GRECELL T200 240 Watt Portable Power Station Review

Every home should have a portable power station for emergencies or for just the convenience of keeping small electronic devices charged.  Phones, tablets, laptops, radios are among the many things that can be charged.  I was recently contacted by GRECELL and asked to review their GRECELL T200 240 Watt Portable Power Station.  Current pricing is $129 on Amazon with a $40 off coupon.  Unsure how long the coupon will be available. That means that now is the time to get one.

As luck would have it we experienced a winter storm a day or two after I received the T200. I had begun some endurance testing and then decided to top off the device for the storm.

I put it in our bedroom and sure enough the power went out.  As much as anything the light came in super handy.  It provided great light sufficient to find my phone.  From there I was able to check on loved ones.  Also I was able to walk around the home and inspect items outside such as fallen tree limbs.

The light was a great tool for inspecting around our property.

Specifications And Key Features

• 240 Watts
• 153.6Wh/12800mAh capacity
• Lightweight at 4.5 pounds
• Ability to charge via USB, 12v cigarette lighter type port, and solar
• LiFePO4 Battery
• USB C(1) port with 100 watt input/output
• DC Output 12.8V⎓8A
• USB A Output 18 Watts max
• USB C(2) Output 30 Watts max
• 3 Watt LED Light

What’s In The Box?

The power station, a USB C cable, a 12v DC car charging cable, and a user manual.  That’s it.  Regarding charging of the station you’ll want to use some sort of existing USB brick to charge the unit faster than just by using the cable itself.  I do wish they would have included some sort of charging brick.

Overview

Here’s a quick walk around of the GRECELL T200.

Time to test.

Endurance Testing

Mini Fridge

The first real test I conducted was to test my 12v mini fridge.  GRECELL states that a 45 watt mini fridge will operate for about 8 hours on the T200.  I am here to tell you that I started testing at 10AM and finished testing at 9 PM.  A total of 11 hours.   At the 11 hour point my remaining capacity was 27%.  It should be noted that the T200 only outputs power when the compressor comes on and runs.  So a mini fridge that is better insulated or operated in a moderate environment will obviously have a longer run time.

This is a perfect run time for keeping snacks and drinks cool for the kids team sports events or for a family picnic.

Anyway when something over performs by HOURS with remaining capacity let’s call that endurance test a success.

Small Electronics

I think most people generally charge their phones on devices like this.  Or as a tent camper maybe they might operate a USB fan. I mean that is what I used to do.  These days Casa John’s Tech Blog has a ridiculous amount of tech devices that need charged.  That includes ham radios, police scanners, short wave radios,  heck, even the smart blinds in my home have removable battery bricks and motor assemblies.   Every time I set up a laser I typically use a portable power supply.   I’m also the family handyman.  Every fix it job I go on I take a portable power supply.  I own active, battery powered antennas.  I could make this the longest paragraph in the whole blog if I wanted.

On my last endurance test I charged 2 telephones, 1 iPad, 4 smart blind batteries, and used the power station for a room light during a couple of power outages. I still have about 47% charge remaining.  Things have continuously been on the T200 for over 48 hours.

Typically, in advertisements you’ll see how many hours a mini fridge will run or how many phone charges a device will do.  I don’t operate like that.  I cycle multiple devices of multiple battery types and capacities through these portable power supplies.

Results

There are two conclusions from un-scientific testing like this:

1. The charging ability is awful, or
2. The charging ability exceeds expectations.

Right now I am firmly on the second choice.  Granted this is only a 240 watt power station but the endurance results again exceed what is claimed (based on my testing).  I am not charging the same phone over and over again and counting charging cycles.  I have been throwing items at this charger for a couple of days and still have a decent amount of capacity remaining.

Is the machine ready when I need it?  Will it recharge quickly?  Those are the important characteristics for a portable power station. .

Charging

Solar Charging

The GRECELL T200 Portable Power Station can be charged via solar.  I used a 100 watt panel and this charging cable.  These are the pertinent details:

• Beginning capacity = 47%
• Start time = 0830
• Last checked at 10:15
• End time 11:30
• Highest rate of charge observed at 87 watts
• 100% charge.

It seems that the T200 fully charged probably in about 2-3 hours.  The first hour or so of sunlight was not great.  North Carolina is not exactly ideal for solar charging.

About 10 AM or so the sun got sufficiently high in the sky that input hit around 81 watt.  And in fact I saw it hit 87 watts once.  Not bad for an old dirty solar panel in North Carolina.

When I checked around 1130 AM it was topped off.  Unsure how long it had been that way as my wife and I had been meeting with a landscape guy and I had to stop my keen observations and note taking.

I did notice once when I checked it there was 0 watts of input.  I unplugged the panel and plugged it back in and it hopped up in the 80 watt range.  Not sure if the T200 charging timed out or what.

Anyway, the T200 charges pretty quickly in decent conditions.  This test is also a success in my estimation.

Other Charging Methods

Obviously you can charge via USB C.  Only a cable is provided.  As I charged using this method I was only seeing a couple of watts input.  After I grabbed a brick from some other device the unit was fully charged in about an hour and a half.

Lastly, you can charge via 12 volt car outlet provided you have the right cable.  I currently do not.

Issues

There was only one issue that really caught my attention.  When you push the on button the screen comes on with its maximum intensity.  After maybe 20-30 seconds the screen dims slightly which is by design.  As it dims the unit begins to make a high frequency pitched noise.

I can assure it is high frequency because I have high frequency hearing loss in my left ear.  I can only hear it with my right ear.  The high pitch sound lasts until the LCD screen times out and goes blank roughly a minute later.

If you are young with super hearing this sound might catch your attention.

I did get ahold of my contact at GRECELL who got ahold of their Tech Team and they assured me this was a normal function of the current design.  They also said they knew about it and were working to improve it.   All good as far as I am concerned.

Should You Buy One?

I’m going to write this based on my wife’s experience with power stations.  I own several from other brands.  After dragging this all over the house for a few days she told me. “I like this one.”  Additionally, she has claimed it for her own upon completion of my testing.   She says other power stations are too heavy, have too many buttons, and are hard for her to figure out.

I can attest to this because she always hands me her gear and asks me to charge it for her.

She likes the form factor and the fact that there are only two buttons on the device.  She only charges her phone, her iPad, and a Bluetooth speaker she uses daily.  A 240 watt power station that fits easily on her bedside table is perfect for her.   And she used the light during the recent winter storm and power outage.

So if those are your similar needs, then yes, you should buy one.  Also if you are like me and carry a power station in the truck for fix it tasks, then the T200 is the right size and capacity for small jobs.

If you need a power station with a 110 volt AC plug in then you need to level up.  If you know for a fact 240 watts won’t do you then you also need to level up.

And at the current coupon price of $90 it is a good deal.

JOHN’S TECH BLOG THINKS THE GRECELL T200 240 WATT PORTABLE POWER SUPPLY IS A GREAT BARGAIN AND GREAT FOR SMALL ELECTRONIC DEVICE CHARGING