35 watt solar blvd panel

[bat]

I picked up two 35 watt W solar Monocrystalline solar panels to make a folding setup for my truck, I still might add one more not sure just yet but total cost for the 2 and SunSaver-10 amp was $158.00. I am a rookie at the solar stuff but did some testing today and with the sun hiding this is the readings on a overcast day.

 

[kingg5]

where did you buy them from? got a link?

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: 17VDC is kinda OK, but you NEED a battery charging/sys app controller and the 7-amp is just about the minimum required-

Your voltmeter doesn't show what the current flow CAN BE under load, but getta controller, it's required, otherwise you'll fry the battery !

Good luck

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[4x4junkie]

:sombrero: 17VDC is kinda OK, but you NEED a battery charging/sys app controller and the 7-amp is just about the minimum required-

Your voltmeter doesn't show what the current flow CAN BE under load, but getta controller, it's required, otherwise you'll fry the battery !

Good luck

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

That is what the "SunSaver - 10 amp" he mentioned in his post is.

 

[pods8]

Cool, got a picture of the panel wiring box/leads? Picture of the controller? Curios in the gen. 3 are normal stock now.

I have contemplated adding two of these to a 100watt setup to max out a 10amp controller.

 

[bat]

I was not happy about how the panel box looked but it works and gets the job done. I have not decided on the guage wire to come off the controller I was thinking of #12 or 10 not sure. The panels seem very heavy for how small they are and pretty solid except for the crappy panel box.

 

[pods8]

Thanks. That is a gen 3 unit.

Some specs I saw said about 8lb per panel, seem about right to you or no?

 

[bat]

The setup weighs right at 19 lbs with the controller inside, the frame around the panel is a doubled walled construction. I like the size of the panels small footprint and I could fit a 25 watt if I wanted a little more and it would fit inside the fold up nicely. Do you think a 12 gauge wire is okay for a 25ft run from the controller to the vehicle.

 

[pods8]

No not really, at about 4 amps you'll be close to a 3% loss. What you really need is the controller at the battery and that the loss prior to the controller when the voltage is higher and going to get chopped down anyways. After the controller it is conditioned to what it needs to be and not much room for losses there.

 

[bat]

need is the controller at the battery

My thinking was the same lose the voltage before the battery but wanted to make it portable to different vehicles.

 

[pods8]

Figured but you'll already need to make some connections, not hard to place the controller nearby. Otherwise you need to use a decent gauge to mitigate losses and get efficient charging. With the controller at the battery you can use less gauge and/or have more length in your wire.

Maybe consider making harnesses with the small size power pole connectors for ease of use.

 

[Crom]

bat,

I have the 25 Watt W Solar panels, three of them, look real similar to yours. I'm in San Diego too, yesterday while very sunny, I metered them out and VOC was 21 Volts which I believe is right for the spec. I'm conducting tests with inline ammeters right now. I have a CTEK DC-DC charger with a builtin solar controler, so far it's working great. I was surprised that on the solarblvd website it listed the 25 W panels at 9 lbs each. This was wrong. I weighed my panels with a certified scale and they are 4.84 lbs. each. My frames are not double walled though, much thinner in design.

I like your folding panel design. Mine will probably mount to the roof rack, but I want to make them detachable too.

 

[4x4junkie]

I have an almost-identical portable solar setup, but larger (85W panels + SunSaver MPPT-15 controller).

How I did it is with 2½ feet of #10 wire with strong clips to connect the controller to the battery posts.
For the panels, I have 50 feet of inexpensive #10 landscape lighting cord that plugs with a DC quick-connect terminal at both the panels and at the controller. I also fabbed up a "reel" (if you will) out of some 1/8" aluminum strip to wind the 50' of cord onto the back of the panels so it's carryable as one.
I can have the setup connected to any battery & charging it in maybe 1-3 minutes.

For your setup (being smaller), you should be able to substitute #12 or maybe even #14 wire for the #10 that I used for mine (I'd suggest #12 for your panels since your panels would be in parallel where mine are in series for the MPPT controller).

 

[4RunAmok]

I have an almost-identical portable solar setup, but larger (85W panels + SunSaver MPPT-15 controller).

How I did it is with 2½ feet of #10 wire with strong clips to connect the controller to the battery posts.
For the panels, I have 50 feet of inexpensive #10 landscape lighting cord that plugs with a DC quick-connect terminal at both the panels and at the controller. I also fabbed up a "reel" (if you will) out of some 1/8" aluminum strip to wind the 50' of cord onto the back of the panels so it's carryable as one.
I can have the setup connected to any battery & charging it in maybe 1-3 minutes.

For your setup (being smaller), you should be able to substitute #12 or maybe even #14 wire for the #10 that I used for mine (I'd suggest #12 for your panels since your panels would be in parallel where mine are in series for the MPPT controller).

NO FUSES???

I know someone who almost lost the rear of their truck to a solar panel wire. Fuses are required.

 

[4x4junkie]

Guess i should've specified, yes the controller has a 15A blade fuse on it (it's an old pic right after I put it together).