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1325 Review
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Review on MEGASOLAR 60W Solar Charger - Solar Panel with Charge Controller, Dual QC3.0 USB 5V - 12V, πŸ”Œ and DC 12V 15V 20V Output - Portable Solar Charger Shoulder Bag for Laptop, Solar Generator, and Phone Charging by Adam Walsh

Revainrating 2 out of 5

Warning: Incompatible USB-C PD chip. If you need USB-C PD > 30W, skip it. Apart from that everything is alright.

Bought to charge a MacBook Pro on the go, plus several USB-C batteries of different sizes. The USB-C chipset chosen by the manufacturer has one major disadvantage. The moment the charge exceeds 30.9W (20V at 1.54A on my USB-C meter), the chip resets, cuts power to the cable, and restarts. This even happens when the summer sun is bright and the current is the same. The end result is that if you use it to charge something that consumes >30W USB-C PD, it constantly stops/starts/stops/starts every 5-8 seconds. If you stay below 30W (e.g. a MacBook 12 or an iPhone with a USB-C to Lightning cable), the chipset works fine. Otherwise (why 2 stars instead of 5) the main DC output works fine and the USB-A output works as per spec. The panels themselves and the folding case in which they are installed are solidly constructed. It folds well, has good protection and carry handles when folded, and the corner grommets are very strong so you can pitch it in pretty rough wind conditions. The only downside is USB-C PD mismatch. Unfortunately a lot of people buy this particular panel for it as USB-C PD output is rare on a >50W foldable panel. If the manufacturer could fit a compatible chipset (or somehow update the firmware of an existing chipset to fix this) then it would be an absolutely great panel to work with in the field. But as it stands I can't recommend it.

Pros
  • 1 year trial
Cons
  • Exorbitant price