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  • Suckered Again? Testing PVs

    For a long while I've wanted to add solar system to my RV so I could enjoy boondocking more. I finally got ready to start. First things first, I figured a panel was needed. So I bought some sales.. VikoCell PV. I was hoping for some top notch sales that were still in my budget. These claim 4.5 Watts. Now either I don't know how to measure the electrical characteristics of a TV sale, or this guy who sold them adds up what itches a different way than I do. So let me be on the safe side. I measured a voltage of 0.54 volts in the bright Sun this afternoon. I then switched over to DC amps and move my lead, and measured 1.3 amps. Now it seems to me if this cell was capable of 4.5 w, since it's only a half volt it would need to be putting out 9 amps. I measured by setting the PV cell on a piece of aluminum foil, positive lead on the foil, negative lead on the tracings of the front of the PV cell. Is this the correct way to measure the amperage of a PV cell. Is 9 oz a typical amperage for any PV cell? Did I get suckered again?

  • #2
    Hello DougK and welcome to Solar Panel Talk

    Most panels will rarely put out the wattage on their nameplates except in the lab so you may not have been suckered.

    The big problem I see is you really need a couple hundred of watts in panels to generate maybe 10 amps of charging which is acceptable for a 100Ah battery. If your battery is bigger then you need more charging amps and panel wattage. Also once you go above 200 watts you should get a quality MPPT type CC or you will be wasting about 33% of the panel wattage.

    I hope that helps. If not someone else should come along and provide their feelings.

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