What’s up?

The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is currently on sale at Amazon for $1,299, down from its usual price of $2,199 – that’s a 41% discount.

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Why this deal is recommended by ZDNET

If you see sun regularly, solar generators are the solution. They allow you to capture and store the free energy emitted by the sun, convert it into electricity and store it in batteries.

Solar generators consist of two parts: there’s a portable power station (think of a power bank, but bigger) and solar panels. The power stations come in all shapes and sizes, from small boxes that you’re happy to carry short distances to large boxes on wheels that you don’t want to take too far.

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Jackery, a well-known name in the power generation industry for over a decade, has a new power plant called Explorer 2000 Plusand this thing is a real game changer. You can expand it from a single unit that’s enough for a day or two of camping to a series of batteries and solar panels that can power your house for two weeks.

Yes, you read that right: two weeks.

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Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus – technical data

• capacity: 2042.8Wh
• AC output: AC output (×4): 120 V ~ 60 Hz, 20 A max.
  AC output (×1): 120 V ~ 60 Hz, 25 A max.
  Total AC power: 3,000 W max., 6,000 W peak power
• USB-A output: x2 Quick Charge 3.0, 18W max.
• USB-C output: x2 100W max. (5V, 9V, 12V, 15V, 20V up to 5A)
• Car performancePower: 12 V⎓10 A
• AC input: 120 V, 60 Hz, 15 A max.
• DC input: 11V – 17.5V, 8A max.
  17.5V – 60V, 12A max.
• battery: LFP (LiFePO4 battery)
• Nominal charging cycles: 4,000 cycles to 70%+ capacity
• Weight: 61.5 lbs/ 27.9 kg
• dimension: 14.7 x 18.6 x 14.1 inches/37.36 x 26.90 x 47.3 x 35.94 cm
• Operating temperature: -10 °C to 45 °C

note: I tested the UK version of the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus, which has different sockets and input and output voltages, but is otherwise identical to the US version.

It’s big.

You may notice that there is something sitting on top of my Explorer 2000 Plus. It is an additional PackPlus E2000 Plus battery, which adds 2042.8 Wh of electrical storage capacity to the system.

This is even bigger!

Is 4,000 Wh not enough for you? You can connect up to five PackPlus E2000 Plus battery packs to a single Explorer 2000 Plus for 12,000 Wh of storage capacity.

A single PackPlus E2000 Plus weighs 19 kg (41.9 lb), so the two units together weigh over 46.9 kg (100 lb).

Still not enough? No problem!

You can link two Explorer 2000 Plus units together and connect each of them to five PackPlus E2000 Plus battery packs for a massive power storage capacity of 24,000 Wh – enough to power an average household for two weeks, according to Jackery.

This setup is will cost you a whopping $22,500but the performance and flexibility it offers are hard to compare.

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OK, let’s go back and take a look at the Explorer 2000 Plus.

Compared to many power stations, this is a fairly streamlined device. On the front there is a compact display, a few buttons and a handful of power outlets.

Comfortable side carrying handles, an extendable suitcase handle and wheels are available for moving the power station.

Yes, wheels. The extendable handle and wheels make moving the power station a breeze, especially when using additional batteries.

If you have an additional battery, the two units are connected via a cable.

There are a few things I look for when testing a power plant.

First, the inputs and outputs and the rated capacity must match the published specifications (see specification list above).

The Explorer 2000 Plus passed all my tests with flying colors.

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The sockets could easily handle a continuous load of 3,000 W and even peaks of 6,000 W. If you use the power station beyond this, the Explorer 2000 Plus switches off gently and waits until you reduce the load.

When things get heavy, the fans kick in to keep things cool (which also kick in when the device is charging), but those fans are quiet—just 30dB, as loud as a library—and the Explorer 1500 Pro can easily handle a continuous 3,000W load.

It is a very well constructed unit.

The USB and 12V outputs also meet specifications, and the 100W USB-C ports are especially useful for those of us who charge and power our laptops from a power adapter.

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The 2,000Wh capacity is huge. It can charge your iPhone over 80 times or run a mini fridge for over 12 hours. It can also run a portable air conditioner for a couple of hours or a high-powered welder for 40 minutes.

That’s a lot of power, and that’s just the Explorer 2000 Plus. A single PackPlus E2000 Plus battery pack (currently $200 off) doubles this.

Charging takes two hours when connected to AC power or six 200W SolarSaga solar modules (currently over $200 off), seven hours with two 200W SolarSaga solar panels, or 25 hours with a 12V car adapter.

I also like to test durability and so far the unit has been thrown in the back of a truck, dragged around various locations, and dropped somewhat roughly more than once without any ill effects.

It’s a really robust product.

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Another thing I like to test is durability.

There’s nothing better than taking it out into the wild and relying on it for several weeks. I haven’t been able to do that yet, but I’ve used the Explorer 2000 Plus as much as I can and charged it about a dozen times. So far it’s held up well and I’ve had no problems.

Everything is solidly made and robust, can withstand a lot and does what it promises without having to resort to extreme, excessive specifications.

Buying advice from ZDNET

The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus is a solid, expandable portable power station. If you’re looking for a power station, whether for home use or for your outdoor adventures, this is an excellent choice that should give you years of enjoyment. Should your unit have any issues, you can rely on Jackery’s excellent warranty.