solar panals with battery in one kit. How does this look?

[LadyJo]

Hi, I know little to nothing about solar. Saw this on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Kalisaya-KP6...&keywords=+B01GKVY7J2+|+B01GKVY7QK|B01CYQRA8W

It's light weight, but only has 40 wts of panel. I will need to charge a phone and a laptop, possibly one LED light bulb. Would this work? Do you think I could add panels if needed.

Thanks,
Lady Jo

 

[ccbreder]

that is way too much money. don't do it.

 

[LadyJo]

Seriously I know nothing about solar, and have read enough to get me very confused. So any help would be very helpful. If it is something that just won't work or ????? Please let me know. Sorry to be so ignorant.

 

[VJG1977]

You should never have to apologize for not knowing something.  Asking is the right thing to do.  In my opinion this system is very over priced for what you get.  A 40 watt solar panel, and a 35 amp hour battery with a usb charger.  You can put together a better system for one quarter the cost by buying the components.

 

[rvpopeye]

IMO
You'd be way better off with a Renology suitcase system and small Samlex sine wave inverter with a marine battery from WallyWorld ....power wise AND cost wise !

 

[highdesertranger]

way expensive. like VJG said you could build one for a fraction of the cost. what area are you in? perhaps someone could help you build a portable system. highdesertranger

 

[Txjaybird]

Hello,                   I'm needing a simple solar set up and received advice from posters here.  I need a set up for fans while I work in 2x  10x20 storage units and also while working in a Viking pop-up trailer.  I was advised to start with 60 watt Renogy suitcase solar panel and a marine battery from Wal-Mart, a cable power cord from Amozon, a Fantastic Fan,  a  socket splitter, and  also that I don't need a inverter or is it converter for what solar I need right now.  I have product #s in a note book....somewhere here.

   I am ignorant about solar set ups my own self even after studying it here for 6mo I needed,  asked for, and received              HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LP

  Good Luck,   Jewellann    TJB

 

[LadyJo]

Hi all,
They system does not need to be portable. But must fold up / fit in a crowded Element.
All the power I need is to recharge / run an Android phone and a lap top. Would want a light in the winter evenings. Everything else, that I can think of, would be propane.

 

[LadyJo]

The only other issue, I am 5 ft tall and can lift at a max 20 lbs. Compressed disks in my spine. So what something weights is very important to me as most stuff has to be moved at some point in time.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

All the power I need is to recharge / run an Android phone and a lap top. Would want a light in the winter evenings. Everything else, that I can think of, would be propane.

Even for a totally minimalist setup, I would suggest you add one item - a 12 volt fan - and size your electrical to be able to run one all night.  In hot weather, it can mean the difference between a good night's sleep or a miserable night.

https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Tastic-0...F8&qid=1466791790&sr=8-3&keywords=12+volt+fan

 

[AngryVanMan]

Even for a totally minimalist setup, I would suggest you add one item - a 12 volt fan - and size your electrical to be able to run one all night.  In hot weather, it can mean the difference between a good night's sleep or a miserable night.

https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Tastic-01100WH-Endless-Breeze-Stand/dp/B0000AY2Z6 /ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466791790&sr=8-3&keywords=12+volt+fan

And a clever lass or lad could wire up the built-in dash fan to run off the house battery when the vehicle is off, too!  Certainly worth considering something along these lines, carrying your own breeze with you on a hot day is quite the boon I'd wager!

If you don't want to worry with lifting these kinds of items, perhaps sticking the solar on the roof as a permanent install would work better for you, and free up some storage room that would otherwise be dedicated to a briefcase type system?

I realize these ideas are not the easiest things to accomplish, maybe too difficult?  I figured I'd mention it at least, I have seen a quadriplegic struggle to accomplish near miracles, and very able-bodied folks talk themselves out of almost anything they set their mind against.

Soar // The quadriplegic who reached for the sky.

 

[highdesertranger]

AVM the problem with the factory fan is that it draws 5-20 times more power. highdesertranger

 

[LadyJo]

Even for a totally minimalist setup, I would suggest you add one item - a 12 volt fan -

Thanks, added it to the list.
Phone, lap top, LED light, fan.

 

[LadyJo]

And a clever lass or lad could wire up the built-in dash fan to run off the house battery when the vehicle is off, too!  Certainly worth considering something along these lines, carrying your own breeze with you on a hot day is quite the boon I'd wager!

If you don't want to worry with lifting these kinds of items, perhaps sticking the solar on the roof as a permanent install would work better for you, and free up some storage room that would otherwise be dedicated to a briefcase type system?

Thanks. The Element has great a/c, so no problems going down the road. I am thinking roof mounted might be the better way to go, but I will need to park in the sun all the time? The batteries also weight quite a lot, but as they last a very long time if taken care of, guess I can just designate a spot and leave them there. Maybe on the floor, front passenger side. Not sure if there is room yet. I think I need to go to a pro and hire the job done. I know too little. Just need to find a very reliable shop when the time comes.

 

[AngryVanMan]

AVM the problem with the factory fan is that it draws 5-20 times more power.  highdesertranger

This is ... sometimes true.  For instance, the fan in my truck has 4 settings, and has a amp draw specification of 4 amps on low and over 26! amps on high.  A fantastic fan doesn't offer detailed spec sheet, but they say their fan on high is less than 3 amps on high speed.  Depending on the car or van, the low setting will usually start out between 1.25 amps and 3 or 4 amps on the high end. A Maxxair fan tests at just under 5 amps on speed 10 (high).

Using the factory fan is an option if you have a vehicle where you don't want to, or can't, cut a hole in it.  The factory fan can move more air per amp on a closed vehicle because a squirrel cage blower is more effective at higher static pressure than an axial (fantastic-style) fan.  So if you are buttoned up due to privacy or bugs, the dash fan can probably move air more efficiently.  The exact opposite is true if your van has low static pressure, for instance with open doors or windows, or an extra large floor vent cut out, the axial fan is likely more efficient.  The factory fan on high will also "clear" a hot stagnate van quicker, if you just need a huge burst of air for a short while after coming back to a parked van.

Also, sometimes it's not practical to have a roof fan, like in a smaller car or SUV it might just look odd, and not match the character of the vehicle.  BUT, if you don't need or want a stealth appearance, you could put a fantastic fan in a temporary window blanking plate of plywood or something, I think that might be a super-cool retrofit option for some, pardon the pun.

 

[AngryVanMan]

Thanks. The Element has great a/c, so no problems going down the road. I am thinking roof mounted might be the better way to go, but I will need to park in the sun all the time? The batteries also weight quite a lot, but as they last a very long time if taken care of, guess I can just designate a spot and leave them there. Maybe on the floor, front passenger side. Not sure if there is room yet. I think I need to go to a pro and hire the job done. I know too little. Just need to find a very reliable shop when the time comes.

That's a trade off on the roof mounted panels I suppose, you can't position them to get out from under a shade tree, or get the perfect angle.  If you're parked in the shade, or even just a few tree branches shading the panels, the performance is reduced pretty considerably.  Each shaded cell (usually blue or black square or rectangular blocks under the glass) in a panel acts as a sort of "dam" against the flow of power from the other cells in the panel.

As for the fan thing, I was just musing about running the car's fan off solar for when you are parked with the engine off - it's a very uncommon setup, I haven't seen too many do it so far.