Hit the open road and enjoy life off-the-grid without worrying about how to keep things powered and running with the Lifestyle 200W Portable Solar Blanket from Hard Korr.
Folding neatly into a tidy space-saving package of 350mm x 370mm x 70mm, this 200W Blanket can produce enough juice to power almost any camp setup through its top-notch monocrystalline solar cells. It’s an all-in-one unit equipped with a 20A PWM regulator with dual USB outlets and all the cables you need for connecting to your 12V deep cycle battery.
Offering a whole lot of bang for your buck, Hard Korr’s Lifestyle 200W Portable Solar Panel gives you the freedom to explore further off the beaten track.
Hi another one regarding lithium battery, i dont use regulator because I have smart ctek dc dc charger so actually use the solar panel only, It should work , shouldn't it? Cheers Tom
G'day Tom,
If you battery system already has a charge regulator built in, you can absolutely just plug the panels straight in. Just double check the panel output specifications are compatible with your charge regulator specs.
I'm assuming they'll be fine, the 200W panels are a common size/output.
Does anyone know what the Voltage Open Circut is for the lifestyle blanket, looking to get one but want to make sure it will work with my DCDC charger
G'day Sam,
According to Hard Korrs website the Voc for these Lifestyle Panels is 22.8V.
Hope that helps.
I am looking to mount the panel permanently on my roof. It would therefor be open to all weather conditions on a permeant basis. Is is suitable for this type of installation? If not what panel is recommended. I intend to permanently connect to a slimline deep cycle battery. Regards, John
G'day John,
These are definitely not a permanent mount solar option, you'd need to be looking for what's called a 'fixed' solar panel.
We stock these 170W Hard Korr panels, depending on how much roof space you have 1 or 2 would be a great option - alternatively, you may be able to track down a fixed panel option with a larger output elsewhere.
Will this work with a gel battery or do you need to bypass the regulator like you advise for Lithium batteries
G'day Steve,
Yes it will. Gel batteries are part of the AGM classification, and are different to Lithium batteries.
Hope that helps!
Does this panel still charge when some of the cells are in the shade? I am looking for a backup to my crockskin panels and I note that many blankets seem to not work at all in part shade.
G'day Boyd,
Yes, the Lifestyle 200W panels will still work if some of the cells are in the shade, they feature the same bypass diodes as the Crocskin panels.
Can I place this on my vehicle roof or bonnet without damage to the paint work?
G'day Pacita,
I can't see why you wouldn't be able to, as most people use solar blankets across the roof or the bonnet of their cars.
Use your common sense though, and if you have any concerns put a soft blanket underneath.
Will this blanket fully charge AGM batteries
G'day Murray,
Yes, this blanket should fully charge an AGM battery in the right light conditions.
This doesn't work with the HardKorr battery box housing a lithium battery without another controller? Is there another battery box it would work with? What about the itechworld box?
G'day Nic,
The issue isnt with the battery box, is with the solar charge controller on the panels, which are not Lithium compatible.
You can swap this out for the 15 Amp Waterproof PWM Smart Solar Regulator and you'll be good to go!
Sorry another Lithium Question! Will this work with the Rover Lithium 70Ah Power Station? Do I just need to get an Anderson to Mini-Anderson cable and plug in directly in as the Power Station has its own MPPT?
G'day Paul,
Yes, you can use the Lifestyle 200W Portable Solar Blanket to charge the Rover Lithium 70Ah. You won't need any extra cables, as the Rover it supplied with an Anderson, to mini-Anderson cable for Solar charging. When using these panels with the Rover you won't need to use the Solar Controller that comes with the panels, just plug the Anderson output lead on the panels into the cable adapter and she'll be good to go.
Hi, what additional work/plugs are required to connect the solar panels to the internal caravan battery? I only have one standard power outlet on the external wall of the caravan. Thx
G'day Annie,
The Lifestyle 200W Panels are really designed for portable use, rather than connection to a caravan battery. They connect to the battery via an Anderson plug, so it would be worth chatting to a caravan power supplier regarding your setup as it may or may not have an internal regulator too.
Will this work with either the Goal Zero 200X or Jackery 240 Explorer power stations? I see that you can get an Anderson-DC adaptor and the Jackery comes with an inbuilt MPPT. Will this set up work or do we need other things? We want to be able to go between a power station and our caravan GEL battery which is set up for Solar.
G'day Sarah,
These panels will suit the Goal Zero Yeti 200X, as the MPPT regulator will regulate the current up to the maximum input amount for the battery. I've not heard of the Jackery 240 Explorer Power Station, but a quick google search shows that they are similar capacity to the Yeti 200X, so it should work. You will need an Anderson to 8mm cable to plug these panels into the Yeti 200X
I have a Hard Korr Batter box and would like to know if I need a MPPT?
G'day Jarath,
Yes you can charge your Hard Korr Battery Box with the Lifestyle 200W Solar Blanket, the supplied PWM regulator will do the job if you have an AGM, Gel or Wet battery. If your battery is calcium, lithium or nickel metal hydride then you'd need an MPPT controller, which comes standard with the 200W Crocskin Solar Panels.
Can these panels be used as an unregulated feed into a BCDC charger?
G'day Andrew,
If your BCDC charger has a built in solar regulator, then yes you can bypass the Korr Regulator and feed into the BCDC charger with the Anderson cable.
Can the solar blanket be run straight into my plb 40 without using the regulator?
G'day David,
Yes, these panels will suit the Dometic PLB battery. The inbuilt MPPT regulator will regulate the current up to the maximum input amount of the connected battery.
For instance very hot sunny day when battery is already pretty fully charged?
G'day Trish,
The Regulator on the panels has built-in short circuit protection, open circuit protection, overload protection and reverse charge protection, so you won't need to worry about damaging your battery with the solar panel.
hi guys, great video - helped alot. where is the mentioned link in comments noted at end of presentation please.
G'day Grant,
The link will only come up if you're watching it directly through youtube, but the article Ben refers to can be found here: Understanding 12V Battery & Solar Setups for your 4WD
Will this work on lithium batteries if you don’t use the regulator and have a regulator on the battery?
G'day Jake,
Yes, the panels can be used with a lithium battery if you bypass the supplied regulator. Just be sure to check that the regulator on your battery will do the trick.
Will the anderson-like connectors connect to a standard anderson connector?
G'day James,
Yes the Anderson connectors will connect to a standard Anderson connector plug.
what level of water resistance or proofing does this blanket have? if it's left out on a day that rains, will that be fatal to it?
G'day Ross,
The Lifestyle panels have been designed as a budget-friendly option, and are on a canvas backing, with no water resistance. The Crocskin Panels offer protection against rain, however, they do recommend bringing them inside out of any inclement weather.
The hardkorr website states that it is. https://www.korrlighting.com.au/product/lifestyle-200w-portable-solar-blanket/ "Can I leave my blanket out in the weather? Yes, Hardkorr Lifestyle solar blankets are designed to withstand rain. However, your panel will not generally produce much electricity during inclement weather so we recommend you bring it inside at these times. If your solar mat gets wet, please ensure it is thoroughly dried prior to storage."
Will this work with lithium batteries?
Hi Ben,
Unfortunately not, the 5-stage PWM controller is only designed to work with AGM, Gel, Calcium and Wet Cell Batteries.
Your previous answer states it's OK with Lithium, as long as you bypass the regulator AND use your own 'Lithium enabled' regulator with your battery- such as the REDARC BCDC1240 - So can you confirm that you could indeed use this solar blanket with a lithium battery?
G'day David,
Thanks so much for your follow up question! As it comes this solar blanket is not compatible with Lithium, but if you are handy or have a good understanding of your electrics/12v set up you are correct that you can make it work with additional lithium compatible components and bypass the existing PWM contoller.
Alternatively the Hard Korr 200W Portable Solar Panels with Crocskin Cell Armour is both Lithium and AGM, etc compatible.
Can this be used on a 24V battery setup?
G'day Lee,
They're designed for 12V systems only, so unfortunately no, you won't be able to use these panels.
The regular states on the front that it’s 12/24v? Can you confirm it’s not suitable for 24v applications?
Hi Peter,
Yes sorry, my mistake, they are 24V compatible, these were brand new two weeks ago when I answered the last question and I had my information mixed up.
Could you please tell me how this blanket compares to other Hard Korr 200W solar blanket ($579) as this one is considerably cheaper? Are the materials not as good a quality. Will it have the same output?
G'day Simon,
The Lifestyle Solar Panels are entry-level panels, they have a 1-year warranty, and a polycotton canvas backing. The Crocskin panels have a heavier duty packing, Crocskin® Cell Armour, a 3-year warranty, and a 5-stage digital controller. They both have the same output, so will do a similar job, with the Crocskin® being a higher quality item.