broccoli2 wrote: hey, Golfman, good to see you the other day, I have one 123-watt panel and it seams to keep up with me... I think you just might need more panel...
Hey broc2! glad to hear from you too! I'm trying to figure out just what it takes to out run that fridge and sensors. 123 watts eh? That is substantial. I guess I need double my exsisting panels at least!
Secret planning again hope its not about the Easter bunny and a costume! Brocc can watch tv with his solar I think thats great!
Yesssss......secret solar bunny!!! Nawwwww that would scare the wits out of some unsuspecting easter egg hunter.
jauguston wrote: You are not going to get full output for 9 hours. Full output will only be for a few hours in the middle of the day and only with a clear sky. The most consistant thing about solar is its inconsistant output.
Jim
Sooo true. If you monitor your charge controller, you'll see the highest output,roughly between 10AM and 2PM. It is VERY variable, what, with clouds floating by, trees, shadows from what ever, and believe it or not, even wind.
Recalculating would be difficult at best, given the variables.
I had a difficult time keeping my 2 T-105's charged with a single 120 watt panel, and my family is very frugal when it comes to power consumption. I might consider adding/replacing the panels with something near 120-150 watts, if I were you, and see where that gets you. JMHO, and a little solar experience of course.
If you decide to ditch the 45W panel let me know. My son might be interested for his new TH.
See ya out there!!
Hooliville member #128
Gary & Lynne.
'04 Dolphin 5320 WH-22
370W. Solar.
22' Mighty Mover Trailer,
60W. Solar.
Sand Sprite 4. 2.3L EFI sand buggy
'04 Polaris Predator
'84 Jeep CJ.
Golden Lab "Annie" for both of us
The key to optimizing is simply keep the panels aimed directly at the sun....impossible to do with a flat-roof mount---even one with elevation adjustment can't get 1/2 of what's available on an average sunny day....even with my portable mount, ya' gotta' be in camp to keep up with the sun....and even w/o the MPPT, I still get a routine 8-9A charge from 150W....usually for 6 hours or so if someone's in camp to keep up with azimuth adj.
J
A panel rated at 45 watts will at best keep the batteries at full charge but only if you can cut the parasitic draws. I wouldn't expect one that small to recharge a depleted battery bank. This time of year the sun is lower in the horizon and less energy is available.
I have three 130 watt panels and a Blue Sky MPPT controller and during the winter the output from my three panels is way off compared to summer. I have mine mounted flat and the output would have improved somewhat if I could tilt them but most RV'rs don't bother as it becomes more hassle then it's worth.
Many trailers have push-pull switches that will turn off the 12V components when the trailer is being stored. If you want a small panel such as one rated at 45 watts maximum to keep the batteries up disconnect the draws and have the solar charge controller connected directly to the batteries. MPPT charge controllers will help you get the most from your solar array especially in areas like here (Las Vegas). In full sun in hot climates solar panels put out more energy but the voltages go up beyond what batteries can use. MPPT charge controllers convert those higher voltages back down to what the batteries can use. If a 45 watt panel is all you intend to have I don't think the extra cost of a MPPT charge controller is justified.
Until I purchased one last month, I did not realize how important a tilt mount was. Before, my 120 watt panel could not keep up to my furnace and lights use here in Arizona. Now that I have the panel tilted up at about 45 degrees, I am now keeping up even on days that have some cloud. Of course when we had a couple of rainy days a week ago, I had to turn on the converter for about and hour to top up.
2003 Dodge 3500 DRW HO with:
Edge Juice
Banks Ram Air, Pac-Brake, Exhaust
ATS 5-star Torq Conv
ATS Hi-Perf 48RE Trans with Billet Input Shaft
Trailersaver T3 Hitch
2005 Komfort Karryall - 36 foot
2006 HD Electra-Glide FTHCI
2 - Kaw Brute 650i Quads
Solar panels are the wave of the future and I want to experiment with them now so I can be ahead of the curve. With the price of gas going into $4 per gallon soon I think it might be prudent.
When I store my trailer, I do use my battery disconnect switch and my batteries are always nicely charged when I pick them up. Unfortunately, when my trailer sits in front of my house for 3 days while I pack it, my batteries tend to slowly discharge. I end up leaving for my trip with a charge of 12.1 instead of 12.7 or better. I could just plug in my trailer, but I have to run a line across the sidewalk to do it. I can just see someone tripping over my extension cord at night while they are trying to break into my trailer and claiming lifetime injuries!
I just purchased another 45 watts so I'll see if that helps. My panels cost $216 for 45 watts. If you divide that out Iam paying $4.7 per watt. I have lots of roof space so I plan to fill that sucker up! (eventually) I'll let you guys know if 90 watts will outrun my system.
Solar panels are WAY cool, but for the monetary output, there are better options out there. Until they come down in price, I will stay away from them. To provide even an ADEQUATE charge to a 6V bank, there is a better solution:
Honda EU2000I.
13 amps p/hr to the batts., 1.5 gals. of fuel for 10!! hrs run time, quite as a mouse.
Do the math, a small gen. out preforms solar hands down. When the panels come down to a REASONABLE price, I am on board, big time. Until then, I'll run my $979 Honda till it seizes, which is never.
Green is good, HONDA red, right now, is better. My .0002 worth. C-Ya!!
04 WW 3705 SLC All the options!!
05 Ford F350 CC DRW 4x4 6.0 w/ power"enhancements"!
Toys:
97 Honda CR500(dads)
05 KTM 525EXC(dads,Cal. Plated!)
05 Honda TRX-250(#1 son)
05 Honda TRX-250(#1 daughter)
98 LT-80(#2 daughter)
00 Big lawn chair(#1 wife)
Sounds like a tough call. I run mine across the driveway the night before and the day of our trip. This allows me to turn on the fridge and get it cold for the ice cream etc and have the batteries charging. I don't live in California but there is some risk either way. Perhaps you could put up some cones. The city does this when they have a crack in the sidewalk to trip over. If it covers them then you should be ok. If it were me I'd look for bigger panels than 45 watts. Once in a while you can get a good deal on Ebay or Craigs list. They last quite a long time and sometimes you can pick up a used one for much less.
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Brocc can watch tv with his solar I think thats great!
