When you mention the brand DJI, you immediately think of drones and action cameras. Action cameras were an obvious expansion for DJI, but so are battery products. DJI now also sells portable power stations to not only recharge their drones but also to power your home appliances and charge all your gadgets.
I tested the DJI Power 1000 V2 to compare it with the rest of the portable power station competition.
Table of contents
- What are the DJI Power 1000 V2 features?
- Specifications and price
- Comparing power stations
- Using the DJI Power 1000 V2
- Who is the DJI Power 1000 V2 for?
What are the DJI Power 1000 V2 features?
The DJI Power 1000 V2 is a 2600W output power station capable of powering any standard home appliance via a 1024Wh battery. This all-in-one solution features two standard 10A Australian power points on the front, which can be used for a hair dryer in the wild, a power saw on the job site, or to keep your home refrigerator running during a blackout.
The most power-hungry laptop can be recharged from one of two 140W USB-C ports. USB-C is the power standard moving forward, but with so many USB-A cables still the norm, there are two USB-A sockets capable of supplying up to 24W. A fast charge for a smartphone typically ranges from 20W to 60W.
Charging the DJI is via a supplied 240-volt power cord and can be recharged from empty to full in 56 minutes, which is your lunch break or maybe while cooking dinner in a caravan park camp kitchen. Other charging options require the purchase of additional accessories. 400W of solar panels would charge this unit up in around three hours in full sun during the middle of the day.
The act of charging or a heavy load on the power station causes a fan to run, which is whisper quiet in this model at only 26dB. This is quiet enough to sleep next to, equivalent to the sound of a modern air conditioner.
The output power of this station is high, but drawing maximum power would drain the 1024Wh battery in around 20 minutes. Don’t despair, though; it will charge your mobile phone 57 times, your drone 12 times, or a laptop nine times.
In a blackout, it can keep your Wi-Fi router running for three days or your refrigerator operating for up to a day. If you do have ‘range’ anxiety, the Power 1000 V2 can be expanded with a DJI Expansion Battery 2000, which effectively triples your available power, adding 2048Wh. Up to five expansion batteries, each priced at $1,819, can be daisy-chained to provide over 11 kW of power. This would be enough to power an average house for a day. Weighing 16.5kg, the expansion battery is slightly larger than the Power 1000 V2. The battery and power station are designed to be stacked on top of each other.
If you have critical computer equipment or a CPAP machine that needs to keep running in the event of a power failure, then these can be plugged into the power station. Because of this uninterruptible power supply (UPS) function, if power is lost, the power station will switch to its battery in less than 10 milliseconds, which means a battery-less PC will continue to run without interruption.
The power station can be controlled via the DJI Home app on your smartphone. The app mimics the onboard display screen with capacity usage, recharge rates, and times. Additional features include firmware upgrade, sleep settings and capacity controls. The charging rate can only be controlled on the unit itself, which switches between a fast and slow charge.
On top of the power station’s built-in features, DJI also sells a range of accessories that add more functionality at an extra price. These include:
- Cig output socket: $45
- Cig charging cable: $89
- Solar Adapter module (MPPT): $115
- 1.8kWh Solar/Car charger: $629
- Drone fast charging cables: from $39
- 200W IBCPOWER solar panel: $499
DJI Power 1000 V2 specifications and price
| Power output | 2600W |
| Capacity | 1024Wh |
| Solar input | 400W with optional accesory |
| Dimensions | 45 x 23 x 23 cm Approximately 14.2kg |
| Price (RRP) | $1,199 |
| Website | DJI Australia |
| Warranty | 3-year + 2-year for registering |
Comparing power stations
DJI also has a larger power station, the DJI Power 2000, which has a 2048Wh capacity and a 3000W output.
If we compare the DJI to similar products from some of Australia’s most popular brands, the specifications look like this:
| DJI | Bluetti | EcoFlow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | 1000 V2 | Elite 100 V2 | Delta 3 Plus |
| Price | $1,199 | $1,099 | $1,399 |
| Watts (W) | 2600 | 1800 | 1800 |
| Watt hours (Wh) | 1024 | 1024 | 1024 |
| Weight (kg) | 14.2 | 11.5 | 12.5 |
| Size (LWH) | 448 x 225 x 230 mm | 320 x 215 x 250 mm | 398 x 202 x 284 mm |
| USB-C | 2 x 140W | 100W + 140W | 2 x 140W |
| Expandable | to 10Kw | No | to 5Kw |
| Noise (dB) | 26 | 30 | 30 |
| Battery cycles | 4000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Charging time (mins) | 56 | 70 | 56 |
| UPS failover | 10ms | 10ms | 10ms |
| Warranty (yrs) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
On specs alone, the DJI wins on power output, expandability and quietness. Meanwhile, the Bluetti wins on size, weight (making it easy to carry), and price. Although not evident in this table, the EcoFlow wins on control via its app. For example, you can program it to recharge from the mains during off-peak power periods.
Using the DJI Power 1000 V2
I love the fact that Power 1000 V2 will power anything in my home that I can plug into a power point. Note that the two sockets cannot exceed 2600 watts, so you could run a hair dryer and a kettle separately, but not both at the same time. Also, the 240-volt sockets do not accept two-prong plugs; you must use a three-prong plug or use a double adapter or power point. I had a fan heater with two prongs, but it wouldn’t plug in.
Having two 140W USB-C ports is a significant advantage, enabling you to power two laptops simultaneously for up to 5 days. When you power the unit on, the USB sockets are also powered on. This differs from other brands, which require a separate DC power button to be active.
This power station is larger and weighs 23% more than its lightest competitor, so it takes up more space in your vehicle if you have limited room.
As it arrives, this power station is good for mains charging and powering 240 AC and USB devices. If, however, you require a 12-volt circuit or wish to charge the battery differently, you must purchase accessories that competitor models are either shipped with or built in as standard.
For example, a cig charger outlet to power a camping fridge required a separate purchase. If you want to connect a solar panel to recharge the unit, then you need to buy a solar adapter module, which will screw onto the outside of the unit and plug into one of the two SDC sockets. There are two SDC sockets, which are how you add accessories and expansion batteries. One of the sockets is high-wattage and will support any connection; the other is a low-wattage socket, which means it will only support low-wattage accessories.
This, unfortunately, means you have limitations. For example, if you had an expansion battery connected and used an MPPT accessory to charge the power station with solar panels, that would leave no spare socket to attach the 12-volt cigarette outlet cable and power a fridge.
A workaround and what I consider a significant advantage of the DJI is the purchase of the 1.8kWh Solar/Car charger, which can be plugged into the second SDC socket on the expansion battery. This is an expensive fix, but it frees up a key SDC port on the power station.
The 1.8kWh Solar/Car charger also does something that other brands don’t let you: charge from your car’s alternator and a solar panel. This is perfect for a remote vehicle setup, allowing you to use the car to charge while driving and the solar panel when stationary. Other brands would require you to change the plugged-in power source. I am awaiting a sample to test this fully and will amend this review once I have tested.
The 200W solar panel works well with the DJI, and at 8.25kg and 61cm x 61cm x 5cm, it is highly portable. Unless you have high power needs or are using solar in the far south of Australia, one 200W (with a maximum of two supported) should be enough to keep you going indefinitely in sunny weather.
The panel is one of the best I have seen. It is well built and weatherproof, with a sturdy handle and a thin design. Adjustable stands enable the panel to be oriented towards the sun to maximise output. A solar adapter module must also be bought, which adds to the cost, as other brands are building this MPPT technology into their power stations. The supplied cables are approximately two metres long. I would have liked it to be closer to 5m to allow the panels to follow the sun.
Who is the DJI Power 1000 V2 for?
If you only want a power station for standard 10A 240V appliances and USB power, and plan to charge from a mains power point, then this power station is for you. There is a strong case that the DJI Power 1000 V2 would be a starting point, and if you require a longer capacity, you can add additional expansion batteries.
Unlike other brands, this model can already power large appliances. If you’re adding accessories to give you extra functionality, such as 12-volt, check that your configuration will work before purchasing. Those already in the DJI drone family will appreciate the fast charging capability for their drones.
