80Watt Solar Panel-40ltre Engel Fridge

Hi Will,
I had a Chescold but got rid of it ... hopeless on 12 volts ! Great on gas and OK on 240 Volts. Engel with a 100Ah battery on solar through a regulator works for me.

Havent you answered your own question , ' Ive got both and use the Engle more often as Im never in the one place for too long ' ,
a 3way can and is great IF your at a static camp , pretty damn inconvenient though if on the move every day or 3 setting back up the unit to dead level for gas ,too much constant amp draw on 12v , and most forget that once you have the correct solar setup there are no ongoing expenses , no gas to buy , no fuel to buy/carry for the generator.

Hi Axle

I don't want to get into a debate on fridges, but how much does it cost to get a solar setup for a fridge (so it can run all day and night) and what's the lifespan of a solar panel?

I'm guessing its over $1000 and about 5-10yrs tops.

I got my Chescold before the Engel and find the Chescold is only good for gas and 240V, while the Engel is great when I'm on the move. So it really depends on what type of travelling I'm doing.

3 way fridges aren't perfect, but so aren't solar panels - thats why I've got the 2 fridges

Will.

No debate , solar panels have a life span of 25+ years and to set up a system to run something like a 40lt Engle would top out at $1000 -$1200 ,,

Yes, your very new to Solar :-((

As I said, the important numbers are the "average" on a hot day,
not the maximum number attainable on a 'best conditions' day
or put another way
the total number of Amps delivered to a battery in a (full) day, as different brands of 80W panels will give very different Amp numbers in exactly the same identical conditions, and they are all the exact same number of Watts, over the duration of a (full) day.

Suntech are the 'cheapest' panels available, and don't deliver the same "total" output as higher technology (expensive) panels over a full day.
Yes, they do & will work, but just not as effective as the high tech panels.

As for solar regulators, if you get a basic on/off regulator your just wasting money, well only a small amount of money 'cause they are cheap too, get a 3 x stage reg that will fully charge a battery 100% and with PWM.

Anyway, they say to me "Mainey, if you can't say sumthing nice - then say nuffin"