New 100W Harbor Freight Solar Kit

[caretaker]

RN, when you say years,roughly how many?

 

[Gideon33w]

   ... I'm not understanding this statement , [refrigeration] & [starting point]
        I'm a full-timer ... for years I've been running an ARB 50 qt. frig, 12v water pump, 12v TV & power ant., 10 spd Max fan, led house lights & charging laptop, hotspot, phone -- off of a 100 watt panel [renogy] , 20a mppt , 105 ah batt. - no problem

You must have much lower usage than I have had. In AZ I have used A LOT of power for fans and have some pretty extensive electronics.

 

[user 37446]

You must have much lower usage than I have had. In AZ I have used A LOT of power for fans and have some pretty extensive electronics.

Hey Gideon, you are in the Phoenix area, correct? How are you going to handle the heat next week, specifically the 120 degrees that's predicted?   :huh:

I know some people just drive north to Flag, some give up and get a hotel, some stay with friends/family in air con, just wondering what a dweller who may not be particularly mobile would do... There must be some in the Phoenix/Tucson area who can't just up and leave...

 

[Gideon33w]

Hey Gideon, you are in the Phoenix area, correct? How are you going to handle the heat next week, specifically the 120 degrees that's predicted?   :huh:

I know some people just drive north to Flag, some give up and get a hotel, some stay with friends/family in air con, just wondering what a dweller who may not be particularly mobile would do... There must be some in the Phoenix/Tucson area who can't just up and leave...

We just recently moved south and switched to the traditional lifestyle so we could start are business

 

[user 37446]

Ok, good luck. I winter there but couldn't summer in those temps, in a car anyway.

 

[pokydoright]

Hey guys, I am a new member, and I saw your post on these panels and went and bought some. They are nice. I did the very first video on them and I also have my VERY sweet 1976 Holiday Rambler in my videos. Hope its OK to give you a link and ask for all the feedback you can give.
I restore RV's, and have a love for anything mobile living!!

 

[GotSmart]

You can go with Harbor Freight, the YUGO of solar, or you can buy something with credibility. There area lot of decent solar panel brands. RESEARCH!

Solar panels that degrade 20% when first exposed to the sun?

Come on people.  A solar panel is not a generic item.  The extra original outlay of money is more than made up in reliability, durability, and power production.  

So you save 20% on the sale.  That is like getting a deal on expired gas station sushi with ghost pepper sauce.  YOU WILL HATE YOURSELF, and soon.

 

[GEAUX- PRIUS Cowboy]

The weekend sale ad puts this kit at $150. Not hard to take this set and turn it into a wheeled charging station that can be in the sun while your car is in the shade. Just install a mercury switch to a horn should let you know somebody is trying to tax you.

 

[jimindenver]

Harbor freight reaches a lot of people that are just getting into solar and have no idea of the cost or what can be done. You can do different things with the same amount of money but it requires gaining the knowledge to go that next step. On the other hand a lot of people have gone with the HF gear and were able to meet their needs. To each their own.

 

[GEAUX- PRIUS Cowboy]

I much rather one renogy 100 watt panel that can be expanded easily than a bank of panels that are 25 watts each? you tube Southern prepper 1 did his review of the panels he is super happy with his HF panels but I bet if Renogy sent him an ad he probably would buy a renogy panel and be a changed man.

 

[GotSmart]

This week I have another Renogy Eclips 400W kit to install.  

Not the cheapest, but quality never is. 

 

[jonsun]

solar blvd has 140w @ 17v mono panels for $112. you can get cheap charge controllers from amazon all day for about $15.

or the 100w panel for $65

why is this even a discussion?

 

[GotSmart]

You can drive a Yugo, or you can drive a car that works.  

Most people do not want to have to fix poorly made equipment to get it to limp along.  

You get what you pay for.

 

[jonsun]

Yeah but renogy? That's like scoffing at a yugo from your pinto.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

I also have my VERY sweet 1976 Holiday Rambler in my videos. Hope its OK to give you a link and ask for all the feedback you can give. I restore RV's, and have a love for anything mobile living!!

Welcome to the forum! I think you have to have a certain number of posts to add a link, as I recall. Can you PM the link please?

 

[Classpro]

Welcome to the forum! I think you have to have a certain number of posts to add a link, as I recall. Can you PM the link please?

I want to buy a portable solar panel system to use with my RV.  At this point, I don't want to mount it - just carry the panels and put them outside when I don't have hookups and I'm traveling.  I've been following the youtube videos on the new Harbor Freight kit, and I think it's more interesting than some of you are suggesting, but I'm not sure about the comparison with traditional aluminum framed panels.  

The HB kit does not have traditional monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels.  They are thin film amorphous panels that supposedly work much better in high heat and when shaded, which would be a big advantage for RV use since shading and heat changes all the time when we move to different locations.

They are a lot lighter than the aluminum clad panels, so carrying around would be easier.  The kit comes with wiring which is a significant savings.  It appears to use cheaper connectors (I think AEC and barrel connectors) than traditional panels (I don't know about quality of the wiring or how weather proof they are - probably not nearly as good as traditional panels, but maybe good enough for my use?).  One of the youtube videos say writing is a big improvement from the old panels.

They do take up a lot more space on the face because the cells are much less efficient than traditional mono and poly cells, but should be a lot thinner and lighter (there are some new flexible mono panels that also have this advantage, but very little info on longevity, and the wattage rating is often false).  Maybe the best solution for roof mounting, but I don't think they would work well for portable - I'd have to build some kind of stand for them.  The HB kit comes with built-in aluminum stands for positioning, which would be great for a portable kit.

The old HB panels had cheap wiring with lots of problems with cracking, and the plastic on the panels cracked on the corners and people had water intrusion problems.  I'd really like to know whether the plastic housing has been improved, or whether adding some UV protection spray to the frame would help.  I don't think we'll know the answer for some time.

I understand that the longevity of thin film isn't as good as traditional cells, but I'm not sure this will be a problem for me when I'm only going to have them in the sun when I'm out RVing.

No one has yet reported much on the charge controller.  It appears to be pretty inefficient.  Is it PWM?  The manual says it has different modes for different voltages - does that mean you have to change the mode manually to prevent over/undercharging your battery?  That would be weird.  I have a few very cheap PWM controllers that I could use to properly maintain the battery, and maybe at some point investing in an MPPT controller would make sense.

So, I agree with many of you that traditional panels would be better for permanent roof mounting on a house or shed where there are no shading problems.  But RV use is different.  At $140 or so for the kit on sale, it seems pretty competitive with traditional panels when you add in stands and cabling.  

I hope those of you who have purchased it will provide additional information on the controller and build.  The few youtube reviews seem to be very positive.  It would be nice to have a local source for panels, and thin film is certainly an interesting technology.

I hope we get more comments about the charge controller's operation.

 

[Gideon33w]

I had the old kit get the plastic frame cracking but never had water intrusion. I actually blame myself because I'm in Arizona and not coating plastic with something to protect it from the sun here is kind of asking for trouble. The frames on these are definitely different and if I got a kit I'd probably coat the frames in Kool Seal to protect the plastic from the sun.

I like the low weight for van mounting (or a portable setup like you suggest). Several people have parroted the "20% loss" thing but as far as I can tell that is an issue only with the very early amorphous cells and really doesn't apply anymore. The ability to draw power even when partially shaded (or indirect sun) is a major appeal in my mind. Parking in the semi-shade of a leafless tree can cool a van considerably but would make most panels useless.

I think the biggest drawback is real estate. If all you need/want is 100 watts then I think it's a good option. If you want more than that then the space these panels take up probably makes them a questionable buy since two kits would be an entire extended van roof.

 

[RetiredNomad]

RN, when you say years,roughly how many?

   ... 13 yrs, 3rd battery -- this one is an AGM , 5 yrs old now ...

 

[tripper]

Lots of 100w traditional flexible solar panels on Amazon from $149-$180 or so range. They take up much less space than the Harbor Freight and are much more efficient
[img=352x341]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon...n.com/images/I/61OkuhYdzDL._SL1000_.jpg[/img]
For example This panel and controller is $170 and while not the best is far superior to the harbor freight setup. The panel weighs 1.69 lbs.

[url=https://www.amazon.com/PAPACO-Controller-Intelligent-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B06XJY5BVJ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1499330398&sr=8-5&keywords=solar+charge+controller]Charge Controller[/url]
Flexible Panel

 

[highdesertranger]

if I am in the market for something that I need to be reliable and long lasting the last place I would be looking at is Harbor Freight. highdesertranger