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Solar Charger

Started by JimS, Aug 21, 2007, 02:12 PM

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JimS

I completed the solar charger on the 11RT this past weekend and am pleased at how well it seems to work.  To recap, I have a 130 watt Kyocera panel, Blue Sky SB200E controller, two Trojan T-105 6V batteries muonted in a Blue Sea battery box.  I mounted the box on the front of the cargo deck as there was not enough room on the tongue without major modification.  From the panel to the controller is 10 AG wire and all other is 6 AG welding cable.  All connections are coated with a dielectric grease, crimped, soldered and covered with heat shrink tubing.

In full sunlight, the panel produces about 7 amps, enough to run both the vent fan and water pump.  The MPPT featureof the SB2000 actually puts out about 1.5 amps more than the panel delivers.  The only thing I don't like about the SB2000 is that it does not have a float charge, only bulk and absorption.  However, it can be manually adjusted to a float level.

What disturbs me the most is the poor wiring done at the factory.  All the ground wires were bad.  The crimps were loose and could be easily pulled apart.  I do not understand how you can strip back insulation on some wires, put them in a wire nut and still not have a connection!  None of the 12V worked when on shore power.  Had to re-wire the power converter to get everything to work, including the electric brakes.  Starcraft better work on its quality controll.

Well, everything now works and on Friday the family and I are leaving for three weeks  :D , two in Glacier and one in Yellowstone.  This will be the real test!  Will post pictures as soon as I get them photoshopped.

austinado16

Very cool!  Man, how I wish I had the money to step up and build a set up like yours.  I love dry camping, and it would be fantastic to be totally self-sufficient.

Can't wait to hear how the camp trip goes!

JimS

Quote from: austinado16Very cool!  Man, how I wish I had the money to step up and build a set up like yours.  I love dry camping, and it would be fantastic to be totally self-sufficient.

Can't wait to hear how the camp trip goes!
Thanks!

Yeah, this ran more money than I thought it would. Big OUCH!  As you get into it there is always something else, connectors, nuts / bolts / fasteners of all shapes and descriptions, a bigger soldering gun as 6 AG cable can soak up the heat (got one that is essentially a propane torch); it never seems that I have everything I need.

If you shop carefully you can really bring the price down, particularly on the panel and controller.  It is the little stuff that will nickle and dime you to death!

Well, we will be leaving Friday evening (hopefully the 1 year old will sleep most of the night) and heading straight to Glacier.  The campground I stay at is at the end of about 40 miles of mostly dirt road.  Once there, I don't like to leave because it is 2 hours back into West Glacier, longer to Columbia Falls or Kalispell.  The thing I am concerned about is there is a lot of shade at this campground, that is why I went with a larger panel.  Hopefully, by making it portable, I will be able to follow the sun.

Camping like this, self-suffeciency will be very nice, unlike last year!

I will fill you in on all the nitty-gritty when I return,  Can't wait to see how it goes also!

austinado16

Man, that's a haul from so cal.....and with a 1yr old!  Right on! You guys are hardcore!

There was a solar panel thread a couple months ago and several places (harbor freight) were having some killer deals on big panels.  I was really chomping at the bit, but I knew when it was all said and done I'd be kissing the better part of five-hundo good-bye.  Still want to spend some money on bunk end covers, 3" memory form for my daughter's bunk, and an Olympina catalytic heater so we can use the onboard furnace less.

But I dream of a full-on solar set up!