A swiveling, tilting, thingy!!?? (1 Viewer)

[wizzer59]

Right you lot listen up.
I don't want to cover the roof of my van in sun traps:Cool:, I'd rather maximize the potential of just the one, so this got me thinking about making a turntable thingy to mount my solar panel on so I can park up, tilt it up and turn it south, job done.
Sooo I have a nice square panel and Ive found large lazy susan bearing, I have a few ideas churning around but pitfalls there are bound to be, like wires tangling up etc, so what do you think?, anyone done it? what are the pitfalls?

and I want to do this myself so no readymades please:thumb:

answers on a postcard to me

Tim

 

[Road Runner]

No answer Tim

But morning and BUMP

 

[wizzer59]

Good morning and thanks John:thumb:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Wildman]

I stand one of my panels in the front window, almost vertical and park facing south, folds down on dash when driving (and still charges). 80W panel giving me 7-8 hours of TV all year round.(the batteries for the TV are only charged via that panel). Why make more holes in the roof. you could mount on the rear of a sat dish (manual windup turn and tilt)

 

[JJ]

I have be thinking about your idea since the days before you had it!

I too want a tilty, swivelly thingy but it has to be able to go up and down and round and round and lock down flat on roof for quick get aways and not need the operator to climb on the roof and not cost the thousands of pounds that the clever, electronic ones on the market do....and do you know what?

I have not come up with a design yet... but am still working on it.

Loads of vans down here (Portugal) have panels that tilt up (in one plane) and are this does help get more watts per panel but still need a degree of "fiddling about".

When we come up with our design we will make a fortune...:thumb:

JJ :Cool:

 

[scotjimland]

I saw a prototype that Ian ( Olley) was building. It was to be self tracking.. if he doesn't see this thread give him a PM ...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[SPUD'N'T]

We bought a cheap tv mounting bracket which seems to cover most angles and could easily be modified

 

[wizzer59]

I have be thinking about your idea since the days before you had it!

I too want a tilty, swivelly thingy but it has to be able to go up and down and round and round and lock down flat on roof for quick get aways and not need the operator to climb on the roof and not cost the thousands of pounds that the clever, electronic ones on the market do....and do you know what?

I have not come up with a design yet... but am still working on it.

Loads of vans down here (Portugal) have panels that tilt up (in one plane) and are this does help get more watts per panel but still need a degree of "fiddling about".

When we come up with our design we will make a fortune...:thumb:

JJ :Cool:

Only difference between us then JJ, is I'm still young and able enough to climb up on the roof now and again (so no holes)

So we need two designs, one for the elderly and infirm, and one for me:Cool:

Tim

 

[moandick]

An RV parked up with the ARV Club at the Shepton Show last weekend had a tilt and swivel fixing for their solar panel - and from a distance it looked as though it tilted automatically. In fact from a distance it looked as if they had used a satellite Dish base unit and adapted it for the solar panel.

I'm not sure that < > fits the bill but it came up on a google search.

Dick

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Wildman]

Requirement it not to have to climb on the roof every time.

 

[SandJ]

Take a look at this

CLICK HERE

Could be mounted on ladder at rear, but then you have a security issue

as to sat dish mounted

Link Removed

Did think of fitting to a manual sat dish the you can use dual (sun of a day and tv of a night) you would need to adjust during the day for optimum sun

 

[aba]

what about a satellite horizon motor like they use on household dishes from maplin only about £50

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[aba]

just had another thought maybe some of our RC model enthusiasts may be able to point in the direction of larger actuators / stepper motors suitable for the purpose

 

[wizzer59]

Requirement it not to have to climb on the roof every time.

I don't mind climbing on the roof once to set up and again to put down:thumb:

 

[Snowbird]

Similar idea to my thoughts on my wind generator.
I have an old through the roof satellite pole in the garage. Its has a horseshoe on the top that either a windmill or solar panel could be bolted onto. This would wind up and down and you could turn it in the direction of the sun from inside the van. These are not expensive to buy and I think Roadpro sells them. The advantage of this is that the wires come down the inside of the pole,so now cance of leaks.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jonandshell]

Check out a James Bond Movie.

Lots of Bond Villans had rotating solar panels at their secret lairs!

 

[Wildman]

The real problem with a single pushup pole is one of windage ripping the pole mount out of the roof. any mount for a large solarpanel needs to have a number of attachment points over a decent roof area to make it stable and solid in the wind.

 

[niggle]

:thumb::thumb: i got one from a french dealer for £ 80 .00 i will try to explain it....
my 180 w panell was mounted to a ally base plate and it goes up on two coach oil filled rams that are at each end of the pannell frame,, turnes toward the sun on a12 volt elec motor via a locked possisition turn table device,,to get it down all you do is crank the down handle and hey presto,, all wires are taken down to the m/h vai the middle of the base,,he only charged me 30 euro to fit and took 3 hrs to do it ,,,,works brill :thumb::thumb:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[wizzer59]

:thumb::thumb: i got one from a french dealer for £ 80 .00 i will try to explain it....
my 180 w panell was mounted to a ally base plate and it goes up on two coach oil filled rams that are at each end of the pannell frame,, turnes toward the sun on a12 volt elec motor via a locked possisition turn table device,,to get it down all you do is crank the down handle and hey presto,, all wires are taken down to the m/h vai the middle of the base,,he only charged me 30 euro to fit and took 3 hrs to do it ,,,,works brill :thumb::thumb:

£80 for all that, sounds like a steal to me got any pics? :thumb: any idea of the name?:thumb:

 

[niggle]

it was the pilote dealers at renns,, will look for bill tomo at office for name ,,p/m me

 

[paintman]

I searched for swiveling solar panel mounts and came up with this thread, just wondered if there had developments since 2011 ? as a pal who full times in Spain/Maroc is home at Christmas and wants to rig something up whilst back home.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Chris]

I employ a Romanian to stand on my roof holding a vertical solar panel and instruct him to follow the sun.

He has the evenings off:thumb:

 

[JJ]

I employ a Romanian to stand on my roof holding a vertical solar panel and instruct him to follow the sun.

He has the evenings off:thumb:

Cripes Chris you are such a big softy...

In the evenings you should get him on the exercise bike connected to an alternator.


JJ :Cool:

 

[rangi]

Only difference between us the[HI]n JJ, [/HI]is I'm still young and able enough to climb up on the roof now and again (so no holes)

So we need two designs, one for the[HI] elderly and infirm,[/HI] and one for me:Cool:

Tim

Oh Boyoh: now you've done it:Blush:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DBK]

Just buy a bigger solar panel and mount it horizontally. I suspect, but haven't done the sums/geometry but tilting the panel won't make much of a difference unless you want to use it in winter or in more northern climes. Most power will be generated a few hours either side of midday.

Alternatively, have some sort of hamster cage made connected to a generator and run a badger or say a terrier in it.

 

[Welsh girl]

We saw someone in France had a solar panel attached to his sat dish.
tv in the Night and solar charge in the day.
Dropped his dish down a little and pointed it to the sun.

 

[wizzer59]

No devlopments I,m afraid, not enough time, bla bla bla, to be fair my system (80w panel, Mppt reg and 85amp batt) has kept everything hunky dory but might look into it when I get more time if and when I retire

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

Large flat panel fixed to an all but rigid mount stuck 10ft in the air !!!!!!!

Have you ever tried carrying a large-ish sheet of plywood in a stiff breeze ?

Dont forget, its things like this that make sailing boats go forward and I certainly wouldnt risk my roof and panel in anything other than flat calm conditions.

 

[g8ysn]

power seem,s to be a big issue charging your overworked batteries,when we were racing to start the bike [no starter motor,weight] we had rollers under van drive wheel to rotate bike back wheel why not use simuler only to
drive power boosting alternator/charger just a thought, what do u think yoric have u used 1

 

[SOS]

We must be posh! We have 2 solar panels on our roof one of which raises and tilts by a small button in the motorhome. However don't understand any of these watts and amps thingy ma bobbys. Just lucky that my brother in law who had the motorhome before us was an electrical engineer and my god is he amazing at what he can build.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}