Jackery Explorer 500 test: Complete and detailed review

For vacations in a converted truck or other type of vehicle, one of the least simple problems to resolve is managing the charging or supplying electricity to your electronic devices. To do this, several solutions are available to you. However, only one stands out for its practicality and its more accessible cost than the others, an electric generator. There Jackery Explorer 500 is a compact and practical electric generator for trips in a campervan, but also for other long outdoor outings.

Design

Above all, what we ask of an electric generator is not to be the most aesthetic. However, it seems that Jackery has made a big effort in design research in order to make the Jackery Explorer 500 as compact as possible. In fact, this electric generator measures only 30.1 cm in width, 24.2 cm in height and 19.3 cm in height. depth and allows it to be stored almost anywhere easily. As for its weight of 6 kilos, this is also relatively low for the power that the Jackery Explorer 500 allows.

On the front panel, which is the main one, this is where we find all the connections. More precisely, there are 8 ports which are:

• 1 charging port (Input)
• 3 DC ports (1 in cigarette lighter format)
• 3 USB-A ports
• 1 AC port (230 V French socket format)

This allows for quite a few possibilities and allows you to easily have the right port on hand depending on the device to be powered. We also notice the presence of a small screen allowing you to see the consumption, the remaining battery percentage as well as the charging power. This is ideal for monitoring your consumption directly.

On each side there is an ventilation grille to properly cool the Jackery Explorer 500, because yes, this battery heats up quite a bit. Only the left side is equipped with a small LED allowing use as a flashlight.

As for the back, in addition to the serial number of the device, it has straight lines in relief, as protection.

The upper side is only a comfortable, practical and solid handle which makes transporting the generator easier. As for the underside, it has four rubber pads which increase support on the surface of use, but also provide cushioning when traveling by car. Indeed, with speed bumps, the risk of the Jackery Explorer 500 overturning would be greater without the rubber pads.

In addition to the USB-A ports and the power port, the other ports are protected by a small rubber cover which also provides information on the power supply and protects the connectors from dust or sand.

In terms of accessories, the Jackery Explorer 500 is equipped with two power cables. The first is a 24V adapter wall charging cord and the second is a 12V car cigarette lighter adapter. The two chargers supplied have an ideal cable length for good use. The brand also sells, as an option, a lined carrying bag. This one is very neat and very sturdy, including two compartments, one for the cables and one for the battery. The latter is protected from shocks and vibrations during sudden movements or falls.

As for the Jackery SolarSaga 100, from the unboxing, we notice that we are not on a small solar panel like the Solar Brother SunMoove which specializes in smartphone charging. Indeed, regarding the Jackery SolarSaga 100: the main use of this solar panel is to recharge the brand’s electrical generators, such as the Jackery Explorer 500.

The Jackery SolarSaga 100 is designed for a maximum recharge of 100 watts and therefore does not need to have too bulky dimensions. However, when folded, it measures 610mm long, 535mm high and 35mm thick. Its dimensions (folded) allow it to be stored almost anywhere without taking up too much space. While once unfolded, its length is, of course, twice as large (1220 mm) and is only 17.5 mm thick.

The front of this Jackery SolarSaga 100 is made solely of photovoltaic cells, more precisely, they are 32 small cells allowing light capture to be used more easily.

As for the edges, a handle is integrated (two, once unfolded). Ideal for transport and installation, it allows the Jackery SolarSaga 100 to be handled carefully.

At the back, there are two removable feet (one per side) held in place by a hook and loop to expose the Jackery SolarSaga 100 to the sun. On the left side, a storage space in which we find the integrated power cable to connect to the Explorer range generator. At the base of this cable, in the frame, are two USB inputs, including one USB-C and one USB-A and can be used to charge and use your devices directly without needing the battery.

Rings are present at the four corners of the solar panel allowing it to be securely fixed to prevent it from flying away in the event of strong wind. Speaking of weather, you will have to be careful, because the Jackery SolarSaga 100 is only splash-proof and will therefore be unusable in rainy weather. If you have any doubts about the weather during the day while you are not present, it will be best to leave it inside and especially in front of the window of your van, converted truck or tent.

Features of the Jackery Explorer 500

Features of the Jackery SolarSaga 100

Using the Jackery Explorer 500

This generator is equipped with a 518 Wh lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide battery. This is the same battery chemistry that Tesla uses in its Powerwall units and is therefore naturally a guarantee of quality.

The brand claims a battery life of 500 cycles. On paper this doesn’t seem extreme. However, the Jackery specifies that it’s battery life up to 80%. This means that if you recharge it every two days from 0 to 100% you will have 32 amp hours of capacity left. Which in itself is more than good and will allow you to make the most of the Jackery Explorer 500 for several years without worry.

Inside this Jackery Explorer 500, we find a BMS “Battery Management System” which is an electronic system which allows you to control the charging and discharging of the battery accumulators to function correctly and not to catch fire.

The inverter inside is a pure sine wave design, so it can be used with the so-called sensitive electronic devices, a cell phone, a computer and others. There are other types of wave design however, we will not dwell on them. The bottom line is that pure sine wave inverters are more expensive, but work with all electronic devices.

This is an important fact to take into account and which allows you to work nomadicly as more and more people like to do. However, if a single AC port is not enough for you, you can still plug in a power strip.

As for the USB-A ports, these are practical and allow you to recharge a smartphone or other devices without worry. However, it does not have the fast charging function and it will only be possible to charge a device up to 12 watts. It should be noted that there is no USB-C port, which is a shame as all current smartphones have a USB-C to USB-C cable.

Interestingly, USB-C and QuickCharge are present on the Explorer 1000 model. They left out these features on the 500 to make the battery more affordable financially.

The fact that we find a regulated 12 volts is ideal. This allows you to connect a 12 volt refrigerator without any additional accessories to connect between the two. This is a point that should be noted, because many competing generators do not offer this function.

This Jackery Explorer 500 is equipped with an integrated LED lamp on the side. This is ideal for not having to turn on the lights in the car or truck if you don’t want to drain the vehicle’s battery. It’s good to know that you always have a backup light source available either in the woods or during a power outage.

Using the Jackery SolarSaga 100

Using this Jackery SolarSaga 100 is quite simple. Simply unfold it and, thanks to the integrated feet, tilt the solar cells towards the sun. Once this is done, simply plug your devices directly into the USB-A and USB-C ports available on the back of the panel or connect the cable to an external battery of the same brand.

Performance will naturally be due to the level ofsunshine offered by your environment of use. In our case we had a maximum of 81 watts over a very short period and an average of around 77 watts.

Charging and power

Examples of charging time on portable devices

Other devices

Jackery Explorer 500 Cooldown

This Jackery Explorer 500 can be recharged in 3 different ways and here is the time needed to go from 0 to 100% for each of them:

Jackery Explorer 500 and Jackery SolarSaga 100 test: Reviews

There Jackery Explorer 500 is an ideal electric generator to accompany our travels. Its manufacturing quality and materials allow outdoor use without worrying about premature wear. Its security and adaptability allow it to be used in combination with rather sensitive products such as computers and smartphones without worry. It is an ideal companion for travelers, but also for nomadic workers. Its compact and lightweight format is ideal for daily use. It is also a battery available in the event of a power outage at home and to take advantage of free energy.