Power Department

Buying Guide:
Solar Panels & Solar Chargers

Over the past 10 years, solar panels have moved from a marginal technology designed for industrial use & remote homes, to a mainstream portable power source that can be used in a variety of applications. This maturation has been the result of both improvements in solar panel efficiency, and new innovative product designs.

Modern Outpost carries a wide assortment of solar panel chargers to meet the needs of smaller power applications. Please refer to the product comparison table at the bottom of this page for a side-by-side comparison of the solar panel products we offer.
Read our Application Notes to find out which panel(s) will best suit your needs and how to build a power solution with them.

 

Rollable Foldable Rigid Compact Personal Power
PowerFilm
1200
PowerFilm
600
PowerFilm
300
P3
Power
Panels
SunLinq
25
SunLinq
12
SunLinq
6
PowerFilm
1200
PowerFilm
600
PowerFilm
300
SolarFlat
5
SolarFlat
1.8
Brunton
SolarPort
4.4
See more compact gear here
PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels Sunlinq 12 folding solar panel Sunlinq 12 folding solar panel Sunlinq 12 folding solar panel Sunlinq 6 folding solar panel PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels PowerFilm flexible rollable solar panels BatterySaver SE2 watt solar panel
Features
               
Peak Output

18.4 Watts

9.2 Watts

4.6 Watts

15-55 Watts

24.7 Watts

12 Watts

6 Watts 18.4 Watts 9.2 Watts 4.6 Watts 5 Watts 1.8 Watts 4.4 Watts

Current Rating 1200mA
@
15.4v
600mA
@
15.4v
300mA
@
15.4v
780-2800mA
@
18-20v
1500mA
@
15.6v
700mA
@
15.6v
350mA
@
15.6v
1200mA
@
15.4v
600mA
@
15.4v
300mA
@
15.4v
350mA
@
15v
125mA
@
15v
265mA
@
16.5v
- or -
530mA
@
8.3v

Solar Cell Type
Info

Amorphous Silicon

Amorphous Silicon

Amorphous Silicon

CIGS

CIGS

CIGS

CIGS

Amorphous Silicon Amorphous Silicon Amorphous Silicon Amorphous Amorphous Poly-crystalline

Connectors Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

15' cable with battery 'O' rings

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

15' cable with battery 'O' rings

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

15' cable with battery 'O' rings

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

Dual-prong plug-n-play connector

15" DC socket
15" DC outlet
4" barrel plug (5mm)
18" battery clamp cable
8' extension cable

Dual-prong plug-n-play connector

15" DC socket
15" DC outlet
4" barrel plug (5mm)
18" battery clamp cable
8' extension cable

Dual-prong plug-n-play connector

15" DC socket
15" DC outlet
4" barrel plug (5mm)
18" battery clamp cable
8' extension cable

Dual-prong plug-n-play connector

15" DC socket
15" DC outlet
4" barrel plug (5mm)
18" battery clamp cable
8' extension cable

Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

Cigarette plug

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

Cigarette plug

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

Marine-grade connectors

Plug-n-play

Cigarette plug

Optional extension & daisy chain cables

10' cable with battery clamps & cigarette socket plug options 10' cable with battery clamps & cigarette socket plug options 20" power cable with adaptor plugs

Dimensions 73 x 12"
186 x 30.5cm
1.9lbs
0.88kg
38 x 11.5"
97 x 29cm
1.0lbs
0.46kg
21 x 11.5"
53 x 29cm
0.6lbs
0.294kg
Varies by model Folded:
11x8.25x0.7"
28x21x1.8cm

Deployed:
41.25x21.5x0.03"
104.8x54.6x0.76cm

1.7lbs
0.77kg

Deployed:
29.5x18x0.03
74.9x45.7x0.76cm

0.9lbs
0.4kg

Folded:
9x5x0.7"
22.9x12.7x1.8cm

Folded:
9x5x0.5"
22.9x12.7x1.3cm

Deployed:
29.5x9x0.03
74.9x22.9x0.76cm

0.4lbs
0.2kg

14x13.3x0.6"
35.5x33.8x1.5cm
3.3lbs
1.5kg
15.5x5x0.75"
39.4x12.7x2cm
0.9lbs
0.41kg
9.25x6x1.5"
23.5x15x4cm
19oz
540g

Primary design application Portable, power for RVs, boats, & outdoor recreation Portable power
Military apps
Portable power for researchers, field work, & outdoor recreation Portable power for small electronics, & outdoor recreation Portable power for small electronics, & outdoor recreation

Key advantages Durability Compact folded size
Price

Other Features Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

3 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

3 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

3 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Waterproof/
weatherproof

Reinforced construction with tie-down grommet corners

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Weatherproof

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Weatherproof

Integrated blocking diode

1 year warranty

Includes Brunton BattJack battery charger

Integrated blocking diode

Folding clamsheel design

2 year warranty

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Application Notes...

Tell me what kind of products to consider for...

Product Types...

Mini solar panel chargers for small electronics...

Powering small electronics such as cell phones, PDAs, video games, MP3 players, requires a panel that can supply power at 3, 6, or 9 volts. The ideal chargers for this type of application are the Mini Solar Panel Charger, Wagan Solar e-Power charger, ICP iSun Brunton SolarPort 4.4 solar chargerSolar Charger, or the Brunton SolarPort 4.4. The Brunton SolarPort and ICP iSun are better suited to slightly larger demands or in locations where daylight intensity is weaker. The Wagan e-Power is designed for cell phone charging, and the Mini Solar Panel is designed for a variety of uses.

Portable Clamshell Chargers...

The Brunton SolarPort 4.4 and the ICP iSun Solar Charger are designed to travel well, and feature adaptors and power output voltages suited to powering small office electronics such as cell phones, notebook computers, Palm Pilot PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), etc. Having the ability to connect these two chargers to external battery chargers makes them also extremely useful for field workers who need to keep radios and GPS gear operating.

BatterySaver plus solar panel trickle chargerVehicle Battery Chargers...

Keeping stored vehicle batteries charged is easy when using the small trickle charging panels like the ICP BatterySaver Pro and CycleSaver. These panels deliver s small maintenance charge to vehicle batteries during daylight hours and are ideal for remote homes and lodges that have ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycle, or extra vehicles that are stored for extended periods of time.

Remote Equipment Power...

PowerFlex flexible solar panelsRV and boat owners know the value and utility of flexible solar panels. These products have been in use for years for providing offset power to batteries. The PowerFlex line of flexible panels store easily and can be connected in seconds. Even the largest 20 Watt panels does not require the use of a charge controller when used alone. Hikers, campers, and field workers can also use these panels for charging important gear. Farms and research stations find the weatherproof construction of the PowerFlex flexible solar panels and the BatterySaver Pro 5W ideal for powering remote sensor equipment.

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