SOLAR POWER 4x4 Overlander, tips advice
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- SOLAR POWER 4x4 Overlander , tips advice
JUMP LINKS:
0:01 intro
0:35 Battery Power (batt bank)
1:57 Mono/Poly/Amorphous SOLAR CELLS
4:57 Fixed Panels (pros cons)
6:55 Foldable Solar Panels
8:26 Solar Blankets
9:55 Clean Panels are key
11:27 The Shadow Factor
12:47 Do I need Cheap or High Quality??
15:21 SOLAR REGULATORS + CONTROLLER
18:37 Budget system
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Hi Ronny, Dave from Rolasolar here. Great video some added information for your viewers.
Temperature Coefficient:
Solar panel temperature is one of the important factors that affects how much power a solar panel will produce. So the more sunshine generally the hotter the solar panels get and this in turn reduces the solar panel output. In some cases the heat can reduce output by 10% to 25% depending on your specific location. Looking at the manufacturer's data sheet a term called "temperature coefficient at Pmax" should be listed. For example a monocrystalline solar panel with a temperature coefficient at Pmax of 0.50% means is that for each degree over 25˚C the maximum power of the panel is reduced by 0.50%. So on a hot day at a solar panel temperature of 45˚C the power would be reduced by 10%. Conversely in cool conditions output would be higher and in temperatures below 25˚C the output can be high then rated. Not all solar panels are affected by heat equally and some do much better at coping with the heat than others. Amorphous solar cells are known for their low light performance and shade tolerance. They also are also better in high heat conditions than monocrystalline and polycrystalline cells due to their lower temperature coefficient value. Amorphous solar cells will always yield more power into your batteries throughout the day then mono of poly of the same size. If retailer can't provide the temperature coefficient values for the solar panel - walk away.
Best way to prevent heat loss with mounting semi flexible solar panels directly to metal surfaces is to mount them on a backing material like core flute which allows air flow under the solar panel.
Rolasolar Nice to get some cold hard facts out there :-)
Rolasolar ;
Thanks for info Dave 👍
Hi, Dave from Rolasolar here again. Some added info for mobile and portable solar panel buyers:
Did you know that most mobile/portable solar isn't certified like building solar. This leaves the buyer open to being scammed with uderrated and poor quality solar?
How do you know that a solar panel is underrated for its size, because there is a standard size for a solar panel for the power output.
12V monocrystalline solar panels with a cell efficiency of around 17- 20% should be roughly 0.0064m2 per watt. If there is a substantial variance from that, you are being misled.
Listed below are rough sizing you should be looking for in a monocrystalline solar panel:
80W panel = 0.512m2
100W panel = 0.640m2
120W panel = 0.768m2
150W panel = 0.960m2
160W panel = 1.024m2
200W panel = 1.280m2
250W panel = 1.600m2
300W panel = 1.920m2
If you want to know that the panel you are looking at is actually the wattage advertised, do the math above, or jump on a reputable sellers websites like Everdrive or Redarc and compare sizes.
As an Example one of the 200W fixed solar panels from online is 1170mm x 510mm or 0.597m2 which equates to approx a 95W solar panel.
This scam has been going around for years but seems to be ripe on the auction and other cheap product websites. Do your own research don't be misled by the scammers.
So best thing to do is set up your solar panel when it's raining! 😁
As an electronic technician for the last 15 years, this is the best simple practical explanation of small scale solar I've seen. Great work! This is the video I'll refer people to.
Tip:
If you got the space on you car (approx 1700x1000mm)and a charger/mmpt that can handle the higher output voltage (approx 35v), talk to you local solar sparky. They often got old house mounted solar panels they are happy to get rid of. You often get em for free or for a carton/six pack.
Got a 220W panel for free and intend to run it with a Victron cyrix-ct vsr and a smartsolar 75/15 (or bigger).
Get a deep cycle battery and you got a set up with enough power for 500ish $, unless you can source a deep cycle battery for cheap (ask a fire sprinkler guys etc).
Don't go camping very often so I try not to "waste" a lot of money in big brands.
I'm still annoyed you took your amorphous blanket back. After seeing how well it went on that trip, I went and got one!
Hi Harry, we all saw you get to Ronny's fridge, ha ha
Harry make some cooking vids! Would love to see em
Perhaps it would help if you actually understood what amp hours mean's,and how batteries are rated. If a battery is rated for 100 amp hour's,then it will deliver 100 amp hours at it's C20 rate,regardless of whether it is an AGM,lithium,or LAB.
Yes, you are right but at the expense of dramatically shortened battery life. It is not advisable to use more than 50% of a lead acid, gel, or AGM battery capacity.This fact is on virtually every battery website on the net.
How can I know which panel is A+, B, C?
Thank you very much ,great info,I'm old so I will have to watch more than once,keep up the good work.
Up north where it's sunny most the time? I am in the most rained place in the country which is FAR North lol. It's been going for 8 months this year ;)
I do a lot with remote solar systems, I found your video to be excellent, spot on and easy to understand, very good, thanks for doing.
Ronny, you missed a time stamp. At 15:37 Marley teleports.
Hahaha clever dog
4-6 amp hours for two fridges? Dude, get yourself a dometic. They average less than 1 amp hour to run efficiently, plus they're great fridges! :-)
I just bought me a 50 liter fridge/cooler for camping and/or for emergencies. What watt would work for me to go out camping for weekend trips and with little space that I have what would work more effectively?
That REDARC amorphous blanket would be ideal for my climate and use. Sucks it's $2400 Australian, or $1850 USD!
You can get a complete system for that kind of money! (hard panels)
REDARC is the bees knees for this stuff best of the best that’s why it’s so expensive my setup on my trailer is all REDARC was over $10,000 but it is used every weekend
SKIP TO ANY PART HERE:
0:01 intro
0:35 Battery Power (batt bank)
1:57 Mono/Poly/Amorphous SOLAR CELLS
4:57 Fixed Panels (pros cons)
6:55 Foldable Solar Panels
8:26 Solar Blankets
9:55 Clean Panels are key
11:27 The Shadow Factor
12:47 Do I need Cheap or High Quality??
15:21 SOLAR REGULATORS + CONTROLLER
18:37 Budget system
you forgot to mention that glass is the only transparent material that can last in the sun full time. all the flexible panels will only have a service life of 6 months permanently in the sun before they go opaque or delaminate and then output only 1/10th of their rating
This comment made the video 100x better. Really Good Work Mate
2JZZ12 Cheap material usually PET can have the clouding affect and can deteriate after constant UV exposure. ETFE material used on quality semi and flexible solar panels has been UV tested for thousands of hours. Its the same material used on flexible grid tied solar panels approved for a 20+ year service life. With all solar panels as with all products you get what you pay for.
Links to products please ? thank you
Did you make the video on how many watts you need? Can’t find it.
hey Ronnie, don't want to worry you but at about 4:50 looks like a large critter is raiding your fridge
888johnmac and the blankets gone missing
13:02 large critter knocking of solar blanket :)
I was just making sure they were cold. I can confirm they were cold and delicious
harry.. aah very thoughtful, lol
Harry Fisher That's the best way to check if the power still on.
Awesome practical video with no marketing BS
NOT
Great video. Thanks heaps. Perhaps could have given some idea about cable thickness.i really needed a basics video to get a starter handle on it. You gave me much more. Gratful!
I have been thinking about a solar setup for when I get back on the road for many years. I bit the bullet and started on the setup.
I've gone with 2 x 138A/h AGMs, 2 x 160W fixed panels, a 12 Volt controller and DC-DC charger/regulator, and a 3000W pure sine wave inverter (I'll be using a computer and other electronics). I've got a 3000W petrol genset as a backup. It may be overkill but I will be using a fair bit of power. The ute will basically be a mobile bush mechanic's workshop (and video/photography studio) with a fridge, shower, stove, and bed.
Thanks Ronny. One man can only research so many things or comprehend so many, that is why someone like yourself is such a great resource, not to leave out great videos!
Love your work Ronny, keep them coming mate!
I have 120w blanket that seem to keep up with the 80L dual zone fridge when parked up for the day, with a 130 Ah AGM dual battery wired in, and I use AC charger every so often.
Hey Ronny, where’s the follow up video about calculating solar. Battery setup etc. cheers!
One problem not mentioned is the vehicle mounting of fixed panels; I have more cracked and damaged panels as 4X4's are flexible and so are their bodies, when mounting a fixed panel I always use rubber exhaust bobbins as this gives more under panel cooling and the flexibility of the rubber gives enough movement to counter the flexing of the panel.
Thanks for another great informative video. You've helped us out considerably on our two builds. Keep them coming!
What did that cheeky bugger in the background do with your blanket haha?
Great video as always! Here's a couple questions for your next video:
- Permanently mounted dual battery system or a portable battery box, which is best?
- What should I look for in a battery box?
- Which companies (preferably Australian) sell the high-end A+solar panels?
- Are lithium batteries worth it?
- What are your best tips for minimising power consumption?
From what i understand MPPT charge at high amps which isn't as good for the battery. Where as PWM charges slightly lower which is ideal for deep cycle. As long as you have the correct size panel for your requirement thats the key.
A good MPPT charger will let you set the charging amps to suit your battery capacity, and therfore optimum charge rate. For example, if your battery is 100AH then you generally want to charge it at around 10A. A victron smart solar MPPT charger will let you set this in the configuration.
Everything about MPPT is better.
blankets suck in hot weather so if you plan to go outback and camp they are useless... 30-40C weather drives the heat of the panels way beyond their 40c maximum. at 40c a 100w renogy fixed panel still delivers 94watts or better. even a efte panel (atem 200w) can only deliver 4 amps through a mppt and a single renogy 100w delivers 7 amps and they weigh the same 6kgs.... Oh and a fixed panel is 30% of the price or 6 times the output for the money(worst case).
Thanks for the video, most informative one that I've watched yet. Cheers!
thanks so much mate, i love your videos and passion that goes into them. im getting ready to set up a new dual cab and hit the cape and fraser. you have taken all the guess work out of my planning. thanks again, be safe... dave
Had an Engle fridge and measuring it’s consumption rendered it useless. The non energy efficient non inverter controlled units are power hungry, go to an inverter energy efficient CFX Waeco or similar and you’ll cut the consumption by a massive amount. I can run the CFX off a standard lead acid car battery with no solar panels for 3 days, same experiment with the Engel was two hours. I’d say concentrate more money on the powered devices rather than the bank that powers it.
Nice video, liked and subscribed. I live in the Canadian Rocky Mountains (-40c here at the moment) and we can/do get golf ball and baseball size hail here through the summer months. How do these panels hold up to hail?
Hi Ronny,
Thank you so much mate. Beautifully explained.
Could you please do a video on following points while camping in Australia for beginners? This is beautiful country and would benefit beginners. Good man. Thanks again.
1. Do's and Don'ts
2. How safe is it camping in remote area in terms of wild animals, emergency , etc etc
3. How safe it is to camp in public area especially when you are accompanied with a Girlfriend, Wife or with a family with kids. Is there any treat from humans who would have drunk?
4. Tips to avoid camp sites yet safe to spend night.
Appreciated!
Great video Ronnie, keep it up! I recently bought an Intervolt DCDC (which is a Perth company) for my Prado and caravan aux, how about a review video? Very happy with it, and love supporting local
Great video. General question. I have the hard fixed panel like in this video (with the mppt controller in the back). Can I plug that straight into my bc2bc charger without bypassing the build in controller on the panel? (I incidentally have the same redarc bc2bc charger too in this video). Should I just rip it off? Also, what are the repercussions of just leaving it and going from one regulator into the redarc one? The reason I ask is because I'd like to leave it there so I can use it for other uses that's all. Not a biggie if I have to rip it off though. Cheers.
Credibility is shot as soon as you try claiming that if you discharge an AGM or Lead Acid down below 50% that it can cause a fire... No! Just No! The only thing that will cause a fire are passing more current through in either direction than the system is capable of (discharge/charge rate of battery & carrying capacity of cabling).
Amp hours does not equal Amps!
the trick with solar panels is how many you can run in series..
2 of a vs 3-4 of b may benefit you quicker
Do a proper power draw test
If I was going to look at battery power running electrical I would consider going 4 or however big the tray space is
make sure all your batteries is of the same rating never use a high rating with a lower rating because 1 will flatten the other
Given the cost of AGM's you might want to consider lithium batteries as the power source given their longevity
Hi Ronny,
I have a arkpak battery box to run my Bushman fridge in my 4wd although I can charge my fridge whilst driving i was looking at solar to charge the battery box while stationary for a few days . I go solo camping for 3 days at the most. I'm looking at getting a mppt regulator and folding solar panels what would your advice be for this set up.
Cheers
My truck has dual agm batteries and dual alternators totaling 400 amps. Anything wrong with wiring one to solar panel on roof when it's running the alternator charges when it's off 200 watts of solar power. I've done this on my old truck with single battery and alternator with good results. I've never had dual batteries and alternators before.
I’ve got 660w of mono on the roof of my rig... & 200ah of lithium...I can camp permanently.
We run the REDARC BMS30 paired with the 190w Solar Blanket and a 2000w Inverter. Primarily use it for charging our camera equipment when filming and editing the days action while chilling out at a lit up camp site. Would definitely not feel as safe plugging expensive gear into cheaper quality solar products. Definitely need to uprade the 120AH Lead Acid battery to a Lithium sometime soon though we always seem to set the low batt alerts off late at night when editing.
HI RONNY / Watched a video today about 12 volt set ups great to see some one with a who makes videos that are easy to watch and easy to understand would like to help you with your quest . would like to talk more soon THANKS . Rocky.
Great video! While watching, i was actually wanting co comment on the thing where if you're on a budget, you'd be better off spending more on the controller and skimping on the panels, but then you made that point at the end, so good on you!
But it's also nice that your videos cater for budget/DIY guys, in that you agree that sometimes you can buy the medium quality stuff, and basically get the best you can afford. Lots of other guys on TH-cam are all "Get this because it's the best, Don't worry about that second mortgage.."
Thanks from South Africa, Keep up the great videos!!!
Hi, my 2nd battery(deep cycle) is inside the engine compartment. Can the regulator be installed on top of the battery or will it be too hot? The alternative is in the back of the double cab but that will not be near the battery-will it make such a difference for a 150 w solar panel?
Terminology mate. Learn the subject if you are going to explain it on a TH-cam vid.
Lots of effort in this vid let down by some basic terminology errors which make the info you give incorrect.
Hmm, 4 amps monocrystalline versus 3.1 amps amorphous for panels with the same price and area on a cloudy day? It doesn’t seem convincing that amorphous has an advantage here.
Great vid, looking forward to part 2. Watch out for cheap MPPT controllers, I've seen plenty on eBay which look exactly the same as the eBay $20 PWM ones. Do the research to make sure you're getting a good MPPT controller.
My choice of solar depends on wattage rating and full sun wattage, if I buy a 100watt panel I want to see 100watt in full sun midday on a low battery, I can’t find evidence of this anywhere
Would a set up be possible to charge an EV (plug in/hybrid) battery with a solar set up?
On a very cheap budget and got 45 watt hard panels for $35 usd on a trade site working on the mount and set up. (Why I watched today)
Brilliant video; super helpful, thorough and easy to understand. Great content.. Would also like to hear about your truck, specs, model etc.
Hey they are called Alligator clips geesh crocodile clips never seen that.
CHuCK in Alaska
What would you recommend for fitting to a Bimini on a small boat primarily to run a fridge? Thanks
Wish I got a amorphous blanket now u explained difference . Are the poly fixed panels better in shade than mono? Regards Merv
I have a Kings folding panels which I had mounted flat on my roof rack, used only when parked up for a few days. It worked ok. I have since mounted a hard shell roof top tent, so I have now got a kings solar blanket which will be used when parked up on my next trip in a couple of weeks.
The process of sorting is called binning. Unfortunately the best way to choose is really to buy trusted brands
Very good video, thanks!!!
This is such a good video bro... exactly what I need learning to get get onto 4wd life. You break everything down in perfect detail and no bs. What a legend
i disagree, pwm can be between 10-30% less efficient , pwm regulators are about 1/10 the cost, buy 30% more panel than you think you need because panels are cheap, and you will be right, that is the most cost effective way of a solar setup.
There is a lot of marketing hype with MPPT stuff. There are pros and cons to both methods. A quality engineered system, like Bogart here in the States, performs extremely well for a fraction of the cost. And like Ashley stated, with the money saved, buy an additional panel.
panels are cheap but more panels take up more space and weigh more.
It depends on the voltage of the panel. If you use a PWM controller with high voltage solar modules (such as any of the big 250+ watt residential panels), you will lose more than half the power versus an MPPT controller. Put simply, a PWM controller converts the higher voltage coming from the panel to 13.8 volts, but does not increase amps. A MPPT controller will convert the higher voltage to 13.8 volts with a corresponding increase in amps resulting in much more watts (Power) to charge your batteries. Most "big" panels run at 38 volts or more. I have 300 watt panels that run at 54 volts. On the 54 volt panels, I would lose over 2/3 the power if I choose a PWM controller. Basically, when used with high voltage panels, a PWM controller will throw away more than 50% of the available power from the panels when compared to an MPPT controller.
If you want to use a PWM controller, you should only buy 12 volt panels, which by the way, run at 17-20 volts. That is where you get your 10-30% figure from, but it does not apply to higher voltage panels.
A good controller with a guarantee is the best option. It's the single point of failure.
I like the grading system. Very fair. Well done. Thanks
Thanks Ronny...this helped me a lot...many thanks for taking the time
thanks for keeping it simple for us new to trying to get our head around solar setup
Pretty good overview. I like how you pointed out the efficiency gains of the amorphous (most people simply say they are "less efficient" because they require more surface area per watt. Is a tractor less efficient that a micro car when plowing a field? Of course not). You didn't mention that the amorphous panel is also more efficient in hotter conditions, though all panels do lose efficiency as they heat up, as you mentioned. An amorphous panel will still continue to put out amps as the sun sets, well after the mono has shut down. If amorphous were only slightly more expensive, I couldn't understand choosing anything else, unless you were really tight on room. As it is, there is a huge price difference. Overall, very good overview.
I have a 250 watt foldable solar panel connected to a Projecta DC to DC charger in my camper that has 2x 100 amp hour batteries. We run coffee machines, fridges lights and other auxiliary power, and have never run out of power. I think your video this morning was very informative for anyone starting out. Weld one and keep up the good work.
Rob Blane Totally agree with that level of Solar and Storage
Hey Rob ! Can you tell us the brand of your solar panel ? Cause your setup is pretty much the same as mine, but I just want to buy some new solar panel !
I've never seen so much random Bullshit comparisons ever.
Crocodile clips?!??
Look a lot like alligator clips to me....
;)
As usual, objective and well explained, thanks mate :)
HI Ronny what about a petrol power battery charger or a Genni to provide power
Hey mate I’m about to get a redarc 150w fixed panel and a 40amp redarc solar regulator For my rig I have a agm battery not sure on AH to run accessories and 68L myCOOLMAN fridge is that going to be enough to run my fridge 24/7 do u think mate any feedback at all would be appreciated
20amp redarc solar regulator sorry
Its wrong to say High quality vs cheap, as you can buy some really good high quality cheap panels that will match or even have better performance than the more expensive panels,. When comparing something in future its expensive vs cheap or high quality vs low quality, don't get them confused. I saw just the other day a $300 110w panel compared to a cheap $99 110w panel and using same 12v controller the cheaper one outperformed the more expensive one, so take prices with a grain of salt, cheap doesn't always mean nasty.
so how do you tell then, without buying both and comparing?
if you clean the panels twice you could gain 5 amps!
difference between mppt and pwm controllers are nowhere near that much unless the voltage of the panel is not the same as the battery and in most cases you will get more value for money by just buying a bigger panel with a pwm controller in saying that if you are using second hand house panel that are more then say 18v a mmpt regulator is a must have.
Exactly.
I heard blankets can’t handle the rain. Can they handle a light shower?
Thanks Ronny very helpful video
3 x 120w foldable panels from ebay (other $120 each), ripped the PWMs off, replaced the diodes for schottky's as the panels themselves were German qulity. Then mounted the epever tracer Mppt 30cm from the 300ah Giant battery + dual battery 150amp fused blah blah.. 7 months touring east coast of Aus with 2 x 40 litre fridge / freezer.. worked a treat.
how do I know which panel is a,b,c or others? just on the price tag?
Christian oder so Known in the Industry as Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 panels.
No one's refers to them as A, B, C...
There is a lot of info on PV panel manafactures.
Have a search....
e-Solar, LG, etc make Tier 1 panels
I can see you put the effort in this video haha
That was very informative.
Thanks
Thanks very educational,
Thank you, Ronny. This video was exactly the level of info I needed. I appreciate the purchasing advice.
my 2Ct for PV install:
I agree with your argumentation allover, this is an extremely good explanation for starters - IF money isnt´t 1rst argument - but quality. Best efficiency will be with MPPT and PV in 2x series. BUT:
You save > 100€ with PWM controller and loose ~20% efficiency. An additional 100Watt PV Panel is less than that! [btw, as you said: these measurements are taken @ 25°C, @ higher temps PV loose efficiency!]
Semi flex gives you more opportunities for installation, like on slight rounded areas, @ the side of the truck etc. PLUS these have rings to fix them easy and fast - e.g. to undo and put them into the sun.
I would strongly suggest a smaller LipoFe over a much bigger AGM. Better install a second LipoFe additionally later when budget is available. Saves lot of weight and space!!! 90% out of them vs. 50% + min. 3 longer life time.
Example: My setup will be the following on my Van (in mid Europe): 2x 100 watt semiflex on my roof, that will be unscrewable if needed, PWM + AGM @ first, later LipoFe. What I will loose in efficiency on controller will be covered by the second PV.
Note: I will have no fridge, winch to be running. Nothing in my kitchen. only luxery stuff like Smartphone, Tablet, Cam, lights inside, music, heater. I need lots of juice for starting my Diesel in the cold, Glow plug etc.
Who else saw the thing next to the right back weel in the beggining?
Best video on here for the information I needed. Thanks
Absolutely brilliant. If I run a dual battery system could I run a normal battery for the vehicle battery up front and a 200amp deep cycle battery at the back for my fridge?
Is there any part 2 on this video ?? Can’t seem to find it if there is
Really helpful info I’m in the market for solar power and this vid has helped heaps!
I was recently looking into getting a solar panel like the Kings one in your video. We run a fridge and led strip lights. Thats about it. I just wanted to make sure the battery will go for a few days parked up in a nice spot. However the thought of bad weather ruiining the charge made me opt to buy 2 deep cycles and wire them together. Has lasted for 4 days without starting the car. Considering you need an aux battery anyway and the cost of the cheaper panels being about the same as a battery I thought that was a better option for me. What do you think about running two aux batteries?
We dont get too much sun here in Ireland, but Ive found that when it is very sunny my ARB fridge takes my leisure battery down below the low voltage cutoff and I wake up to my fridge around 4c instead of 1c. So Im looking for a solar panel for the roof, just enough to give a wee boost on the rare days that its hot and the fridge is using more power.
Ronnie, great video. I am curious about what battery you are charging through the BCDC1225D vs the MPPT mounted in the rear. Or is it these are just 2 options to charge your auxiliary battery and you only use one at a time? Thanks from Texas USA.
That Redarc 112W Solar Blanket Amorphous Cells is $2,319
I like house panels, might be a bit big for a 4x4 but on even a small caravan/ poptop it's probably the best way to go.
They're not only cheap (about $20 for 195w) but the higher voltage helps alot, mines a 7.something amp 40v panel and even in the shade and sometimes at night it will still charge because it still sends a high enough voltage to the mppt for it to work(highest ive seen at night was 2A in but its better than nothing). I did a week long trip with the van parked the whole time under a tree and by lunch time it was basically float charging.
more on solar please. Like I'm still just fantasizing about overlanding, so three different lists or categories of functionality would be GOLDEN. EX: when starting out, If you have this many machines pulling this many amps, then go with "x". And so on. Or if you're going on a two day sight seeing road trip, you'll probably want "x", if you're gonna camp, you'll probably want this and that, so you'll need about "y". Et cetera. That's the kind of stuff I'm searching for. thanks! BTW Im from south Texas so semi-arid conditions for the most part...and I just got a Taco TDR off road.
I them off iTechworld online. They don't have a brand name that I can see. Specs are:
250 watt
21.6 open circuit volts
17.7 Max power volts
14.14 Max power amps
I've heard from an electrical engineer that PWM-regulators are good for lead-acid batteries since it provides a good "pulse-charge" that makes you change your batteries less often.
For lithium however, MPPT is superior.
G'day Ronny. Bloody good stuff as always. I've just picked up 2x120ah deep cycles that I'm running all my gear in my canopy off (idea being I invest heavily into the canopy set up so if/when I upgrade I just unbolt the sucker). I've got a 60L combi Engle which draws a lot of power despite being a newer model (mainly because I'm trying to run it at all times for my work). Also running a new ctek 250 bcdc (new 2018 model) with solar input. Do I need a regulator still if it's got solar input or does the unit act as a regulator? Hate to ruin me new batteries. Thanks mate.
Very professional and concise video. Absolute Champion! I came away more knowledgeable about the basics of solar panel and controller quality and differences effecting efficiency - all in a short ‘to-the-point’ video. You know your stuff and value the viewers time. Thankyou 🙏🏻 Keep up the great work. 👌
Like all your videos, fantastic. Was just the basic overview I was looking for as I being to research this part of my overlanding build. Thanks!
Can you please do another modified episode of a Navara D40 you’ve only got one d40 and it’s from years ago and I noticed you’ve got like 2-3 of each other car
I have a fixed panel on the roof but have a blanket I can run out when camped up as well. Just wired the plugs in parallel and feed into my 1225D BCDC. Works really well.
Good video Ron but l don’t believe the Pwm controller is as bad as you rated it , l have seen other people do test/comparisons and it was marginal , especially compared to the cost of a mmpt controller... also you guys should throw in about cable sizing and lengths they play a massive part of power loss , too small , too long = huge power drop...cheers....
Great video. Thanks.