I have the 80w version and can say that they are reasonably good with some reservations. 1.They don,t give out the watts they advertise. My 80 w version gives out 4.5 amps which is about 60 watts in full sunlight.2.They take forever to deliver. Mine too. 3 1/2 week to come from down south.The regulator seems good,and they are study for the price. I hope this helps you.Bill
I have the 80w version and can say that they are reasonably good with some reservations. 1.They don,t give out the watts they advertise. My 80 w version gives out 4.5 amps which is about 60 watts in full sunlight.2.They take forever to deliver. Mine too. 3 1/2 week to come from down south.The regulator seems good,and they are study for the price. I hope this helps you.Bill
Hi Bill
That is true of all solar panels
It is tied up with the standard method of rating them @ around 17v
80/17 =4.7amps
Peter
-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Friday 2nd of September 2011 10:11:51 AM
Many of the ready to go units have very cheap regulators & wiring, which will reduce the output of the unit.
It is often cheaper to buy the pannel , A good reg & wire & assemble it your self.
I have personally had this experience with the ready to go units before I learnt a bit about them, had to rewire & fot reg, Now better than the original specified figures.
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Be your self; there's no body better qualified ! "I came into this world with nothing , I still have most of it"
Many of the ready to go units have very cheap regulators & wiring, which will reduce the output of the unit.
It is often cheaper to buy the pannel , A good reg & wire & assemble it your self.
I have personally had this experience with the ready to go units before I learnt a bit about them, had to rewire & fot reg, Now better than the original specified figures.
HI
While I agree that the regs & wiring leave much to be desired the max current is set @ the peak power point for the type of panel
For standard 36cell panels this PPP is around17v
80watts divided by 17v =4.7amps
Many panels sold on Ebay are not 36cell panels & will not charge a battery very well due to low output voltage
Thanks all - my head starts to spin with the tech details no matter how much i revisit. But it sounds like this might be an ok investment. I'm thinking of just getting a folding panel and a couple of batteries rather than wiring everything up as it's all transferable to another van if I make a bad choice with my first van.
There is so much out there it's hard to know what's reasonable or not which is why this forum is so great. cheers ellen
When I was camped at Greens Lake last week, the people in the bus just up the way from me had a portable solar panel standing on the ground at the edge of the awning. Seemed to be doing the job adequately, he was watching the motor racing on a TV and his wife was inside doing whatever. I saw them move it around to the sun as needed. I did hear a generator going in the night as well though so not really giving you any positive info there.
The Kulkyne kits may look a little pricey but they do come with a Plasmatronics controller. That would add considerably to the price, you are looking at $430 compared to a less than $50 toy from Evilbay.
If you have a kit with one of the block regulators stuck to the panel, shifting it to the other end of the supply lead will increase the efficiency significantly. Any voltage drop between the regulator and the battery will reduce the charge voltage at the battery terminals. This will reduce the current the battery will accept. It is better to have any voltage drop between the panel and regulator, that way you will get a higher battery charge voltage.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
The Kulkyne kits may look a little pricey but they do come with a Plasmatronics controller. That would add considerably to the price, you are looking at $430 compared to a less than $50 toy from Evilbay.
If you have a kit with one of the block regulators stuck to the panel, shifting it to the other end of the supply lead will increase the efficiency significantly. Any voltage drop between the regulator and the battery will reduce the charge voltage at the battery terminals. This will reduce the current the battery will accept. It is better to have any voltage drop between the panel and regulator, that way you will get a higher battery charge voltage.
Peter, the price you are suggesting for the regulator seems a bit high. Not sure if it's the same as the one Kulkyne use (They don't give a model number), but this 10A 12V Plasmatronic Controller is only $90.00.
