If you are a photographer who works remotely, shoots all-day events, doesn't have access to electricity, or needs to power numerous devices, a powerhouse such as the GRECELL H2400 2400W Portable Power Station is valuable. Even better, it's also a UPS. It'll keep it all going.
Some of you need to keep your camera and drone batteries going. And some of you need to power laptops for editing or tethered shooting, portable strobes and flash units, and continuous LED lights for video. And many of us also need to keep cell or satellite phones, walkie-talkies, and maybe even small heaters and that all-too-important coffee maker powered up. The GRECELL is able to do this and more. With 2,400W capacity, it also can power refrigerators, cooking appliances, power tools, and those all-too-important disco lights as well. Even better, you can even use this to charge an EV vehicle.
2,400W units such as this would be extremely useful for disaster preparedness, power outages, sleeping in the car, camping, and various residential and commercial applications.
About GRECELL
GRECELL states that they offer you a "green, portable power solution to eliminate your power outage problems with our renewable energy storage products." They manufacture power stations, solar panels, and even motorcycle batteries.
Build Quality
The hefty unit, weighing in at 55 pounds (almost 25 kg), feels solid. It has two sturdy handles for lifting. The unit is stackable, and the periphery along the top has a slight lip and is ringed with rubber to minimize slipping. The bottom of the unit also has four low-profile rubber feet.
Features
The following specifications and general information for this unit are from GRECELL's official product page and the included H2400 User Manual.
UPS
The GRECELL is equipped with an uninterruptible power supply with a switching time of 10 ms. The inclusion of a UPS separates it from many other 2,400 W power stations at its general price point. When the portable station is connected to AC, you may run the devices using the AC outputs without interruption if there is a power outage or voltage sag or surge.
Charging via AC, Solar, and Car
The GRECELL charges to full capacity in approximately two hours from an AC outlet. According to the manufacturer, you can also charge with an 800 W solar panel in as little as three hours, depending on the sunlight. It also allows you to dual charge using both AC and the solar panel, with a claimed charging time of 1.8 hours. And finally, you may also charge this via a car cigar socket.
Buttons
The On/Off Button requires that you push the button for several seconds before the power activates. This minimizes the chance of mistakenly activating the unit.
The metal buttons for the DC, USB (C and A), and AC outputs are all obviously labeled. The buttons do not light up when activated. However, the LCD display indicates that you have activated the corresponding output.
I initially wondered what the Mode Button did. It turns out that it enables you to charge at a lower rate. When activated, a leaf symbol appears on the LCD screen. If you are not in a hurry, you can charge at a lower rate to put less stress on the battery cells. This feature enables you to maximize the long-term service life of the battery. Nice. When engaged, the output watts drop from 1,200 W to 300 W.
LCD Screen
In use, I found that the LCD screen is very readable in bright light. In fact, even when the backlight powers off to save power, the display is still surprisingly easy to read, even in bright light. The information displayed is useful, including what percentage charge is left and how much time is remaining. This latter number, of course, changes depending on what devices are plugged in and how much power they are drawing.
Charging Outputs
You may power up to eleven devices simultaneously. This includes two 12V/5A DC outputs, one 12V/10A car cigarette lighter-style charging outlet, two 5–20V/5.0A PD 100 W Type C, two 18 W USB QC 3.0 (Type A), and four 110V/2,400W AC outputs. Included is an Anderson to MC3 cable (solar panel cable), an AC charger, a car charger, a user manual, and a cable storage bag.
Light
The power station has a 5 W LED light located in the back of the unit. Pushing the button enables you to cycle through various kinds of lights, including flashing lights for indicating emergencies. A 5 W light is such a small draw on the battery, it feels like you could keep this light flashing for the next 20,000 years! No, I didn't test it for that. There are four ventilation ports on the sides to keep things cool. The fans activate relatively often when charging.
LifePO4 battery
LiFePO4 cells offer significantly better safety (less likely to overheat or catch fire), lifespan, and temperature resistance compared to regular lithium-ion batteries. This chemistry allows the battery to endure 3,000+ cycles while maintaining 80% capacity, which is the industry standard for battery lifetime.
The downside is that traditional lithium-ion batteries have greater energy density, which in plain English means that a smaller-sized battery can pack as much power as its LiFePO4 counterpart. Still, if you are using something as large as a 2,400 W battery on a regular basis, the extra weight is a fair trade-off for longevity and safety.
Usage and Image Examples
Hair dryers aren't the first thing that you use with a power station. They require high wattage to work, and they suck a lot of juice. And I figured, if I could run a hair dryer, I'd certainly be able to run a large-capacity refrigerator.
I hooked up a Conair 1,875 W hair dryer, turning it on low and maximum. The output indicated that it was drawing 1,623 Watts and that it could power this for an hour. I ran it for five minutes, and the battery charge changed from 99% to 95% during that time.
Thumbs Up for UPS
I plugged the GRECELL into the wall, then powered a light through the AC outlet. I then unplugged the unit. The UPS was indeed uninterruptible. The light never flickered. A UPS unit could be hooked up to computers, laptops, audio equipment, or other devices that you need to keep operating in power outages or otherwise should be turned off manually. UPS Mode only works with the four AC outlets. It does not work with the car charger or USB ports.
Using GRECELL in the Desert
During a night photography shoot in the Mojave Desert, I brought it with us and put it on a picnic table so a small group could charge their lights and camera batteries. I also hooked up a table light on top so people could occasionally flip it on to see what they were doing. No one had an EV this evening, so we didn't have a chance to test that.
One of the workshop participants asked if it charges phones wirelessly. It does not.
The covers around the USB chargers typically require an extra push to fully seal when no cables are in to keep dust out. The AC covers seem adequate, as they have a spring that seals them reasonably well. Out in the desert, that's a good thing.
What I Liked
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The UPS with 10 ms switching time for powering numerous computers, appliances, or other devices is extremely nice, and just this feature alone makes it a device you could use on a daily basis.
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The excellent LCD screen is easy to see even in bright light and is easy to read.
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The Mode Button enables you to charge at a lower rate, thus preserving the long-term life of the battery.
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It's simple to use.
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It's solidly built.
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Relatively quick charging speeds for both AC and solar, and can be charged using both simultaneously.
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You can use the cigarette lighter plug in your car to charge the unit (you cannot use this and the solar input at the same time, however).
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The user manual is clearly written.
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The unit can be made into a generator by purchasing solar panels.
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The unit is shipped in heavy-duty boxes and durable foam.
What Could Be Improved
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The unit is not expandable (cannot increase battery capacity by adding on other units).
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Many units in the same class have 12–15 charging ports instead of 11.
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This unit does not use an app. This can be used for remote monitoring, controlling the unit, or being able to troubleshoot from smartphones. I wouldn't use these features much, but others might find them valuable, so it bears mentioning.
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It could be ever-so-slightly less heavy while still using a LiFePO4 battery. Or maybe I'm just getting old…
Final Closing Thoughts
The GRECELL H2400 Portable Power Station is powerful enough for emergencies or multi-day photography shoots in the field. With the ability to run so many items, you can even run refrigerators or charge EV vehicles. In the field, the LCD screen was easy to read, and the unit is just about self-explanatory.
What I find especially valuable about the GRECELL 2,400W Portable Power Station is that the UPS makes the unit something that one could use daily. You do not need to choose between a portable power station or a UPS, as has often been the case in the past. You can use this unit for powering more sensitive equipment that should be shut off in case of power outages. And should the power go out, you can also run other appliances or equipment you deem essential adequately for quite some time, even running refrigerators or charging EV vehicles if necessary.
Between this and the numerous other features, as well as its use as a solar generator, the unit seems like an excellent value.
The GRECELL H2400 Portable Power Station is available for purchase here.
