Connecting Portable Solar Panels

[obiwancanoli]

As I've been exploring an upgrade of my entire electrical system, I'm contemplating adding additional solar, and looking at options.

I have plenty of room on the roof for a few more panels, though I probably need only 2, at around 300-600W added to my current 480W panels, and a 120W portable. Four Battle Born Lithium batteries are probably installed by now, along with a Victron 100A/50 MPPT controller, and 712 Voltmeter. Given those hot days when you'd prefer to be under some shade, it seemed having a portable would be prudent for those times when you need to be more judicious by having solar you can actually point at the sun.

Thus, I am thinking it might be prudent to add at least ONE portable, maybe up to 300W perhaps, and I had a couple questions for y'all... first, does it make sense for me to consider an additional portable, and if so, how long of an extension cord should I consider? Is 20 ft sufficient, or is 30 ft a more practical length?

Second, can two - or more - portable panels be tied together so that only one lead goes to the batteries? I've looked on Amazon, but amongst the multitude of pages I must sift through, I confess my patience was challenged, and I gave up before having any success in finding a 2-into-1 fitting that combines the two...

[jaycocreek]

Portable solar is about the only way I could use solar camping in the deep forest hardly ever in the sun.As far as how many feet of cable,it depends on where your camping..I am using about 30ft or just shy of it in this pic.

As far as always moving the panels,you don't have to but if you do,you get the most watts to the battery..Just laying my panels flat like it would be on the roof,I lost a bunch of watts..LOL

[Lwiddis]

I'd get very tired quickly moving around a 50 to 60 pound panel. And where would you store it?

[obiwancanoli]

pianotuna wrote:
you will soon tire of deploying portable panels.

That may be, but if it's the only way to charge the batteries, best to be able to tap into the sun

[2oldman]

obiwancanoli wrote:
can two - or more - portable panels be tied together so that only one lead goes to the batteries?

To the controller.. sure. You don't need special connectors, just wire them up yourself.

[pianotuna]

you will soon tire of deploying portable panels.

[Lwiddis]

Wouldn't the weight of a 300 watt "portable" solar panel be 50-60 pounds?

[madjack60]

Ebay has lots of 2 into 1 upto r into 1 spliters. You may want to check if your charge controller can handle all the extra wattage.