Q: What is so great about the LightSaver Max?
A: The LightSaver Max has a built in battery and solar material all in one at a weight of 1.5 lbs. There are two (2) 2.5 Amp USB outputs and one (1) 12V that can be used to power a laptop or other small devices at up to 5 amps. Also, there is a built in LED light.
Q: Why would I want the LightSaver Max instead of the solar charger / battery packs I see for much less.
A: Those battery packs with a small charger built in on the top have a very small area for solar collection and take a long time to charge. The LightSaver Max by contrast has a very large panel that can charge at a much faster rate.
Q: The LSM-1 comes with two grey clamps for the USB cables, where should these go on the cable?
A: Engineering recommends putting them at the ends of the cable.
Q: Can you add an external solar panel to charge the LSM-1 faster?
A: Yes, the LSM-1 can accept an additional 30 watts of solar input, so for example you can add a 30 watt solar panel to the LSM-1 to charge it faster. You would use the included car charger adapter cable and plug it into the RA-2 cable that comes with the PowerFilm Solar panels. The
F16-1800 (30 watt) and
R28 (28 watt rollable) would be good choices for external solar panels.
In order to insure maximum charging, you can also use up to a 60 watt solar panel, as any power above 30 watts input will be ignored by the built in electronics. By using a 60 watt panel, you will be at or above the 30 watt max input, which is good for cloudy conditions or times of the day or year, when solar radiation is lower.
The
F16-3600 (60 watt foldable),
R-42 (42 watt rollable), and
R-60 (60 watt foldable) would be good choices for additional external solar panels to charge the LSM-1 faster and in conjunction with the integrated solar panel.
Q: What can I do if I need more power than the LSM-1 puts out?
A: You can link two LSM-1 LightSaver Max units together with the
LSM12VDC2 PowerChain cable.
Q: Does the LightSaver Max have internal DC-DC conversion with power point tracking?
A: The LightSaver Max does DC-DC conversion using a set point input voltage set to the voltage of the integrated PowerFilm panels of 15.4 volts.
Q: What is the output of the integrated LightSaver Max solar panel?:
A: The built in solar panel is rated at approximately 10 watts. You can add up to 30 watts with an external solar panel to charge in addition to the build in solar panel. The F16-1800 (30 watts) or F16-3600 (60 watts) would work. The LightSaver Max will only accept 30 watts, so if you use a 60 watt panel, anything above 30 watts will not be accepted by the LightSaver Max, but you will insure you are charging at the maximum level in most conditions or at least at a higher rate in cloudy or low light conditions. Email us at
[email protected] if you have any questions about this.
