It's been a weekend of doing a lot, but not feeling like much got done. First we got the truck running again. All we needed to do was replace the battery. (Note: when they say you should disconnect the battery before leaving a car unattended for any period of time, they aren't kidding!) Of course it ended up taking a lot more time than expected. Why do these things always take so much longer than expected? Well a few hours and a new socket wrench set later, the new battery was in and the truck was running. Just not quite in time to get to the city dump before they closed.
We're trying to tear down this ramshackle old shed behind the house, so we can have an arborist look at a sick-looking tree behind the shed. The tree overhangs our house and the neighbor's, and with hurricane season on the way it seems like the time to do something about it. Since we didn't have time to take it to the dump, we decided to just pull it down and pile it up out of the way. We didn't get the whole thing down but at least we got enough done that I can call the arborist.
Then I started working on the solar panels. The first step is to make sure they work. I don't know jack about electrical systems, so it's a bit slow going. The panels came with a voltage regulator and wires to connect them together. Some time on the solar company website and I figured out that I need the deep cycle batteries, wires to connect the voltage regulator to the battery, and wires to connect the battery to the appliance. After 2 Radio Shacks, Costco and a Wal-mart, I think I have all the parts I need. I also bought an electrical meter for good measure.
I'm going to try the system with just one panel and one battery first. Here's hoping!
2 Comments
Solar vehiculation -- cool!
Can I ask more or less (a) what items you intend to power and (b) how much money it'll take to make it happen and (c) how much storage space it'll require in your car for when you're not using them?
Oh and that thing about batteries -- I share your pain. I've been having issues with the battery in the Alfa I'm selling. I've also learned that you really have to tighten those lead leads down (boy that looks funny, doesn't it?) before good contact really happens. Or at least I do. Did. Something like that. And yes, a socket wrench is soooo much better than a pair of pliers.
a) I want to use the solar power for everything I'm currently powering from the cigarette lighter (or the battery charger when the car isn't running): the bubble machine, rope lights, music, and computer. Probably not all at the same time. It will depend on how much power the solar panels produce.
b) The biggest expense is the solar panels, on which I got a deal: $200 for two panels and a voltage regulator. I've also spent $55 on one deep cycle battery and about $30 on wiring and a voltmeter. I'm expecting to buy another battery and a bigger inverter, the one I've got is only 350 watts.
The other expense is the mounting frame, and I don't know yet exactly what form that will take, so I don't know how much it will cost. I'm hoping to build a removable frame, since the solar panels will only get used a few weekends a year. The batteries will stay in the car all the time, but they'll fit into a corner of the trunk.
I've had recurring problems with UMJs battery for years. The leads get all corroded and then it can't get a good contact.