Education; Batteries 101; Solar 101 - GOAL ZERO YETI 400 Guide De L'utilisateur

Education

BATTERIES 101: GOAL ZERO utilizes the latest and greatest in battery
technology to accompany you on all life's adventures. From the versatile and
lightweight Lithium Ion, to the robust and powerful Lead Acid, we've compiled
some helpful tips to keep your GOAL ZERO batteries working their best.
i. Batteries need exercise
The best thing for any battery is to use it. Don't leave a charged battery
sitting around, unloved and unused for long periods of time.
ii. The "Battery Memory" myth
Thanks to old Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries, there's a myth running
around that you should completely drain your batteries before plugging
them in for a recharge, called "deep cycling". Although true with NiCd
batteries, the typical batteries you'll find in most of your gear today,
including the advanced lithium and lead-acid batteries used in your
GOAL ZERO products, require no such draining. In fact, you should
avoid deep cycling your batteries – it does more harm than good in most
cases.
iii. The "Stadium Effect"
The stadium effect occurs when recharging your batteries. You'll notice
your battery quickly filling up in the beginning, then slowing down
noticeably when trying to charge up the last several percentages. Think
of how quickly a stadium fills up when the doors first open – there are
hundreds of open seats so it's easy to find the one you want. Eventually
there are only a few open seats here and there and people have to
maneuver around to find the spot they want and filling those seats
takes longer. The same theory applies to recharging batteries. It's easy
for energy to flow in and take up empty space in the beginning, and as
time goes on and there is less space available, it takes longer for the
energy to fill in the holes.
iv. Read the manual.
Yeah, it might be a long read, but the manual is the best place to find
the dos and don'ts for the battery in your specific device. Reading
your manual will ensure you're taking steps to keep your batteries
happy and healthy.
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SOLAR 101: GOAL ZERO makes it easy to recharge your gear from the
sun – we didn't invent solar power, we perfected it. Some things to keep in
mind when recharging your gear with solar power:
i. Solar panels don't store power from the sun, they collect it.
We teach you to COLLECT – STORE – USE, which is the best way to
utilize solar power to recharge your gear. COLLECT the sun's energy with
a solar panel. STORE the power in a recharger. USE the recharger to
power your gear, day or night. If you're really a diehard, you can plug your
gear directly into the junction box located on the back of our NOMAD
Solar Panels to recharge from the sun.
ii. Not all solar charge times are created equal
Most solar panel manufacturers calculate their recharge times with
the following equation: Device Watt Hours/Solar Panel Watts = Solar
Recharge Times. So theoretically, a 13 watt solar panel would recharge
a 50 watt-hour recharger in 3.84 hours (50/13 = 3.84) – and this is the
number you could find in marketing material for a solar panel. However,
in order to standardize results across all manufacturers, these tests are
completed in laboratory settings.. The truth is, on a good, sunny day,
you'll receive about 50-75% of your solar panel's rated wattage, and this
is how the engineers at GOAL ZERO calculate the solar recharge times
you see on our packaging.
iii. Solar works, even in overcast conditions.
Solar panels utilize IR, UV, and visible rays from the sun that can
penetrate through clouds. Although the efficiency of the solar panel will
decrease in cloudy conditions, you'll still be collecting valuable power
from the sun.
iv. Keep away from shade and windows.
Although you should seek out the shade on sunny days, your solar panels
will collect more power when fully exposed to the sunlight. Windows also
have a habit of decreasing efficiency. So keep those panels outside and
in the bright sunlight.
v. Proper alignment works wonders.
Keeping your solar panel angled toward the sun can dramatically increase
solar efficiency. Set it up and let Mother Nature do the rest.
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