I am looking into solar power usage and for charging two 4-D batteries.
What system works best?
What should I avoid?
For those of you that have your solar pannels mounted on the roof, how well does this work?
I may get a set up that I can move around, not the van!
While being able to move solar panels to catch the sun sounds like a great idea, we have found that solar panels will still work even in the shade as long as you have enough watts...we have 240 watts which will completely recharge the house battery within a couple of hours of sunrise (keep in mind that the low angle of the sun early in the morning also lowers the recharge rate). If you have a small solar panel, then being able to move it around and prop it up will be more important. But a movable solar panel is one more thing to store inside and you might not want to have it out while you are not around to watch it. I'd skip the movable panels, install them on your roof, and make sure that you have enough wattage...
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Jack
'01 Ford EB50p Quigley 4WD
Do a search on this forum, there's a prototype positionable solar panel array that John K developed before parting ways with SMBw. I believe it uses heim jonits and prop rod to be able to angle the arrays toward maximum solar exposure.
Herb
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SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.