Solar Panel Advice Sought

Big call Ron.

Depends on the size of you fridge, camping in Summer or Winter, the size of the panel etc.

Put "jimbo" into the search function and get back to about December 2004, I did a lot of research into solar panels back then and posted it.

Since then I've had some more experience. To be totally solar sufficient is not possible on one 64 watt panel, however it does a fine job and with a little supplementing with the alternator it works well.

Depends on how much you want to spend.

Jim.

Ron173,

Mate, there are many variants that can effect solar panels. I did the Gibb River road last year and had two 40lt Engel's in the Patrol running of a 100amp/hr AGM and was using 2 x 50watt solar panels and had no issues with maintaining battery charge. One fridge was running as a freezer and the 2 x 50watt panels worked well.
The 2 panels fold out like a brief case with fold up legs. This works well has it halves the size and they are easy to move and follow the sun.

Good luck which ever way you go......

Hi Ron

100W Bi-Fold as a minimum.



Have a Great Christmas

Regards

Derek.

Hi Ron

Hubby and I just purchased some solar panels as we are travelling Oz and run 2 fridges (80L and 35L Waecos), lights, fan and laptop (occasionally). We went a bit overboard and bought 2 x 130W Kyocera panels, they are fairly large but we are absolutely stoked with them and their performance. Run a 120AH deep cycle battery (just ordered 2 x 120AH AGM batteries to beef up the storage as we only lasted a day and a half on the one battery when it was overcast) . We ran for 2 week on purely the energy from the solar panels. Admittedly they did cost a bit more than you want to spend but have a look at www.tasmanenergy.com.au this is where we bought ours from and they only charged $50 freight from Tasmania to Mt Isa!!! They have a specials page so could pick yourself up a bargain. Budget on around $250 for a regulator also.

Give Tasman Energy a call and tell them what you want to run, how big your battery is and how long you want to be independant for and they will tell you what you need to buy. We did alot of research and alot of phoning around and they gave us the best price and the best service.

Ron,

I do exactly what you are talking about - most recent example is four days up on the river for cod opening.

I bought a 100 folding panel with regulator for about $1100 in September at a local camping show. Haggled a bit.

Out of curiousity I let the fridge run until it cutout to see how long the new deep cycle would run it for from full charge. It ran for about 28 hours - it was pretty warm weather and the vehicle was parked in the sun.

I then ran the vehicle for a couple of hours just to get a little bit of charge back in. I plugged in the 100w panel and didn't touch the ignition for the next three days until we left camp.

I ran a flouro at night, the fridge, and the interior light in the canopy at times.

The NGT pulls a bit even when it's off too. Must check out what the ambient current draw on that is. Might even look at an isolator for it.

Dave

Many thanks for all your valued replies, gives me something to go on now as a baseline for what I need.

Merry Christmas to you all

Ron

Hi Ron

Read your other question to, and didn't think 3way was way to go either
even though good 3-ways can maintain a 30c differential.

You have had some solar panel advice so I'll leave that alone.

The characteristics of your issue (staying out a bit longer) are most
easily addressed by just running your car for 1/2hr per day.

You can certainly do other things like solar/generator etc, and they are
a lot of fun to play with - but if its the odd weeklong+ trip just
do it the simple , and low cost way.

A good small fridge setup should only require less than 30 amp hours per
day to run.

You apparently have a dual battery setup - but do you have a good
charger for the 2nd one? If not this is where I'd spend money.

A good charger should be able to deliver 25+ amps into your 120amp battery
per hour, I.E. 13 amps per 1/2 hour.

Over 7 days doing this extends your fridge by 3 days.

One little tip - when charging your 2nd battery, the fridge should
be switched on so that its drawing from starter battery , rather
than detracting from your chargers efforts.

In my case, my Waeco has turbo switch and _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx 6amps hence saving this
drain and effectivily adding another days operation at same rate.

Robin Miller

Ron,

I read your previous post but decided not to try and talk you out of any decision you may have made. (2nd fridge)

It is good (for you) that you have changed your mind and now employing a similar approach, many others take.

To give you an indication of solar panel input, I use a 40 watt panel and this puts back into the 75Ah battery pack I use, most, if not all that is taken out on a daily basis by my 40 litre Engel and fluro lights. I do not bother switching the fridge off at night.
I have an option of attaching a second 40 watt panel if required but I have not experienced the need yet. This approach was recommended to me by “The Home of 12 Volt” who was the supplier of the BP Panel I use. In this way, there is a “growth path” without the expense of a bigger panel up front.
It probably gets down to how much sunlight is available in the areas you frequent.

As Jimbo has said, If you had a bigger fridge, say 60 litre, the extra running current may require a larger capacity solar panel, but the 40 litre Engel is fairly economical, with a maximum current drain of 2.7 amps and only then if it is running full time.

Now, as for those cold beers mate, I take a good quality icebox on longer trips with me.
If the beer and the cans of Jack Daniels and the missus’s chardonnay cannot be chilled enough, we revert to the bottles of red.

G'day Ron,
My setup is an 80 litre in fridge/freezer mode and that keeps the food and girly drinks at the right temperatures. I also use a little 18 litre set at about 1 degree which is ideal for the blokes drinks and the occational can of coke or bottle of water. :-)

I run these plus some fluros off a 200AH battery bank and top it up through the day with 2 X 68 Watt Sola panels. Normal days and all is back to full charge by around 10 or 11. Though recently on a trip had 4 days of cloudy weather. The batteries were getting low, but while-ever the panels were seeing light they were putting a little bit back in. On the 5th day, with bright sunlight, it took all day but by the end of it I had full charge again.

For times like cloudy days, a good meter and a set of jumper leads will be all you need. Watch the voltage. If it gets too low, jumper it to the car, run at a medium idle and that will get you by till the sun comes out again.

One word of advice as has been mentioned previously, if you go the solar panel way, go as large as you can afford. It is an investment and it will last a heck of a lot longer then anything with moving parts.

Cheers

Peter

Once again, stoked with replies, many thanks.

I have my own areas of knowledge, and I like to try to impart to others if poss, but its just great to be able to info/knowledge share like we do here.

Thanks Again, all taken onboard,

Tragic to see that young child drown today.....6 months old too! cant imagine the loss the parents are trying to come to terms with, its happening ALL too often nowadays.

I have a 21 month old daughter, and worry constantly bout her till shes old enough to have a little bit of experience on life....... my heart goes out to the mother/parents....... so sad.

Hope you all have a SAFE and happy Xmas,

and thanks again

Rgds

Ron

Ron,
you have to do some homework and figure out how much power you use in 24 hours on average, because that figure has to be replaced by the Solar system every 24 hours or you will be going backwards.....

In theory an Engel uses about 2 amp/hour (subject to correction ..) 2 x 24 = 48 Amps total 24 hours.
Some power for lights, ~4 amp
So you need a panel/s that will give you ~7.5 amp minimum. (~130w panel or two 65w panels)
A 123 watt 7.2 amp Sharp panel should be reasonable, because of their ability to work in very low light, giving them more 'usable' hours per day of working over the cheaper panels available that only work in full sun for 'less' hours per day.

A good solar regulator that is rated as suitable for the "type" of DC battery you have will be a real bonus.

I'm not an "expert" either, I only use a 200+ watt solar power system 24/7, 365 daze/year.

Different quality solar panels give different power outputs, some work in part sun, some in shade and then some don't like anything less than full direct sun.
Quality costs money...