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Topic: was Stovetop, now power for the toys (Read 1 time) previous topic - next topic
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was Stovetop, now power for the toys
Yahoo Message Number: 64380
No, solar is not enough with our 2 panels.  I tend to use the direcway at night which doesn't help. We've also got the StarChoice dish and TV watching happens at night too.  I am happy with the new converter I got because it will charge the batteries in much less time than the old one so our solution includes the generator.  We try to run it early in the am - early for us that is, around 9am.   If we run it for an hour it pulls the batteries up to 75% to 90% depending how low they were.  Then we let the panels top them off.  That usually works pretty well as we try to stay where the sun is shining.  If we don't get enough solar, then we run the gen again in the early evening until they are full.
 In a dream world where I'd have a LOT more CCC, I'd have 2 more panels and they would all be the larger ones not our current 85's.  I'd also have 2 more batteries and they would all be AGM's.   I don't know if that would completely solve it but it would come a lot closer.  Problem is I don't have the weight left to add any batteries and it would cost a considerable amount to add 2 solars - even 2 more 85's - as well as buying 4 batteries.  I don't think it is going to happen.  I'm pretty happy with the solution we have as it is not usually a problem to run the gen for those 2 hours.  That is when the gen is complete.  We've lost the muffler on the gen set again, this is the 2nd time.  We don't know where it got knocked off but we found it hanging by a screw after our trek over a mountain range in Guatemala.  We took it the rest of the way off but will have to have it replaced again when we get to the US.  If you think the gen sets are loud now, try listening to one without a muffler!  Luckily, we've either been traveling enough to top off the batteries or parked here at our condo where we can plug in so we haven't had to use it.

-- Jonna in Tortuga, 2001 Teal RB Find us MAPhttp://map.datastormusers.com/user2.cfm?user=1013> Follow the BLOG herehttp://www.baddog.com/blog/blog.html>

On another subject, did you ever solve your power problems?  Now that
 
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we have the DirecWay, our 2 panels don't seem to go as far as they used to.  Did you end up getting more panels, or more batteries or what>

Kate
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