AnswerID: 10865 Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 08, 2003 at 20:58
OziExplorer
replied:
Robert, that is a lot of money for a system of that capacity without batteries.
2 x BP Solar SX60 60w panels should be sufficient and they can be purchased for $576 each from here:
http://www.coiltek.com.au/Products/solar_panels.htm
Information on BP Solar here:
http://www.bpsolar.com/ContentPage.cfm?page=20
No big deal to put a piece of piano hinge on the panels and a suitcase clip and a handle $25 and 30 minutes work with a pop riviter When you open the panels, to keep them straight, you get a piece of channel aluminium to put across the hinge about 300mm long. Fits inside when you fold them up. To hold the panel at the angle to the sun 2 pieces of aluminium strip 5mm thick by 25mm wide and 400mm long, 2 x 5mm x 20mm stainless steel bolts and two nylok nuts and 4 fibre washes. Cost $8.00. Just drill a hole in the frame each side (short side) and put the fibre washer each side of the aluminium leg and tighten the nylok washer to the correct tension - 10 mins work at most.
Best solar regulator I have found and one of the cheaper ones is Part Number MP3126 $69.90 What a bonus, made in
Australia as well.
from:
www.jaycar.com.au
Batteries we are presently using and getting excellent life from are the Apollo deep cycle batteries. These are made in Korea by Global Yuasa and we have found they are superior to batteries two and three times the price.
http://www.apollobatteries.com.au/spec.htm
The ones we use are the last item on the page the 882 about $140. Now, depends on how long and what time of year etc. you are going to use these panels and
fridge as to what battery capacity you need. I would suggest the one 882 is sufficient as it is what we use with our solar panels, and run the lights, radio, TV and computer gear from it. In winter you will have to move these panels three times during the day to get sufficient charge.
The cable you need to connect the panels to the batteries would be 6mm double sheathed cable, preferably oxygen free copper cable $2.50 meter. As for the plugs, well depends what you need. I like to use a small Anderson plug which is $14 and basically industructable.
So you can say for probably $1450 you can have the whole system up and running, battery included.
I have tried many of these flash expensive supposed super batteries, from the Optima to gel cells, and are not at all impressed for the money.
The other advantage using the Apollo battery, you can charge it from your car alternator via a Redarc Battery Isolator $110 incl GST (approx)
http://www.redarc.com.au/sbi.htm
without any issue. All the flash expensive solar type deep cycle batteries should only be charged at 10% of capacity which is very limiting.
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