How to add/connect more panels

[Wicked]

I ended up ordering the same 100w panel to create my 200w array. I will play with series/parallel

[SunEagle]

I ended up ordering the same 100w panel to create my 200w array. I will play with series/parallel

Sounds like a plan. Post some pictures when you get it wired up.

[Wicked]

Sounds like a plan. Post some pictures when you get it wired up.

absolutely - will do! Here is the charge controller and monitor in my truck cab (during install process, its been cleaned up since)

see below

My AUX battery - Inverter and Fridge:

see below

[inetdog]

absolutely - will do! Here is the charge controller and monitor in my truck cab (during install process, its been cleaned up since)



My AUX battery - Inverter and Fridge:

Images not working for me.... Possibly not uploaded correctly?

[Wicked]

This work?

arb.jpg

cc.jpg

My truck...

tac.jpg

[SunEagle]

This work?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3325[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3326[/ATTACH]

My truck...

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3327[/ATTACH]

Nice. I have the same Xantrex 600 watt pure sign wave inverter. How big is that ARB fridge?

[Wicked]

Nice. I have the same Xantrex 600 watt pure sign wave inverter. How big is that ARB fridge?

I went with the 50qt on the ARB - havent missed soggy food and ice since

[SunEagle]

I went with the 50qt on the ARB - havent missed soggy food and ice since

Looks like the perfect package for camping. I also like the Blue Sky charging system. What did that run you?

[Wicked]

Looks like the perfect package for camping. I also like the Blue Sky charging system. What did that run you?

I worked with AMSOLAR to put this complete kit together and buying the additional panel form them also. amsolar.com I am really happy with the blue sky product with the remote monitor. you can real dial things in very nicely and I see a very good boost during the bulk phase with the MPPT

Ill be hinging the two panels together (similar to the image in my first post like the companies that sell portable kits) to make them easier to deploy and store along with carry handle, etc. I should have the panel on Friday so ill update once complete!

[SunEagle]

I worked with AMSOLAR to put this complete kit together and buying the additional panel form them also. www.amsolar.com I am really happy with the blue sky product with the remote monitor. you can real dial things in very nicely and I see a very good boost during the bulk phase with the MPPT

Ill be hinging the two panels together (similar to the image in my first post like the companies that sell portable kits) to make them easier to deploy and store along with carry handle, etc. I should have the panel on Friday so ill update once complete!

Those Blue Sky components really rounds out your system.

My first portable system was put together without much knowledge on my part. I purchased one of those folding panel systems with 2 x 40 panels that came with a low cost charge controller and cables. I got a Blue top Optima 66Ah battery and a small 300 watt 12 volt inverter. Slapped together a hand cart from HF which gave me a small easy to transport system to take out when I went flying my RC planes.

Of course now I know I do not have enough panel wattage for that battery and the CC makes it even less matched so I sometimes use a battery charger to get it back up to full charge.

[Wicked]

Those Blue Sky components really rounds out your system.

My first portable system was put together without much knowledge on my part. I purchased one of those folding panel systems with 2 x 40 panels that came with a low cost charge controller and cables. I got a Blue top Optima 66Ah battery and a small 300 watt 12 volt inverter. Slapped together a hand cart from HF which gave me a small easy to transport system to take out when I went flying my RC planes.

Of course now I know I do not have enough panel wattage for that battery and the CC makes it even less matched so I sometimes use a battery charger to get it back up to full charge.

I do like your setup with the portability in mind. I truly am new to solar and running dual batteries in my truck (w/o solar) has been sufficient for years. As I find myself going more off the beating path and staying at a spot for longer periods once there and sometimes when family comes along the power needs increase, I needed to put together a way to recharge my system without the need to drive/run the car and use gas/other resources for it. That and the idea of creating your own power is cool

I was close to building something on a smaller scale but took a step back and really tried to design a system that met my current needs but would also expand to future needs. This is where my research and the help of the guys at AMSOLAR help me hit that nail on the head. While I wasn't AMSOLAR's typical customer, they specialize in mobile/RV setups they understood my goals and needs and helped a lot. In the end I spent close to double what I was anticipating but I am very happy with what I put together in regards to good products and ability to expand. I even put the system to use when I am not out camping to run small garage fridges, etc. at home. I've even used it during power outages at home with success to keep the lights and other things on.

For my AUX battery in the truck I use a National Luna Power Pack - http://www.nationalluna.com/PPPack.htm - very nice plug n play system. While driving it connects to my main battery and gets charge, has pre-built in outlets for DC items and a 60amp breaker for the 600w inverter. What really nice is I can easily take the unit our of the car, drop into another vehicle, use as stand alone power, etc. When parked I can fully monitor and charge it via the solar setup.

I run Odyssey group 31m 100Amph batteries in the engine and in the AUX/power pack

[SunEagle]

I do like your setup with the portability in mind. I truly am new to solar and running dual batteries in my truck (w/o solar) has been sufficient for years. As I find myself going more off the beating path and staying at a spot for longer periods once there and sometimes when family comes along the power needs increase, I needed to put together a way to recharge my system without the need to drive/run the car and use gas/other resources for it. That and the idea of creating your own power is cool

I was close to building something on a smaller scale but took a step back and really tried to design a system that met my current needs but would also expand to future needs. This is where my research and the help of the guys at AMSOLAR help me hit that nail on the head. While I wasn't AMSOLAR's typical customer, they specialize in mobile/RV setups they understood my goals and needs and helped a lot. In the end I spent close to double what I was anticipating but I am very happy with what I put together in regards to good products and ability to expand. I even put the system to use when I am not out camping to run small garage fridges, etc. at home. I've even used it during power outages at home with success to keep the lights and other things on.

For my AUX battery in the truck I use a National Luna Power Pack - http://www.nationalluna.com/PPPack.htm - very nice plug n play system. While driving it connects to my main battery and gets charge, has pre-built in outlets for DC items and a 60amp breaker for the 600w inverter. What really nice is I can easily take the unit our of the car, drop into another vehicle, use as stand alone power, etc. When parked I can fully monitor and charge it via the solar setup.

I run Odyssey group 31m 100Amph batteries in the engine and in the AUX/power pack

Like you I spent way too much on that system in the pictures. The folding panel/CC cost about $250 which was more than $3/watt. I modeled the cart from a system someone was selling on eBay. Theirs was a 120watt system and cost about $650 without a battery. Although I have less wattage I put mine together for about $500 which included that Optima battery which was not cheap.

I plan on expanding the number of panels for the system. I had purchased a couple of additional 40 watt panels a while back and put them together with hinges so they fold up for transport. But now I will have 4 x 40 watt panels paralleled which requires a combiner box. That is why I was looking at the Blue Sea Marine Fuse box which is more compact then the other combiner box I built for my larger system and showed in another photo earlier in this thread.

My bigger 450 watt system was also built ass backward. I used battery panels and a 30amp PWM CC along with sealed 12v batteries wired in parallel. Real stupid on my part because I did it before I read all of the great info at this website and spent way too much on panels and batteries and not enough on a MPPT charge controller. The only good thing I got was the Xantrex inverter. It and the battery system will be used during power outages at night to run an oxygen machine for my Mother in law. I didn't want to run a generator at night so thought a battery system would be better being quite.

[Wicked]

Like you I spent way too much on that system in the pictures. The folding panel/CC cost about $250 which was more than $3/watt. I modeled the cart from a system someone was selling on eBay. Theirs was a 120watt system and cost about $650 without a battery. Although I have less wattage I put mine together for about $500 which included that Optima battery which was not cheap.

I plan on expanding the number of panels for the system. I had purchased a couple of additional 40 watt panels a while back and put them together with hinges so they fold up for transport. But now I will have 4 x 40 watt panels paralleled which requires a combiner box. That is why I was looking at the Blue Sea Marine Fuse box which is more compact then the other combiner box I built for my larger system and showed in another photo earlier in this thread.

My bigger 450 watt system was also built ass backward. I used battery panels and a 30amp PWM CC along with sealed 12v batteries wired in parallel. Real stupid on my part because I did it before I read all of the great info at this website and spent way too much on panels and batteries and not enough on a MPPT charge controller. The only good thing I got was the Xantrex inverter. It and the battery system will be used during power outages at night to run an oxygen machine for my Mother in law. I didn't want to run a generator at night so thought a battery system would be better being quite.

Ya I am $500 deep on the 2 100w Panel - so $2.50/watt. This is definitely on the high end of the spectrum and I was aware of that when i bought - but the size of my panels are the smallest 100w panels I could find (Length = 40.8" Width = 20.7" Depth = 1.38 "Weight = 14.5 lbs. - 18.3% efficiency and 32 cell)and I guess you pay a premium for the small package and a goal was to get small units since it needs to be packed up, etc. During bulk phase i've seen the single 100w panel inputing over 7 amps with the MPPT (ill post results of the 200w setup once its running).

I already owned the batteries, inverter and the National Luna Power Pack for my trucks dual battery setup - so there was no additional cost in this area when i decided to go solar. You can google current cost on the Blue Sea 2512ix and the Monitor to see where that cost is. The rest was wires/connectors - which was the smallest slice of the budget pie.