Power out

[Moxi]

JB, I use a cheap Chinese 12V MPPT with two USB slots to charge up my 7.6Ah LiFePO4 battery, I just tuned down the charge Voltage to be the same as the Battery at when at 95%SoC and hooked them together with a 20Watt 12V panel which I found on a car park grass verge shortly after a storm some 16 odd years ago! - I love that panel - frames all loose and a bit bent but it just keeps working!

The battery was I think £24 off amazon but not in stock any more and Will Prowse slammed the same battery build and BMS in one of his reviews but for my shed lighting and phone charge at that money I wasn't worried and thus far its held up nicely.

Moxi

[Joeboy]

Thanks Moxi & Gus, input very much appreciated. There literally thousands of e bikes and scooters out here.got a couple of contacts who could source me batteries. If I can find a cheapish mppt controller with genuine adjustment and halt via an lcd and a couple of usb ports onboard I can build at home, test with a 12v LA and finish off out here.

If it's a go-er can add inverter later.

Love the found a panel story!

[nowty]

..................................... and hooked them together with a 20Watt 12V panel which I found on a car park grass verge shortly after a storm some 16 odd years ago! - I love that panel - frames all loose and a bit bent but it just keeps working!

That's what I love about Solar PV, no maintenance, just keeps working.

Marbe just wipe down with a damp cloth once every few years.

[Joeboy]

Messed about today and came up with 2 of 45W victron poly panels and a victron badged 10A 12v controller with 2 USB ports. Total price £137. Adding a Marmaris bought sealed battery and putting it together in both locales still beats the kit price of something similar. I reckon 90W of panel out here would generate a decent skite of power? Can go for a smaller trolley case too. Can almost see it.

Will keep looking and see what I can do about that £137 price ticket.

I am now in my head way beyond just charging powerbanks, also want to run tunes and lights and eventually that water cooler....

[Joeboy]

Also trying to balance in my head a value to victron warranty out here, dont think there is much value so we'll see what price the Chinese brands come in at.

[nowty]

Also trying to balance in my head a value to victron warranty out here, dont think there is much value so we'll see what price the Chinese brands come in at.

I think the value is the Victron is unlikely to go wrong, but the Chinese variety is more likely to release the magic smoke.

[Moxi]

The chinese MPPT charge controller job was a tenner from Amazon JB, how flexi are the flexible panels you see advertised ? would the roll up (in my head this doesn't sound like a good option but thought I would ask)

In any event the flexi panels without frames seem much more "stackable" for transport meaning more in the case, then for setting them out i see they all have eyelets so could you string (ha ha geddit? string?) no ? oh well suit yourself,,,,, ahem continuing........... them together top and bottom on para chord and either tie up to a building and railings in a sun shade style or lay over a suitable roof , porch or floor area and tie off.

Actually saying it like that I see lots of our members commandeering washing lines in back gardens on the sunny days in weeks to come!

Moxi

[Stinsy]

BTW the cheapo Chinese charge controllers will be PWM rather than MPPT no-matter what the sticker/box says! No big deal you just loose a bit of efficiency.

Also beware "optimistically labelled" panels.

[Joeboy]

The chinese MPPT charge controller job was a tenner from Amazon JB, how flexi are the flexible panels you see advertised ? would the roll up (in my head this doesn't sound like a good option but thought I would ask)

In any event the flexi panels without frames seem much more "stackable" for transport meaning more in the case, then for setting them out i see they all have eyelets so could you string (ha ha geddit? string?) no ? oh well suit yourself,,,,, ahem continuing........... them together top and bottom on para chord and either tie up to a building and railings in a sun shade style or lay over a suitable roof , porch or floor area and tie off.

Actually saying it like that I see lots of our members commandeering washing lines in back gardens on the sunny days in weeks to come!

Moxi

I could sneak under the wire of the 10A controller and run a pair of 90W 36 cell rigid in parallel (see Nowty, I was paying attention back in the day). Thing is kind of think that might put me out hundreds and be at about a useless size for anything real. It has been an interesting day as I've found a fold out 60W panel purpose built with an onboard controller dual USB and 5V thatdoes the job of Winter backup. Not the result I want...

[Joeboy]

Power off this morning for grid maintenance 05.00hrs to 11.00hrs. Had an ahah! moment for the fridge re keeping beer n other essentials cold. Big box of water in freezer compartment. Why didn't I think of this before? SO obvious in hindsight! That will take hours to melt down in an insulated small space.