Solar pannels (1 Viewer)

[Vlad The Impaler]

Seen 2 80w solar pannels on eBay for £200 are these just as useable as the more expensive ones or should I be cautious.Also if the fitting kit is bought what would one expect to pay to have it all fitted?
Thanks in advance Steve

 

[Gromett]

All made the same way. I used to buy top of the line kyocera panels.
I now just buy the 80Watt cheap ones off ebay.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Cheers grommit would 160 watts of solar power keep 2 110 batteries topped up throu summer months.Usage would prob be 4ish hrs 12v tv lights and water pump.Trying to weigh up pros and cons between that or a battery to battery charger,however keep getting out bid for "cheap" ones and think solar route may be just as cost effective.

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[The wizened of OZ]

I have 2 by 80 watt panels from Ebay with an MPPT controller. 2 by 110 amp hour batteries and no problems with power over the last 3 months mostly wild camping. Very easy to fit yourself took about 3 hours total.
:thumb:

 

[Reallyretired]

I have three of these cheap panels on my MH in addition to an expensive one from a year or two back. The cheap ones are just as good.

Two of them will give you up to 10A in midday sunshine down to 2A on an overcast morning/early evening. For your limited usage should be plenty.:thumb:
Do replace your most commonly used lights in the van with LEDs, they are not expensive now and give more light for a fraction of the power usage.
I replaced the 10 downlighters in the kitchen at home with LEDs (4.4W) and it is now really bright in there, electricity consumption has dropped from 500w to 44w.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Led

The bulbs I assume I Will use most,as awaiting maiden voyage,are the little spotlight ones which are little bulbs pencill thick with 2wires sticking out.Ho do I find out which bulbs to replace with.Other lights are strip lights do these come in led type?

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[Reallyretired]

The bulbs I assume I Will use most,as awaiting maiden voyage,are the little spotlight ones which are little bulbs pencill thick with 2wires sticking out.Ho do I find out which bulbs to replace with.Other lights are strip lights do these come in led type?

The little bulbs you can get replacement leds that just plug in in place of the bulb. The strip lights you have to do a bit more work, take all the guts out of the strip light and fix in a strip of LEDs with double sided tape or whatever. You do not need the electronics in the strip light, just connect the LED strip to 12v. Or just replace th strip light with a suitable LED complete lamp (more expensive):thumb:

 

[Reallyretired]

If your maiden voyage is to one of the shows you can call in one of the LED suppliers (I have always found Aten to be very good and there stuff is high quality, though not the cheapest. They will tell you just what you need. They even made up a custom LED strip for my awning light.

 

[jaygee]

I can't go into technicalities (cos I'm a woman) but we bought 2 x 80w solar panels from ebay & hubby fitted them himself.
We went to Hagnaps bring & buy, few days in the cotswolds then on to Stratford, away for 10 days and never had electric hook up so they must have worked! (and I even used my hairdryer through the inverter!)

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