December 28, 2025 • 4 mins
Discover the Buddipole Power Pro – the ultimate portable DC power management system revolutionizing ham radio field operations! In this in-depth review, we dive into this game-changing device featuring an integrated MPPT solar charger, smart battery charging for Lead Acid and Lithium-ion batteries, and a vibrant LCD color display for real-time monitoring of voltage, current, solar input, and battery stats. Key highlights include dual 12V Anderson Powerpole outputs with overcurrent protection, adjustable 10A charge current, USB-C charging port, automatic low-light MPPT BOOST mode for up to 150W PV panels, and user-friendly rotary controls with audible alerts. At just $349, it's your reliable powerhouse for POTA, SOTA, or off-grid adventures – ensuring uninterrupted amateur radio fun without the hassle! Whether you're a seasoned ham or new to portable setups, see why the Buddipole Power Pro stands out for efficiency, versatility, and rugged reliability.
Grab yours today via the link below! 👉 Buy now: https://www.buddipole.com/powerpro.html
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.
Grab yours today via the link below! 👉 Buy now: https://www.buddipole.com/powerpro.html
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ham-radio-2-0--2042782/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the new Buddy Pole Power Pro. This is
an upgrade from the Power Plus and the Power Plus
two and the Power Mini and the Power Mini two,
and this adds some extra features that we haven't seen
in a charge controller from Buddy Pole before. We're gonna
take this into the field and give it a quick look.
See first off before we go out there, if this
(00:23):
has wanted to do a close up of it here.
So I'm gonna power this up in a minute and
I'm gonna put it in the sunlight and let you
see what the screen looks like in the sunlight. This
is a colored screen and you can totally see it
in the sunlight. It's easier to see in the shade
as you would expect, but you can totally see this
in the sunlight. It has a USB sport right there
to Anderson Ports on that side obviously, and then the
other side here is all Anderson ports as well. So
(00:44):
we've got the battery connection right there, which is you
would expect right there the DCN. So it will take
a twelve power supply and it will take a solar panel.
It'll take up to one hundred and sixty watt solar
panel and we'll output to two different loads, a radio
and an amplifier, a radio and a a tuner, or
two radios, however you want to do that. It's got
a nice wheel here to page through the screen. You
(01:05):
can press this button and choose things on the screen,
and then page through selections on the screen and choose
the selection you want. So let's take this into the
field and look and see what it looks like in
the sun. I'm gonna take this to the hunting Lease,
put it on a Gigabarts solar panel and go from there.
I have been a huge fan of the Buddy Pole
Power Mini for a long long time. I have the
original version, I have the newer version of power Mini two,
(01:27):
and I still use those charge controllers whenever I can.
Whenever I need something to plug into my one hundred
and fifty watt Gigabarts panel, that's the solar charge controller
I reach for because it's top notch. There's nothing wrong
with it. It's RF quiet. I've had zero issues with
RFI while running radios in the field on Poda or whatever.
And I've been a huge fan of these Buddy Pole
charge controllers since the very first version. So let's take
(01:49):
this one into the field and see what it looks like.
Solar panels reading about eighteen point five volts right now.
Of course, the batteries top off at thirteen dot two,
so the solar panel is not actually bringing in any
wattage now, but you can see that I'm in the
shade a little bit. If I bring this into the
sunlight my hand eut of the way, the camera may
or may not show it, but you can still see
the screen and make out what's going on. You can
turn the knob here to go into the menus like
(02:12):
that and go back to the main menu here. So
it's somebody on five to two. So this is working
really well because what will happen here? This acts like
a power gate. Okay, so it's on battery charging the
battery from solar right here. This is one hundred and
fifty watt gigaparts solar blanket what they call a solar
(02:35):
blanket or just a foldable solar panel. And you can't
get these anymore. I'm hoping that Gigaparts reintroduces them soon.
It's part of their Explorer line. But right now you
can't get these. But this would work with a power
film one hundred and fifty watt or anything up to
about one hundred and sixty watts, which is the max
for this power pro from Buddy Pole, And it's running
on the battery right now. And you could plug a
(02:56):
twelve volt DC charger in here, like a twelve power
supply in here, and it would charge the battery from
solar or the twelve power supply, and then if your
power went out on the twelve power supply, the battery
would pick it up. So this act says like a
power gate that keeps your battery charged and lets you
run on AC power supply twelve VTE power supply, but
also has a battery backup in place for when the
(03:17):
power goes out. I wonder if we can hear those
guys KC five hwb let's six top five to two
somebody out there. I can't hear them. I think he's
talking to another station that I can't hear it all.
He's having a conversation with somebody else that I can't
hear it all. So but this is my setup right tonight,
(03:40):
and if I get a chance to check into the
DFW simplex net, this is what I will do it.
From the lease I did that like two weeks ago,
and I was using this same radio setup, but I
was using a different battery. This is the battery that
I keep with this radio and the tech pripper man pack,
and then I have it uning on an edphong j
(04:01):
pole right there. So this is a pretty sweet setup
right here. M HM.
This is the new Buddy Pole Power Pro. This is
an upgrade from the Power Plus and the Power Plus
two and the Power Mini and the Power Mini two,
and this adds some extra features that we haven't seen
in a charge controller from Buddy Pole before. We're gonna
take this into the field and give it a quick look.
See first off before we go out there, if this
(00:23):
has wanted to do a close up of it here.
So I'm gonna power this up in a minute and
I'm gonna put it in the sunlight and let you
see what the screen looks like in the sunlight. This
is a colored screen and you can totally see it
in the sunlight. It's easier to see in the shade
as you would expect, but you can totally see this
in the sunlight. It has a USB sport right there
to Anderson Ports on that side obviously, and then the
other side here is all Anderson ports as well. So
(00:44):
we've got the battery connection right there, which is you
would expect right there the DCN. So it will take
a twelve power supply and it will take a solar panel.
It'll take up to one hundred and sixty watt solar
panel and we'll output to two different loads, a radio
and an amplifier, a radio and a a tuner, or
two radios, however you want to do that. It's got
a nice wheel here to page through the screen. You
(01:05):
can press this button and choose things on the screen,
and then page through selections on the screen and choose
the selection you want. So let's take this into the
field and look and see what it looks like in
the sun. I'm gonna take this to the hunting Lease,
put it on a Gigabarts solar panel and go from there.
I have been a huge fan of the Buddy Pole
Power Mini for a long long time. I have the
original version, I have the newer version of power Mini two,
(01:27):
and I still use those charge controllers whenever I can.
Whenever I need something to plug into my one hundred
and fifty watt Gigabarts panel, that's the solar charge controller
I reach for because it's top notch. There's nothing wrong
with it. It's RF quiet. I've had zero issues with
RFI while running radios in the field on Poda or whatever.
And I've been a huge fan of these Buddy Pole
charge controllers since the very first version. So let's take
(01:49):
this one into the field and see what it looks like.
Solar panels reading about eighteen point five volts right now.
Of course, the batteries top off at thirteen dot two,
so the solar panel is not actually bringing in any
wattage now, but you can see that I'm in the
shade a little bit. If I bring this into the
sunlight my hand eut of the way, the camera may
or may not show it, but you can still see
the screen and make out what's going on. You can
turn the knob here to go into the menus like
(02:12):
that and go back to the main menu here. So
it's somebody on five to two. So this is working
really well because what will happen here? This acts like
a power gate. Okay, so it's on battery charging the
battery from solar right here. This is one hundred and
fifty watt gigaparts solar blanket what they call a solar
(02:35):
blanket or just a foldable solar panel. And you can't
get these anymore. I'm hoping that Gigaparts reintroduces them soon.
It's part of their Explorer line. But right now you
can't get these. But this would work with a power
film one hundred and fifty watt or anything up to
about one hundred and sixty watts, which is the max
for this power pro from Buddy Pole, And it's running
on the battery right now. And you could plug a
(02:56):
twelve volt DC charger in here, like a twelve power
supply in here, and it would charge the battery from
solar or the twelve power supply, and then if your
power went out on the twelve power supply, the battery
would pick it up. So this act says like a
power gate that keeps your battery charged and lets you
run on AC power supply twelve VTE power supply, but
also has a battery backup in place for when the
(03:17):
power goes out. I wonder if we can hear those
guys KC five hwb let's six top five to two
somebody out there. I can't hear them. I think he's
talking to another station that I can't hear it all.
He's having a conversation with somebody else that I can't
hear it all. So but this is my setup right tonight,
(03:40):
and if I get a chance to check into the
DFW simplex net, this is what I will do it.
From the lease I did that like two weeks ago,
and I was using this same radio setup, but I
was using a different battery. This is the battery that
I keep with this radio and the tech pripper man pack,
and then I have it uning on an edphong j
(04:01):
pole right there. So this is a pretty sweet setup
right here. M HM.
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