Power Question

[lysol]

Also, you can easily get a solar panel with a long cord and put it in the sunlight. not hard at all.

 

[madmax718]

The solar panel is definatly easier than stringing up that chute... lol

 

[CaliMobber]

Im a generator nazi. If its not a super quite gen ( louder then 60db) they drive me insane. I like to hear nature not cover it up with generator noise. Seriously a few solar panels can fix 90% of people needs. I can stay parked for days without starting the car. Once I get a 45w panel I should be fully 100% sustained. No gen or car starting just cold beer and the wind in my ears.

Just a reminder batteries drained past 50% (12.0v) will kill them sooo much fast then keeping them over 12v.

 

[brian90744]

Forget the lighter to run a 1000 watt invertor, you will need 6 guage wire (Jumper cables) Any heating item will drain the battery fast, Check the item for wattage. I sure you will have a great campimg trip.

Okay, I am first stating I new to automotive electrical/camping mods. That being said; I am looking at running a few things for my light/medium duty expedition set up I am planning out for my 2010 WRX. I plan on having a fridge/freezer, electric grill, air pump, small electronics, driving lights, etc that need to be powered. So my question is how should it all be powered? My first thoughts are to get a power pack/backup and run a cigarette lighter plug inverter to keep that charged and run everything off the power pack. But I am not sure if that is the best way to keep everything running? would that even work? I have found some high out put alternators online ranging from 180amp all the way up to 270amp. So in theory I could just get a yellow top and an upgraded alternator and run a simple inverter, right? How much power am I really needed to provide also? Would I even need to change anything?

 

[lysol]

Just a reminder batteries drained past 50% (12.0v) will kill them sooo much fast then keeping them over 12v.

This is the KEY. That's why you want to budget for more amp hours than what you need or you will be replacing that expensive aux battery sooner than you would like...

 

[dwh]

Do you just 550 cord it to various trees? is there a particular shape you go for each time?

Twine. I wrote an article about twine:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/78426-Bushcraft-A-Discussion?p=1111691#post1111691

Pretty much no trees where I go in the desert, so I drive tent stakes and tie off to those. But yea, trees are great when you can use them.

My chute is a 30' round, so I just let it hang over the truck evenly on all sides. Since I have a camper van with a 2' high fiberglass bubble top, it works out pretty good - a little shade on the ends, and a lot on the sides.

 

[dwh]

Also, you can easily get a solar panel with a long cord and put it in the sunlight. not hard at all.

Sure, I could, but I'd have to put it away whenever I hop on the bike and wander off. And it won't give me as many usable amp*hours as the generator. And it'll cost more.

So...nah.

 

[dwh]

Im a generator nazi. If its not a super quite gen ( louder then 60db) they drive me insane. I like to hear nature not cover it up with generator noise. Seriously a few solar panels can fix 90% of people needs. I can stay parked for days without starting the car. Once I get a 45w panel I should be fully 100% sustained. No gen or car starting just cold beer and the wind in my ears.

Yea well it's not like I'm running the bloody thing 24/7. Once a week, sometimes twice. No big deal. Besides, I've been kicking nazis in the balls my whole life - word nazis, smoke nazis...why not generator nazis too. I even have a milspec phone, so I can beat nazis to death with it and still be able to order a pizza afterward.

Just a reminder batteries drained past 50% (12.0v) will kill them sooo much fast then keeping them over 12v.

Yea, that's why I buy cheap aux batteries. I get more usuable amp*hours by grinding cheap batteries into the dust than I would babysitting an expensive battery.

I do buy good cranking batteries though, but I don't abuse them.