Go Power! 120-Watt Portable Solar Kit Model GP-PSK-120 Review

The Prepper community is growing. And with all of the natural disasters recently, floods, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes…I can see why. And some products will work for both Preppers and outdoor enthusiasts, like for a travel trailer. Up for review today is a product that will work for both. Enter the Go Power! 120-Watt Portable Solar Kit GP-PSK-120.

Features and specs:

Output Power: 120W

Rated Current: 6.7A

Rated Voltage: 18V

Dimensions of panel folded closed (inches): 32.48 x 19.88 x 2.76

Dimensions of panel open (inches): 32.48 x 39.76 x 1.38

Weight of kit: 15 kg (33 lbs)

The Go Power! GP-PSK-120 came shipped in a nice looking color printed box with photos and specs printed on the box. Opening the box revealed a well protected system held in a case. I pulled out the case and saw a well made semi hard zipper case. Opening the case revealed the solar panels were made of mostly metal with a little bit of plastic. Quality of materials used was excellent, as was the fit and finish. It is built like a tank, and would provide years of use. Also included were the owner’s manual and cables.

The design of the Go Power! GP-PSK-120 is solid and extremely functional. It all fits in the semi-hard zipper case to protect it. When you pull it out, it’s impressive. It’s an efficient design. There are two panels that fold together. When they are folded together, the connectors and manual store conveniently inside. There are legs that fold down flat, one under each panel. So setting up the panels is very simple. It’s just a matter of folding the panels flat, puling out the legs, standing the panels up, and plugging in the correct connector for what the panels will be charging.

And they have all your charging options covered as well. If this is for an RV that is solar charger system ready, both SAE and XLR connectors are covered. If you are charging a regular 12 volt battery, your charging options are also covered. There are ring connectors for batteries that accept ring terminals. And for these batteries that do not accept ring terminals, there are extremely high quality alligator clips. Also included is a 12 foot extension cord so you have plenty of distance to set up your panels next to the battery.  I also loved the high quality heavy gauge 12/2 wire that was used throughout.

All in all it’s a very simple design. There are two 60 watt panels hinged together to fold flat when used. Underneath the panels is the 10 amp charge controller. When not used the panels fold up and hold the connectors. The handle is even a solid heave gauge metal that is spring loaded to close when not in use. So far, it’s all very impressive. Let’s see how it all works.

Setting it up was as easy as unfolding it, pulling out the legs, locking into place the extension cord, and then plugging in the cable with the ring terminals and connecting it to my battery.  The amp charge controller quickly came to life, and I was able to go into the setting and make sure it was set for my AGM style battery. The manual was very easy to read and follow.  I could see that per the manual I should be getting 14.4V (+ or -0.1V) from the solar panels to the battery.  Looking up at the digital display on the charge controller it was confirmed, 14.5V.  I loved that I could toggle the display to show current voltage being received, current amps, and percentage that the battery was charged.  And having a USB connection on the side of the charge controller was also a nice bonus.

In the end, I was very impressed with the Go Power! 120-Watt Portable Solar Kit GP-PSK-120. I can’t see how it could be built any more solidly. You should get many years of service out of it. And the panels and controller worked great together to provide the power I expected. While it's MSRP of $680 is not cheap, it can be found for less online.  And given it's impeccable build quality and performance, feel it is worth every penny! Based on it’s design, features, quality and performances, the Go Power! GP-PSK-120 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.gpelectric.com.