Anyone ever heard of this solar package before?

[The_Climber]

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-5004...ods&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1325840750&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-5004...ods&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1325840750&amp;sr=1-1</a><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I'm just curious if anyone has used that or something of the same? I'm looking to learn more about a simple solar set up. Need to be able to operate a small lamp,charge my laptop and my cellphone. Possible a small fan and maybe a few other items. Not all at once of course. Just as needed. Any help is greatly appreciated for I am totally new to this whole thing. I tried reading some of the other posts. But its all&nbsp;Greek&nbsp;to me.....any advice and links are more than welcome. Thanks. -Joe</div>

 

[ped]

<P>No, but it's not really a good price. 60W will provide something like&nbsp;25 maybe&nbsp;30 amps a day while your laptop will use 4-5 amps an hour. A small fan and lamp together will use between 4-6 amps an hour. So you're looking at maybe&nbsp;2.5-3 hours of each a day at best.<BR><BR>On the other hand you can get two 85W panels from ebay at $160 each shipped, a 10A charge controller for $20, 400w inverter for $25, and&nbsp;the wires to connect it all&nbsp;and get something like 80-90 amps a day. Or, 3X the power&nbsp;for only about $40 more than that kit with shipping.</P><P>Of course the amps are really theoretical max ouput, and assuming these panels are under 18V. In the winter it will be considerably less even tilted to the south for max exposure.</P><P>If you want to keep it small the same principle applies. Put together your own kit for much less. One panel, 5-10 amp controller and inverter for about $200 total.</P><BR>solar panel<BR><BR><A href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/85-WATT-12-...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&amp;hash=item1e69160f89" target=_blank>http://www.ebay.com/itm/85-WATT-12-...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&amp;hash=item1e69160f89</A><br><BR>charge controller<BR><BR><A href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/160595382645?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.ebay.com/itm/160595382645?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649</A><br><BR>400W inverter<BR><BR><A href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cobra-CPI-4...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&amp;hash=item20bb3ff471" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cobra-CPI-4...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&amp;hash=item20bb3ff471</A><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

 

[The_Climber]

Thanks for the info.

 

[gadgetMe]

When you start to enjoy a solar system, it is like a hobby or a " bad habit" they always seem to get bigger, and you find more uses for it, which make things more convent.<br><br>I would start out with the largest a controller you may think you need, then double it's size. <br><br>Quality Solar is becoming less expensive almost monthly, (due to gov't subsidies expiring)<br><br>I have built our system over a 3 year period, setting up a yearly solar budget.<br><br>Solar panels are getting cheaper but, batteries are going up. so start out with&nbsp; a couple of 6 volt golf cart batteries, a large charge controller, and add more panels over time.<br><br>Another element of a off grid system is a inverter that will change the 12 volts to 110 volt household current.<br><br>Sunforce is mainly an entry level quality of products, not too crazy about them for long term use.<br><br>Putz<br>

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[Vern M]

<p>Before you start buying stuff for a van or similar solar setup, I suggest reading the articles posted elsewhere on this web site that have "solar" in their titles. You will quickly learn what will work, what will fit and what is best as others have found who,&nbsp;as Mother Earth News's founder used to say; are "them that's doin'."</p>

 

[ped]

<P>I have to disagree. <BR><BR>The best way too look at solar IMO is to calculate it by price per watt. $150 for 45w, even&nbsp;though you get the little rack and lights, is $3.33 per watt. <BR><BR>With the simple 85w system I linked to for $200 with the inverter, wiring&nbsp;and charge controller it comes out to about $2.35 per watt. Putting together a simple rack like the one from&nbsp;the HF kit isn't really all that hard. Or especially&nbsp;with just one panel not really needed at all.<BR></P><br>If you really wanted to be get the best bang for the buck, and you can use a soldering iron, look at solar laminates. You can get&nbsp;them for under $.60 per watt. They're usually 24V so a MPPT controller is wise, which costs alot more than PWM's, but they will take advantage of the higher voltage. Laminates require you to solder your own Junction box and diode and make your own frame though. But after all that is done you're still going to be at or under $1 per watt.<br><br>here is a 200w 23.7V panel (~78-90AH w/MPPT) for $116.00<br><br><A href="http://www.sunelec.com/sun-lg-200l-poly-p-1728.html" target=_blank>http://www.sunelec.com/sun-lg-200l-poly-p-1728.html</A><br>

 

[Kisatchieman]

Look at this 144 watt flexible panel on ebay:&nbsp; <BR><A href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/270881422873?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" target=_blank target=_blank>http://www.ebay.com/itm/270881422873?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649</A><BR><BR>18' long but could be rolled up and stashed in your rig until needed, then spread out on the ground. Could park your rig in the shade and put panel out in the sun.<BR>

 

[Kisatchieman]

<P>Yep. Missed the 33v when reading the description. By the time you bought a controller to handle that voltage the cheap panel wouldn't be a bargain. <IMG border=0 align=absMiddle src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif"></P>

 

[ped]

<P>Well you can get the MPPT's for about $130 or so and they're not a bad investment to have anyway. Especially ones that you can program to higher voltages running to the batteries in case you're getting&nbsp;to much drop or th batteries themselves call for something higher than 14.4v as some do (like Trojan). Another good thing about the high voltage panels is you can run longer wires generally. So if you wanted to make a free standing system so you can&nbsp;put them&nbsp;in the sun while parked in the shade you won't have as&nbsp;detrimental of losses at the controller. </P>