RE: Solar Power ?

[Cadeuses]

 ForestCreature
Thanks Marcy...
 
   When Jiffypop thaws out in the spring... I ll get the manuals out and start checking.  Thanks a lot!
 
 Have a great day!

[Cadeuses]

 ForestCreature

 

ORIGINAL:  ForestCreature
 
 Is scrolling back and forth to read this driving anyone else as crazy as it is me!!![&:]
 

 
 Yep![:@]

[MtnCamper]

 Cadeuses

ORIGINAL:  Cadeuses
 
 Hi Gary
   Understood.  Wouldn t you want to recharge the battery at a rate equal to the draw... or does that not really matter?
 
   I was thinking that if you replaced what was demanded one-for-one, then your battery will certainly be at full capacity, especially on those days where there is little to no sun or it s raining.
 
 What is your advise regarding that?
 

Yes, you would want to replentish one to one. But, Your furnace runs perhaps 20% of the time evening only (usually). I turn our off when going to bed. Your lights run for a few hours, total during a 24 hour period. Your water pump perhaps 15 minutes a day.
 
 You are recharging the batteries any time the sun is up. Depending on where you are, and the time of the year, Let s say from 8am until 8pm. That s 12 hours. So let say you use 60 watts for a total of 6 hours. (you probably won t use that much). You have 12 hours of 45 watts to replentish. 360 out and 540 in. Recharged. Now lets say the next day you use the same 360, but it s cloudy and rainy. You only put back 300. Your battery is down -60. It ll get made up tomorrow, no problem.
 
 If tlhdoc would edit the link, I think this arrowing would go away.
 [link=*http://whatever.com=]Name it what you want[*/link]
 Remove the * symbols then post.

[topcat7736]

 tlhdoc
The problem with solar panels is you only get enough light to do any good for 5 hours a day. So, to compute the size panel you need, total up the number of watts you need per day and divide by 5. Then look for panels to equal or exceed that number.

[Diplomat]

 tlhdoc
Some months ago I did a fair amount of reading on solar power for RV s.  I found the folks at [link=http://www.backwoodssolar.com/index.htm]Backwoods Solar[/link].  These folks are hard core off-grid folks.  I only spent $40 with them but I got many times that in help.  The way they acted over my little purchase tells me that they are used to doing hand holding and LIKE it!
 
 For me I found that panels don t make sense, I seldom camp for more than 3 days.  I think the biggest lesson I learned was that I can use the panels to replace the power I use from the batteries, not to actually power anything directly.  Even if I don t replace all the power I use on a given day I can still extend the life of my batteries significantly.
 
 Looking at a WestMarine catalog I did get interested in wind power though..........

[ForestCreature]

 topcat7736

ORIGINAL:  topcat7736
 
 The problem with solar panels is you only get enough light to do any good for 5 hours a day. So, to compute the size panel you need, total up the number of watts you need per day and divide by 5. Then look for panels to equal or exceed that number.
 

 In our experience so far with the 45 watts we use. The furnace running  set to 62 at night in about 30 degree temps out side (granted we have an insulated trailer so the furnace does run less than in a canvas pop up).
 It gets fully charged up by noon (thats aout the time we get around to checking the battery) on a sunny day. On overcast days it takes a few hours more, but does fully charge. Placement and angle of the panels play an important role on their effiency as well as the gauges of wires used in the set up.
  The 5 hours you refer to are the peak optimal hours of the suns effiency. You still do get a charge beyond that 5 hr time frame, it just isnt as efficient.