DJI might be better known for its drones, but it’s identified that power needs in the field are one of the biggest concerns for its drone pilots, and it has done something about it. TheDJI Power 1000(and smaller 500 model) portable power stations feature entirely new ports to enable fast charging for the company’s drones, as well as impressive power output specifications across the board.
However, the proprietary connectors will result in too many accessory cables with limited benefits for most people. If you aren’t using this with a DJI drone, you should opt for a power station more suited to your needs.
DJI Power 1000
The DJI Power 1000 offers impressive output specifications on the AC, USB, and proprietary SDC ports, so you can quickly charge your gadgets and drones. However, there are no built-in solar charging capabilities or a 12V car port, and anything you plug into those two SDC ports will need an adaptor cable at extra cost which should be factored into your decision.
Specifications and Availability
Available from Amazon, DJI, and other local drone retailers, the DJI Power 1000 retails for $999. However, purchased directly from DJI, it’s on sale for $699 at the time of writing. That’s a great deal at less than $1/Wh. However, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of any adapter cables you need, such as an MPPT solar charge controller, 12V car port adaptor, or fast drone charging cable.
Specifications
Design: Wider Than Usual
At 13kg or 29lbs, the DJI Power 1000 is about what I’d expect for the capacity of 1024Wh; the majority of that weight comes from the battery cells, after all. It measures 45cm wide (17.6 inches), 22.5cm deep (8.8 inches), and 23cm tall (9 inches). That’s a little wider than most batteries in this power class, which tend to opt for a taller design. It’s likely due to the choice to incorporate all the ports on the front, while others usually separate the input ports to the back or sides.
Two handles protrude slightly from either side. It’s an elegant, grey plastic design, but also somewhat generic. There are no hidden compartments on the top to store cables in, no camping light, nor a Qi wireless charging pad. What you see on the front is what you get.
DJI uses industry-standard LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) cells. Annoyingly, while most manufacturers state 3000-3500 cycles, DJI ups that to 4000 cycles. Why? Typically, it’s stated at how many cycles the battery will handle until it degrades to 80% of the original capacity. Read the small print, and DJI’s numbers are rated at 70% capacity, though.
Power Output: Impressive
The Power 1000 has some impressive credentials that make it much easier to remove power from it than to restore it.
On the AC ports, that’s up to 2200W continuous output, or 2400W peak—but only when the battery is above 20%, and that peak is only possible for 90 seconds. That should be enough for a travel-size kettle or a 2kW space heater—and you won’t need to activate a special high output mode here. But bear in mind that 1024Wh capacity is easy to burn through at that top rate. Divide the capacity (1000) by the power draw to get the number of hours the battery should last. A 2kW heater would only last 30 minutes.
Don’t worry if you do manage to overload it, though: I tried a full-size kettle, which peaked at 2.8kW, and the Power 1000 safely shut off the AC ports within a second.
I also tested on a hot plate that drew around 1600W at peak, which worked without problem. My bacon and egg bap took 12% of the available power, though I do like my bacon crispy.
The USB output is equally impressive, with each USB-C port capable of up to 140W in PD3.1 mode to a supported device such as a laptop. Curiously, the USB-C ports on the smaller Power 500 can be used to recharge the battery, too, while the ones on the Power 1000 can’t.
The USB-A ports are no slouch either, at up to 24W fast-charge each. Though there are only four ports, these USB outputs are the most powerful I’ve seen yet on a portable power station.
However, there are no carport travel accessories. Or rather, there are…but only if you buy a separate adapter cable that plugs into the SDC ports. So what now?
SDC Ports: A New Bi-Directional DJI Standard
While the USB and AC ports will be familiar to anyone, the SDC connectors won’t be. These are proprietary connectors (which stands for “Smart DC”) that DJI has invented purely for DJI power stations. They’re bi-directional, meaning they can be used to both charge and discharge power from the base unit.
To complicate matters, the DJI Power 1000 features an SDC “Lite” and a standard SDC port, while the Power 500 features only a single SDC Lite. However, they are functionally identical at the moment. It’s possible the capabilities will be differentiated in the future via a firmware update; however, the power output of the standard port could potentially increase.
Although bi-directional, the SDC ports have slightly different specs depending on which way the power is flowing. For input, they’re capable of 32-58.4V at 8A, 400W max. Used as an output, it’s 9-27V at 10A, 240W maximum.
The main reason DJI designed special ports is to enable super-fast charging of its drones without resorting to power-inefficient AC adapters. Depending on the type of drone battery you’re charging (each of which requires a different SDC adapter cable), you can charge anywhere from 125W forDJI Mavic Air 3batteries to 230W for the Matrice 30 TB30 batteries.
Solar Charging: Not Included
Unfortunately, out of the box, you’re able to’t charge the DJI Power 1000 over solar. In order to do so, you need to purchase the optional MPPT solar adapter module for $60—and even then, it’s a bit limited.
The solar module features three XT60 ports; each one can handle only up to 200W, but in total, you’re limited to 400W at less than 30V. That’s not the worst charging I’ve seen on a 1000Wh battery (theJackery Explorer 1000is a mere 200W), but it’s not the best, either—and it’s an added cost. TheAnker Solix C1000offers up to 600W solar charging with no adapter required. If you truly don’t want to use solar, making it optional is a smart choice that saves a little cost and weight, but I can’t imagine that’s a large percentage of users.
you’re able to use your own solar panels with the optional module, but you’ll need to check they’re within spec and use an XT60 connector. If that sounds like too much bother, and you just want to buy something officially supported, DJI has partnered with Zignes to offer matched 120W panels.
Intriguingly, you may even connect two solar modules to the DJI Power 1000 (800W total solar input possible), and they attach neatly to the side with a heat dissipation bracket. However, it’s worth noting that the solar module connects to the battery through the SBC sockets, so if you have two modules connected, you won’t be able to charge your drones.
For smaller-scale solar needs, there is another option…
Car and AC Charging
Yep, you guessed it: car charging requires a separate adapter cable, too (at $50). It works at up to 100W, so you’d need to drive a long time to recharge fully. Interestingly, the adapter is split into two parts: one going from the carport to an XT60 plug and the other, an unusually heavy little cable to change the XT60 to the SDC port. That’s because the adapter can also work as a mini MPPT solar input, taking a single 100W or 120W panel.
I tried this out with an older 200W panel (which is now outputting around 80W at best), and it worked fine.
AC charging runs at a selectable standard 600W, or faster 1200W mode; the latter of which will fully recharge in 70 minutes. Standard mode cuts the fan noise to a mere 23dB, which is basically silent. There’s a physical toggle to select the charge rate; most batteries make you use an app to configure that, so it’s an interesting addition.
Should You Buy the DJI Power 1000?
Despite the impressive electrical specifications, for most people, there are better options out there with more appropriate features—whether that’s built-in solar charging, more ports, a connected app, or built-in camping lights.
It feels like DJI is targeting thePower 1000and 500 solely at DJI drone owners, which is certainly one way to differentiate your device in the very crowded market. It’s a bold choice to invent an entirely new connector system, of which I can see the benefits for drone owners. But it doesn’t make the unit any smaller or lighter than expected, with most of the bulk taken up by the battery cells. And for those who want it all, those SDC ports are shared between solar charging, drone charging, and carport output. You can’t do all three at the same time, so if you need that 12V mini-fridge and want to keep the battery topped up, that’s a deal breaker.
If you’re already happy with your existing power station and third-party fast multi-chargers that run on AC power, I can’t see the efficiency gains from direct DC connectors being so great that you’d want to invest in a whole new set of cables, even if the price of the power station itself is competitive.
