For this weekend:
* diff, box and transfer case breather lines.
* new struts.
Possibly for christmas/new years:
* Lokka for the front...
* slim line battery + diy box between the drawer and side of the car.
For this weekend:
* diff, box and transfer case breather lines.
* new struts.
Possibly for christmas/new years:
* Lokka for the front...
* slim line battery + diy box between the drawer and side of the car.
Some recent minor mods...
+ 200 Watt solar panel mounted on the Rhino bars.
+ CTEK D250S Dual charger in the back.
+ 55A/H Optima Battery in the back.
+ West Mountain Radio Rig-Runner for power distribution in the back.
+ 105A/H deep cycle in an arc-power box that can be installed in-system as-needed.
The above works well, however some changes are in order...
+ Add relays to switch radio's between 'main' power and the battery in the rear.
+ Add relays to enable power on/off of rear accessories. (fridge, inverter, radio's).
+ Add a bypass relay for the charger to allow for quick charging from the alternator if the battery is really low. (higher current).
+ Add switches to the front of the car for the above.
The battery/solar setup should be adequate for most uses, although a little slim on power mid winter when I'm not so likely to need it anyway.
Based on Sydney Summer calculations:
AH/Day from PV system: 100AH
Battery AH: 55AH (both batteries) + 100AH when needed for higher loads.
Power demand: 92 Watts (fridge and lighting + radios)
Power generation should (usually) exceed battery capacity with some allowance of 2 days without sunlight. The optima can rapidly recharge from the alternator if necessary.
A little slim on the storage but sufficient for most of my trips. A longer trip mid-winter would be a challenge, although I don't see myself taking an extended trip mid winter...
J.
other than fridge and lighting what other power is needed ??
04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there
I'm a ham radio nut, camping around twilight with low ambient noise (low qrm) provides the opportunity for low power operation (qrp).
I'll usually use a tree to run the antenna, occasionally I'll put up a 9m mast with cb on top and a dipole antenna for HF. The cb helps keep in contact with the kiddies/base camp when out walking, The HF is just for fun. Having HF contacts in to Europe and the US at 10 Watts output is a fun challenge
I don't tend to go the whole setup in busy camp sites. People running TV's/Microwaves/generators/inverters/hid's tend to add too much noise to make the effort worthwhile. I'm working on a more portable option so I can hike away from the noise pollution in those instances.
If I'm tempted in noisier environments the power demand goes up to 30watts, usually digital modes which adds the need for the laptop (45Watts when charging).
J.
threedogs (3rd March 2015)
1425333778087.jpg
Not much to see of the solar panel... Which is a good thing. There is still space up there for the swag or a narrow roof cage to hold a couple jerry cans. The may be just enough space for the roof pod... I'll need to test that one.
J.
With interest here lately with upper/lower sb CB ,I might crank up my old Dick Smith Hornet11
with a power mike great unit in its day
04 ST 3lt auto, not enough Mods to keep me happy, but getting there
The 11m band has been going great guns lately (cb). I've had a lot of international contracts on the 10m ham band as well.
A plot of the solar panel setup while ive been testing it with the fridge etc. May be of interest to some people.
http://aprs.fi/telemetry/a/VK2VJB-9?range=week
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