Deer Stand Solar Power

[jies1]

Let me first start by saying thanks for allowing me to join your forum. I love learning new things. With that being said I literally know nothing about solar power, except that i would need a 12 volt battery, and a panel. How big of a panel or how big of a battery I have no idea. But this is what im trying to do.

I want to put a small off grid system into my big deer stand so that my daughter or my wife can tag along and be comfortable. I would like to run 2 very small green lights in the deer stand so that when its dark, or im swapping scopes etc I can see. Other than that I would like my daughter to be able to watch videos on her ipad with headphones to keep her occupied while charging the ipad at the same time so that she is comfortable so that I can sit longer.

im pretty sure i need a panel, but i do not know what kind of what size
i know i need a 12 volt battery but i do not know what kind or size. do i need a car battery or something smaller like a lawnmower battery
i think i need a charge controller but do not know what kind or what size.
i don't know if i need an inverter, as i planned to wire the the lights to the switch, and the switch to the battery. do i need an inverter?
is there anything that im missing? i would like a good reliable system that will do what i need efficiently, but don't want to spend more than i need to, to do so.
any help would be appreciated.

[SunEagle]

Hello jies1 and welcome to Solar Panel Talk.

I guess before we can really size your solar/battery system we would need to know if you get enough "usable" sunlight hitting the solar panel.

If you don't have any shade and if you can aim the panel due South you should be able to harvest enough sunlight. If you have shade or can't aim the panels directly at the sun you will get much less harvest out of a panel. That would require more panels and possibly a bigger battery system.

[jies1]

I should be able to get the panel in the sun, even if i have to make a stand for it and put it in the food plot a few feet from the stand and run wire to the stand.

[SunEagle]

Well lets say you can get enough useful sunlight but now the hard part begins.

Knowing what you plan on using per day in "watt hours" is your next homework assignment. To do that you would have to know the wattage of your "green" lights and how long you plan on having them on each day and if they are AC or DC voltage. You will also need some idea of what your daughters iPad will use to stay charged to watch a movie along with any other load that would be connected to the battery/inverter system.

Then you have to decide if the solar panel, battery and charging system should be portable or will it stay set up in your tree stand.

Most likely the best time to charge the battery with a solar panel would be between 10 AM and 2 PM which is probably not when you will be in it waiting on those deer. So my guess is you will be using just the battery during the early morning or evening in low light. Then you could actually charge that battery away from the deer stand and bring it back when you plan on using it.

I am trying to find a way so that you do not spend a lot of money yet get off grid power for the times you want.

[ButchDeal]

I want to put a small off grid system into my big deer stand so that my daughter or my wife can tag along and be comfortable. I would like to run 2 very small green lights in the deer stand so that when its dark, or im swapping scopes etc I can see. Other than that I would like my daughter to be able to watch videos on her ipad with headphones to keep her occupied while charging the ipad at the same time so that she is comfortable so that I can sit longer.

Well you could just get one of these goal zero lanterns, comes with a USB charger for your daughters ipad. put a green sleeve on the light if you really want green or turn the dial down low.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and if you really want solar add one of these (or smaller)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

or skip the solar and just charge up the lantern at home. if Daughter really uses a lot of power she can start cranking to generate more

[jies1]

Well lets say you can get enough useful sunlight but now the hard part begins.

Knowing what you plan on using per day in "watt hours" is your next homework assignment. To do that you would have to know the wattage of your "green" lights and how long you plan on having them on each day and if they are AC or DC voltage. You will also need some idea of what your daughters iPad will use to stay charged to watch a movie along with any other load that would be connected to the battery/inverter system.

Then you have to decide if the solar panel, battery and charging system should be portable or will it stay set up in your tree stand.

Most likely the best time to charge the battery with a solar panel would be between 10 AM and 2 PM which is probably not when you will be in it waiting on those deer. So my guess is you will be using just the battery during the early morning or evening in low light. Then you could actually charge that battery away from the deer stand and bring it back when you plan on using it.

I am trying to find a way so that you do not spend a lot of money yet get off grid power for the times you want.

the bulbs aren't 12 volt, and there are two of them. 7 watts a piece. the most i can see having these two bulbs on are about twice a weekend for about 15 mins at a time.
as far as the ipad, i have no idea of trying to find out what an ipad pro uses while watching a movie or how much it uses to charge. im just wondering if a 100 watt panel and a small 12 volt battery should be suffiecient enough.

[jies1]

if i had to guess it uses a 20 watt charger

[SunEagle]

Well a 100 watt panel can generate about 5.5amps under perfect sunlight. That amount would be able to keep a 45Ah to 65Ah battery happy. Again if you want to invest in a complete solar / battery system or just have a battery that can be charged at home and used at your deer stand.

I built something to use in remote places where I use to fly my RC planes. It is portable and relatively easy to move around as well as use solar to recharge it. The problem is that it cost me about $550 to build. Attached are a few pictures of it.

The battery is an Optima Blue top 65Ah battery and the panels is unfortunately only an 80 watt type with a 15amp PWM charge controller. I also have a small 250watt inverter for AC loads. My problem was that I should have gotten a 100 watt panel for that battery but at the time it would have cost me a lot more.

To save you some money you could get away with just purchasing a battery and then charge it at home. You could then transport it to where you need it. That will save you hundreds of dollars as well as make it more secure then to leave the equipment out where it could be stolen.

[Sunking]

You do not need any solar to do this. All you need is a battery, a small battery at that you charge at home and take with you.

[jies1]

im not trying to transport batteries all the time. and nothing will be stolen its on private property. home is about 4 hours away.

[SunEagle]

im not trying to transport batteries all the time. and nothing will be stolen its on private property. home is about 4 hours away.

Ok. Then find a place to mount a solar panel of about 100 watts so that it is facing South and does not get shade during the hours of 10AM to 2 PM. It should be able to generate about 200 - 300 watt hours on average each day but needs to be kept clean and clear of forest or bird debris.

Next get a deep cycle battery rated 12V 50Ah to 60Ah (not a car battery or one that only has a "starting amp" rating). You will need a 10amp charge controller and depending on what that iPad AC-DC charging needs maybe a 300 watt inverter or one with a USB plug.

All that may cost you a few hundred dollars which IMO is not really something I would do but the money is yours to spend.

[Mike90250]

An alternative, is a Lithium automotive Jump Start pack, about the size of a large paperback. Find one with Cig lighter port & USB ports

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/jump-starters/buying-guide/index.htm

Much smaller and lighter than the laptop size lead acid packs. Or mount the solar panel, string the wires, and hope it's sunny enough.
Red and Green (and UV) led flashlights are common too.

[Sunking]

im not trying to transport batteries all the time. and nothing will be stolen its on private property. home is about 4 hours away.

Huh? Private property is a prime target. If me and my friends see that panel glistening is the sun like a beacon in the night sky will be at our house along with the battery, controller, and everything including the tree stand. Free for the taking when you are 4 hours away. A small battery is light weight and that is what kids are made for to carry stuff. They are not carrying a gun, let them carry a small battery in their coat pocket or back pack if they want to be entertained while scaring deer away.