Zamp 200w portable panels

[bill-e]

I bought a 200w portable solar panel by Zamp and brought it with me to The New Hampshire State Championships Cowboy Shoot this weekend.

Of course it rained for 4 days and there was zero sun but on Friday I set it up for about 4 hours and even with the extremely overcast sky pulled in about 6.5 AH.

This panel is supposed to generate up to 90 AH in a 7 hour day which is more than enough to keep my batteries charged and will allow me to install an inverter for my coffee.

It is heavy and big but it does fit through my passthrough hatch, if I decide to to store it in there.

I also brought with me a 700w Keurig K-Cup coffee maker which only draws about 5 amps. It makes just as good a cup of coffee as my large one and allows me to only start one generator to make a cup in the morning. I'm hoping that eventually with an inverter and the panels I don't even have to do that.

[bill-e]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Given the figures below why would ANYONE pick Zamp?????? It's a horrible deal and comes with a very limited charge controller that is guaranteed to under perform. Go Power is a bit less expensive but still pie in the sky cost wise. All of these systems are inadequate to meet the parasitic loads of 1.46 amps that a modern RV has. By their very nature they can't be used when the RV is in storage.

Zamp $752.60 plus shipping. 120 watts or $6.28 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Zamp-Solar-120P-Charge-Kit/dp/B00K1LBROG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277185&sr=8-2&keywords=zamp

Gopower $564.85 plus shipping. 120 watts or $4.71 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GP-PSK-120-Portable-Controller/dp/B009MIPH4K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277378&sr=8-1&keywords=gopower+solar

Renogy $196.99 plus shipping 100 watts or $1.97 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277522&sr=8-1&keywords=Renogy+kit

bill-e wrote:
Sorry to disagree but, Zamp, and Gopower, and Renogy portable panels ARE literally 2 minutes from UPS delivery to cranking out power....that's plug and play.

If you want to save money and DIY then have at it, it's a great idea. I can but at this point in my life prefer what I did.

pianotuna, I'm not going to argue with you. What's expensive for some might not be for others.

But I'm interested in your statements below and would like you to expand on them for my own education if you would. Thanks

All of these systems are inadequate to meet the parasitic loads of 1.46 amps that a modern RV has. By their very nature they can't be used when the RV is in storage.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Given the figures below why would ANYONE pick Zamp?????? It's a horrible deal and comes with a very limited charge controller that is guaranteed to under perform. Go Power is a bit less expensive but still pie in the sky cost wise. All of these systems are inadequate to meet the parasitic loads of 1.46 amps that a modern RV has. By their very nature they can't be used when the RV is in storage.

Zamp $752.60 plus shipping. 120 watts or $6.28 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Zamp-Solar-120P-Charge-Kit/dp/B00K1LBROG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277185&sr=8-2&keywords=zamp

Gopower $564.85 plus shipping. 120 watts or $4.71 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GP-PSK-120-Portable-Controller/dp/B009MIPH4K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277378&sr=8-1&keywords=gopower+solar

Renogy $196.99 plus shipping 100 watts or $1.97 per watt

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Monocrystalline-Starter/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468277522&sr=8-1&keywords=Renogy+kit

bill-e wrote:
Sorry to disagree but, Zamp, and Gopower, and Renogy portable panels ARE literally 2 minutes from UPS delivery to cranking out power....that's plug and play.

If you want to save money and DIY then have at it, it's a great idea. I can but at this point in my life prefer what I did.

[bill-e]

Zamp does use Red/Black convention for +/- on that bulkhead connector.

[westend]

While I was at the range this past week I noticed multiple guys with Zamp panels plugged into their Zamp-Ready RV's. Great marketing move by Zamp, probably gave the connectors away to the OEM.

Astute observation.

There are a few posts on this Forum of folks that have the Zamp connectors and asking if they're married to Zamp for modules. The answer is no, the Zamp connector is a typical 12 V vehicle connector.

I hope the guy that initiated the connector for different brands of RV's and got them installed, was rewarded. Like you state, a brilliant marketing idea.

[bill-e]

westend, it is all good 😉 I just wanted to reply for folks reading this....I didn't want them to get the idea that making a portable kit, while not difficult, was as painless as purchasing one.

While I was at the range this past week I noticed multiple guys with Zamp panels plugged into their Zamp-Ready RV's. Great marketing move by Zamp, probably gave the connectors away to the OEM.

[westend]

Bill-e,
It's all good, your setup works for you and that's what matters. Others are also looking into the solar charging and discussing what would work for them.

The bottom line is that solar power and RV'ing are like peanut butter and jelly since we carry a 12V system that we depend on for a variety of devices and the batteries need to be charged. IME, solar does a better job of charging then I can with multiple chargers available.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Bill. I bet you'll see 14 anps in full sun with the right tilt.

[goducks10]

FYI Lowes now carries Zamp FWIW.

[bill-e]

Sorry to disagree but, Zamp, and Gopower, and Renogy portable panels ARE literally 2 minutes from UPS delivery to cranking out power....that's plug and play.

If you want to save money and DIY then have at it, it's a great idea. I can but at this point in my life prefer what I did.

[GordonThree]

They're using small 100w panels, which are expensive themselves. But still, I agree with Don, roll your own - it's all plug and play these days.

I wonder if an bag/case meant to hold a painters canvas and easel would work to hold a pair of solar panels... or just some heavy hasp-type latches so you can lock one panel onto of the other for storage, so the glass is protected.

[pianotuna]

Zamp is quite pricey at cost per watt. Roll your own system for 1/5 of the cost.

[bill-e]

With the Zamp portables the glass is on the outside, not the inside. They provide a semi hard case for the panels.

For me, the entire point of the portable was just that, portable and easy and that's why the manufacturers design them with thinner wire and the controller on the panel....that's a compromise for portability. When I go dry camping I bring them.

I didn't want to wire a controller into the camper....that's for another day.

[westend]

If an owner used a pair of bigger hinges attached to the panel frames, he could pull the hinge pins to separate the two modules for independent carrying. There's nothing in the Commandments about having them together but it's a safe storage solution since the working surface is protected.
If someone does DIY with portables, the converter should go near the batteries and the panel output wires connect to that. There is more efficiency/harvest by locating the controller near the batteries.
FWIW, I use a Morningstar MPPT-15 controller and there is no RFI/EMI from that. It may be that having no amplified antennas make me immune But the whole rig is a giant antenna, crossed with wires in every direction.

[bill-e]

Yes, that is the correct panel.

I researched them all and wanted plug and play so I discounted creating a portable out of single panels. The Renogy doesn't make a 200w portable and it's controller isn't waterproof.

For a few hundred bucks more I feel that Zamp is right for me.

There's one review on the internet stating that they were getting 14amps out of the Zamp. I'm going to try it this week while I'm home and there is sun.

By the way I have nothing against mounting solar on my RV but I want to wait a year or two for the flexible technology to improve. My intent is for the portable to be used when the camper is under trees.

[dtappy3353]

bought our 120w foldable from Eco-Worthy. We store ours behind galley sofa in a heavy duty surf board bag. Works great!

[dewey02]

Zamp has a nice setup, but wow that is pricey.

I, too, have been thinking about having 200 watts of solar and not attaching them to the roof. We do a lot of midwest camping in State Parks and National Forests with shaded campsites.

Here's a Renogy 200 watt kit for 1/3 the price. Link here
It isn't a suitcase, but could easily be made into one. You'd have to buy some wire for distance hookup, a fuse, and a couple of hinges if you want to join the panels together. But with panels that size, I think I'd rather have them individual to make hauling and storing a bit easier on my back.