solar project....getting started....

[Echo2]

I have a few of the HF 45w solar panels such as this...



I use them for batt maintainers and chargers...

But this is going to be one of my summer projects....



From the specs I found...it was capable of running a 11hp motor in it's prime....I'll say it's not going to do that anymore....but if it runs at 50% power....it was worth the price of $50.00 welding job.

This is what it used to be....



Virginia Tech made it....long ago...it's been in storage for years....it was getting tossed....

[Diesel]

what the heck? u bought or got that for free? what's there just the solar?

[PT945]

That's great, and for a 50.00 weld job. That's is going to be the score of the year .

[Echo2]

what the heck? u bought or got that for free? what's there just the solar?

Did a little welding job for the guy.....all the solar cells are intact.....in the process of wiring now.....to see what output really is.....

Depending on what the output is....I may buy another PowerBright pure sine inverter....

[slowz1k]

NO WAY!!!!!

That is the coolest score ever!!! Echo you HAVE to keep us posted on this one!!!!!

You didn't happen to get it from a guy named Walsh did you???

[mikehemi]

That is sweet I hope you can show it off here when you finish it up.

[Echo2]

I'll post when I get started on it.....I got the wire....now it's just time.

[Dawg Fan]

what a find. jeez some guys have all the luck. lol

[Echo2]

what a find. jeez some guys have all the luck. lol

luck or a curse....if you saw the shear volume of speghetti underneath the thing...you'd understand....:)

[tmedlin]

got the 45W set from HF, too...our group is planning to use them to keep a bank of 12V Marine batteries charged...but we haven't really started the project yet - been too busy with the gardening.

[Echo2]

got the 45W set from HF, too...our group is planning to use them to keep a bank of 12V Marine batteries charged...but we haven't really started the project yet - been too busy with the gardening.

the HF set of cells make a decent maintainer.....but they will not work as a charger.

[Ganger]

With the battery bank, so do they make commerical batterys for this purpose or are you forced to kind of use deep cycle batteries?

[Echo2]

The HF panels are only 45 watts....you bump it down to 15w and get about 2.5 amps....you can keep a charge up....but it's not enough to bring a battery back from being wore down......Well you may given a month of sunny days....it just doesn't generate enough juice.

A deep cycle battery is better for power use applications...due to the fact that they are meant to be taken down very low...then charged back to full. A typical car battery will be killed by doing so repetitively.

[Iron mike]

Still pretty cool plz keep us posted very interested to see what you do with it

[Echo2]

Still pretty cool plz keep us posted very interested to see what you do with it

My brother is coming in next weekend...hopefully we'll do some wiring....that's the plan any way.