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22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Fantastic portable/mobile power source, lighter than expected Feb 16, 2011
By M. Klein
"mike_in_ca"
This is a superbly designed and built product, at least from the couple of days I've had it. I'll update the review if my impressions change.
One thing I want to mention right away: the power pack itself is only 2.2 pounds in weight. For some reason various sources of this information show anywhere between 4 and 5 pounds. All the other accessories that come in the box are lightweight as well. The included AC adapter with cords is very lightweight and small and the 12V cigarette plug is as well. Too often we find that the main object of interest, like a laptop for example, has an attractive weight specified but comes with a massive AC brick and cables that weigh as much as the thing itself. Not so here.
Physically, however, the Sherpa 120 is quite a big thing, about the size of a Webster's dictionary (if any of you remember those :-) or a really big Fodor's travel book. Make sure this meets your needs. It is not a petite device.
So far I have used the power pack to test out running a ResMed S9 CPAP machine (CPAP only, not humidifier/heater) with an inverter, and it powers it successfully for a full 8 hours on a full charge. That pretty much meets the 120 watt-hour spec, as the machine averages around 15 watts (including loss in the inverter and S9's AC adapter). A full charge from AC takes 4 hours as specified. Construction quality is first rate.
Only one issue so far: there is no indication of how to charge the power pack from a 12V source, although that charging method is given in the specifications. The charging plug is labeled as needing 15.3V. I will have to hunt down how to do that. I would have appreciated a 12V plug cable for charging in the box.
A potential issue is how TSA treats this. This device qualifies as a "larger" spare lithium ion battery and, judging by the watt-hour rating, has about 10 grams of equivalent lithium content (ELC) -- [...]. This is perfectly acceptable as a carry on according to DOT guidelines (see [...] -- up to two such "spare" batteries with ELC up to 25 grams may be in carry-on luggage; cannot be in checked luggage). But the particular TSA inspector at a given gate on a given day may have other ideas.
UPDATE: To charge this device from 12VDC source, you have to buy a separate adapter: a male cigarette to 4.7mm adapter, from Goalzero.com. It's $15 so not too bad. Also I'm not sure why Amazon had to delete the links I put in the main review -- they were to dot.gov web pages showing info about FAA treatment of li-ion batteries.
FURTHER UPDATE (7/14/11): Just back from a 3-week African trip which was the reason for buying this battery in the first place, to power my CPAP machine when we did not have electricity available at night. It worked perfectly and TSA as well as foreign airline security inspections never even looked at it. Total non-issue. I even used it on the plane to power the machine (clear this ahead of time with the airline though).
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Goal Zero Sherpa 120 battery Aug 24, 2011
By D. Taylor
"Tech Gadget User"
This review is for the Goal Zero Sherpa 120 battery Goal Zero Sherpa 120 Battery.
I bought this battery to use on a backwoods trip to run a CPAP machine while I sleep. Since this would be running a medical device, I felt it was important to know I could trust the system. I carefully measured (using a Kill-a-Watt) the power my CPAP was consuming and knew that in good conditions the battery as found in the Sherpa 120 should last nearly 3 nights, so the solar panels wouldn't need to fully charge the system in a single day. I have also measured the CPAP (using a Watts-Up) when running directly from 12v and it consumes about 30 watts a night (vs 37watts a night on 120v).
In field testing and subsequent follow up this is how I would rate the battery. The battery nicely holds a good charge and delivers the full capacity before going into a sleep state to protect itself from over discharging. I used the Nomad 27 solar panels to charge it and found that given my needs they were plenty large enough to top it off every day. To protect the battery which is a very key component to the system (in fact the one piece you must have), spend the extra few bucks on the silicone protective cover.
The battery holds as much power as advertised, I've measured it several times and it continues to perform well. The Goal Zero system connects and works well. The only plug that seems slightly loose is the output plug on the battery. The other connectors are nice and sufficient. The output one should snap to give you extra security that your device will remain powered. For portable operation focus on using 12v loads directly and make sure you are running your necessary equipment as efficiently as possible to maximize your run times. If you can get away without using an inverter, all of your devices will run longer from a fixed battery capacity, plus your weight will be physically lighter.
One important thing to note, if you leave the battery unattended for 30 days or more, it goes into a deep sleep even shutting down the display and internal circuits (to conserve power). When you turn it on again it'll appear discharged (the screen shows only 1 bar) but it really is holding the charge well. You can measure with a Watts-Up to see the voltage, but the logic they use to calculate how much charge remains needs to know the last total charge and it can't know that until you recharge it. If you plug it into the solar or wall charger for a bit (~20 min if was off for 30 days) it'll snap back and realize that it's actually fully charged. Tip: If you have a system and want to see what this deep sleep state looks like, you can simulate this for yourself by removing and then replacing the fuse on the back of the unit.
In the posted pictures my battery has a Silicone sleeve to protect it. I highly recommend buying the sleeve to protect your battery. Goal Zero 91105 Black Small Silicone Sleeve for Sherpa 120
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Best power pack! Dec 12, 2011
By Alan Extreme
"Alan Extreme"
I own the Nomad 27, Sherpa 120, Sherpa UI and Light-A-Life. Have been using the power pack to charge my phone (Galaxy Note) and power the lamp (Light-A-Life) during camping, can't seems to be able to empty the pack. I even use it to power my digital alarm clock, lamp and charge my phone at home at the same time. This pack can also recharge laptop. So far this is the best solar product I've found! Now waiting to save up enough $ to get the second set for the other rooms.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Product Mar 07, 2012
By SmackDaddy
This is a great product. Does not come with a case, but is available from the manufacturer site. The inverter is lighter than I expected, but also works great. Just ordered, the 350 model.
 120 Sherpa DOA May 08, 2012
By Search and rescue
Going through the non-hassle warranty is a hassle. Item was fully charged and placed for 2 weeks. Upon firing it up less than 20% showing as reserve. Recharged over night indicator shows full charge, next morning less than 20% left.
They offer great marketing slick ads but when it comes to performance this can not be relied upon. Made in CHINA means you get what you pay for, the exception is when this stuff is not cheap and still fails. Avoid this product!
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