Show me your portable panel stands!

[Herbie]

Ok folks, I know there are a bunch of us who use rigid panels, but not bolted to the vehicle all the time.

For years, I've had my 60w panel such that I can put it in the sun on a longish cable, but I've never had a stand, or even legs for it - I've just leaned it against a tire, or a stump.

This was simple, but I feel like it was sub-optimal because I'd sometimes get a little shading from low grass, and could never be sure I'd get the angle set well. There's also a certain degree of instability.

Now I'm upgrading to a larger panel, I'm thinking I'll fab a lightweight set of adjustable legs. Something that secures the panel slightly up off the ground, secures it against blowing over in the wind, sets the optimal angle, but isn't heavy or cumbersome to deploy.

However before I get to building, I figure I'd see what everyone else is doing. Show me how you're deploying your remote rigid solar panels!

 

[rayra]

My folding panel is a defunct brand that seems to have been a precursor to the Goalzero design. It came with legs fashioned from angle-iron which were bolted to the perimeter frame of the panels themselves, folding flat against the panel when not need and pivoting out to support the panel in use. It's a compact design, they fold up within the stored panel, and I left them in place when the panel is in my roof deck mount.

I'll see if I already have a pic with enough detail. They'd be easy to fashion for any panel. And you could make them the appropriate height for your latitude to give an optimum tilt to your panels.


eta

that's all the slightly-useful stuff I already have on hand. If you need a particular pic or have a specific question, feel free to ask

 

[dwh]

I'd probably go with something like this...

Adjustable and you can put a sandbag or whatever on the part on the ground to keep it from blowing over.

You can probably buy them pretty cheap.

Not practical for a folding suitcase, but fine for a single panel.

 

[dreadlocks]

I've got a conduit bender, so I just bent some 1/2in conduit into a U shape.. done.

 

[Photobug]

Mine is really simple.

I took some 2x2 cut it down to the same thickness as the panels back. The panel is mounted on a u-channel. I filled a part of the u-channel with a narrower piece of wood.

I made a U shaped piece of wood glued and screwed to make my legs. It is sized to fit inside the panel's back when folded flat. I used bolts with thumbscrews to tighten the legs at the angle needed. I will take some better close-ups when it is light out tomorrow.

 

[Photobug]

I had to put a piece of wood into the groove for structure. I used screws to hold this wood in place then added the wood shape U.