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100 watt solar panel input?
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j_dirge
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:16 am    Post subject: Re: 100 watt solar panel input? Reply with quote

syncrodoka wrote:
. Do the specs sound any good?

It will be pretty hard to beat that price if the specs hold true in actual use.

If I were in the market, these would certainly have my interest.. and if they do not perform as well as you'd hoped, you'll have little trouble recovering most of the cost selling them off on craigslst or ebay.
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DAV!D
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

morymob wrote:
I have 2 of the same panels and same sunforce controller, nowi need to order the mc-4 connectors, also have 50 ft of wire 4 a ? length moveable panel, then the fun begins.Battery addo still looking, 200 $ 4 a 1yr TROJAN?? a batt by the way.


Trojans are usually 6 volt which means you will have to get two. Added to this to make them last you need to check them and do maintenance on them. They will also vent, so it's not recommended to have them in the living compartment but I know many do it anyway.

Personally, I went with AGM sealed 12 volt batteries. Mine require no maintenance and I can lay them on their side or upside down if I want to.

They are usually pretty high priced, but SAMs club has some that are reasonably priced and that work very well.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/duracell-agm-deep-cyc...navAction=

These are a nice alternative if you only want one battery or in my case with my older full size van I had room for three.
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PDXWesty
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yesterday I got the 120w Folding Solar Panel mentioned earlier in this thread. I was impressed with the quality and completeness of the package especially for the price. I have not tested the output yet, but here are the photos after unpacking.

Comes with a padded case.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Latches and spring loaded handle.
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Pre-wired back of the panels.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Built in charge controller.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



Integral stand.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Front of the panel.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Wiring accessories.
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Size next to the van.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



I will probably leave the charge controller mounted but disconnect the wires and connect them to my own system. It will be usefull to leave though in case anyone wants to borrow it or I have a different use other than the van. Overall I was pleased with the package I purchased and it arrived quickly. Get them before they sell out again!

http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Panels-&-System..._info.html
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syncrodoka
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, they are nicer than i thought they might be.
Thanks for the pix
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DAV!D
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like a pretty decent set up. The panels look like they are Solar Cynergy, which is a Chinese company, but in my experience they seem to be pretty good.

I will say that you might want to add some better alligator clamps if you hook directly to the battery. Mine came with a set of the same ones you have and they aren't very good. Might be even better to set up a quick disconnect connection.
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syncrodoka
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dislike those clamps, they are going to be replaced by Anderson connectors or something similar in my setup.
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climberjohn
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDX westy,

Thanks for the photos and report! Methinks I'll grab one.

If you say the wiring and overall quality look good, that's good enough for me.

-CJ
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singler3360
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDX Westy,
Thanks for posting the pics. How feasible does it seem to adapt the kit to keep the panels deployed on the top of the van when not needed on the ground?From your pics it doesn't seem the components are water resistant.
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PDXWesty
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The literature says the panel assemblies are waterproof but the charge controller should be protected from splash and rain. It could be easily removed and remote mounted though. It might also be able to be remounted in a waterproof box in the same location. Climberjohn made a watertight relay box out of a Tupperware container in one post. You could probably do something similar.
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joseph928
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:53 pm    Post subject: solar Reply with quote

PDXWesty wrote:
The literature says the panel assemblies are waterproof but the charge controller should be protected from splash and rain. It could be easily removed and remote mounted though. It might also be able to be remounted in a waterproof box in the same location. Climberjohn made a watertight relay box out of a Tupperware container in one post. You could probably do something similar.
Blue Bay Bus Just think I need to add to this. They do have water proof charge controllers but even with these they need air to move around them. Or they will get hot! When you charge batteries it will get warm when they are all charged up and it's day light all the solar has to go somewhere, HEAT out of the charge controller. So no I would not put it in a tupperware container. I have put then in a water tight box, but these controllers had fans, and I put holes in the box and then put filters over the holes. Very Happy
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Love My Westy
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When camping in the Northwest, we have found that it may be hard to find campgrounds where the sun actually hits the forest floor, and when it does, we have to move the panels to where the sun is, so I have 60 ft of #10 gauge wire that allow me to do so. Something you might want to consider.
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spiritid
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDXWesty wrote:
Yesterday I got the 120w Folding Solar Panel mentioned earlier in this thread. I was impressed with the quality and completeness of the package especially for the price. I have not tested the output yet, but here are the photos after unpacking.

I am planning on getting this solar panel and considering an AGM battery too. Any opinions on the Concorde Sun Xtender batteries?

Susan
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climberjohn
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hee hee . . .

Go We$ty is selling a 80 watt folding solar dealie-O for . . . $480!
Good luck with that one, GW guys. Wink

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23897

-CJ
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singler3360
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

climberjohn wrote:
Hee hee . . .

Go We$ty is selling a 80 watt folding solar dealie-O for . . . $480!
Good luck with that one, GW guys. Wink

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23897

-CJ


It does appear the market has changed and they will have to change with it. I'm appreciative of the innovation and products they bring to our market; it will be interesting to see what they do.
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PDXWesty
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiritid wrote:
PDXWesty wrote:
Yesterday I got the 120w Folding Solar Panel mentioned earlier in this thread. I was impressed with the quality and completeness of the package especially for the price. I have not tested the output yet, but here are the photos after unpacking.

I am planning on getting this solar panel and considering an AGM battery too. Any opinions on the Concorde Sun Xtender batteries?

Susan


The Sun Xtender batteries seem quite expensive. I have a Trojan SCS200 under my sink. 115 amp/hrs rating for about $150.

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/SCS20012V.aspx

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spiritid
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDXWesty wrote:
spiritid wrote:
PDXWesty wrote:
Yesterday I got the 120w Folding Solar Panel mentioned earlier in this thread. I was impressed with the quality and completeness of the package especially for the price. I have not tested the output yet, but here are the photos after unpacking.

I am planning on getting this solar panel and considering an AGM battery too. Any opinions on the Concorde Sun Xtender batteries?

Susan


The Sun Xtender batteries seem quite expensive. I have a Trojan SCS200 under my sink. 115 amp/hrs rating for about $150.

http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/SCS20012V.aspx

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


That does look like a great battery for the cost and capacity. I'm looking for a battery that won't need maintenance and so researching the AGM batteries.
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Timwhy
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PDXWesty wrote:

I will probably leave the charge controller mounted but disconnect the wires and connect them to my own system. It will be usefull to leave though in case anyone wants to borrow it or I have a different use other than the van. Overall I was pleased with the package I purchased and it arrived quickly. Get them before they sell out again!

http://www.solarblvd.com/Solar-Panels-&-System..._info.html


How are you connecting this panel with your existing one/charge controller? Are you connecting
the panels in series or are you connecting them to a charge controller in parallel?

Wondering how us that have roof top panels that do not detach can also connect a remote panel to the
same system.
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PDXWesty
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can connect as many panels in parallel to your charge controller as you want, as long as you don't exceed the max amp rating of your controller. I will just disconnect the wires from these panels from the supplied charge controller and extend them to my own.
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madspaniard
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you don't want two panels at once - I have a power cord running from the controller to the back of the rear closet by the rear hatch where I can connect it to the the power cord coming from the solar panel in the poptop. I simply disconnect the roof solar panel cord and connect this portable solar panel. I'm modifying the power cord in the protable solar panel to match my existing power cord connection.

In my case my controller is a 20Amp model so no problem having both panels to the controller as PDX suggests above.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Solar Blvd has three different size foldable panels listed now @ a small discount from their reg. prices.
I have the 100 watt model ordered, looking forward to seeing what it can do for me!

http://www.solarblvd.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=foldable&x=27&y=2
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