I built a hinged setup like this in the past. Few tips I used to improve the design for year round use. 1) Concrete path blocks or similar to get the wood off the ground. Prevents rot even with pressure treated. 2) Rebar anchor into the ground. Basically drill a couple of holes to hammer rebar into the ground and secure the base. remove rebar to move the setup. 3) WIND SUCKS. Make sure to create a locking mechanism on the vertical support holding up the panels. to keep the solar panels from pivoting in the wind. Yes Panels are heavy but they also act like a sail and with enough wind can flip forward. 4) Paint the wood. It's cheap, akes your rig look better and adds to the durability of your setup. I have mine lasting for over a decade.
*photovoltaic/solar thermal technician here: I APPROVE!* add another 2x4 across all so you can add sandbags so wind doesn't blow over creating a *self ballast* sand bags might not be good idea, water in 5 gallon buckets since you travel. if were permanent fixture then sandbags. *Good Job Brother!*
I have 4 separate solar PV panel arrays in my backyard. I used furniture dolly’s, 1/2” galvanized pipe, zip ties, etc. I have several nylon ropes attacked to tent stakes in the ground. 5 years so far and these have withstood 50+mph winds. Since they’re on wheels I can quickly move them to collect morning sun or evening sun daily for max solar input. They’re easy to clean too.
@@mycabinlife1291 sorry I don’t post video on TH-cam. The first one I built I used what I had handy and it worked so good I kept building them the same way. I used a furniture dolly. Laid a cedar fence slat on it for the base. Put one solar panel on it. Cut a piece of 1/2 galvanized pipe the width of 3 solar panels. Used outdoor rated zip ties and connected the pipe to the dolly behind the solar panel. Then connected the solar panel to the dolly with zip ties. Then added a solar panel to the left and another one to the right. Zip tied them to each other and the pipe. Tilted them at 45 degrees and measured to the ground. Cut more scrap 1/2 pipe for legs. Smashed one end of legs in a Vice. Drilled a hole on each end of the cross member pipe and attached legs with a bolt on each side. Used tent stakes and nylon cord to attach them to the ground. Learned to put a piece of scrap wood in front of dolly wheels so they don’t roll forward. This can all be done with other materials. Wood or maybe PVC pipe would work. But Galvanized pipe is what I had a lot of. It works great and can be taken apart quickly and used for camping trips too. They’ve survived wind storms up to 40-50 mph. I make sure to place them on the grass so if they do blow over they’ll land on grass not rocks or cement. It was a learning experience. They use to blow over but I kept adding more tie downs. Now I use 3 tent stakes in back and one in front.
Very nice. If I built one I'd probably add some large caster wheels so you can easily move it to service/repair it or adjust the position for better sunlight.
Hey thanks for making this video we have our 6 -100 watt panels wired up exactly the same way and we were kinda wondering what to do with them,,,you just helped us solve that problem,,, that’s a Jim dandy little set up there I believe that’s what we’re going to try and make👍😊
@@jaysonstebbins2539 We’re going to be using Victron. We have the new nine busbar Renorgy 100 W solar panels six of those and we also have three of the older five busbar Renorgy panels we’re going to be using 2 of them to charge a EB3a.That will leave us with one old extra one we’ll find something for that later on.We’re going to be wiring up a Victron smart MPPT charge controller the 100/50 model and so far I have one 100 amp hour Redodo lifepo4 battery however we’re planning on purchasing another one here very soon and wiring them in parallel for 200 amp hours and We also bought the Victron Smart battery sense and the Victron smart shunt ,,,and then I thought about it for a little while I went ahead and bought the Victron 12 Volt 1200 Watts 120 volt HZ phoenix inverter,,, I hope I didn’t mess up on the inverter some people say they love it other people say they didn’t really care for it I figure if we don’t like it it can become a shelf queen and live in a state of emergency backupness(that’s probably not a word how ever) this is what we have planned for possibly this coming weekend,,,we were going to do it this weekend however my son reminded me we’ve had a 10 x 17 Harbor freight garage in a box out in our little metal shed for a little over a year now and we really needed to put it together so we can free up space in our walk-in garage and our little metal shed,,,that garage went up Like a dream my son is really good at reading manuals and instruction pamphlets and doing little projects like that i’m very fortunate there to have his help so me and him together got it all up and looks real nice we used flat concrete block on the feet of that he garage and then we used a Masonary drill bit and hammer drill and drilled into the block and used tap com screws to secure the feet hopefully this helps it not blow away we have a storm coming soon in our area and we’re a little nervous about that guess we’ll find out if it holds up,,, we purchased the two-year replacement plan hopefully you don’t have to try and use it.
@william38022 no you did good on the pheonix 1200. I use all renogy products aside from my 4 hqst 100 watt panels that were free and my ecoflow delta pro. For efficiency you'll like the pheonix. You can do almost 800 watts on the 100/50. 100 is the input voltage and the 50 is amps going out. Which is about 620 Watts to battery. Victron makes dam good products so I can't shake a stick at them lol. Support just sucks cause you can't contact victory directly IMO. Good choices. Lol at enduro batteries. I think I spelled that right. Can't go wrong with there 12v line. I not have 600 watts on the shed (500) and (100) and 1500 watts on the Delta pro running a 5S3P that will soon be 6S3P 1800 watts slightly overpaneling the amps.
I have something similar in my backyard but I used furniture dolly’s, 1/2 galvanized pipe etc. I use nylon rope and long tent stakes to keep the wind from blowing it over. It’s been there 5 years and I move it every 6 months to get the best solar power. It hasn’t blown over yet.
Cool. I have a couple big panels that I want to make movable and that looks good hoping to find a couple cheap wheels for one end and use a couple of those corkscrew dog stakes with a ratchet tie down.
Here is the short video. Ours was much larger , but we tried to follow the idea. We worked from 6 to 430.. we will continue to beef it up. Then we do the second one.
That looked great! I would recommend utilizing that extra width for spacing out your panels to help wind not catch it so easy. And also I used ground screws to hold mine down. The wind WILL flip it! Happen to mine just 3 months after I built it lol.
Because chopping down more trees with internal combustion is more environmentally friendly don’t be so shortsighted, look at the long term. Like EV batteries which have a second life as home energy storage plus as car batteries they’ll outlast even Toyota and Honda.
Those 4x4 cross beams will 100% move and sag overtime causing stress on the panels. I know this for a fact, 100%. Add some 4x4 or 2x4 supports at minimum. Putting some triangles in there would be advisable.
I made a similar base frame with 2 long 2x5 treated, which sit on a pair of wheelbarrow wheels in the centre, so if you have a big lawn, the whole thing can be easily turned and moved to keep facing the sun throughout the long summer days. Scotland so in May, June July the sun rises 4.30am in the north-east and sets 9.30pm in the north-west.
@lapoguslapogus7161 wow that's a long day and a great idea! My whole backyard is a hill so it just sits wherever I put it for a while lol. We are 730am to 730pm at the moment but because I live in a valley I get production from 9amto 6pm lol. Thanks for watching all the way out from Scotland! So cool!
It would work just fine as long as it is not used in a windy area. It would blow over on my property. I would want it a little taller off the ground to keep it away from snow and weeds that would obstruct the panel. Other than that it looks good.
Looks nice. Only change I would make is to extend the 'feet' a couple of feet past the front of the panels so a wind from the rear won't tip the entire rig forward and on its face.
@NitePHX ya, I didn't think of till after and used up all my wood lol. Good thought for anyone reading comments for additional information on this thanks!
Nice set up What are you seeing with wattage and amps? We have 600w series parallel as well 40a cc we see 520w all day 35-36A some days we can see the full 600+ We used unistrut to build ours several years and storms later still holding strong.
Well I was looking for ways, I like yours the best except I will change one thing. I will also put a top hinge on that 2x4 and a bottom hinge, I will add strips to the base and that way it can be more adjustable. After all the ways though yours win.
I ended up replacing that 1x6 with a 45° cut on one end to make it permanent for the winter and it comes out and lays flat for summer. The hill I have it on is 15° already so it works perfectly. Good idea and thanks!
if you’re planning on growing the system i would suggest 3/8 spring nuts and some 10 or 20 feet sections of Strut rod and some nuts so u can zip things up and down and on and off a lot easier plus if you’re doing it in a way where u can just add on pannels u can get strut couplings to keep the pannels going in line or vertically aswell
I did similar for my system but I built my array 400watts string 2 of them. easier to move around . I'm thinking to expand further 800 watt is great but I want more don't need it just want it. 💪💪💪
I jave something like this, but made smaller ones with wheels so i can if desired, adjust during the day if i need to soak up all the solar Still, super goid
@@jaysonstebbins2539 I've got a plot of land with a caravan and my self converted Mercedes sprinter van that I lived as a nomad for 8 years so always had tonnes of battery power from driving, I'd been sat trying to decide the best options for fixing them down (on the van or caravan roof or a bit on both) so I went on TH-cam for some inspiration and saw you short before anything else and instantly said yep that'll do! 4x4s will be added then 😉
@mattthewanderer5029 it's extremely heavy I will say. Not portable lol. I took me and 3 other guys to move it 100 feet to the other hill top you see in my other videos. Me and my brother have been designing the system on his caravan and we decided on a delta 2 max because it has 2X500 watt solar inputs. 1 can be for solar mounted on his roof and the other can be for portable possibly foldable panels he can deploy. Or for at night while driving he can charge by 12 v from the engine in which I have a set of xt60i to mc4 then mc4 to battery terminal eyelets to put on his battery so he can switch between the two. The Delta 2 max is honestly the best in opinion because it's light with 2 inputs and expands to 6kwh. That says alot coming from a delta pro owner lol
I really like this. On a regular basis it is quite windy where I live. This morning I had sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with wind gusts of ?. Do you think this would hold up?
Without anchoring no unfortunately. I did have it flip forward. I have since put 2 trailer ties in the ground and used ratched straps to hold it down. Solsr panels are big sails lol.
@rosecarter7384 no I'm sorry. I was literally just making it as I went lol. I bought the 3 sticks of pressure treat 4x4 and started mounting the panels to 2 4x4s and cut the 2 end pieces off to make the legs and added the hinges. Hope that helps.
Thank you! I'll be posting some additional panels on tbat fround mount and where I moved it to for the incoming Delta pro! 1200 watts! Mixed matched a little lol
@TheKazall this thing is a beast! It may be heavy but its as mean as it is heavy. Capacity is amazing, power is crazy strong, and the mppt is very responsive to clouds. The fan noise is better than the delta max. They aren't annoying like the DM.
I wasn't sure where It was going to be permanently so I didn't concrete but yes definitely especially after the one and only flip it had from a downburst we had lol.
@@DigZworld SUNMAK 16 Units per Set Solar Panel Mounting Z Brackets, Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Lightweight Aluminum Corrosion-Free for RVs, Trailers, Boats, Yachts, Wall and Other Off Gird Roof a.co/d/4j2Nf3b
I want to do this. My backyard is a south facing hill that gets constant sun in the summer. My biggest concern is wind. I'll need to be able to move the setup before a storm comes. Are the panels worthless once hit with hail?
@mrniceguy423 if they are at a good enough angle they should be fine. I've never covered mine. I just put a couple of trailer ties in the ground behind them and ratchet strapped them down and they never move now. (They flipped over once with a microburst nearby. Learned my lesson and fortunately none of them broke).
Im making similiar on a cart.. major question maybe sumone can answer, do you panels need to be grounded.. i just noticed on back of panels was a ground symbol
None of my panels are grounded honestly. Grounding your panels will give lightning a path to the ground and also if one panel shorts then it gives it a true ground to earth for shorting.
@daspecialist1220 all renogy. 2000 watt pure sine. 2X 40amp rover solar controllers. 2 pv breakers, 500 amp shunt, 2 X 40 amp battery fuses, and 3x100ah gel batteries in parallel.
@mondavou9408 show me what you would've built on a $100 budget. I'm curious! Any ideas are great ideas. I'm looking to build another so I'm open for ideas bud.
They flipped over on thier faces lol. Happened just a few weeks after this build. I now have the build hold 18 X 100 watt panels and they are ratchet strapped to 2 ground anchors I picked up at the hardware store lol. They don't move at all now.
No sir. Just using shielded wire and when I mow I unhook it temporarily. Not a big deal for me. I like changing things and setups and moving them so underground isn't a good idea for me. If I make a permanent mount then yes it'll be underground. Thanks for watching!
It did blow over when we had 70mph gusts. But never a slight breeze. I've since moved it, expanded it to 18 panels, and secured it with ground screws lol
Hi! Great question! The solar charge controller I'm using is a 100v max input. The solar panels are 24.3v open curcuit each. I can't wire 4 in series because I would be at 97.2v, which is well above my 10% threshold for cloud edge effect. And also I have 6 panels and not 8. Which would be 4S2P or 4 in series with 2 strings. So 3S2P is the best option in my case so my voltage is 72.9 with about 8 amps to easily run through 10 awg wire as far as I need it to. Any more questions just ask! :)
@JandS1503 absolutely in my area it was about $100 for everything but the solar equipment like Z brackets, panels, and branch connectors. But you can order panels and brackets and connectors through lowes website too! I will say it's far cheaper on Amazon
Thanks I got everything else but the solar panel brackets. We got mm a different t kind, however I might try the screw and washer combo I have seen people do. I got pressure treated for ground contact for the wood. Also got heavy duty wheels to move it mow. Total for it all here 561. M I ne is much bigger. I have 6 550 renogy panels. I will be doing 2 sets of 3. Thanks for your help.
I built a hinged setup like this in the past. Few tips I used to improve the design for year round use. 1) Concrete path blocks or similar to get the wood off the ground. Prevents rot even with pressure treated. 2) Rebar anchor into the ground. Basically drill a couple of holes to hammer rebar into the ground and secure the base. remove rebar to move the setup. 3) WIND SUCKS. Make sure to create a locking mechanism on the vertical support holding up the panels. to keep the solar panels from pivoting in the wind. Yes Panels are heavy but they also act like a sail and with enough wind can flip forward. 4) Paint the wood. It's cheap, akes your rig look better and adds to the durability of your setup. I have mine lasting for over a decade.
"Let me know what you think."
"I think that's badass!! I want one, too!"
Thanks man! Go see my update in my $120 build. This array cost about $600 with panels and brackets. My update is 1800 watts lol
To fit all my panels, It would need to be 10 times the size 😳 got about 6 kilowatts worth.
I need to do this but I already have over 50 panels on my roof I can't use right now because they're not wired up properly to the inverters...
*photovoltaic/solar thermal technician here: I APPROVE!* add another 2x4 across all so you can add sandbags so wind doesn't blow over creating a *self ballast* sand bags might not be good idea, water in 5 gallon buckets since you travel. if were permanent fixture then sandbags. *Good Job Brother!*
Thank you for making this video. I have been looking at cheaper ways to install solar panels. The market is so expensive
Saved yourself thousands of dollars 😊. Great job.
Thank you! Gotta save it when you ain't got it! Lol!
I’m sorry but this is the best setup I’ve seen!!! Deserves a lot more likes.
Thank you!! It's gotten bigger with more panels lol. Watch my other videos :)
Why are you sorry?
You did a fabulous job 👏
Nice install!! I like it!
Very nice build, however i would add braces in the middle as wood will warp over time.
Greetings from Jamaica.
Yes thank you! This array is now a 1800 watt, 18 panel array and does now in fact have braces. Thanks for watching!
Nice one Jason!
That is why you buy treated wood. No rot or warping
@@brandonstitt8032LOL @ "no warping"-come to my place and see some PT 4x4's that are almost pretzels...
Love it. Because our ground speed wind gets up to 70 out here, I would add a center leg.
Nice simple set-up. Thank you for sharing 😀
Very nice I like the idea of portable and folding down. 👌
If a 4x4 was tied between the end of the feet then it could be portable with wheels :)
Awesome!! I need to build this for my small system!!!
Simple but a smart solution.
I think you did a great job.
Hey thanks! I really enjoy it!
Absolutely! I want this❤
very simple...just what I need to get going.Thank-you
I have 4 separate solar PV panel arrays in my backyard. I used furniture dolly’s, 1/2” galvanized pipe, zip ties, etc. I have several nylon ropes attacked to tent stakes in the ground. 5 years so far and these have withstood 50+mph winds. Since they’re on wheels I can quickly move them to collect morning sun or evening sun daily for max solar input. They’re easy to clean too.
I would like to know how you did this especially if there's a video
@@mycabinlife1291 sorry I don’t post video on TH-cam. The first one I built I used what I had handy and it worked so good I kept building them the same way. I used a furniture dolly. Laid a cedar fence slat on it for the base. Put one solar panel on it. Cut a piece of 1/2 galvanized pipe the width of 3 solar panels. Used outdoor rated zip ties and connected the pipe to the dolly behind the solar panel. Then connected the solar panel to the dolly with zip ties. Then added a solar panel to the left and another one to the right. Zip tied them to each other and the pipe. Tilted them at 45 degrees and measured to the ground. Cut more scrap 1/2 pipe for legs. Smashed one end of legs in a Vice. Drilled a hole on each end of the cross member pipe and attached legs with a bolt on each side. Used tent stakes and nylon cord to attach them to the ground. Learned to put a piece of scrap wood in front of dolly wheels so they don’t roll forward. This can all be done with other materials. Wood or maybe PVC pipe would work. But Galvanized pipe is what I had a lot of. It works great and can be taken apart quickly and used for camping trips too. They’ve survived wind storms up to 40-50 mph. I make sure to place them on the grass so if they do blow over they’ll land on grass not rocks or cement. It was a learning experience. They use to blow over but I kept adding more tie downs. Now I use 3 tent stakes in back and one in front.
Very nice. If I built one I'd probably add some large caster wheels so you can easily move it to service/repair it or adjust the position for better sunlight.
Looking to do something temprary but strong. Great job. Now I know what I'm gonna do.
Hey thanks! I have since added a 4x4 along the bottom from leg to leg as well. Good luck!
Do you have problems with squirrels chewing the wires?
@@suzannebinsley5940 lol nope knock on wood
Hey thanks for making this video we have our 6 -100 watt panels wired up exactly the same way and we were kinda wondering what to do with them,,,you just helped us solve that problem,,, that’s a Jim dandy little set up there I believe that’s what we’re going to try and make👍😊
What kind of solar controller are ypu running? I had a 100v max Input so I had to run 3S2P to keep it under.
@@jaysonstebbins2539 We’re going to be using Victron. We have the new nine busbar Renorgy 100 W solar panels six of those and we also have three of the older five busbar Renorgy panels we’re going to be using 2 of them to charge a EB3a.That will leave us with one old extra one we’ll find something for that later on.We’re going to be wiring up a Victron smart MPPT charge controller the 100/50 model and so far I have one 100 amp hour Redodo lifepo4 battery however we’re planning on purchasing another one here very soon and wiring them in parallel for 200 amp hours and We also bought the Victron Smart battery sense and the Victron smart shunt ,,,and then I thought about it for a little while I went ahead and bought the Victron 12 Volt 1200 Watts 120 volt HZ phoenix inverter,,, I hope I didn’t mess up on the inverter some people say they love it other people say they didn’t really care for it I figure if we don’t like it it can become a shelf queen and live in a state of emergency backupness(that’s probably not a word how ever) this is what we have planned for possibly this coming weekend,,,we were going to do it this weekend however my son reminded me we’ve had a 10 x 17 Harbor freight garage in a box out in our little metal shed for a little over a year now and we really needed to put it together so we can free up space in our walk-in garage and our little metal shed,,,that garage went up Like a dream my son is really good at reading manuals and instruction pamphlets and doing little projects like that i’m very fortunate there to have his help so me and him together got it all up and looks real nice we used flat concrete block on the feet of that he garage and then we used a Masonary drill bit and hammer drill and drilled into the block and used tap com screws to secure the feet hopefully this helps it not blow away we have a storm coming soon in our area and we’re a little nervous about that guess we’ll find out if it holds up,,, we purchased the two-year replacement plan hopefully you don’t have to try and use it.
@william38022 no you did good on the pheonix 1200. I use all renogy products aside from my 4 hqst 100 watt panels that were free and my ecoflow delta pro. For efficiency you'll like the pheonix. You can do almost 800 watts on the 100/50. 100 is the input voltage and the 50 is amps going out. Which is about 620 Watts to battery. Victron makes dam good products so I can't shake a stick at them lol. Support just sucks cause you can't contact victory directly IMO. Good choices. Lol at enduro batteries. I think I spelled that right. Can't go wrong with there 12v line. I not have 600 watts on the shed (500) and (100) and 1500 watts on the Delta pro running a 5S3P that will soon be 6S3P 1800 watts slightly overpaneling the amps.
@@jaysonstebbins2539 pretty cool 😎👍 thanx
Wont be overkill in heavy winds.
I have something similar in my backyard but I used furniture dolly’s, 1/2 galvanized pipe etc. I use nylon rope and long tent stakes to keep the wind from blowing it over. It’s been there 5 years and I move it every 6 months to get the best solar power. It hasn’t blown over yet.
Cool. I have a couple big panels that I want to make movable and that looks good hoping to find a couple cheap wheels for one end and use a couple of those corkscrew dog stakes with a ratchet tie down.
I use a ratchet strap on trailer tie downs and as far as wheels you could get then from harbor freight
Here is the short video. Ours was much larger , but we tried to follow the idea. We worked from 6 to 430.. we will continue to beef it up. Then we do the second one.
That looked great! I would recommend utilizing that extra width for spacing out your panels to help wind not catch it so easy. And also I used ground screws to hold mine down. The wind WILL flip it! Happen to mine just 3 months after I built it lol.
I love how it can be tilted
I recommend to paint the wood with burned car oil and some gasoline with 2 coats will last for a long time
Not user or environmentally friendly!
Because chopping down more trees with internal combustion is more environmentally friendly don’t be so shortsighted, look at the long term. Like EV batteries which have a second life as home energy storage plus as car batteries they’ll outlast even Toyota and Honda.
Just need the concrete blocks, but all else is awesome !!
I think it's fire you can make adjustments due to weather. Will and way 💯
Those 4x4 cross beams will 100% move and sag overtime causing stress on the panels. I know this for a fact, 100%. Add some 4x4 or 2x4 supports at minimum. Putting some triangles in there would be advisable.
This was just temporary. They are getting a actual strut system soon. Your absolutely right. Thank you!
You could use car jacks to adjust the angle...and screw anchors ...
Wow! You're thinking like over kill. 😂 If he used lighter frame. He could man handle that.
I made a similar base frame with 2 long 2x5 treated, which sit on a pair of wheelbarrow wheels in the centre, so if you have a big lawn, the whole thing can be easily turned and moved to keep facing the sun throughout the long summer days. Scotland so in May, June July the sun rises 4.30am in the north-east and sets 9.30pm in the north-west.
@lapoguslapogus7161 wow that's a long day and a great idea! My whole backyard is a hill so it just sits wherever I put it for a while lol. We are 730am to 730pm at the moment but because I live in a valley I get production from 9amto 6pm lol. Thanks for watching all the way out from Scotland! So cool!
Creativity always wins over commercials advertised products. Just make sure you anchor the frame to the ground...
@byzidjhan I blew over once. Then I anchored it. Then moved it and built on to make my 1800 watt array consisting of 18 100 watt panels lol.
Mine is on top of porch. Cranks up under edge of roof for hail storm
What a great idea!
People just don’t realise how simple solar is to install 😊😊
It would work just fine as long as it is not used in a windy area. It would blow over on my property. I would want it a little taller off the ground to keep it away from snow and weeds that would obstruct the panel. Other than that it looks good.
Excellent job
Looks nice. Only change I would make is to extend the 'feet' a couple of feet past the front of the panels so a wind from the rear won't tip the entire rig forward and on its face.
@NitePHX ya, I didn't think of till after and used up all my wood lol. Good thought for anyone reading comments for additional information on this thanks!
Also secure the back side to the bottom, to prevent movement at the hinge if you plan to make it dynamically adjustable for angle to the sun.
Nice setup. I have never seen those brackets at HD but going to look today.
@Doc02864 amazon or most solar panel companies like renogy
@@jaysonstebbins2539 thanks. I might be super cheap and just screw them to my vinyl roof.
@@Doc02864 the brackets are cheap. I got 2 4 packs of sunmak from Amazon for about $20... you got this
@@jaysonstebbins2539 thanks for the heads up. Looks like a great deal
Nice job!
Nice set up
What are you seeing with wattage and amps? We have 600w series parallel as well 40a cc we see 520w all day 35-36A some days we can see the full 600+
We used unistrut to build ours several years and storms later still holding strong.
Well I was looking for ways, I like yours the best except I will change one thing. I will also put a top hinge on that 2x4 and a bottom hinge, I will add strips to the base and that way it can be more adjustable. After all the ways though yours win.
I see its not a 2x4 so the 1x4 or whatever it is.
I ended up replacing that 1x6 with a 45° cut on one end to make it permanent for the winter and it comes out and lays flat for summer. The hill I have it on is 15° already so it works perfectly. Good idea and thanks!
An easy way to adjust would be to use threaded rods. Then you could simply tight or loosen 2 bolts to adjust the angle.
if you’re planning on growing the system i would suggest 3/8 spring nuts and some 10 or 20 feet sections of Strut rod and some nuts so u can zip things up and down and on and off a lot easier plus if you’re doing it in a way where u can just add on pannels u can get strut couplings to keep the pannels going in line or vertically aswell
Great idea!
I did similar for my system but I built my array 400watts string 2 of them. easier to move around . I'm thinking to expand further 800 watt is great but I want more don't need it just want it. 💪💪💪
Nice idea 💡
I jave something like this, but made smaller ones with wheels so i can if desired, adjust during the day if i need to soak up all the solar
Still, super goid
Very nice! I don't have much flat easy area to roll something around, unfortunately. That would've been nice for sure.
The wind will just slam that on its face here!
Very good !
Fabulous
Great idea
Thanks for sharing dude
I like it!
I want to build this setup on a small trailer so I can move it around the property and/or leave with them.
@@dirtisbetterthandiamonds that's a great idea!
Awesome
looks cool af.
Pretty nice, I would just have smaller wood, more like half large would be enough and lighter.
If I need to move it prefer when is not that heavy :)
@gabius_times it's now a 1800 watt 100 watt panel array so I'm happy I built it as strong lol.
I think I'm about to copy this! 😮
😉
Only thing extra I would've done is a 4x4 that connects the back 2 legs
@@jaysonstebbins2539 I've got a plot of land with a caravan and my self converted Mercedes sprinter van that I lived as a nomad for 8 years so always had tonnes of battery power from driving, I'd been sat trying to decide the best options for fixing them down (on the van or caravan roof or a bit on both) so I went on TH-cam for some inspiration and saw you short before anything else and instantly said yep that'll do!
4x4s will be added then 😉
@mattthewanderer5029 it's extremely heavy I will say. Not portable lol. I took me and 3 other guys to move it 100 feet to the other hill top you see in my other videos. Me and my brother have been designing the system on his caravan and we decided on a delta 2 max because it has 2X500 watt solar inputs. 1 can be for solar mounted on his roof and the other can be for portable possibly foldable panels he can deploy. Or for at night while driving he can charge by 12 v from the engine in which I have a set of xt60i to mc4 then mc4 to battery terminal eyelets to put on his battery so he can switch between the two. The Delta 2 max is honestly the best in opinion because it's light with 2 inputs and expands to 6kwh. That says alot coming from a delta pro owner lol
It's just a pivot really and make a small platform for them
Brilliant
That's what I'm taking about. 1000 👍
Put wheels on it like a chicken tractor!
I would have liked it if he mentioned the measurements...
Ide like to know more about those brackets
What brackets are you referring to?
Wait for the next storm! You need some heavy stones on the feet to fix it to the ground!
Looks a little heavy but good design
Cool!
I really like this. On a regular basis it is quite windy where I live. This morning I had sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with wind gusts of ?. Do you think this would hold up?
Without anchoring no unfortunately. I did have it flip forward. I have since put 2 trailer ties in the ground and used ratched straps to hold it down. Solsr panels are big sails lol.
I’d put some wheels on it. And some cement steaks to hold it in place during storms
It did flip over once luckily no breaks. I found some xlarge dog tie out steaks and anchored it down lol.
@@jaysonstebbins2539You buy the dog steaks at an Asian market?
@@MrMEmEmEmEMEMEeeeeee what are you talking about? What kind of stupid question is that?
Do you have a complete video of how you did this
@rosecarter7384 no I'm sorry. I was literally just making it as I went lol. I bought the 3 sticks of pressure treat 4x4 and started mounting the panels to 2 4x4s and cut the 2 end pieces off to make the legs and added the hinges. Hope that helps.
Looks good and works what more to ask ! At lest you built it correctly weather treated wood !
Very nice Ground Mount
Thank you! I'll be posting some additional panels on tbat fround mount and where I moved it to for the incoming Delta pro! 1200 watts! Mixed matched a little lol
Very nice. What brackets did you use?
@@labaguebezai4973 I'm using the renogy Z brackets for the bottom 8 panels and just some L brackets I made put of aluminum for the top 4 panels.
@@jaysonstebbins2539 let me know how you like the pro. I had delta mini and it wouldnt even make a cup of coffee
@TheKazall this thing is a beast! It may be heavy but its as mean as it is heavy. Capacity is amazing, power is crazy strong, and the mppt is very responsive to clouds. The fan noise is better than the delta max. They aren't annoying like the DM.
I'll use something like this but mount to concrete
I wasn't sure where It was going to be permanently so I didn't concrete but yes definitely especially after the one and only flip it had from a downburst we had lol.
Love this tech.
Hmm, could you put something like that on a roof.
The only thing Overkill is the 4 × 4s but it will work fine unless wind blows and knocks your prop ups out?
Add a microcontroller and pneumatic controller and you can track the sun!
well you need the secure from the wind otherwise it will fly to the next village .... a steal cable at back and some ground nails at the front ...
I have 2 trailer ties in the ground in the center. I learned by mistake I needed it lol. Have had 100mph winds and no issues now lol
Please post Link to brackets. Thanks
@@DigZworld SUNMAK 16 Units per Set Solar Panel Mounting Z Brackets, Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Lightweight Aluminum Corrosion-Free for RVs, Trailers, Boats, Yachts, Wall and Other Off Gird Roof a.co/d/4j2Nf3b
There ya go bud. That's 16 for 4 panels. Made by SUNMAK but renogy and bougerv makes the same thing too.
Thanks a bunch
I want to do this. My backyard is a south facing hill that gets constant sun in the summer. My biggest concern is wind. I'll need to be able to move the setup before a storm comes. Are the panels worthless once hit with hail?
@mrniceguy423 if they are at a good enough angle they should be fine. I've never covered mine. I just put a couple of trailer ties in the ground behind them and ratchet strapped them down and they never move now. (They flipped over once with a microburst nearby. Learned my lesson and fortunately none of them broke).
@@jaysonstebbins2539 Thank you! I hope to have this set up next summer.
How do we protect them from hail storms? Texas panels get ravaged by random hail storms
If you have a garage I would throw some casters on it and Roll it in :) or tilt them straight up!
Put wheels or casters on it and make it mobile!
Im making similiar on a cart.. major question maybe sumone can answer, do you panels need to be grounded.. i just noticed on back of panels was a ground symbol
None of my panels are grounded honestly. Grounding your panels will give lightning a path to the ground and also if one panel shorts then it gives it a true ground to earth for shorting.
@jaysonstebbins2539 thank u very much. I'm finishing up small system for an RV too
@@backintogear9071 awesome! I'm an RV tech and like seeing the different setups people do. Have fun!
Johnny number 5 needs more data lol
What data do you need sir?
What kind of converter and batteries are u using?
@daspecialist1220 all renogy. 2000 watt pure sine. 2X 40amp rover solar controllers. 2 pv breakers, 500 amp shunt, 2 X 40 amp battery fuses, and 3x100ah gel batteries in parallel.
I don't love it but its not bad.
@mondavou9408 show me what you would've built on a $100 budget. I'm curious! Any ideas are great ideas. I'm looking to build another so I'm open for ideas bud.
Do you have the link to the brackets?
Just Renogy Z brackets on amazon
List of supply please
3 4x4x12
2 hinges
2 L brackets
6 sets of z brackets
6 renogy 100 watt panels .
Thanks for watching!
I don't remember leaving comment on here.
Wow! Now that's what I call a Over kill.😂
What do you do with it when a storm is coming in?
They flipped over on thier faces lol. Happened just a few weeks after this build. I now have the build hold 18 X 100 watt panels and they are ratchet strapped to 2 ground anchors I picked up at the hardware store lol. They don't move at all now.
Where did you get the solar mounting brackets? I can't find anything near what you said you paid.
The lumber and hinges were $100. I got 6 sets of Z brackets for about $20 on Amazon. The brand of Z brackets are SUNMAK.
@@jaysonstebbins2539 thanks - sadly Amazon in Canada has the exact same thing for over 3 times the price
Way better than paying 30k did you wire under ground
No sir. Just using shielded wire and when I mow I unhook it temporarily. Not a big deal for me. I like changing things and setups and moving them so underground isn't a good idea for me. If I make a permanent mount then yes it'll be underground. Thanks for watching!
4X4 posts love to twist and bow
What brackets are they?
Renogy Z brackets
Dober😮
O, good idea...but... a slight breeze will blow that right over. You need to rethink that .😂
It did blow over when we had 70mph gusts. But never a slight breeze. I've since moved it, expanded it to 18 panels, and secured it with ground screws lol
Hello where did you buy your panels?
Amazon. Sometimes, they are on sale for a good price.
What brackets did you use?
@@EHBKlyn13 SUNMAK Z brackets from Amazon or Renogy Z brackets from Amazon.
Do you have a drawing of it
Np I'm sorry. I just threw it together lol.
@jaysonstebbins2539 you sound like me, thanks for the idea
Why wire it that way curious?
Hi! Great question! The solar charge controller I'm using is a 100v max input. The solar panels are 24.3v open curcuit each. I can't wire 4 in series because I would be at 97.2v, which is well above my 10% threshold for cloud edge effect. And also I have 6 panels and not 8. Which would be 4S2P or 4 in series with 2 strings. So 3S2P is the best option in my case so my voltage is 72.9 with about 8 amps to easily run through 10 awg wire as far as I need it to. Any more questions just ask! :)
where did you get the brackets?
The angle brackets and hinges came from homedepot but the panel brackets came from renogy. You can get these same brackets from Amazon too.
Please give us the list of materials you use for this project. Do you have TH-cam in building it?
4 4x4x12 pressure treated
4 L brackets
2 heavy duty hinges
6 sets of panel brackets .
No I didn't video it because it was raining that day lol sorry
@@jaysonstebbins2539 I am very appreciated this.
Can I get all of this at lowes?
@JandS1503 absolutely in my area it was about $100 for everything but the solar equipment like Z brackets, panels, and branch connectors. But you can order panels and brackets and connectors through lowes website too! I will say it's far cheaper on Amazon
Thanks I got everything else but the solar panel brackets. We got mm a different t kind, however I might try the screw and washer combo I have seen people do. I got pressure treated for ground contact for the wood. Also got heavy duty wheels to move it mow. Total for it all here 561. M I ne is much bigger. I have 6 550 renogy panels. I will be doing 2 sets of 3. Thanks for your help.