Average 260-300 watt peak output from 640 watt flat mounted array?

[tx2sturgis]

Now engineering a good, cheap tilt mount from off-the-shelf Home Depot parts... that's my next challenge!

It's easy!

Can't you just use some aluminum bars to prop the panels up? Drill holes for the bolts in the ends of the bars. 

That's basically what I did....

 

[C-Cat]

It's easy!

Can't you just use some aluminum bars to prop the panels up? Drill holes for the bolts in the ends of the bars. 

That's basically what I did....

What are you using for the feet and could you maybe take some photos of your setup?

 

[tx2sturgis]

What are you using for the feet and could you maybe take some photos of your setup?

Lol...well I don't have a flux capacitor....this was 17 years ago on my old Class A Itasca. I sold it last year. It seems like I took some digital pictures but I don't know if I can find them on my old computer hard drive....I will look but no guarantees. 

But what I made was a frame or rack that allowed me to pull 2 bolts from either side, and tilt up the panel, insert the bars, then replace the bolts. I used stainless bolts and wingnuts. Took all of about 5 minutes to raise or lower the panel, and that includes climbing up on the roof and back down. 

All you have to do is think about a vehicle hood that is lifted and then a 'prop rod' is hooked into a slot, and the hood stays up.

Simple really. 

Here is a rough sketch of the idea:

 

[C-Cat]

Lol...well I don't have a flux capacitor....this was 17 years ago on my old Class A Itasca. I sold it last year. It seems like I took some digital pictures but I don't know if I can find them on my old computer hard drive....I will look but no guarantees. 

But what I made was a frame or rack that allowed me to pull 2 bolts from either side, and tilt up the panel, insert the bars, then replace the bolts. I used stainless bolts and wingnuts. Took all of about 5 minutes to raise or lower the panel, and that includes climbing up on the roof and back down. 

All you have to do is think about a vehicle hood that is lifted and then a 'prop rod' is hooked into a slot, and the hood stays up.

Simple really. 

Here is a rough sketch of the idea:

Yes, I actually had (expensive) commercial tilt mounts on our previous Class A, so I definitely have an idea how they look like and work... I'll take a trip to Home Depot soon to check what they have and will report back...

-Chris

 

[tripper]

Seems about right. My 600 watt system could typically only produce 340 watts in full sunshine here in California. If you are next to the equator, wire gauge is correct and all connections are cool to the touch during charging, I would expect 90% of rated wattage at most. I have never seen a panel produce its rated wattage. They measure the wattage figure in a laboratory.

I have gotten 165 watts out of my 160 watt portable setup on a cool February day in the desert (55 degrees maybe), panel tilted directly at sun around 0930 or so, see the 2 days ago PV max from my Victron controller display. BTW I see about a 30% gain in power during the wintertime by tilting the panels in AZ. The even bigger benefit of tilting is catching at least another 1 or 2 hours of sunlight at the end of the day, delaying running everything off of battery by that much.