Solar Panel Battery Chargers

[Robryan]

I regularly listen to The Survival Podcast (TSP) and an expert on power that's been a repeat guest on the show is Steven Harris. He recommends having an inverter(s) so you can power most of your home stuff with marine or car batteries and use your car as your generator to recharge your battery bank. I'm working on building the system but am not there yet.

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/ep...lackout-part-2

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/ep...ms-part-1-of-2

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/ep...ms-part-2-of-2

He's also got a solar power website but I don't know if it gets into the small systems.

These links go to his sites

http://www.battery1234.com/
http://www.solar1234.com/

I don't know who Steven Harris is but using a 200hp + engine to run a 3hp alternator isn't very efficient.

[fyrediver]

"using a 200hp + engine to run a 3hp alternator isn't very efficient."

VERY true, however having a $40 inverter gives me immediate, usable power until I can afford to buy a real generator!

[blade_68]

Have any of you checked out .. solarblvd.com ? They have some interesting set ups and panels. I'm planning on ordering a few solal panels from them.

[usmcvet]

I have a folding Goal Zero solar panel and I believe it can be chained together with others. Check out Zoal Zero. Also I bought it 40/50% off through Promotive.com. See if you qualify for membership there.

[EzGoingKev]

I just saw this on Soldier Systems -

http://soldiersystems.net/2013/06/14...ile-solar-kit/

[Mac5.56]

Harbor Freight has a solar 12 volt system which is the size of a standard brief case and does a very good job charging small electronic devices.

It also has several different types of connectors included, over charge protection and the outer case is made of robust plastic which helps protect the panels inside.

I have been researching minimalist ways to live out of a vehicle for up to 30 days and found I could maintain my vehicles battery to allow the use of internal lights at night without having to run the engine to recharge the battery. I also was able to charge cell phone, net book and personal communications as long as the sun was shining.

The panel does produce a reduced charge on cloudy days but output depends on the light available.

Harbor Freight runs these units on sale all the time and if you combine it with one of their 20% off coupons then its a really good deal.

It's been a few months since you posted this. How is that solar charger holding out for you? I've had a few tools from Harbor Freight that truly shine and others that weren't worth the gas I used to get to the store to buy them.

So what do you think, is it worth picking one of these up still after the amount of time you've spent with it to date? The price seems right if it works.

[ra2bach]

Woot has the GoalZero Nomad 7 Solar Panel and Guide 10 Plus battery pack with small LED light on sale for $69.99.

http://www.woot.com/offers/goal-zero...essentials-kit

this is new/not reconditioned but is the 2013 version. the GZ rep is answering questions in the comments section and said:

"to clarify, the reviews from 2012 on Costco.com are not of the exact kit on Woot.com today. The kit back in 2012 included the original Nomad 7 (with side pocket) and Guide 10 version 1. The kit on Woot.com includes the Nomad 7 version 1.1 from 2013 that has a zipper pocket on the back of the panel (more space), and the Guide 10 Plus, which is a higher amp output than the Guide 10 version 1.

The Guide 10 Plus, included in this Woot.com event, has a 1.0 amp output compared to the 0.5 amp output of the original Guide 10. This means it can charge more devices, and it is a faster charge to your device. In most cases, it is just like charging from your phone's wall charger (1.0 amp on an iPhone wall charger as an example)".

he later said that this 2013 version will not allow you to daisy-chain but the even newer 2014 version with green stripe through it will. this is not enough to power a laptop but still a great deal. you can recharge the battery pack and do a Kindle or small tab, though...

ETA: SOLD OUT...

[rero360]

I've been researching this as well, sought my buddies advice as he is an electrical engineer for an aerospace company, could have asked my dad as he's an EE as well but didn't want to bother him at the time due to the time zone difference. For myself, in addition to smart phone and possibly tablet recharging, I wanted to be able to recharge my rechargeable 18650s and 16340s for my bored out surefire 6p with a Malkoff LED and my inforce WML thru my pila battery recharger. My buddy informed me that I needed at least 12 watts and recommended the Nomad 13 or 20. I'm waiting to get accepted by Promotive.com to see what I can get thru them at discount but I am going to go with Goal Zero's Nomad 20 along with their Sherpa 50 and the 110v inverter. the price is a little higher than I would like, but the whole system comes in at just over 3 pounds, hard to beat.

I figure this set up should be more than capable of meeting my individual power needs while camping, drill weekends to include AT, and various natural disasters I may face in the future that knock out power, earthquakes, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, or being in SOCAL, simple power outages due to failing infrastructure.

[FloridaWoodsman]

Anybody tried the Instapark brand panel? I picked up a used 10W one (monocrystalline) as an experiment to tinker with. Since it is my first, I don't know what expectations I should have of it. First experiment indicates that it takes two days of winter sun (Florida latitude) to take a common 7A UPS sealed battery from 11.7V to full charge. My strategy is to have, not a super-portable, but a "transportable" setup that I can easily pick up and toss in the trunk if I need to. It would be used to keep small electronics charged and run a 2-meter radio at low power.

[ra2bach]

just found out that the Guide 10 Plus charges my Eneloop batteries.

excellent...