Solar strategy in the east
I'm from Illinois. Camping out in the AZ desert at the moment, I can see that solar is easy out here. Do the math, install it right, and you are golden. Camping in the eastern 2/3rds of the US, i...
Forum Discussion
Snowman,
My original plan was to hinge the 2 60 watt as a portable, same as you seem to have done. I saw here someone had mounted the panels on the side of his unit with provisions to swing it out if appropriate, or take it off and move it somewhere else. I liked that idea, so I got the 100 and copied his (didn't see the swing out as very useful so didn't do that part). The 100 seemed to be about a good size and weight to be movable. On the 100, I installed a swing out leg system (copied from one I saw in Flamingo campground in the Everglades).
First few times I used it, all was well. Then we were in the Adirondack Mountains for a month, talk about shade !!! Thus the adapters to use regular extension cords to move the panel WAAAAAYYYY far away to get in the sun.
Not using a controller may seem foolish, but the 100 watt panel max out is 6A so even if it keeps charging past full, its not going to hurt anything (unless you do it day after day). If the 2 60 are in the sun, the controller just backs them off if the 100 starts raising voltage.
System has been great.
A hundred watt panel will put out squat even if only one cell is shaded.
Regards,
Doug
My original plan was to hinge the 2 60 watt as a portable, same as you seem to have done. I saw here someone had mounted the panels on the side of his unit with provisions to swing it out if appropriate, or take it off and move it somewhere else. I liked that idea, so I got the 100 and copied his (didn't see the swing out as very useful so didn't do that part). The 100 seemed to be about a good size and weight to be movable. On the 100, I installed a swing out leg system (copied from one I saw in Flamingo campground in the Everglades).
First few times I used it, all was well. Then we were in the Adirondack Mountains for a month, talk about shade !!! Thus the adapters to use regular extension cords to move the panel WAAAAAYYYY far away to get in the sun.
Not using a controller may seem foolish, but the 100 watt panel max out is 6A so even if it keeps charging past full, its not going to hurt anything (unless you do it day after day). If the 2 60 are in the sun, the controller just backs them off if the 100 starts raising voltage.
System has been great.
A hundred watt panel will put out squat even if only one cell is shaded.
Regards,
Doug
