Up to six PS400 folding panels, or four 440W rigid panels, will get an F3000 close to its 2,400W solar limit. You do not need that many to start: two PS400s (800W) fill one of its two inputs.
The F3000's two solar inputs
| Input | Voltage | Max current | Max power |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-voltage (HV) | 11–165V | 17A | 1,600W |
| Low-voltage (LV) | 11–60V | 17A | 800W |
| Both together | 2,400W |
Two rules decide every layout. Panels in series add their voltage, which must stay under the input's limit even on a cold morning, when panel voltage rises. Panels in parallel add their current, which must stay under 17A.
With Anker PS400 folding panels
Each PS400 is rated 400W at 48V and 8.33A.
| Panels | Layout | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LV or HV input | 400W |
| 2 | Parallel on the LV input (48V, about 16.7A) | 800W |
| 4 | Two in series, two strings in parallel, on the HV input (about 96V, 16.7A), with a parallel connector | 1,600W |
| 6 | Four on HV as above, plus two in parallel on LV | 2,400W |
Do not put three or more PS400s in series: at 48V each, three is already about 144V before the cold-weather rise, and four would be over the 165V limit.
With Anker 440W rigid panels
Anker's 440W rigid panel is rated Voc 39.16V, Vmp 33.21V, Isc 13.88A and Imp 13.25A.
| Panels | Layout | Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LV input | 440W |
| 2 | Series on the HV input (Voc about 78V) | 880W |
| 3 | Series on the HV input (Voc about 117V) | about 1,320W |
| 4 | Three in series on HV, plus one on LV | about 1,760W |
Two of these panels in parallel would draw about 26.5A, over the 17A limit, so do not parallel them on one input. Four in series reaches about 157V open-circuit at the rated temperature, which leaves too little margin under 165V for a cold morning. We sell the pair as the F3000 + 2x 440W rigid panels kit.
Anker's own examples
Anker gives two examples for the F3000: four 400W panels in series on the HV input for 1,600W, and two 400W panels in parallel on the LV input for 800W. The first only works with panels whose combined open-circuit voltage stays under 165V, so it does not apply to four PS400s in series. Always check your panels' Voc before wiring in series.
How many do you actually need?
Size for what you use each day, not just for the input limit. As a rough guide, a panel makes about 3 to 4 times its rated watts in watt-hours on a good summer day once real-world losses are counted, less in winter or shade. Two PS400s can make roughly 2,400–3,000Wh on a good day, close to a full F3000 charge. Anker says the full 2,400W fully charges the F3000 in under 2 hours in good sun.
For panel-by-panel detail on the PS range, see PS100, PS200 or PS400: solar panel sizing. Ready to buy? The F3000 + PS400 bundle is our best-selling Anker kit, and all the options are on the F3000 Power Station & Kits page.