How we work out the numbers
By Roaming Dish Editors. Updated October 18, 2026.
Hours = battery capacity × the share you can use × the efficiency of the connection ÷ the dish's draw. The capacity and the draw come from official spec sheets. The other two are our estimates, and we show them on every result.
The inputs
| Input | Value | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Dish draw | Mini 25 to 40 W average. Standard 75 to 100 W. | Mini and Standard spec sheets |
| Use levels | Light 21 W, typical 28 W, heavy 40 W (Mini). 75, 88 and 100 W (Standard). | 21 W is a published measurement. 40 W is the top of the official range. 28 W sits between. |
| Battery capacity | Rated Wh | Each maker's own spec page or manual, linked on every station page |
| Usable share | 90% | Our estimate. Stations keep some charge in reserve. |
| USB-C | 90% | Our estimate for DC-to-DC conversion inside the station |
| 12 V DC | 92% | Our estimate |
| AC outlet | 76% | Our estimate: the station's inverter and the dish's own power supply in a row |
Checked against a measurement
One published test ran a Mini from a 72 Wh, 100 W USB-C power bank for 2 hours 45 minutes, at a typical draw of about 21 W. Our model gives 2.8 hours for the same setup. wirelessmoves, January 2025
That is one data point. To get more, we collect owners' runtimes and will publish the median for any setup five owners report.
Checked against what makers claim
No power-station maker publishes a runtime for a satellite dish with a stated wattage. They do publish runtimes for other devices. We compared our AC-outlet model with every claim that states a wattage of 20 W or more: 28 claims from 10 stations. Our figure is within 10% of the maker's for 4 of them. The middle of the spread is -17%, meaning our model is more cautious than the typical claim.
| Station and claim | Maker | Our model | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow RIVER 2: 50W electric blanket | 0.8 h | 3.5 h | +338% |
| Bluetti EB3A: Fan 20W | 11 h | 9.2 h | -17% |
| Bluetti EB3A: Mini fridge 60W | 3.6 h | 3.1 h | -15% |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus: 600W computer | 0.4 h | 0.3 h | -18% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 (6th Gen): TV 80W | 5.3 h | 4.3 h | -20% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 (6th Gen): CPAP 65W | 7 h | 5.3 h | -25% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 (6th Gen): Pellet grill 60W | 7 h | 5.7 h | -19% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 (6th Gen): Mini projector 30W | 14 h | 11.4 h | -19% |
| Jackery Explorer 500 v2 (EU model): Portable fridge 60W | 4.5 h | 5.8 h | +30% |
| Jackery Explorer 500 v2 (EU model): Ice maker 160W | 3 h | 2.2 h | -27% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700 (6th Gen): TV 80W | 7.2 h | 5.8 h | -20% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700 (6th Gen): CPAP 65W | 8.5 h | 7.1 h | -16% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700 (6th Gen): Pellet grill 60W | 9.6 h | 7.7 h | -20% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 700 (6th Gen): Mini projector 30W | 19 h | 15.4 h | -19% |
| Bluetti AC70: TV 65W | 8.2 h | 8.1 h | -1% |
| Bluetti AC70: Table fan 75W | 7.3 h | 7.0 h | -4% |
| Bluetti AC70: Rice cooker 200W | 2.9 h | 2.6 h | -9% |
| Bluetti AC70: Projector 220W | 2.8 h | 2.4 h | -15% |
| Bluetti AC70: Ice crusher 250W | 2.4 h | 2.1 h | -12% |
| Bluetti AC70: Space heater 350W | 1.7 h | 1.5 h | -12% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core (discontinued): CPAP 65W | 15 h | 10.3 h | -31% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core (discontinued): Mini fridge 35W | 28 h | 19.2 h | -31% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2: Fan 40W | 17 h | 17.5 h | +3% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2: TV 110W | 8 h | 6.4 h | -20% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2: Coffee maker 1000W | 0.8 h | 0.7 h | -12% |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2: Electric grill 1150W | 0.7 h | 0.6 h | -13% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500X: TV 100W | 15 h | 10.4 h | -31% |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500X: Full-size refrigerator 71W | 21 h | 14.6 h | -30% |
Left out: 10 claims that work out to 100% or more of the battery's rated capacity, which no real system delivers (Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core (discontinued), Goal Zero Yeti 1500X). Also left out: 8 claims for loads under 20 W, where the station's own electronics take a large share and a simple division overstates the hours.
The claims disagree with each other more than our model disagrees with them. Some makers' claims imply nearly perfect efficiency and others imply under 70%. We keep our estimates fixed and visible rather than tuning them to any one brand.
What we do not model
- Snow melt, which raises the draw. One installer's figure for a Mini is 50 to 70 W.
- The extra minute or two above 40 W each time the dish boots.
- Other devices on the same battery.
- Batteries losing capacity in the cold or with age.
Who writes this
Pages are written and checked by the Roaming Dish Editors. We have not run our own bench tests yet, so nothing here claims hands-on testing. Corrections are welcome through the contact page.