Portable Solar Panels

Click on DIY Portable Panel above, and it's all there.

bdosborn wrote:
I've got a couple of portable panels that come in real handy when camping in the shade:



I'd go portable if I had to choose between portable and fixed panels. Even through I've got 400 watts of PV on the roof, they ain't doing a thing in the photo above.


No need to pay outrageous prices, just make your own portable using 2 panels and a sash lock:



DIY Portable Panel

Bruce

Very nice there, Bruce, can you show us a pic perhaps of the back side or hinge side of that foldable set of panels you put together? The devil is in the details.

I've got a couple of portable panels that come in real handy when camping in the shade:



I'd go portable if I had to choose between portable and fixed panels. Even through I've got 400 watts of PV on the roof, they ain't doing a thing in the photo above.



No need to pay outrageous prices, just make your own portable using 2 panels and a sash lock:



DIY Portable Panel

Bruce

Yes, I can get away with it using 12v PWM (not quite like using hydrogen instead of helium!) but not so easily with MPPT. I got some very good info on all that in the thread asking about wire gauges. Going to have to clean up my act somewhat looks like.

BFL13 wrote:
I use jumper cables to reach the portable panels set out on the ground. I have short lengths of #8 from the controller "array" terminals and from the panel junction boxes. To set up, I just use the clamps on the jumper cables.

I can add a second or third set of cables if I need longer. (like steal the 12ft set of #6 I keep in the truck)

I don't get any real voltage drop that matters with such heavy gauge wires either, which is nice.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Booster-Cables/20-ft-2-Gauge-Booster-Cables/8443723.p

Only thing is the red colour on the cable has turned pink from lying in the sun. :)

Dude, we've got to get you to migrate over to better wire and devices.:B I know the results you get with that aluminum clad battery cable are good but........oh, the humanity.:W

With what I've learned in the last year, I think we'd be pretty happy with the 160w kit. 120w would be cutting it thin with the conditions we saw.

Our system is portable for testing this year and I have to say, it's nice to have the flexibility to lay it flat and forget it or track the sun all day for every bit of power I can get. Unless I find a matched set of panels cheap, I'll mount the 230w and keep the 220w portable.

I store my portable panels on the side of my coach:


I can tilt them in place:


Or remove them and place them out in the sun:

Since I didn't go kit, I bought $8 cable cutter at HF to cut the MC4 10g wire in half without flattening it, I should of bought a crimper to add MC4 connectors, solder gun, time ... It adds up if you don't already have stuff.

Kit - no wire stripping, no wire tinning, no crimping, cutting ...

Kit - doesn't matter what order you hook up, my none kit is hook up order dependent except when I go direct to battery.

You'd have go call Solar Blvd, they still have a foldable 160W like this, in stock, that is not currently showing up in their catalogue. Or at least that was what I was told when I was there on 10-18-13.

Mike helped me 951 279-8100 or E.michael@solarblvd.com I'd be more inclined to make the phone call or visit their website and see if they have a toll free number.

BTW, my kit came with battery clamps, a cigarette adapter, and a 5 meter long cord. The charge controller is NOT mounted on the back of either panel, it is mounted on a portion of the frame of the extension legs that fold out when the panel is tilted, at a 90* angle away from the back of the panel. It weighs 13 kg, not 13 lbs. Comes with a carry case too. You can store the cables and clips inside the folded up panels. Just be careful, and don't throw it around like luggage, it's still fragile glass panels, you need to be careful the surfaces you set it on when not in use. Common sense, I suppose, but then, after fishing and a few beers... maybe not?

Biggest reason I went with portable panels is:

We seldom have the trailer parked in the sun, usually under trees. Not good for roof mount solar.

the solar blvd panels seem pretty darn reasonably prices for a portable "suitcase" like setup. Way better than some others and when portables first came out.

In fact, I'm tempted to buy one to add to my "collection" just to let me max out my controller.

Yes, you could buy panels, a few hinges, latches, handles, legs etc. and make up a system for less than what they have.

But like Ninebikers, I'd rather get the panels ready to go and go camping than buy the pieces and spend the weekend putting together a system.
If your most often in the sun, different story.

Given my use case, a portable setup works great for us. And panels that fold up and latch are much easier to store/carry inside the trailer. I'd rather have two 80W-100Wish portable panels that fold up compactly for storage in the trailer than a big 160-200W panel I have to move around. For me, worth the few extra $, especially now as prices have come down.

On mine, I just unhooked the panels from the PWM controller and put a controller in the trailer.

then using some extra 30A RV cord made extension cords so I can get the panels in the sun w/o unreasonable power loss. Even at 100ft, only loosing a few watts with the panels in series and MPPT controller.

And this time of year, at least this far north, horizontal panels suck for output.

But again, each of us has different use cases, different storage options, different mount options, pick whatever works best for you.

At least now the portable complete solution option is becoming reasonably priced.