Romoss made a compact portable power station with a really affordable price. Anything cheaper will be noticeably worse. And other models with the same power outpu cost way more. As a result, we`ve an entry ticket to world of portable powet stations.
Specification:
- Model: Romos RS300
Capacity: 231Wh/ 62400A*h
Input: 7909 connector 12-28v up to 48w
Outputs:AC 320v\50hz 300w (max 600w)DC 120w (12v*10A)USB-C 60wUSB-A 18w 5v*3A \ 9v*2v \ 12v*1.5A
Protection: from overdischarge, from overcharging, from falling (up to 1.2m) withstands loads up to 80kg.
Works at temperatures from –10 to +40
Built-in flashlight
Size and weight: 192*142*148mm, 2.8kg \ 7,56*5,6*5,83`, 6,17lbs
You can buy Romoss RS300 at:
AMAZON
PACKAGE AND APPEARANCE
Romoss is a well-known brand, so packaging is good both in design and protection of it`s content. Romoss RS300 is sandwiched between two thick layers of foam rubber.
Kit includes everything you need: the portable power station itself, 48w power supply and a car cigarette lighter adapter, a manual.
And here is the solar generator (yeah, they are also called this way, though they dont generate anything) itself. Romoss RS300 is impressively compact , 2.8kg\6,17lbs is a weight that already lets you to take power station along with you on a bike trip. All other solar generators that I have are much larger and heavier. And as you can see, i have a lot of them to compare.
See for yourself, the difference is significant. Significant not only versus such a giant as Nitecore NES1200,
but also compared to other 300w model Energizer PPS320.
However, it should be understood that models with a LiFePo4 battery are larger due to another chemistry which is less energy intensive comparing with classic Li-Ion cells. Thought, of course, it has other advantages like longer lifetime.
Again. This category of portable enery source vehicles is portable. But Romoss RS300 is an extremely portable thing - 20*15*15cm is something really compact.
Okay, let’s take a closer look at this miracle power bank.
The folding handle is a great idea. Romoss RS300 will fit on any shelf when handle is folded.
There is nothing besides rubber feet and sticker with technical specifications on the opposite side, at the bottom,
There is nothing at all at a rear side. I`d stick some reflective or phosphorescent stickers to locate Romoss RS300 in the darkness of the campsite.
Blue inserts on edges are made of some kind of elastic material and serve as shock absorbers to protect powerstation when it falls. The manufacturer claims 1.2m. shock protection. I didn’t check, sorry -)
Of course, there is a fan inside this portable power station, so there are grilles on the sides for air flow.
There is a biult-in flashlight at one side. This is better then inslalling it on the front panel. With a flashlight on the side, you will not have to twist your arm when you walk and illuminate patch in front of you. The light from the flashlight is frankly mediocre. Cold-cold white and comfortable at a distance of 5-7m, but not closer. But there is only 1 mode without any strobe lights and SOS, this is good!
The manufacturer declares the ECO mode for flashlight, which, even when battery is discharged to 0%, gives you the opportunity to use the flashlight for a very long time.
I would have preferred a more diffused light with two modes. However, and as is, it will come down in case of need.
And here is the most interesting - the front panel.
You dont need any manual to use Romoss RS300, really. Everything is clear even for an ape.
ON\OFF button is at the right side, right about AC button and AC outlet.
Well done Romoss, they closed the socket with a spring-loaded lid. The second advantage is that the entire front panel is recessed into the body, so there are less chances to press them occasionally.
There is a display with an automatically fading backlight. Again, everything is clear here, no need manual at all. But here is a description by manufacturer just in case.
Again, well done Romoss. The display shows absolutely everything you need. And this is not only power, but also data that you really need - runtime for charge and discharge - the feature that a lot of powet stations lack.
But there is also a drawback. You need to press any button to re-activate display backlight. And button reacts on press. So, you click on AC, it will turn ON or OFF. Therefore, to return on the backlight, you must press strictly on the flashlight button as this is the safest thing. It is necessary that the buttons respond either by long pressing, or by double clicking. The latter will also reliably protect them from accidental activation.
On the left is:
7909 charging connector. I dont like it, it’s too big. All of my panels have a 2575 pin. I can use them with adaptor to charge Romoss RS300, though. But i like 60 w USB-C connector
4 x USB-A 18W maximum
DC cigarette lighter socket
It would be nice to make a separate output for the DC pin connector. This is not critical, but other portable energy storage have it.
That’s all. The bodyb is non-separable, so I can not evaluate the insides. But I have a very high opinion of the quality of Romoss products.So I proceed from the fact that everything inside is as it should be. Romoss claim that 18650 Li-Ion cells used here are not ordinary, but frost-resistant, with good current output in the cold. Be that as it may, however, dont charge frozen cells.
Portable power station test
Charger
Charging a 48 watt power supply takes 4.3 hours. It is stated that the device supports up to 80 watts when charging from a solar panel, so if you wish, you can charge much faster.
And, yeah! You can use a portable energy storage device and charge it simultaneously!
However, keep in mind that this will reduce battery life. But how tempting it is - you connect the solar panel and use your laptop or auto-refrigerator for as long as you want.
Charging protocol test
Everything is in order, all common charging protocols are supported
capacity test
Let me remind you that a capacity of 231 watt * hour is declared here. For ease of understanding, a typical 10000mah power bank has a capacity of 37wh. So in terms of units of measurement familiar to the average user ~ 62400mah (for 3.7v).
With a load of 60w, it was possible to drain 210 watt*h (the same amount at 30 watts). 90% conversion…that’s very good.
In order to measure the delivered energy at 220v, I used Tuya smart plug. It measured 200 watts - also a wonderful result. Romoss haven`t let me down when i reviewed their usual-suze power banks, showing exceptionally high output power conversion efficiency.
Power Test
I already mentioned that I connected a USB-C connector with a load of 60w, and, in fact, here is a photo proof.
60w is enough to power any modern netbook via Type-C. This will not be enough for a powerful gaming laptop. But! Romoss RS300 can charge the battery of such a laptop when it is tru
220v
Let me remind you that 300w of constant and 600w of peak power are declared here.
Television?
A large TV when connected to utube consumes 80 watts. I measured - the TV worked for 2.5, giving out 80w until 0%. Looks like this is what Romoss mean when claim “Constant power control”.
Notebook? Easily. And here the results are wonderful - my wife’s lightweight netbook consumes only 15w and here you can count on half a day of work!
Powerful Lenovo Legion Pro consumes ~70w in economy mode and then Romoss RS300 will give me 2.5 extra hours of work.
If I switch to a full load, for example, video export, then I get an additional hour and a half. So, if you work outdoor with some video or graphic, this may really help (especially, again, if you have solar panel).
In order to try whether Romoss RS300 supports declared maximum load, I used my wife’s hair dryer, which consumes 550 watts in one of the modes. And … even 400w is too much for Romoss RS300. Maximum wattage that it sustains is ~330w.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
This is my second 300w portable power station so the experience is the same. You need more capacity and power to use such device as a home backup energy source in case of blackout. Well, Romoss have 3 kW model for such situation.
Though, if blackout happens, Romoss RS300 will power up a TV, a water pump in the home water heating system, a laptop or a router. BTW, I used 300w portable power station exactly to power up router when blackout happened in countryside where i live for summer. I always had Internet.
Yeah, 300 watts and 231 watt*hour is not much for home needs. But they are definetely enough for any outdoor need that i can imagine. The main idea is that you have a solar panel because buying a portable power plant without solar panel is close to waste of money.
If there is a panel, then you always use a car refrigerator, charger for batteries (photos and flashlights), tablet PC, smartphones, laptops, copter etc. Romoss RS300 will be sufficient both for mobile office or a comfortable outdoor trip rest.
I know that some people take a vacuumator to hunting and fishing, this device will also work. In short, everything will work except for power tools. Although you`ll be able to charge cordless power tools. And you do not have to carry fuel along with you - you only need sun.
The capacity and power of Romoss RS300 is significantly less than that of some other youngest models by other brands. But! Price is even lower. At the moment i publish this Romoss RS300 review, this is the most affordable functional, not decorative, but working and good portable energy storage device from a major brand. Brand produces only external power sources, not OEM this and that.
The size and weight are also, by the way, the smallest. If you wanted to buy such a device, but not spend too much - then Romoss RS300 gave you an entrance ticket to world of portable powet stations.
Yes, it does not give out above, well ~350w. But let`s be realistic - what are the chances that you will need even 200w device when go outdoor? I plugged in everything i could, and still didnt reach this.
I see only one drawback and it is typical for all such devices, alas - there is no automatic shutdown without load. The AC transformator idle consumes 7w, so if you forget to turn power station off, it will be discharged in 30 hours. and i would also like to see PD input, but that is useless for primary use of this device - outdoor use.
Overall. Romoss RS300 is a well built and practical power source with most affordable price and awesome size. Everything is fine in terms of price-performance ratio. Once again, all other decent 300w models are way much expensive. Can i recommend buying it? For this price - hell yeah!