where to buy that is well priced these days (solar ancillaries) !?

[Stinsy]

There must’ve been a reason why we moved from MC3 to MC4.

[marshman]

__

[Mr Gus]

Well I counted out his panels likely fit & his shed is capable of a good 450 watts, which would have been easier with a couple of larger panels but you go with what you got eh!?
MC4 (Mc 4 ..must be invented by a scotsman) ordering & cables next, due to the small size of the panels (30 watt) ..well at least they are not 5 or 10 watt roof tiles

He's under orders to insulate the floor & walls with celotex & overboard

Off to ali express for a 100 amp Solar charge controller & see what we can get away with, they don't seem to have rear alu cooling fins on anymore, am I going to have to bodgineer something there?

Contoller & battery, raised, on the cool side of the shed with s/steel cowled mesh air flow vent directly above the to be encased battery leading to the outside (put it on his shopping list)

Need to find a lidl LED striplight batten & a decent inverter.

I've already asked him to source a deepish sandwich box-ala Joe
Pent shed with south roof slope (we turned the shed around) thus the insulated back wall, acting as a heat shield, tempted to ask him to save his beer cans for a heater, might be a step to far)

[marshman]

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[Mr Gus]

Additional, does anyone have a Pure ELAN DAB+ (diddy dab / fm / bluetooth radio) ?

I mentioned it last night to "project dad" as a modern addition to running a kindle in there, again fitted in a Tupperware Joe casing with silica gel behind it & fixed to the wall with a consistent viewing angle & perhaps do the same (it leaves the work bench free to be a work bench & absorb vibration) running a separate micro USB connected solar panel to the radio & the kindle.

Thing is, I don't know whether the PURE is capable of charging batteries (4x AA eneloops) or whether it has a bypass, indicators are that the battery set up runs independently of the micro usb power slot, ie sat with depleted batts no charge evident in my one (currently on sale for £25 in B&M home bargains) waiting to hear back from Pure.

Nice little portable LCD colour screen radio, just a shame that you have to remove the batteries right now.

[Mr Gus]

Reckon he can get away with this 100 Amp version?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001 ... HUy4i&mp=1

I chose this (ignore the MPPT logo ..thats chinese farce) as it is deemed capable with Lithium ion batts which may become a consideration down the line.

[Mr Gus]

Update, received 50 pairs of solar connectors this morning & a couple of cheapo usb solar charge controllers, as per the royal family "an heir & a spare"
(I get cashback so saved him a few bob)
Seeing as my old Steca unit had a visible automotive mini fuse easily replaced, I thought (too late) that's missing from all the hobby size ones for sale these days, ..so what's the fix?

My confidence (false or otherwise) was from the other place years back when small Chinese solar charge controllers were deemed perfectly acceptable.
Therefore what happens on a modern Chinese hobby controller for reset potential??

Cheers

[Gareth J]

I have about 75-80m of 4mm cable that will be left over from a job very soon. Only arrived a week ago. Pm me if you'd like details of spec and a price including delivery.

[Mr Gus]

update whilst I remember.

That DAB radio..

I plugged a USB power meter in, it typically reads 0.07 - 0.10 A grabbed one of the "toy" solar panels from a yet to be mounted small solar security camera, worked a treat, doesn't charge the batteries but does play all day in less than ideal conditions, good enough for me, small panel ordered to hang in a perma-position due south & be done with it.

TBH as the radio is a major feature in the house (regardless of quality of radio 4 output) it's nice to have solar radio once more, (my freeplay AAA wind up radio died a death years back) & I cannot begrudge a few rechargeable AA for the other times.

Will have to drill it (discreet toy solar) into place when wife is out & allow a few weeks for her to notice.

[Moxi]

Good luck, if all else fails chocolate and flowers should help her to forgive .................note they never EVER forget

Moxi