Author Topic: Solar  (Read 11092 times)

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Tex

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Solar
« on: February 05, 2012, 12:07:53 AM »
Does anyone know much about it and how a person would get started? I posted here because I am interested in studying up on setting up a solar panel with a trickle charger for some batteries. I would like to find information on a kit maybe, or what I need to do it myself. There are probably solar packages already to go for sale, but I want to learn to do it myself. We are looking at buying some more property eventually and we want to incorporate some solar for our energy needs. I figured I would start off small and learn something about it as I worked on a few new projects.

When the time comes, I believe I will start off with a Yeasu 857 or 897. Will these be compatible with a solar power system? Where is a good place to start looking for small solar setups?

Thanks
Tex
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DSB

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Re: Solar
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2012, 09:01:31 AM »
Tex,
Our solar powered guru is GDP. He has multiple electrical gear including his radio gear (I think his shallow water well also, which he drilled himself by the way) on Solar powered back-ups. I know that you are looking to get a rig together that is small ehough to into a saddlebag (or a breadbasket), this can be done. I am now reconfiguring my system for a racked Jump Kit, but my first year all my equipment could fit into a shoebox. Having said that, I had talked to GDP about getting a folding 20w solar panel as my last peice of the gear. So, any qestions along that line, I highly recommend you talking to GDP.
DSB

idial1911

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Re: Solar
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2012, 09:25:18 AM »
I've been studying up on this same stuff for battery powered operation. I get out and hike/camp a lot. So i wanted to be able to run off battery power and have it recharge during the day.
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GDP

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Re: Solar
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2012, 10:25:30 AM »
Yes, I have a solar power system in place that I put together from individual components.  It operates my entire ham shack as well as some additional 12 VDC lighting in the house and a pump for our reserve water system (shallow well and rain catchment).  I'll post some photos and information in the Training Forum.

Disclaimer:  I'm not an expert in the solar power field.  I am a retired electrical engineer, so I know a bit about it.  It's not difficult, but you have to get your act together before you begin to save time, money, and stress!   ;D
GDP

Tex

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Re: Solar
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2012, 02:37:56 PM »
I look forward to seeing it GDP. Solar is something that interests me and I would like to start incorporating it on small scale in a few different projects.

Tex
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idial1911

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Re: Solar
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2012, 02:39:11 PM »
I look forward to seeing it GDP. Solar is something that interests me and I would like to start incorporating it on small scale in a few different projects.

Tex

Off the grid kegarator?? I get it.. Gotta keep the beer cold even if society collapses!! lol!
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bryanthegoon

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Re: Solar
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2012, 01:36:18 AM »
If you have specific solar questions I may be able to help as well, we have a cabin in SW Colorado that is completely off the grid, we have 3 separate solar arrays and controllers (2 are 12 V and 1 is 36 V), and 2 battery arrays (1 with 6 batteries for the 36 V system that runs the well and one with 25+ batteries for everything else).  I think we are up to 4 inverters (thou we generally only use 1 at any given time unless we have the table saw or air compressor out or something).  Most of the cabin lights are run off DC, but we have AC wiring run everywhere as well.  There is no grid power, but we have a microwave (limited use), power tools, TV, a short range cell phone repeater, and whatever else running off it.

There are really alot of factors that can play into what equipment you need, just be careful about hooking your rigs directly to a "cheap" controller, unless you are going to a decent controller I would pull your power directly off the batteries (no matter what the instructions might say, some controllers have load connections some do not). 

The more batteries the better, helps stabilize everything. deep cycle and marine batteries are better than standard car batteries.  Not that car batteries wont work, but you can get more bang for your buck and they will last longer if properly maintained.  We have some batteries that have literally been in service for over 20 years.

If looking at inverters, depending on what you plan on using it for you can probably get away with an inexpensive one, but depending you may want to invest in a full sine wave inverter, most "inexpensive" inverters do not really create a sine wave, it is more like a square wave ( or something in between), this is fine for most things but some things (especially some AC motors) tend to not work as well without a true sine wave

The good thing about panels is as long as they have the same output voltage, you are likely shooting for a 12 volt system, you can pretty much mix and match whatever, but do not assume that all panels put out 12 V, we have some that put out 6 V ( which we have hooked up in series and then parallel to everything else to give us 12 V).  Just make sure if you add to the array that you add in parallel (if all are the same voltage as the system) and that you have an appropriate size wire going to the controller to handle the combined load AND DISTANCE, acceptable power and distance ratings for wire sizes is different for DC than for AC, I say this only cause most people have not had cause to make any distance DC runs of any sizable amount of power.  This seems to be a decent chart for wire run lengths at power http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm

... Sorry for the long post, just got to typing and didn't realize how long it got, anyway just trying to pass along some insights from previous experience :)

Bryan

idial1911

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Re: Solar
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2012, 09:47:35 AM »
Don't apologize for putting a lot of great info in a post!! If you apologize for anything it's the lack of pictures!!! Show us some pics of your setup, and give us some specifics on what models of equipment you are using. I think most of us are looking to build this sort of a system.
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AD

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Re: Solar
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2012, 11:08:11 AM »
BTG

Great info.  Yea what he said about the pics.

If you have any trout fishing near that cabin, i may have to ask for an invite to see the........solar panels  8)
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bryanthegoon

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Re: Solar
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2012, 11:45:05 AM »
I will definitely get some pics (and start a thread ) next time we are up there, it is a 7+ hour drive so wont be till memorial day at the earliest.  I will attach the one teaser pic that I have but you cannot really see much, in the center of the pic is the main solar array, but you cannot see the panels and we have changed out the panels on this since then anyway, they were like 30 years old. the new array is on the roof of the garage (on the right).  The well house ( with the well array, controller, and batteries) is just off the image to the left.  The 2 main controllers and battery array are in the garage on the right, but like I said I will get some good pics and do a good writeup next time I am up there.


If you have any trout fishing near that cabin, i may have to ask for an invite to see the........solar panels  8)

Well let's see, the Dolores river is less than an hour drive from the cabin (actually less than 5 miles as the bird flies but you have to go the long way),  The Animas river (Durango, Co) is about an hour, the Piedra is just over an hour, The San Juan isnt that far away. And 30-45 minutes of all these times is the 15 miles of dirt road to get to the cabin from the highway) And the Mancos, river is within hiking distance from the cabin, thou I haven't done that yet my brother in law has, requires some bushwacking and tight casting but supposed to be pretty pristine, gotta do that soon.  And that is just some of the stuff that is close.  So yea we could more than likely set up an "solar panel inspection" on a 3 day weekend or something ;)