Still Don't Get It (Solar)

Grodyman wrote:
Thanks all, I'm considering portable. I use most power during winter when running furnace all night. I roughly figure I use about 40-45ah a 24 hr cycle based on my multi-meter readings in my 208ah bank. I read 12.4 first morning (running furnace overnight and watching 2 hr movie that evening off inverter), and after charging with WFCO onboard for two hours on the Honda 2000, ran heater all night and watched a movie again, and read about 12.3 the second morning. My Rockwood Minilite likes the heat it seems. In summer, without the furnace, I figure about half that consumption rate.

I'm thinking a 12 solar panel, maybe 80 watts, or two 60's, and using one of the Morningstar junctioin box mounted controllers.....

Gman

There's your problem! Buy an Olympic Wave 6 catalytic propane heater, some hose, crack a top vent and a window, and turn that blower fan off. Saves electricity, saves gas from your generator too. Your heater fan sucks 5 amps while running at least. I know mine does, and it's annoyingly noisy to boot, at night. The Wave 6 takes no electricity, it does take a little bit of venting, and is far more efficient 96%, with use of propane. Your heater blows 40% of it's heat energy outside out the vent, as exhaust.

TT is a Palomino Gazelle G210.

Before I got the Wave 6 my usage was identical to yours. I bought a 120W portable solar panel. It's for sale, very lightly used. PM if interested. I'm in so cal.



This was first week of Jan 2014, right after the Las Vegas CES convention. I harvested 30- 35 amps that day. By Feb, you will see 40 +, by June 60 amps / day, with aiming 3 or 4x a day following the sun.

I was in Montana and harvested 55 amps on the 3rd day, June 16th, camped on the Madison River, after 2 days of camping without charging and about 75 -80 amps down on my battery. By noon, on the 4th day, I was fully charged again, with this 120W portable solar panel unit. Plug and play.