Portable solar stand 101...

JiminDenver wrote:
I use two pine slats and a pair of C clamps. Infinitely adjustable, seconds to set up and easy to store.

Jim's method has to be the simplest, cheapest and lightest method of all.


But maybe two of these would be faster than the C clamps




And maybe paint the sticks just to make it more complicated (and keep me from burning the sticks as kindling by accident)


Ed

We have a portable 130 watt panel. I made a easel out of 2" x 2" x 4' redwood balusters. Have used it for 2 years now & can be adjusted as needed.

BFL13 wrote:
We are almost there Mena. Solar panel plus battery bank plus inverter and plug rig into inverter. 12v in rig by several ways--solar controller load? So all you need is a way to rotate the horse trailer all this goes in, for "tracking." :)

Ha! /KendallP

Now if I could get them to walk back and forth for 5 hrs a day...

Strap it with a bungee to a small step-ladder. Something that you already have in the van. Or prop it with a storage bin. Or lean it to the van on the South side. 100W panel with all the wires is already enough weight and mess, to bother with a dedicated stand in addition.

If you do want a stand, then something compact and cheap like a pair of conduit pieces to prop it at 30-40 degrees. Somebody did this a month ago, with conduit fittings bolted to the panel frame, IIRC.

I haven't built this but how about these 3 things together:

- a little red wagon


- with a flat screen TV adjustable wall mount bolted to it


- and the solar panel attached to the flat screen mounting bracket

Kind of bulky but easily movable and adjustable. until the bracket rusts I suppose.

Ed

We are almost there Mena. Solar panel plus battery bank plus inverter and plug rig into inverter. 12v in rig by several ways--solar controller load? So all you need is a way to rotate the horse trailer all this goes in, for "tracking." :)

RJsfishin wrote:
You could use a large sat dish tripod, weight down the legs, or tent stake'm.

That's a great idea RJ!! I just happen to have one of those too.

You could use a large sat dish tripod, weight down the legs, or tent stake'm.

Plastic plumbing pipe is the way to go since it is strong and light-weight.

The legs fit into Ts inserted into the top cross bar and by not gluing those Ts, (it sticks together well enough without being glued) you can rotate the legs at the top so you can pick your tilt angle.

You can shim the bottom cross bar ends and the legs' feet for uneven ground. You can have big castors on the ends of the bottom cross bar so you can lift it up a bit by the top and twirl it towards the sun whenever you go by.

You want it tilted higher earlier and later in the day when pointed at the (lower then )sun, so you can have the feet farther in then and set the legs farther out for mid-day to a lower tilt angle. Max AHs! :)

I use two pine slats and a pair of C clamps. Infinitely adjustable, seconds to set up and easy to store.