Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets.
By pvale, Section Solar Posted on Wed May 07, 2008 at 08:00:45 PM MST
Questions about mounting the panels.

OK, so I've got 1 set of HF solar panels and 2 more coming via truck freight. I know there are others out here that have and use them. I've been playing around with my first set and have noticed that the Voltmeter display tracks my "Watts Up" pretty closely, with in .1 volts. I do not have the panels deployed yet, and is the gist of my question. I have a controller kit coming from Ghurd and do not plan to use the HF controller for anything more than a voltmeter. I opened it before I hooked it up and found several blobs of loose solder rattling around inside it. So I took it apart, found some decidedly cold solder joints on the board. I reheated them and reflowed the solder. Also spread some heatsink goo under the TO-220 devices and made sure the bar that holds them against the case was tight. After looking at the mounting things that come with the HF sets, they look mostly unusable for any real permanent long term mounting. So how do you that use them go about mounting them permanently?

Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. | 11 comments (11 topical)

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#1) by ghurd on Wed May 07, 2008 at 02:25:01 PM MST

If the last set of HF PVs I saw is any indication, they are fine... IF the PV brackets have some way to keep them from blowing 'up' out of the brackets. Maybe add a hunk of wire through the big hole? Maybe a nylon lock-nut on the inside? Maybe just a giant squirt of silicone calking in the big hole part? 'big hole' = key way. The brackets are strong enough. That idea about gravity holding them down idea is not. G- Ghurd.info

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#2) by FishbonzWV on Wed May 07, 2008 at 03:26:50 PM MST

I mounted mine to the roof with angle iron bolted at the peak. Then added aluminum C channel between the iron to support the 3 panels and lock them in. About an inch or more airspace under them. This is the southwest facing roof. These are the next set to go up on a dormer facing almost due south. They will be hinged at the top to allow for seasonal changes. All aluminum on these and still working on the mounting hardware. These will have about 3 inches clearance. Also left room for my BP 50w that will be brought in from the farm if it gets sold. Top with spacers. These are ICP Battery Savers with mounting holes. Fishbonz

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#3) by Bruce S on Wed May 07, 2008 at 03:27:24 PM MST

I have a couple sets now. My first set was mounted on an angle iron that was carriage bolted to the house. This angle iron was basically for the bottom, also ran 2 pieces up the back side and had another piece on the top of the panels bolted and later tack welded. Forms a 45 degree with the top part of the angle iron across the top acting as a bracket/brace. It held up very well through all last year's rain, sleet, snow, and some pretty high winds. The angle iron was free; shipping crate stuff and I believe 1/4", merely painted for weather protection. The mounting stuff they sent when latched together and all the panels on it , it does become pretty stable. I didn't like the angle and because of trees had to get it up much higher, without being on the roof. Once I get a non-rainy weekend :-O I'll be reinstalling it up there with the "city approved" second set.  I too am not using the "box" as a controller, but noting more than another PDU, Power Distribution Unit. Ghurd's controller can also be used as a LVD :-) I don't have mine dialed in yet, work keeps getting in the way :-/ Hope this helps; Bruce S

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#4) by pvale on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:53:56 AM MST

Thanks all, gives me some good ideas. I'm going to add a 1" angle iron at the back/bottom of the mounting to help stiffen it up some, and use some #10 long screws and fender washers between the panels, both at the bottom and at the top rail. Angle looks a little low for my latitude, so I'll play around with the wood mountings I'm going to ground mount these on.

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#5) by wooferhound on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:46:31 AM MST

I've been using the system for 6 months now and my panels are still on the ground, eventually (hopefully soon) I'll mount them on top of the shed with a wooden frame. W o o f -={(

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#6) by rickeolis on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:43:27 PM MST

I have been using a small set of H.F. panels to top off my 24 volt set of batteries in my garage and simply use that to run some lights. I have a total of 8 panels which makes 120 watts. It was basically not enough to do much really, about enough to run my home's interior lights a t night.  The ninth panel went into my RV with its own controller (the ones that come with them), and that is a different story! It works quite well! I have four deep cycle batteries in the RV, and when left alone for days and weeks at a time, I check the power levels and run some of the appliances now and then, and it's topped off just great. I have since bought a large set of Evergreen panels  for the house but am considering what to do with the other eight H.F. panels now... -Rick- [ Parent ]

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#8) by RUFUS on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:57:57 PM MST

Hey woof you show them pic's to the guy under the bridge i'll bet he's interested in that solar water heater                                          Rufus [ Parent ]

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#7) by pvale on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:57:12 PM MST

Well, I pop-riveted all of the supplied pieces together and added a 1 x 1 aluninum angle across the bottom at the back. Mounting seems a lot more stable now. I'm studying the idea to mount these mounts on a sheet of 3/4" plywood and stake the plywood out in the yard. I'm in a rental house, so complicates matters some. There is about 1/4" of space between the panels when they are in their frame, so I'm going to use #10 bolts with some larger than normal diameter washers to lap over the panel frames. If I do this at the center of the panels where the top rail of the mount is, and at the bottom rail, i hope it will hold the panels adequately.

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#9) by ZooT on Fri May 09, 2008 at 01:20:02 AM MST

Just bolting the two triangles to a sheet of heavy plywood will stiffen up the entire assembly......

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#10) by VisualMonster on Sun May 11, 2008 at 10:52:02 PM MST

Here's my 8 sets of HF panels (360 watts): I didn't want to screw them directly into the roof (worried about causing a leak).  I ended up tying them down with thick rope, the rope is pinned to the back with an alumnium bracket which is screwed into the side of the wood roof.  They are plenty sturdy so that they wont budge during heavy winds which is all I worried about. Last year before I tied them down, I woke up on a VERY windy night and found them inches away from getting blown off the roof... couldn't believe it!

Re: Thoughts and questions about HF solar sets. (3.00 / 0) (#11) by dnix71 on Sun May 18, 2008 at 02:51:51 PM MST

I have 4 sets. The only concern is that the glass isn't tempered. One of mine is cracked coming off the top of the frame. I put clear packing tape over it to keep water out. When the rainy season starts, I'll have to check it again. http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj62/dnix71/solar31.jpg You can see the tape on the second from the right. [ Parent ]

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