leisure recharge, alternator vs genny vs solar vs theft

[keith]

Flexible stick on one.....stick it, forget it.
It just works.

[ghost123uk]

Alternators aren't designed to produce high outputs at low speed there is not enough airflow

Hear what your saying Mr bigherb, but in my experience, under the conditions being talked about here, we are only talking a few amps, say 8 for the ignition and, other than a few minutes at the beginning, another 10 Amps (or less) for the battery(s). I wonder if that would be taxing the alternator too much? (not saying it wouldn't, it might, just conversing about it )

[busbuddy]

if its only for occasional power needs, maybe just carry an extra leisure battery?

[itchyfeet]

Camping last night and the most common being used are foldng solar panels, looks like you can position them to the correct angle and even move morning and afternoon for best angle.

You can get them with built in charge controler and seperate charge controller, any good reason for having a seperate controller?

[California Dreamin]

All too complicated... mount it, never think about where its pointing, it may not be at right angles but who cares.
My experience is: one night of radio/LED's/phone and tablet charging has never pulled my leisure batteries to less than 66% on the solar charge gauge (110 & 80amp leisure batteries) I park close to tree lines and don't ever think about which way I'm parking in relation to the sun. My 100watt solar setup is often just kicking out 1.5 - 2amps but it never fails to recharge the batteries by early afternoon.
My setup came to less than £125 all in, its silent, it doesn't cost anything to run, what more could you want.
I also own a nice suite case style 2KW sine wave genny that I've used three times in as many years.

Martin

[itchyfeet]

Ok I'm going to try solar
Don't want to stick one to the roof and haven't got time to install electrics at the moment so getting a folding one, as I said most of my camping doesn't need it as weekends never drain the battery, it's just when I spend more than 2 nights away without hookup.

100W fold up is a bit big so went for a 60W, time will tell if it's enough, can always run the engine if I need more power.

thanks for all the feedback.

[CJH]

A good choice I reckon - a separate folding panel is a good way to make the best use of the sun. The angle of incidence is important - sine of the sun's elevation etc - so that 60W panel optimally positioned will probably give as much as, or more than, a 100W panel lying flat on the roof all the time. And that point about parking the van in the shade is a good one.

[ghost123uk]

That ^^^ is what I do, 60W rigid (non folding), point it at he sun when camping. However, mine fits neatly in the rear side window frame and I have arranged a couple of catches to hold it there. Keeps it "out of the way" (Tin-Top, so not a lot of storage space) and it still puts some charge into the system.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I'm with California Dreamin.
All the solar farms that are dotting the countryside are fixed in position - I have yet to see one where all the collectors are tracking the sun! Fit it and forget it, there are other things you can be doing rather than keep adjusting a panel every 1/2 hour for optimum angle.

[CJH]

I'm with California Dreamin.
All the solar farms that are dotting the countryside are fixed in position - I have yet to see one where all the collectors are tracking the sun! Fit it and forget it, there are other things you can be doing rather than keep adjusting a panel every 1/2 hour for optimum angle.

That's true, but the panels in those solar farms aren't randomly parked up - they're set to give the best sun angle over the day. So it's not the ability to constantly adjust a free-standing panel that matters, but the ability to get it roughly right, regardless of the van's position.

I'm with Martin too - when I park up for a weekend I don't give a moment's thought to where the sun will be, despite my panel being on a tilting pop top and therefore just as likely to be tilting away from the sun as towards it. I was just commenting that a 100W panel that's used and abused like this won't give as much as a 60W panel that's propped up in the sun to face south and at about 45 degrees.

[itchyfeet]

Ha ha, won't be moving it all day long thats for sure.

Mine will probably get used 5 days a year and be stored in the dry for 360 days a year.


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[slowcoach]

All too complicated... mount it, never think about where its pointing, it may not be at right angles but who cares.
My experience is: one night of radio/LED's/phone and tablet charging has never pulled my leisure batteries to less than 66% on the solar charge gauge (110 & 80amp leisure batteries) I park close to tree lines and don't ever think about which way I'm parking in relation to the sun. My 100watt solar setup is often just kicking out 1.5 - 2amps but it never fails to recharge the batteries by early afternoon.
My setup came to less than £125 all in, its silent, it doesn't cost anything to run, what more could you want.
I also own a nice suite case style 2KW sine wave genny that I've used three times in as many years.

Martin

Yep agreed. I have had a fixed 135w panel on for 4 years and never think about it. Our compressor fridge and lights etc are all happy.

A tricky situation comes when its 35 degrees ambient, the panel pulls 7 amps in hot sun.. But the fridge is going like the clappers long after sunset in the baking evenings.

No sweat in the uk though

[Superal]

justa quick question on the solar controller as mine is the same as martin on another topic. Do i need to change the settings on load off & load on? as i just use the standard setting that came with controller? I have got mine off ebay which is this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121317138627" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; The solar panel i got is 100w foldable panel so i can move about with the sunshine to get the best results & didn't have any issue with charging my battery with the coolbox running & changing phones. But did turn the coolbox off at night but then i only have a small 75ah lesiure battery. Bigger battery is next on the list.

[Oldiebut goodie]

As far as I can ascertain that function is for switching things like lights etc after dark - the light bulb symbol connection. It is on mine - they all seem to have this function.

[itchyfeet]

All the solar farms that are dotting the countryside are fixed in position - I have yet to see one where all the collectors are tracking the sun!

So if you are going to use a freestanding panel and don't want to mess around moving it whats the optimum angle?

I guess facing south (half way between sun rise and sun set) and angle in summer seems to be around 40 degrees in southern UK

Sound right?

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