Author Topic: Got Harbor Freight Panels for Christmas (Read 6990 times)

wooferhound · « **on:** January 03, 2009, 03:52:38 AM »

I have had the same 3 Harbor Freight solar panels up in the Sun for more than a year now. Here they are mounted to my adjustable panel mount and set to the Summer position.

I asked my mom for more HF panels for Christmas, and she came through for me. Now I have six 15 watt panels up in the Sun which is doubling my power input. Here are all of the panels up on the panel mount that is set to the Winter position.

I'm loving the extra power and my 2 stage Ghurd Dump Controller is working wonderfully with the extra amps. I guess it's time to get another battery now, will it ever end?

Did any of you guys get anything cool for Christmas ?

W o o f -={(

Norm · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:46:05 PM »

On a slightly smaller scale I got 2 solar battery

chargers, each charges 4 2300 Ma/hr NIMH AA

batts. can plug them into the wall but I just use

the solar because my digital camera only requires

2 at a time and they can handle that on solar

easy!

Do those hold up pretty good in an ice storm?

That would have been my problem with solar panels

a couple of weeks ago....

Mine are easier to look after VW panels in the

kitchen window and back door.

dlenox · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2009, 09:49:48 PM »

I got socks!

Actually it was about all I asked Santa for - temporary lack of judgement hope to not be repeated next year!

Dan

Madscientist267 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2009, 11:34:46 PM »

Dude - You Suck!

LOL Naa just kidding - The wife apparently wasn't as 'programmed' as I had intended, so my Christmas didn't go quite as anticipated; I ended up with a blu-ray drive instead, which is nice and all, but I cant find an easy 'walk-in-n-buyem' location just yet to get the discs!

Rock on, man! I hope to follow in your footsteps in the future... Just looks like its going to take either more 'honey' convincing or a bit of 'just shut up and drive' style brute-force-influence on her to make it happen.. LMAO.. Wonder which one will get me the furthest... >X-D

You going to do a tracker? You have that 1.5W sitting off to the side there...

I have what has turned out to be a very workable idea for that self powered tracker. Although the electronics of it are rock solid and so far work very well for winter, the physical aspect left me with my anode in the dirt... A little foresight induced experimenting revealed that summer is not conducive to a vertical axis tracker (there seems to be a common element here with solar and wind? hahaha), but I have the answer. It's just a matter of resources; time will make it happen if I have anything to say about it . . .

Steve

TomW · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2009, 06:02:45 AM »

Hehe, I got a "Purchase Order" for "about 600 AH" of batteries. Still working it looking for the best deal.

We don't "do" Christmas probably because there are no kids here. Almost always get some mid winter present for the house or farm.

Works for us.

Congrats on your Solar upgrade, Woof.

Tom

tecker · « **Reply #5 on:** January 03, 2009, 08:11:13 AM »

I like those panels Wolf . Solar is a good bet down in the South .You'll be punchin up some large loads soon .

luv2weld · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2009, 08:53:20 AM »

We don't do Christmas either.

And didn't get anything significant on Christmas Day.

However, on New Years Day, we opened up the wall between

the 2 halves of our house and moved in!!!

Because we have a short summer (and no help with building)

we decided to build in stages. We are at 9600 feet elevation

in central Colorado.

This was the first stage. We were living in this while we worked

on the other half. Measurements are 12 feet by 32 feet.

This is the new house. Measurements for the whole house now are 26 feet

by 32 feet. More than doubled our living space.

All framing lumber for both sides were

cut on the sawmill that we built ourselves. This is the reason I haven't

had much time for building wind generators. Devoted every available

minute to getting the house done.

Think I'm going to take about 30 days off to just rest and read

a book now.

Ralph

DamonHD · « **Reply #7 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:16:59 AM »

Well, by Christmas my solar panel fund had got high enough for me to ask the company that put in my last lot of grid-tie to quote me for my planned extension, and today they came round to do the survey. I hope to have the quote early next week and get all the relevant permissions and place a firm order shortly afterwards!

Rgds

Damon

PS. I got socks too, of course, but (loud) socks and business shirts are welcome!

tecker · « **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:35:53 AM »

Oh Got slighty used Asus board 3 gig core 2 2 gig on board We ported 2.6.27.7 With 2@%&k on the side For AIT software Much fun there.Server is too slow now .

RUFUS · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:36:34 AM »

Looks like Planning ahead on

your panel mount worked out

pretty well, nice job.

we only do christmas for the

grand kids any more and thats

a lot with our extended familys,

got the woman in my life

propane fire place logs and

asked her to marry me after

17 years of living in sin,

she agreed it was about time.

RUFUS

p.s. got rem.870 12 ga. and s.w. 9mm.

Airstream · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2009, 09:40:00 AM »

We want to know your reading list!! Thanks for sharing the images of that very handsome house, a non-mobile double-wide modular that looks built like a brick!

ghurd · « **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2009, 10:09:37 AM »

Let's see... (12/3)-2 = 2.

Two more Christmas' are OK, but in 3 more you need a bigger shed!

Feel free to box up some of that blue sky and send it north.

G-

tecker · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:04:44 AM »

The Shed has new life as a solar sculpture . Needs eyebrows for the other door.

wooferhound · « **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:49:05 AM »

A tracker would be nice, but I'm really happy to be able to have vertical adjustment for the seasons. It seems that 6 of these panels weigh a bit more than I expected and right now it's less than 100 watts so tracking is not very important to me. I adjust the panels 4 times a year according to this schedule

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2008/7/20/131749/605

Norm asked how these panels hold up in an Ice Storm , well we don't get much ice here in North Alabama but they ere trying to say it's possible in the long term forecast . . .

wooferhound · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2009, 11:56:26 AM »

Oh yes , I'm already figuring out all the new stuff I'm gonna run on the new power that's coming in now. The Wireless phone system I have will be the next thing to be added to solar power for me. But I really do need to get another battery to help hold the extra amps, and I need to build a Fused Output Box to better control the 12 volt power distribution at the point where I'm using the power in the house.

boB · « **Reply #15 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:27:09 PM »

I got energy related stuff for Christmas too !

A Kill-A-Watt and a lump of coal !

boB

mixerman · « **Reply #16 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:52:21 PM »

Well done on solar expansion!

I recieved a solar radio am/fm , will also charge a cell phone, led light in the front, can crank charge the battery also. Left it on window sill and it did charge the battery.

hiker · « **Reply #17 on:** January 05, 2009, 04:16:05 AM »

lets see --got a stuffed gut--and a lot of good memories....... :}

Keyman · « **Reply #18 on:** January 05, 2009, 05:12:57 AM »

I got the new book from the Dan's "Homebrew Wind Power".... Great reading. And a new bike computer anemometer (sp)

keyman

Bruce S · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2009, 08:04:24 AM »

Hey Woof!!

Those look very nice!! what to do with ALL that power? :-))

I got a very nice weather station for Christmas :-) Wind, rain, logging the whole kit-n-kaboodle:-)

With living in the city and getting the itch to build a 'mill, I'm now logging different spots with in the yard for best place to set my "Lawn Ornament".

With regards to Norm's question, my 6 panels held up quite nice, we had a slow misty ice storm fly through here, cover everything and froze everything .

The panels , I coat with RainX before the stuff shows up and recoat when warm enough, this keeps them clear and the sun does the rest.

During winter because of the cold, I do see a higher charging rate, even saw the dump controllers kicking in. The NiCd banks were full up and SLAs getting a turn.

HAVE FUN!!

Bruce S

Electron Pump · « **Reply #20 on:** January 07, 2009, 06:57:35 AM »

I got a treadmill from my father-in-law. Had a 2.5hp, 130vdc. But the blame thing is rated at 7099rpm. I can get 30v out with my cordless drill. I slipped a pvc blade set on and in 20 mph wind I saw 8v. I still plan on keeping it though. Ya know. I've got to have something around to keep my papers from blowing away.

Glad to see you've got an intrest. Good luck and keep tinkering.

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Author Topic: Got Harbor Freight Panels for Christmas (Read 6990 times)