, man, woman and child. It is within us all to achieve some measure of giving, even just a warm smile, handshake or hug, brighten a day, show some compassion, it doesn’t have to cost you a dime, it just has to be genuine, come from the heart.  

A little good news

A song that I’ve listened to many times over the years. The events are old but we can all insert the newest events easily. It is as relevant today as it was back in the day. A bonus ( if the link works) is the song is performed by a Canadian of world renowned Anne Murray. 

Hasta la próxima, until next time. 

Gracias por pasar por aquí, thanks for stopping by….

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

We remember…..

 

Our Location: 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

– Major John McCrae

Artillery Commander 

Brigade Physician 

Canadian

We shall never forget. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, your honour and dignity, thank you for giving us something of yourselves that we can never repay. 

Deb

We have arrived…..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas

Baja California, Mexico 

A short post just to let the masses know we have arrived safely. It has been a very stressful trip but all went smoothly.  My last post was from daughter Bradey’s lively house in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. We stayed from Fri-Mon, Bradey drove us to the Hamilton Go Station on her way to work. We travelled by GO Bus back to Toronto’s Union Station where daughter Courtney met us, an Uber ride later we arrived at her much quieter home. Normally we would have taken the subway but it was out of service for a short section and the Uber was easier. We stayed with Courtney from Mon-Wed afternoon, Riley and I then took another Uber to the Four Points on Dixie Rd. An early morning shuttle had us arriving just before 6 am at Pearson International Airport, Toronto. Everything went very well and we easily passed all of the security checks. 

San Jose del Cabo, at the airport waiting for our ride.

Our departure was delayed about 2 hours, seems the front tires didn’t look right, so the auto club came out to change them while we waited on board. So at approximately 11:20 am we finally taxied to our runway and we were soon hurtling down the runway and into the air. The flight was good, Riley did well, a bit of turbulence didn’t seem to bother her. We landed approximately 2 hours later than planned, with some difficulty in finding our driver but eventually we managed. The drive from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas was about 40 minutes but Beto stopped at a Walmart so we could pick up a few things to tide us over for a day or two. Ever the gentleman, he pushed the cart, loaded and unloaded the suitcase and groceries upon our arrival. Majo our hostess greeted us, gave us a tour and she and Beto left.

Waiting for Beto to come pick us up.

Overall Riley did extremely well, she has had a number of very anxious, stressful new experiences but has reacted much better than I thought she would. Even though the preflight days were with family it was not our usual quiet routine, everything was different, beds, sounds, foods, noise levels, and bathrooms. The two nights we spent in hotels had a calming effect to a degree. I have changed our reserved seats for the flight home. Although I think the delay was a big factor in the overall experience, two less hours may have made it much easier for her. Overall she did well, we took a whole day to just decompress, enjoy the quiet and sleep. Yesterday we walked for a while, today we rest, tomorrow we will get out again, and so on. Our transportation will primarily be our feet, bus and taxi. I miss the Big Dog but we will adjust.

Our location is near a busy road and it is about 3 minutes walk on a dusty road to get to the sidewalks. The apartment is fine but not very bright inside. I will speak to the hostess to seek a different spot but if none are available we will make do with this one.  The people here are extremely friendly, very welcoming and I have no doubt we will enjoy our winter. The temperatures are high, hitting close to or reaching 30+ C/86F every day, by the end of November thru until February we should be down in a more comfortable range of 25C/77F for day time highs. In March it will once again start getting warmer and by the end of April we will be very ready to head home.

There are many things we need to learn and accept. I believe this winter will be a very educational adventure. In some ways Riley will have an easier adjustment than myself, she has a different approach to many things and I’m looking forward to learning from her about our new adventure.

Until next time……

Take care, stay safe,

Deb