Parking Battery-Power Station, 3X capacity and 3X cheaper than dedicated options + extra functionality

GPak said:
That is only true when PS completely discharged and BMS protection shuts the PS down.
When this happens Ecoflow will automatically start charging with ignition ON, but will not provide power to USB ports hence DVR, that is when you will need to switch PS off/on to power DVR, or it may happen automatically over some period of time or next time you turn the engine off and start it again.
For normal operation you do not need to switch Ecoflow on/off, it operates automatically, like dedicated batteries.
Click to expand...

Oh that sounds good, so another words don't let the eco flow run out of juice completely

Do any of you know what the mAh is of the ecoflow max and pro versions?

Saw an earlier post on different make, 450W one was 90,000 mAh ?
 
I'm still not understanding the need for two batteries (if that is what you are actually asking about). Instant parking mode happens as soon as the ACC signal goes away when you shut off the car. I use the utility outlet in my car, but it stays live for about 5-6 mins after turning off the car, so my switch to parking mode is delayed accordingly. In my son's car, the ACC signal dies immediately with the engine, so the switch to parking mode is immediate.

The differences (for our purposes) between the EcoFlow River units is primarily in their battery capacities:
River 2 is 256Wh
River 2 Max is 499Wh
River 2 Pro is 768Wh

For reference, the River2 provides about 40 hours of parking mode for me with a two-camera setup. Given this, I would expect the River 2 Max to be closer to 80hrs and the River 2 Pro to be closer to 120hrs (just going by battery capacity alone). Real differences in run time may vary a bit...

Check their webpage for additional differences (diff number of outlets, etc).
 
256Wh at 12v is approx 21,000mAh. So, for the list above, you’re looking at about 21,000mAh, 42,000mAh, and 63,000mAh for each unit. I just googled “wh to mah conversion” and used an online calculator.
 
Thanks guys

You've all been super helpful !!


I did a test, my 7500 mah neo 8 when fully charged lasted 12 hours before it was flat
 
Battery life from your Neo8 fits with my River2 data. The Neo has about 1/3 of the capacity of the River2, and seems to last about 1/3 of the number of hours. There are differences in battery efficiency and camera power draw (1ch vs 2ch), but overall it looks like the numbers align well.
 
Think I might purchase a high capacity powerbank to charge the ecoflow /keep topping it up

Something like this 30,000 mAh

VEGER Power Bank 30000mAh, 20W Fast Charging PD 18W QC 3.0 USB C Battery Pack Portable Charger with 4 Outputs & 2 Inputs Compatible with iPhone/iPad/Samsung Phones Tablet and More https://amzn.eu/d/5FsQB2r

Or 50,000

Power Bank 50000mAh: QC 3.0 22.5W PD USB-C Fast Charger with 4 Outputs and 3 Inputs, Large Capacity Portable Charger, Power Bank for iPhone, Samsung, iPad etc https://amzn.eu/d/cunNrSn

Why? The ecoflow will charge to slowly, so I don't have to take it indoors to charge up daily
 
That battery pack looks pretty tiny and appears to only be able to deliver 18w of power. Forgive the analogy, but it appears (to me) that you would be attempting to fuel up a rocket with the gas tank in your car. It will work, but won't meaningfully alter the situation. The Viofo, when plugged into your car's utility port, can charge at 100w, more than 5x faster than from an 18w USB-C source. Granted, you'll be able to charge for a longer period of time, but you'll still have to carry that smaller pack into the house each week to recharge it.

Once you've introduced the element of charging in the home, what is the difference between carrying in the smaller pack to charge it every few days vs carrying in the EcoFlow pack every few days to charge it up? It seems that you're adding expense and complexity without getting any real benefit. Perhaps I'm missing something...
 
im going to get an ecoflow pro (£200 off on amazon) and be done with it, and ill see how it goes
certainly need more capacity, 7500 is nothing for 2ch Blackvue 970x cameras
 
Makes sense to go one step at a time. Sometimes you can find EcoFlow refurb units on ebay with a 2- or 5-year warranty at a nice discount from new. I would think the EcoFlow Pro should provide plenty of parking mode time.
 
Yeah, this one's a refurbished one from ecoflow shop through amazon

200 off ish, works out same price as the max
 
Hi, my 12 Type C cable does not supply enough voltage (<11.8V) for HK4 from River 2. What should I do now? (With minimum changes). Tks
 
ductt said:
Hi, my 12 Type C cable does not supply enough voltage (<11.8V) for HK4 from River 2. What should I do now? (With minimum changes). Tks
Click to expand...

not sure what a 12 type is but
if your using a USB-C to USB-C cable, any old cable most likely wont work

here in the UK, i use Anker cables to charge my S24 ultra at maximum speeds and other devices
i know the Eco flow is rated at 100W, so i would suggest getting like an Anker 100W cable to work

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B093GGNRZM
I've got this pack of 2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B09LCJPZ1P
@EricSan should be able to offer more help
 
ductt said:
Hi, my 12 Type C cable does not supply enough voltage (<11.8V) for HK4 from River 2. What should I do now? (With minimum changes). Tks
Click to expand...
It's not a problem, when buying online, sometimes the product doesn't live up to our expectations.
Not sure what brand your cable is, but just return it and buy this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0CDFWRZB7
This is the USB-C to 15VDC version.
I tested it with my Necespow and it works, please see the video.
The HK4 hardwire kit accepts up to 18V for a 12V system.

I also ordered the same brand (same link) but USB-C to 12VDC version and I'll check the voltage it provides once I get it and I will post the result.

P.S.
I'll update/edit my post #301 with a link to a cheap set of two USB-C to "12V" cables because I ordered one and it turned out to be 5V so I returned it back to Amazon.

EDIT:
I noticed that if the PS is set to turn off after a certain amount of time (my necespow does this automatically after 12 hours, and I can't change it), the noticed USB-C to 12-15V cable will not turn On the next time the PS comes back to life with a charge, requiring a USB-C unplug/plug routine, and this is inconvenient and unacceptable in my opinion.
In this case, you are better off using a USB-A 5V to 12V converter, which does not require USB-A to unplug and re-plug.
These two converters I tested, provide 12.13V and 12.25V accordingly and they work.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0C1C848DD
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0CNNSSTW5
As a added benefit, this also frees the USB-C port which can be used to charge PS if preferred (necespo N150 charges at 65W using USB-C and only 24W with 12VDC)

I am not sure about EcoFlow, it may work with USB-C cable differently, I also think you can set EcoFlow to prevent from turning off at some time limit, or turn off "eco" mode @EricSan please confirm.


 
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It seems that the power output from the EcoFlow is fairly tightly regulated with an eye toward preventing over voltage situations. My River 2 units have USB-A plugs that provide voltage that is just shy of 5.0v. I haven't measured the 12v outputs, but I suspect they are also just a pinch shy of an actual 12v. I suspect this is very much be design to prevent toasting devices that you would plug into the EcoFlow.
 
EricSan said:
It seems that the power output from the EcoFlow is fairly tightly regulated with an eye toward preventing over voltage situations. My River 2 units have USB-A plugs that provide voltage that is just shy of 5.0v. I haven't measured the 12v outputs, but I suspect they are also just a pinch shy of an actual 12v. I suspect this is very much be design to prevent toasting devices that you would plug into the EcoFlow.
Click to expand...
I noticed the same thing with my necespow, bluetti and others. The USB out is somewhere between 4.9V and 5V, and it probably drops slightly farther down when powering dash cam.
This is not a problem for my A119 Mini2, but more power hungry A139 Pro and A229 Plus/Pro are very sensitive to input voltage and may require boost converter.
That is why it is better to use 12V system with original Hardwire Kit.
 
Shiwarrior said:
not sure what a 12 type is but
if your using a USB-C to USB-C cable, any old cable most likely wont work

here in the UK, i use Anker cables to charge my S24 ultra at maximum speeds and other devices
i know the Eco flow is rated at 100W, so i would suggest getting like an Anker 100W cable to work

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B093GGNRZM
I've got this pack of 2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/B09LCJPZ1P
@EricSan should be able to offer more help
Click to expand...
The two cables you showed will not work to supply 12V to the dash cam.
They are 100W USB-C PD cables that can be used to charge the Power Station via the USB-C port.
However, this will take up the only available USB-C port on EcoFlow, so you will need to use a USB-A to 12V converter cable for a 12V system.
Keep in mind that many of these converters provide slightly less than the rated 12V, so it can be difficult to find a good one.
 
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The 12v is from the switched round car utility port. I've not used/measured the USB-C ports on the River2.
 
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