Advice please?

[bishbashbosh]

I know its been flogged to death and information everywhere - but it just confuses the hell out of me..

So I'm wondering if anyone can give the thumbs up to these or should i be looking else where?

I don't want my money to be pissed up the wall and whilst i still have it want to invest it wisely in my truck.. I want to run them through my ctek d250s dual as its got the MTTP built in..

No1.? (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-G-P-12V-120W-Folding-Solar-Panel-Kit-Portable-Battery-Monocrystalline-Sale/161001052076?rt=nc)

No.2? (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141385042837?var=440527448748&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649)

[threedogs]

No and no you need poly not mono

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/121440764564?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[bishbashbosh]

umm.. poly you say? that link states mono?

so bloody confusing..

[threedogs]

Yes some panels require twice to space to generate the same power.
EG an 80 watt panel will return in ideal conditions about 4.5 AH thats a big panel too
100 watt may return about 6 AH
, to me there is a point where the panel is too big for the return, weight wise and size wise.
work out your usage that will determine your battery size , now on daily usage taking into account 6 hrs
of daylight a day,{includes rainy days] but most use a folding panel up to 180watt but $200 should get you a decent panel with 25 years warranty
on power out put.
Ill be buying that one in the link and wiring it the same as Bob has

[bishbashbosh]

so all i really want is to power my 45lt Engel, USB Devices (when low on battery), and lights at night when stopping in one spot for 3 days or more - Other than that my needs are quite simple. I'm going to drive do my first real drive - on my next break i want to drive to Uluru and back over 8 days and will be using a swag and gas stove. will store the panels in the back when not in use..

i going to purchase a portable solar panel using an anderson plug for the connection between my panels and ctek to keep my full river 105AMP topped up.

[threedogs]

Any of the folding panels will suit your needs and being outback sunlight should not be a problem.
I wouldnt buy a folding 180 watt panel as it just too big too heavy as well. anything from 100 up should do the trick IMO

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12v-100W-Solar-Folding-Panel-Kit-Caravan-Boat-Camping-Power-Mono-Charging-/111467252615?pt=AU_Solar&hash=item19f3f74b87
got my terms mixed up earlier, about the mono and the poly what you need to avoid is the amphoris
why not store the panel on your rack so its working all the time??

[bishbashbosh]

i've thought about the roof rack but need to work out space - think it'll be easier to just pull them out though during the day..

just need to learn how to pull the MTTP stuff off and connect to my ctek now - will use 8B&S cable that i have and it will run no more than 5 metres so that should reduce any voltage drop - my ctek is about 1 metre from my aux battery. will go with 120 just to get that little extra if i need it..

[Bob]

I have a 140W Solar Panel which I charge a 100AH Deep Cycle Battery which drives a 55L Fridge/Freezer.
This configuration easily keeps my Battery charged during the Day.

[threedogs]

Sounds good better to have a little more to cater for days when not much light is available.
Not sure of the wire size Bob used but it was available from JayCar I think.
I'll be going the folding 120 as well, running basically the same as you

[georges80]

It's MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) :)

I've run an 80W panel through a different MPPT product (not ctek) and it does fine with a 47L ARB in HOT weather (>38C daytime temps). Mono or Poly doesn't make too much difference, though Mono tend to be a bit more efficient (so somewhat smaller panels for same output) - though I wouldn't sweat it either way.

I have a 105 AHr aux battery and it's a good choice to run a fridge and other gadgets. All my 12V outlets, radio comms etc are always live from the aux battery.

So, a 100W or 120W panel will just let you deal with marginal solar conditions (clouds, trees, hills etc) or opening the fridge often to get to the beer...

Make sure your ARB is shaded as much as possible and also keep its vents clear so it can radiate heat as much as possible. That will help fridge efficiency (duty cycle).

cheers,
george.

[the evil twin]

In simplest terms...

Mono are more efficient than Poly panels... IE a Mono panel is about 5% more than a Poly panel.
For camping this usually doesn't matter all that much as all it means is that a Mono is slightly smaller.

Poly have a better temperature co-efficient... IE the hotter it is the less "more efficient" the Mono panels become and the Poly will take over.
For camping Poly is better

Solar panel performance is dollar related IE a top end panel of the same physical size and cells can be 20% more efficient than a cheapo.
This means a good Poly will easily outperform a cheap Mono or vice versa.

Solar panels degrade and the other main difference between manuf is by how much over time.
Most specs will be, say, "80% of output after 15 or 20 or 25 years" or whatever.
This means as the panels get older the performance gap between a cheapo and a high end panel will get better and better.
For a several thousand dollar house array this is quite important.
For Camping this doesn't matter all that much

To "top up" a 105 Amp AGM battery that is in a vehicle which is touring or for short term camping and only running a small Engel then an 80 to 100 Watt Array will be oodles.

I use a 100 watt array and that easily handles 2 fridges, LED lighting and electronics recharging into a 2 X 105 AH Full River AGM battery bank

[bishbashbosh]

thanks all.. time to drop some cash then..

will look into the poly's as well considering i'm going to be out in hot weather!

psst - what brand panels do you look for and avoid?

[the evil twin]

Just MHO but I am not a big fan of 'hard' mounting panels on a vehicle because;

You have to park your vehicle in the sun (yes, that is Captain Obvious speaking) and I hate that.

A panel that is at a poor angle to the Sun can loose 1/3rd to as much as 1/2 it's output which means either a much bigger array is needed or having to move the vehicle... a lot. Much easier to move a free standing panel around in azimuth and adjust the tilt legs.

With the Alternator running the "extra" few AH from the Panel is either neglible or not used at all or, worst case depending on set ups, can cut out the charge current from the Alternator and only use the few AH's available from the panel.

[Cuppa]

Poly or mono not really worth worrying about these days, esp. if A grade. Size difference is very small, buy panels to fit the storage space you have. My preference is for Mono because they are a tad more efficient, but choosing on that basis would only be if all other aspects were equal. I think TD is talking about Amorphous panels when he talks about some panels being much larger for the same wattage.

Don’t pay extra for the crappy regulators supplied with most panels, best to throw them in the bin & get a reasonable regulator for around $100 or so. Dont even think of using the supplied cables - use them for tying up your tomatoes & get appropriately heavy gauge cable to avoid voltage drop. Not much point having a panel which puts a significant part of it’s output into warming the cable rather than charging your battery.

Dor portables look for a panel frame design which will stand up well in the wind, some have flimsy legs & can’t be pegged down.

I’m not over keen on the black frames. Panels become less efficient the hotter they get & black will get hotter than silver.

Unlike ET I am a fan of roof mounted panels. Having used both mounted & portable, I’ll go with the convenience of mounted any day & am happy to have a bit of extra ‘wattage’ to compensate for the less than optimum mounting angle. Fit & forget rather than having to move the damn things every hour or so throughout the day, or tripping over cables, or worrying about them being nicked. Putting them on a roof with an air gap underneath will keep the car a bit cooler as it creates a ’tropical roof’. Mostly we sleep at night when the sun isn’t shining, so if the bed is in the vehicle it’s not a major issue. If not sleeping in the vehicle it’s not hard to sleep a few metres from the vehicle in the shade. Awnings are handy too.

When working out your wattage needs, (assuming you know how much your appliances will use) look at the nominal wattage of the panel & divide by 12 (for a 12v panel) & then multiply that figure by 70%. This will give you a realistic estimate of what output you can expect. Eg 120w divided by 12 =10 10 multiplied x70% =7. 7 amps is about what you can expect to see in good conditions (although new panels will often put out a bit more initially).

Cuppa

[bishbashbosh]

do i need a regulator if i have the ctek d250s dual?

i am going to hook up the cables using 8B&S directly to the ctek with an anderson plug in between for easy connection.

googling shops close so i can have a look at the panels atm

[megatexture]

No just connect earth to earth and pos to the bolt with the pic of a panel next to it

[Cuppa]

Ctek D250s Dual is a combined solar reg & dc to dc charger, & I assume a crank battery isolator too (MT can confirm the latter).

Deciding to use 8 B&S cable to connect panels to battery before you decide whether the panels will be roof mounted or portable, & (if portable how far away from the car you want to be able to place them) is putting the cart before the horse. The cable you need should be determined by the total length of the cable & the current you expect it to carry whilst ensuring an acceptably low voltage drop. Thankfully there are tables available to make this easy to work out. My favourite is this one. http://hobohome.com/news/?p=581 It’s a bit old now but the info in the tables holds good.

[Cuppa]

No just connect earth to earth and pos to the bolt with the pic of a panel next to it

Is there a misunderstanding here? Having an anderson plug in the solar input line is a good idea I think, at least it’s how I have my setup. Even my current roof mounted panel utilises an anderson plug connection for convenience if/when I need to remove it.

[megatexture]

Yes your right cuppa, the only thing I havent tested is if it will allow charging of the crank once the aux id at full charge via solar

[bishbashbosh]

i've used 8B&S throughout the whole fitout of my dual system - i don't think i'll need any bigger for the solar panels if i run them at 5 metres max?

will go with 120watt solar panels just to cover all bases - after thinking about it i'd rather not attach them to the roof as this will take up valuable real estate when travelling - don't mind moving them and will fold up and put in back - i got about 1.4 meter (width) x 1 meter (height) x 300mm (deep) behind my fridge to store them.

i'm thinking to mount an anderson plug next to the baintech power panel i have already fitted - that way i can just plug in the solar panels as needed without needing to fiddle with the ctek which sits under my wing cover of the drawers. what size amp anderson should i purchase you think?

should i remove the connection boxes that connect the panels and upgrade them to something better or is it just a case of removing the regulator and using the ctek?

aux battery - ctek = 1 metre

ctek - anderson = 500 mm

anderson - solar panels = 5 metre (max)

[graeme1969]

Gday.

I just mounted one of the weatherproof Anderson plugs onto the bull bar on the same side as I mounted the ctek under the bonnet. Nice and easy access.

[threedogs]

I used one of these meters from my Aux battery to the bullbar , great bit of kit
shows amps used and AHs being put back in battery plus other stuff !

[bishbashbosh]

help me pick one as i can't do it.. not worried about cheaper verses expensive etc.. just want to know which if any will be the best product/buy out of these panels..?

its almost impossible to pick now and i just seem to run around in circles trying to work out which is the one!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271621179531?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261412468631?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/111417695119?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/231267540489?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360466559807?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

[the evil twin]

Best kit of the 5 - the first one

Best bang for your buck - probably the last one

[bishbashbosh]

thanks ET!

[mudski]

Best kit of the 5 - the first one

Best bang for your buck - probably the last one

I have the first kit in the list but in 180w. I bought it from those guys too but with no reg as I already had the Redarc Bcdc. Funny thing was they told me it was only 20$ cheaper to buy without the reg and wiring and that their reg was the same as the Redarc unit. I laughed at him when he told me and he just gave me a blank look of, I don't understand.
I have to say though that they are good panels. I had before a 180w kit but in 3 x 60w panels. They didnt seem to eotk as well as these plus it was a real pain to move around three panels joined together.

[Cuppa]

I have a Rich Solar (Bit Deals) panel & find it to be much less affected by a bit of shadow than other ebay cheapies I’ve got. From my experience & of others I know they are a good product for the price. If you want the best have a look for Kyocera panels. I paid over $1100 each for 125w panels about a decade ago, they are around half that now.

[bishbashbosh]

umm decisions decisions.. just gotta bite the bullet and choose out of the two that have been recommended by you all - extra 80 bucks or save the 80 bucks.. might spend the extra 80 bucks!

[the evil twin]

umm decisions decisions.. just gotta bite the bullet and choose out of the two that have been recommended by you all - extra 80 bucks or save the 80 bucks.. might spend the extra 80 bucks!

It probably won't help... but... Solar Panels are classified in "tiers"
Tier 1 is the best, Tier 2 not quite as good, etc.

All Solar Panels deteriorate and the main difference in tiers and price is simply in how well the panels maintain their original specs.
The figures look like, say, "more than 80% of output after 25 years" versus "more than 80% of output after 20 years".
There isn't all that much difference for us Campers but better panels are a good idea and I would def stay away from the real cheapo's.

Panels with good specs and reputations will only have very small performance differences when you are camping.

[bishbashbosh]

how do you know what tier they are when buying of eBay etc.. surely they can fudge?