BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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It works with a power station, as seen in this video. It is not a "normal" solar panel.
https://sterlingwong.com/2022/02/05/revi........-watt-solar-blanket-folding-solar-panel/
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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Hi,
How large is the battery bank?
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
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profdant139
Southern California
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Joined: 11/14/2005
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Very useful comments -- thanks! If I decide to keep this panel, I would use it to charge a group 31 deep cycle battery, with 110 amp/hour capacity.
My existing 120 watt panel fully recharges my battery every day -- we carry a spare battery but never need it! (And yes, we carry a generator, also never run it.)
So this new 100 watt panel (if it works with a 12 volt battery) would just add to my existing charging options.
And yes, it is clearly too expensive on a "per watt" basis -- but it folds easily, it is very light, and it is easy to store. Those are important considerations, especially since our trailer is so small.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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How do you connect that 18v power wire to the 31 battery? or even to a solar controller that then connects to the battery?
You might have a power station that you charge up with that like in the video, and then use a battery charger plugged into the power station, but that seems a bit much.
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2oldman
NM
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Joined: 04/15/2001
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I can't find specific specs like with 'normal' solar panels. Open circuit voltage is normally 18v or higher, but when hooked to a load like a battery that voltage comes down. But, I can't say for sure if 18v is open circuit.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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profdant139 pwm controllers do not drop the voltage. They operate at what ever the battery voltage is. As the battery gets fuller the control "pulses" the power, with shorter "on" time and greater "off" time. PWM does include a one way diode to prevent the panels from drawing power from the battery bank.
110 amp-hour battery flooded? Then with this panel under PERFECT conditions 5.5 amps are going into the battery. But that only happens around solar noon.
I would be comfortable doing direct connection to the battery with an on/off switch between the panel and the bank.
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profdant139
Southern California
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Well, after all that, I am going to return the panel to Costco. All of the connectors are dinky little metal tubes, the kind you'd use for powering a boom box. (I'm showing my age here.)
So the way I figure it, if the manufacturer of this panel thought that this unit could charge a real 12v battery, they would have included some hardware (maybe alligator clips??) that would attach to the battery terminals. But they didn't.
Bottom line -- I might (or might not) be able to get it to work with enough add-on hardware, but it is not worth the "sunk costs" of the hardware. I can easily return the panel to Costco -- but it is not so easy to return the hardware for a full refund.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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profdant139,
A good decision.
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Apparently nobody watched the video I linked back when.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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BFL13 wrote:Apparently nobody watched the video I linked back when.
Hi BFL13,
I watched it.
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