Re: [A/S] Re: solar installation

[Don Horn <donhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim, Terry

It's good to hear your experiences with solar.  I just returned from a visit
to my '63 Avion at the storage facility, where I've been working on the
electrical system.  Over the last few weeks, I installed an 80-watt panel on
the roof, put the controller in a small aluminum box on the front of the
coach next to the battery box, installed the Link-10 version of the e-meter,
installed the remote monitor for my StatPower charger, and put in a
Fantastic vent fan.  Also put in negative and positive 12v busses inside my
fridge vent (very easy access by a hinged door with handle), plus a cigar
lighter outlet, and fuses on that circuit and individual loads.  Will have
to put some photos on the web site one of these days.

At about 5:00pm today  I hooked up my second, unmounted panel (85 watts) to
a quick connector on the controller box.  I turned on the radio, the
Fantastic fan on high, and two 25-watt incandescent 12v bulbs, and still had
+.4 amps on the meter.  When I turned on a third 12v bulb, it went to -1.2
amps.   

I'm not sure if I'll need to take the second panel on every trip, but I'm
not worried about running out of power if I have them both.  I expect to put
in some florescent lights soon, to reduce the load on the batteries.  I saw
some nice ones on ebay recently that were intended for marine use and used
12v bulbs, as opposed to the Thin-lines, that apparently have built in
inverters because they use 120v AC bulbs.  (Or are they 120v DC?)   Seems
like DC bulbs wouldn't have the annoying flicker of the AC ones, if it's
possible to run them on DC.  The price was similar to that of the Thin-lines
at the usual mail order places, and there were enough of them that the dutch
auction price didn't go above the opening bid.  I'll have to look for them
again.  

BTW, there's a guy who sells new and refurbished E-meters on ebay from time
to time, and they go for about $160, supposedly with full warranty.   He
also sells Heart Interface inverters.

I'll be trying out the new solar system in about a week, taking the trailer
to visit family in Montana by way of Rocky Mountain NP, then on to
Yellowstone, Oregon, and then to a wedding in Northern California, hopefully
limiting the 120v hookups to few or none.   I missed the first part of
Hunter's travelogue--it looks like I'll be at least partially following in
her footsteps.     Will have to transfer her messages to my laptop for the
trip.  

Don 
'63 Avion 
(Gave up WBCCI #1101 to become an SOB...)