Forum Discussion
BFL13
Apr 11, 2014Explorer II
You can get 12v panels for about $2/watt here (AFAIK you can pick up yourself in Vancouver for no shipping) It is still expensive but a lot less than the OP example.
http://www.wegosolar.com/categories.php?category=Solar-Panels
You can find other dealers on the usual "used" stuff sites who sometimes have better prices, but some have worse prices. It is a weird business.
I do the portable panel trick and find a single 130w panel is about the biggest/heaviest I would like for that. The above has a 135w that would work.
Controllers are another story. You can get a decent 20a controller on eBay for about $15 free shipping from Hong Kong or wherever, and it takes about three weeks snail mail. Or you can get the same thing in Can Tire for $120! :( Actually, Can Tire has a little 8.5a one for about $20 that would compare with eBay pricing.
It depends on which park you are in whether there even are any sunny spots. The ones on the Island are in the woods and I get no solar in those. Haven't been to all the Mainland ones, but they were are also in the woods. You might get 5 minutes of sun off and on through the trees but it is nothing useful.
IMO instead of wasting money on solar for provincial park off-grid "weekend" camping, get more battery bank, a serious battery charger, and a quiet inverter generator to run that, and take advantage of the morning gen time 9-11am two hours to get a good recharge in. That works rain or shine, winter or summer.
http://www.wegosolar.com/categories.php?category=Solar-Panels
You can find other dealers on the usual "used" stuff sites who sometimes have better prices, but some have worse prices. It is a weird business.
I do the portable panel trick and find a single 130w panel is about the biggest/heaviest I would like for that. The above has a 135w that would work.
Controllers are another story. You can get a decent 20a controller on eBay for about $15 free shipping from Hong Kong or wherever, and it takes about three weeks snail mail. Or you can get the same thing in Can Tire for $120! :( Actually, Can Tire has a little 8.5a one for about $20 that would compare with eBay pricing.
It depends on which park you are in whether there even are any sunny spots. The ones on the Island are in the woods and I get no solar in those. Haven't been to all the Mainland ones, but they were are also in the woods. You might get 5 minutes of sun off and on through the trees but it is nothing useful.
IMO instead of wasting money on solar for provincial park off-grid "weekend" camping, get more battery bank, a serious battery charger, and a quiet inverter generator to run that, and take advantage of the morning gen time 9-11am two hours to get a good recharge in. That works rain or shine, winter or summer.
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