Solar charging

[777]

Thank you so much Gentlemen. I will start by checking voltage and then by changing the gage of wire from Controller to Batteries. And then change the controller as funds are available.

[gawin]

[quote source="/post/18741/thread" timestamp="1455640042" author="@david"]777:


2. Your 3,500 watt generator should be able to run the A/C as well as the converter just fine. The A/C draws about 1,500 watts and the converter draws about 600 watts, so the total is well below the generator's capacity.

[/quote]This is not quite true. Any compressor can draw up to double it's wattage rating on  it's initial start up spike. So a 1500w A/C unit can pull 3000w every time it starts. This can stall the generation or can cause damage to the A/C unit. It is always best to make sure to add this in when figuring generator size. 

As for solar I use to have the 45 watt system from Harbor Freight. It was on sale for 99.00. Also added a charge controle for another 20 bucks. This setup wile it worked great was very heavy and a pain to cart around. I now have a Zamp 40 watt briefcase pannel with the built in controler. The convince is well worth the extra cost. Even more so when using it for a small 6.0. 

As for your coffee pot. 5 dollars at your local junk store can get you a perkulator that will solve the need to use any electricity for a great cup of coffee. 

[peislander]

[quote source="/post/18814/thread" timestamp="1455863266" author="@gawin"][quote source="/post/18741/thread" timestamp="1455640042" author="@david"]777:


2. Your 3,500 watt generator should be able to run the A/C as well as the converter just fine. The A/C draws about 1,500 watts and the converter draws about 600 watts, so the total is well below the generator's capacity.

[/quote]This is not quite true. Any compressor can draw up to double it's wattage rating on  it's initial start up spike. So a 1500w A/C unit can pull 3000w every time it starts...[/quote]

If you had your converter switched off when you start the A/C the 3,500w generator should start a 1,500w A/C without issue. Then switch on the convertor to have both running on the generator. I realize some people haven't installed their converters with a switch -- but they should.

[admin]

I believe its been mentioned around the forum before (in fact I think David may have said this at one time) but there are ways to deal with the AC unit without going overboard on the size of the genset. For example a softstart capacitor will remove the large draw which allows you to use the smaller generator. An example would be this: http://amzn.to/21dwXYm
I advise anyone wanting to do this to do their own research so they fully understand what is going on. Capacitors carry a huge amount of juice and can be dangerous if not handled correctly.

-Sean

[gawin]

Yes anytime dealing with caps you have to remember they hold a charge even when they are no longer connected to power. You have to treat them as always hot.

[sbgirl96]

I really tried to understand this thread but most of it made my head spin.

We have a 6.0 trailer with A/C. My dream was to use solar panels to run the A/C.  I have learned that is not going to happen.

On black Friday I got excited and bought this without going any research -->   http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Solar-Battery-Charging-Kit/dp/B001RJOP5Y?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

In the reviews people were saying that it did everything they needed and someone said they used it for their A/C.  The numbers didn't mean anything to me so I bought it thinking I was getting a very powerful solar panel.  It now sounds like I was very wrong.


During the day we want to run these things:
   - Fully charge 2 cell phones, once daily
   - This breakfast station to make coffee and breakfast  --> http://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-BSET300RETRORED-Powerful-Breakfast-Station/dp/B00LS7VOCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460412089&sr=8-1&keywords=nostalgia+breakfast+station

During the night we want to fun these thing:
   - The light that comes with the livin lite trailer (for about 3-4 hours)
   - a small portable dvd player


Do I have what I need for that?  

When I asked the RV repair shop they said that I should install a 2nd battery and then connect the solar panel so that it charges both.  Would that really help?
Another person suggested I install an inverter.

Can you educate this clueless gal?

Thanks

[admin]

The breakfast station is going to require an inverter at a minimum. I did a very quick look and someone suggested it takes 1500w. That's a significant size for an inverter. If it were me I'd look at other options for your coffee and breakfast.
If you do drop the breakfast cook station then that solar panel is enough. That assumes good sun. That panel should give something like 1 to 1.5 amps per hour in good sun. This will recharge phones and run lights for a good amount of time. It may not fully recharge the battery in one day so if these are constant draws the. You'll want to get more power, but these things are never constant. So unless you are living off grid, or going for weeks on end, you should be fine

[sbgirl96]

Well darn.  I guess we could do without the breakfast cook station when we don't have hookups.  We only go for 1 - 2 nights any way because we work Mon - Friday.

Everything else can be run on batteries or propane.  We even have AA battery phone rechargers. I'm not sure why we would even need solar panels.

[whoofit]

[quote source="/post/20465/thread" timestamp="1460412454" author="@sbgirl96"]

Can you educate this clueless gal?

[/quote]The solar panel you have might only be able to keep up with your cell phone charging. Your battery will get lower and lower each day if you try to use much more than that.

 It is like a bank account.

 The battery is your savings. It only has so much to start with and has a limitation on how quickly you can withdraw from it.

The solar panel is your income.  If you are making a set amount of money per hour but your hours available to work vary then your daily take home will vary based on it. The size of the panel is your hourly wage. Your hours available to work are sunny hours in the day.

The devices are your expenditures. You may choose to go all out on a fine dinner, drinks and a movie one day while not eating at all for the next few days or pace yourself for the duration of the week until payday. The devices bleed your savings bank based on how much spending you do. "Cooking Breakfast" can vary in time and will bleed the bank in varying amounts.

It's about budgeting expenditures based on income for a duration your bank account will allow.

Trying to run the electric cook set with what you have now would be like laying your entire savings on the wheel in Vegas with no chance to win. The only benefit would be to watch the wheel spin. As a matter of fact your battery (bank account) probably isn't even big enough to sit at that table to begin with.

Try to lean on propane more or go to a developed campsite and use the 110V plugs. A generator can do. Much more solar and battery could do it.

You would definitely need an inverter too.....that would be compared to currency conversion in money talk.

[pinstriper]

[quote source="/post/20469/thread" author="@sbgirl96" timestamp="1460417390"]Well darn.  I guess we could do without the breakfast cook station when we don't have hookups.  We only go for 1 - 2 nights any way because we work Mon - Friday.

Everything else can be run on batteries or propane.  We even have AA battery phone rechargers. I'm not sure why we would even need solar panels.
[/quote][span style="font-size:13.3333px;"]Even the smallest solar panel can keep up with the needs of a propane stove, and in any weather <g>.

[/span]Bring a charged USB mini-charger or three and that takes care of your cell phones.

Yeah, you don't need a solar panel.

[david]

If you are going to add a permanently wired solar panel to your roof, go with a 100 watt panel and use a PWM controller. Going smaller doesn't save much.

If you just want to keep batteries topped up with no amperage use, then you can hook up a 10-20 watt panel and you really don't even need a controller. Amazon has such a panel for $30-40 or with a controller for $60.

David

[sbgirl96]

What I really wanted was to get a cheap solar panel and run the A/C whenever I wanted.  Ha!  Ok lesson learned.

At least I only spent $55 on this solar panel.  Maybe I should put table legs on it and sell it as art.  ;-)  

[sbgirl96]

[quote source="/post/20471/thread" timestamp="1460417908" author="@pinstriper"][quote timestamp="1460417390" author="@sbgirl96" source="/post/20469/thread"]Well darn.  I guess we could do without the breakfast cook station when we don't have hookups.  We only go for 1 - 2 nights any way because we work Mon - Friday.

Everything else can be run on batteries or propane.  We even have AA battery phone rechargers. I'm not sure why we would even need solar panels.
[/quote][span style="font-size:13.33px;"]Even the smallest solar panel can keep up with the needs of a propane stove, and in any weather <g>.

[/span]Bring a charged USB mini-charger or three and that takes care of your cell phones.

Yeah, you don't need a solar panel.


[/quote][p]
[/p][p]I love the analogy!  Thanks that really helped.
[/p]

[sbgirl96]

If you are going to add a permanently wired solar panel to your roof, go with a 100 watt panel and use a PWM controller. Going smaller doesn't save much.

If you just want to keep batteries topped up with no amperage use, then you can hook up a 10-20 watt panel and you really don't even need a controller. Amazon has such a panel for $30-40 or with a controller for $60.

David

[p]David,[/p][p]
[/p][p]Will this one that we bought do the trick for just topping off the battery?   [a href="http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Solar-Battery-Charging-Kit/dp/B001RJOP5Y?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00"]http://www.amazon.com/Watt-Solar-Battery-Charging-Kit/dp/B001RJOP5Y?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00[/a][/p][p]
[/p][p]
[/p]

[david]

Yes, that system should work fine for keeping the batteries topped up when you are not camping.

And if you only camp for a couple of days at a time, you will never run down your batteries enough to worry about it, given your usage.

David