Ok so as many know, between Ghurd, Commanda, and myself, a fully homemade (except the panels) system has been created.
Up until now, it's been tested on things like 60W incandescents, dummy load resistors, and the like.
But now that the metrics testing is over, I have a portable quick-deploy system that can be used for almost anything in the 45 - 50W range.
For some real world usage, I hit it up with a fairly power-skimming laptop, and this is what I have, from usage to production:
The laptop, in the middle of installing Ubuntu 10.04, and the battery showing a little strain from the lack of power management during the install...
The boost converter. This unit is a multipurpose device that has several different attachments for doing various things. One of them is for running a 19V laptop.
The dump controller. Capable of sinking 60W, Ghurd's design works flawlessly here. Inside are six 10R 10W Dale ceramic resistors as the dump load.
Here's Amanda's buck converter, without the MPPT, but still works fairly well. The blue LED indicates it's connected to the panels, the red LED blinks in the event the load (battery) is disconnected.
My manually tracking operated, trash can and recycle bin supported, 60W solar panel "installation".
I realize that this isn't the most efficient method for powering the laptop, but everything in the mix is designed to be a universal component to everything else. It's all a compromise.
Steve
