Looks like an online clearance. 150w folding solar panel kit (includes regulator) for $120 + postage ($15 to metro Perth).
Also available is an 80w kit for $70 + postage, which is what I purchased. Reviews seem to indicate they are both pretty good.
150w Folding Solar Panel Kit $120 + $15 Metro Postage @ Supercheap Auto
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[Deactivated] on 01/12/2017 - 15:29 supercheapauto.com.au (725 clicks)
Last edited 01/12/2017 - 15:48 by 1 other user
Last edited 01/12/2017 - 15:48 by 1 other user
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Amazing price, good stuff. 1 for me, 1 as an xmas present delivered 1000km away and save shipping costs.
great price
stupid question but …. can anyone tell me how long a 36ah battery will take to charge with one of these?
Amps = Watts/Voltage
12.5A = 150w / 12vSo that's 12.5A/hour
36Ah/12.5Ah = ~3hrs
But that's assuming no loss (there will be) & full 150w charging (there won't be - that'd require max conversion).
In reality it'd be 3.5-4hrs on a sunny day.
Better change the 7A regulator if you expect 12.5A!
150W max is usually taken at around 20Vmax (not stated) so around 7A is about limit anyway.
Given that
36Ah/7A = around 6hrs
Likely 2 days given inefficiencies, less than maximum panel output during day, & season.For maximum efficiency of panel:
Need strong sun light (no clouds)
Sun @~90° to panel both in azimuth & elevation
on not too hot day
Add extra charging time if those are not met.Charging batteries needs longer than calculated & depends on battery.
Keep cables short as possible, with thick conductor as possible to minimise electrical losses.
thanks very much :-)
would it help to get a bigger regulator and ticker cable?
@Horakn:
Previous discussion suggested bigger regulator so check last deal. But output is likely around 7A anyway. But operating at limit of regulator may cause overheating & failure.Cables between regulator & battery are best as thick as possible to minimise losses due to electrical resistance. Other side of regulator is at higher voltage so not so crucial.
I used to live in a shack on weekends with a 33W panel & big Ah deep cycle battery bank years ago. Continued cloudy days were not enjoyable.
thanks for fixing up my oversights.
@supabrudda:
Don't worry - I started down the same road of 150W / 12+V = …
Then remembered the confusing aspect of Peak Watts taken at Vmax of over 20V.
Which explained why there is only a 7A reg!Yes except batteries don't charge at full rate all the time, only when they're in constant current charging. Once in constant voltage (i.e almost full) they slow done heaps. So for a lead acid battery will probably take 6 hrs or so to fully charge but only 3-4 to get to 80%
@joungs:
Maximum current supplied by panel & regulator in best possible sunlight, panel angle to sunlight, & other conditions is 7A. That is 21-28Ah supplied to battery in 3-4.hours. It will be less than that in practice.Energy available to panel varies over day as sun angle changes (lower energy avaiable earlier & later in day), with cloud cover & any shading, and when sun and panel are not at around 90° to maximise energy input (ie panel needs to be moved to face sun over day which may not be possible if you are away from camp).
As less than that maximum available 21-28Ah is actually stored by battery due to inefficiencies & different charging rates possible at different charging stages (as you point to), your calculation of 29Ah (80% of 36Ah) stored in battery in 3-4 hours is not possible (even if battery were 100% efficient). It will take considerably longer.
Because of the difficulty of estimating actual times & efficiency of charging different types of batteries from different initial state of charge, that was not considered above. The absolute minimum time under ideal conditions to supply 36Ah to the battery was given.
As ideal conditions won't exist all day or even possibly some of day & optimal sun hours vary by location & season, I suggested doubling that 1 day of sun to up to 2 days to account for that & charging inefficiencies of battery.
@Infidel:
Of course that is theoretical as battery should never be completely flat (It's dead Jim) requiring full charge. Usually no less than 40-50% capacity at start of charge for standard deep cycle batteries & different for other battery types.Always best to get good advice (plenty online) rather than from Ozbargainers who may have different equipment & knowledge.
I may be wrong but regulator(panel) is 12V x 7A = 84 Watts.
Amps required = Watts(panel)/Volts(batter) = 84/12 = 7A
(36ah(battery) + 15%)/amps charging = (36x1.15) /7 = ~6hrsa lot closer then mine calcs!
Look into mppt regs as they're more efficient. Not as much as often stated but better.
One warning. Don't leave batteries on the really cheap solar regulators as sold on ebay/aliexpress, as on long term cloudy or in shade (carport…), your battery may die. Mine did.
Can i use this on my car battery while im using my waeco? So the battery does not go flat?
I'd say yes, as the regs should have solar input, battery and 12v output connections. You can use them at same time.
This is a good deal. Pity I already have this setup.
Be aware those calculations are based on an implausible situation. If a battery is discharged until fully depleted it's demise will be very quick. A more realistic situation would be to drain it to no less than 50% charge. If it's not a deep cycle battery, probably less.
With 50% depletion, the 7 amps should recharge it (18ah) in 3 hours - say half a day when there are a few clouds around.
Can I use this on the car battery? Yes. I assume the Waeco will draw less than 7 amps, so it will stop the car battery being depleted (when sunny).
Of course those were the theoretical charging times to top up 36Ah. Charging of batteries depends on battery type & condition of battery. No information was provided about battery type, condition or how much would be drawn off it each day.
Overcharging & completely discharging batteries can quickly destroy or degrade them.
Inefficiencies in charging batteries means longer charging times than you calculated. So allow a day of charging to bring 50-100% with panel output inefficiencies & limitations I outlined.
I used to discharge to a max of 50% with Deep Cycle batteries & try to use no more power than came in each day.
I've been wanting some panels for quite a while now having inherited a 100ah battery from work. Someone find me a reason to say no.
After looking around, while definitely at the cheaper end of things $135 is not necessarily enough for an impulse buy i don't think
You really need a reason to set up a remote power system. Camping, pumping water for the feral goats? Otherwise it's just more unused tech. An 800w generator from bunnings is generally more useful.
How did I do?
Can I use it to charge my eneloops?
Yes. Get a 240v inverter, plug into the reg 12v supply, plug charger into inverter and let enelopes charge away. It's just one possible option.
Easier to use 12V or USB (with 12-5V car adapter) chargers off 12 battery charged from panel.
eg EXPIRED LiitoKala Lii-202 USB Battery Charger AUD $3.41 Delivered - I have a few of these for charging Eneloops etc
Aldi & other suitable chargers are 12V
A typical ebay price for a similar, probably slightly better, setup seems to be $150:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-160W-12V-FOLDING-SOLAR-PANEL…
(10amp regulator, better cable, better stand)-10% = $135
-20% = $120I might hold out for a 20% off Aussie seller code…
Thanks for that, your links stopped me from making a rushed decision. Wow, I hadn't realised they had dropped that much in price recently…
So, the output (not the battery one) could have a cigarette lighter socket on it and use the 12v car Ryobi charger to charge 18v batteries? Is it that simple?
If you want to do that it would probably be best to have a buffer battery, even if it's only something like 20AH.. something to charge up from solar while running the Ryobi charger off it.. To charge 18v batteries the 12v charger probably runs a boost voltage regulator/converter, chances are it would draw a decent amount of power, possibly more than the solar panel can supply in an instant… and such…
OK thanks!
hey Guys, I always wanted a solar pannel mounted on the roof of my car( I have a prius), is that possible to use it to charge my Prius's battery?
You would want a flexible panel. Different type. Even so, with only 150w I think it would take 52+ hrs to charge a Prius. 9 hr days of sunlight…6 days.
I guess 150w would give you approx 3km of travel per day.
Just placed my order. Shipping to 5013 is $14.95