Newbie solar questions
Let me start out by asking the experts here if the system I'm planning will work. I'm not very good with electronics. Let me also state that I don't have a lot of funds so I am trying to do this on th...
Forum Discussion
Almot wrote:
Jim, nobody argues that living generator-free is possible, with 490W solar. With cut-back measures as you described, when weather is not cooperating. Many people out here would consider such measures an "undue hardship" :). They don't even want to hear about cutting back on anything. .........
Mostly, my point was that with a small solar - anything under 700W can be called "small" today - 120V kitchen gadgets are a burden, they make a dent too big in the battery SOC, not to mention high current itself. I don't want any burden.
Fanatics about "no generator" are just weird IMO. The gen and charger are just part of the "balanced RV set-up."
The idea is not to adjust your lifestyle according to the weather or whatever; the idea is to be able to maintain your lifestyle no matter what.
Now that daylight time is getting shorter, and cloudy days more frequent, (it is not July anymore, drat!) it is no longer possible to replace all the AH used daily with solar in our situation. No sweat, we just start adding some gen/charger time to get up a bit in SOC before turning it all over to solar. The worse conditions get for solar as the year gets longer now, the more gen time required to stay even.
No big deal. The no-gen fanatics just prefer to suffer. They will even go so far as to not use their electric toasters anymore when it gets cloudy and have to eat Corn Flakes for breakfast instead. How sad is that? :)
