Summary
- The Anker F3800 Plus offers increased solar charging input speeds and a higher max solar input voltage, making this model significantly easier to charge with panels.
- There is now support for 240V charging from a gas generator.
- The storage capacity and power output remains unchanged from the original model.
The Anker F3800 Plus is an updated, refined version of the biggest portable power station that Anker offers. With updated solar charging and compatibility with gas generators, it’s one of the most versatile ways to power your home during an outage.
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus
The Anker F3800 Plus is an updated version of Anker’s F3800 solar generator, offering the same 3.84kWh capacity and 6000W output. This model comes with improved charging, with a new max solar input of 3200W and 165V, along with support for 240V from a gas generator.
- Increased solar charging input speeds
- Significantly higher max solar input voltage
- 240V charging from gas generators
- One fewer 240V output port
- Cannot pair with original F3800
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Price and Availability
The Anker F3800 Plus is currently available for $3200, with early birds getting a free 400W panel. The unit is available from Anker directly or from Amazon. Word to the wise: Anker’s portable generators are always on sale, so you can expect more discounts or deals once this one is over.
A Nearly Identical Design, Except for the Ports
It’s easy to look at the Anker F3800 Plus and mistake it for the original. From the front, there’s only one tell, the updated logo at the bottom. The other difference is noticeable from above. The top of the original was a dark gray, almost black, whereas the new one is silver. That’s it. On the front, you get the same three USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a single car socket. On the physical metrics, such as size and weight, the dimensions are identical. The F3800 Plus sits nicely next to the F3800 I already keep near my home breaker.
It’s on the sides of the unit where you notice the changes. On the unit’s right side, you still have the same port at the top for the Anker Home Backup Panel, which is also used by the new generator adapter. You also have a port for charging the unit from a wall using the included the 120V AC adapter. Underneath these, the two solar inputs have changed. The two new MPPT solar inputs accept a voltage of 11-165V and a max of 17 amps. This is a big step up from the original, whose two ports were restricted by a more complicated and confusing limit of 11-15V at 10A and 15-60V at 27A. Continuing down, there’s also a new DC input port underneath the port for the expansion battery.
For comparison, here you can see the new Anker F3800 Plus on the left and the original F3800 on the right.
On the unit’s left side, the 240V port in the top-left has been replaced by a 120V NEMA TT-30R outlet commonly used with RVs. While I’m sure this change may be convenient for RV owners, it frustrates me as someone exclusively using this in my home, since I can’t use the Reliance PC50-10-14M 50-amp cable I already purchased to connect my original F3800 to my home’s generator inlet box. For the F3800 Plus, I had to purchase a L14-30P to CS6364 cable instead. This latter cable plugs into the port in the top-right on both versions of the F3800, so it’s the one I’d recommend if you are looking to plug either unit into a standard home transfer switch or interlock kit.
The remaining six AC outlets remain unchanged from the original unit and allow you to plug in appliances, gadgets, and extension cables directly to the F3800 if you don’t have the option to connect the generator directly to your home.
Drastically Improved Charging
While there are other minor changes, for the most part, the improved charging is the key reason to buy the F3800 Plus over the original. This is the case whether you’re looking to recharge the unit via solar or a gas generator.
Charging the Anker F3800 Plus with Solar
The Anker F3800 Plus’s upgraded max solar charging speed of 3200W means you can now connect up to eight 400W panels, compared to the original’s support for a maximum of six. The primary weakness of the original F3800 was its lower voltage limit, which meant you largely had to stick with Anker’s first-party panels if you wanted to achieve its maximum charging speeds of 2400W. You also had to connect these panels in parallel, which is a more complicated way of wiring up solar panels that require the use of more cables than connecting the panels in series.
You can see one Anker SOLIX PS400 portable solar panel connected to the Anker F3800 Plus in the photo below. I recommend investing in long solar extension cables. This unit is too heavy for me to easily carry down my front steps and out into the yard where the sun is shining.
To connect an additional panel in series, I would simply connect the new panel directly to the one in use, so only two cables run back to the generator. When connected in parallel, rather than connecting panels to each other, panels need to each have their own connection back to the generator, exponentially increasing the number of cables you need as you add more panels. Since the latter is so much bother, why do it?
Connecting panels in series means you have to add the voltage of each panel together, increasing the amount going back to the generator. By contrast, the amount of voltage from several panels connected in parallel remains the same as only connecting a single panel. This difference is important to understand the convenience offered by the newer model.
The new max solar input of 165V expands your options when it comes to the question of whether you buy panels from Anker or get more affordable options of equal quality elsewhere. Even if you have Anker’s panels, as I do, this flexibility means I can now connect my Anker PS400 panels in series, whereas I have to connect the same panels in parallel to the original thanks to its lower max voltage of 60V. Each PS400 panel is rated for 48V. That’s lower than 60, but only if connected in parallel.
On the flip side, as someone who now owns both versions, I may stick to using parallel just to avoid the likelihood that I absentmindedly connect my panels in series and plug them into the wrong F3800, potentially destroying the unit. I’ve made the mistake before of plugging in more voltage than an Anker C100 could handle, bricking the unit. Doing that with the F3800 would be a substantially more expensive mistake.
Charging the Anker F3800 Plus With Gas
I don’t have a gas generator, but the new F3800 Plus is worth buying for anyone that does. If you have the optional generator adapter, you can recharge the F3800 Plus from a generator over 240V with speeds of up to 6000W. You could plug the original into a generator, but it had to be a pure sine wave generator, and you were limited to 120V and slower speeds.
I tested out Anker’s generator adapter by plugging one end into the 240V plug on my original F3800 and the other end into the F3800 Plus. I saw the charger exceed speeds of 3000W.
Charging one F3800 with another one is a use-case that makes little sense. But if you are trying to stretch power as much as possible during an outage, being able to quickly charge from a gas generator is a game-changer. A gas generator and the Anker F3800 Plus working together allows both units to run much longer than either can alone. A tank of gas that you might burn through running a generator all day can now provide you with several days of power, since it only needs to run for an hour or two to recharge the F3800 Plus, which can then silently power your needs throughout the day. The Anker F3800 Plus can also continue to power your home while plugging into a generator since the 240V outlet remains enabled if you’re charging at 240V.
If you have the original F3800, do not attempt to use it with the new generator adapter cable. Despite the cable being able to plug into the original model, doing so can damage your unit since it was not designed to take in power in this way.
Minimal Performance Changes
The Anker F3800 Plus has the same 3.84kWh storage capacity as the original unit. Its power output is also the same max of 25A and 6000W. Like the original, you can connect two units together to double the power output to 50A and 12000W. Despite the ports being the same, you cannot connect an F3800 to an F3800 Plus to double their output. You need to connect identical models.
Yet while these numbers are the same, there is another important number to keep in mind that portable power stations don’t yet advertise: idle draw. These units draw power from their own batteries in order to convert energy from DC to AC to support your appliances. An Anker F3800 will use over 1kWh of power over a 24-hour period if left on, even if nothing is plugged in. The Anker F3800 Plus has slightly less idle draw, so it may last an extra hour or two. This is something to keep in mind if you’re attempting to power something like a fridge continuously. The math isn’t 3.84kWh divided by the 1.2kWh the fridge may use over the course of a day (giving you the impression you could run a fridge for three days). The F3800 uses over a kilowatt per day powering itself, so you realistically can only power a fridge for one day before recharging the unit, unless you invest in expansion batteries—and that’s assuming you aren’t also powering other things.
From experience, I know Anker power stations provide enough power for any of my kitchen appliances. The smaller Anker C1000 can handle these just fine, and the more powerful F3800 Plus breaks even less of a sweat. After running a Ninja long enough to make a smoothie, the battery percentage dropped a single percent.
When I plugged the generator into my home’s inlet box, I was easily able to run many circuits at the same time. Lights and fans are no problem. I even tried out the dryer, and it started up without a hitch. I probably wouldn’t want to run the dryer this way unless it’s a sunny day and I have excess energy, but it’s nice to know the option is there.
Should You Buy the Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus?
I already own two F3800 power stations, so my feelings towards this product line are clear. Anker offers one of the easiest ways to get into whole home backup. Setting aside the DIY option, which requires more technical knowledge, the F3800 is also one of the cheapest. That said, neither version of the Anker F3800 is the cheapest option per kilowatt of storage, nor does either offer the most output.
The Jackery 5000 Plus launched after the original F3800 with 5kWh of storage and 7200W output, which doubles to 14400W if you connect two units. The F3800 tends to go on sale for slightly less, but both units hover around $3000. It’s hard not to give Jackery’s product a look.
That said, the F3800 Plus is a much more competitive option than the original F3800, even despite its unchanged storage and output. Its improved charging further expands the number of ways you can push power back into the device and extend its runtime during an outage—indefinitely.
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus
The Anker F3800 Plus is an updated version of Anker’s F3800 solar generator, offering the same 3.84kWh capacity and 6000W output. This model comes with improved charging, with a new max solar input of 3200W and 165V, along with support for 240V from a gas generator.
