(Part 3) Best power generators & accessories according to redditors
We found 1,448 Reddit comments discussing the best power generators & accessories. We ranked the 570 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 41-60. You can also go back to the previous section.
BTW, for anyone wanting to do something like this, the technology is there. For example, these:
https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Foldable-Monocrystalline-Inverter-Controller/dp/B075SZMFP2
are foldable. You could have 8-9 in the trunk and an inverter and do real level 1 charging. If you really wanted to get crazy, fold down the rear seats and put something like 50 or 60 of these in:
https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Extremely-Flexible-Monocrystalline-Solar/dp/B079HJQBVW
You'd be able to do something like level 2 charging.
Both of these would require inverters and possibly even some kind of battery buffer to keep the Tesla happy when things are cloudy. I would expect lots of issues as this isn't anyone's primary use case.
The thing that amazes me are that panels like this exist and don't cost all that much (historically speaking). The idea of carrying around 8kw worth of panels in a small car would have been laughable just a few years ago.
For about $200 you can be charging laptops and cell phones and running some fans and lights in your house. Here's the breakdown:
Solar Panel - $106
Charge Controller - $38
Inverter - $20
Battery - Anything 12 volt, ideally "Deep Cycle" but a car battery will work if you have one. This can be between $30 and a lot, depending on what you want to run.
The parts aren't special, they were just the cheapest I could find on amazon, and while they took a little longer than I wanted to get there, they did get delivered to San Juan. Now my family is charging and running all kinds of things off the sun while the idiots in government continue to suck at their jobs.
I have a solar panel and power station. In tandem they allow me to power basic electronics. Eventually I'd like to get a generator hooked up to the circuit breaker in the garage and have it automatically switch on. Being in the South, A/C is paramount.
Headlamps consume roughly 10 amps. Each. A car battery in good condition usually has 50 amp hours in it. It takes very little time for headlamps to drain a battery.
Your camera charger will consume maybe 0.5 amps. 40x less than headamps. Furthermore the camera battery will get full and stop at some point. So if 1 hour of headlamps killed the battery then 40 hours of camera charging will cause problems. It probably takes 2 hours to charge your camera? And you plan to do it 3 times? It'll be fine.
If you want a safety net this will easily produce more power than charging a camera will consume.
The answer to all of your questions is that the seller is overvaluing everything.
$1500 is way too much for the electrical. That's an $80 fridge first off, so you're not exactly collecting a huge value there, maybe $300 for the batteries, a $100 or so solar panel, and I'm just gonna wildly guess a generous figure of $300 for the wiring, inverter, and controller. So he's valuing his labor on installation at over $500, which probably isn't unreasonable but it's up to you to decide whether you want to pay him that.
The van itself is over 25 years old with about as many miles as it was designed to last. It may not have much life left in it. I'm currently looking at a similar van but a 2002 with the same mileage for $1200 so $3500 is ridiculously too much.
The bed and woodwork is worth something as well. I'd say valuing the van, the electrical, and the woodwork should bring a reasonable price up to $3000 or maybe $3500. But you're gambling if you spend more than that on a 28 year old van with 150,000 miles.
Edit: looked up the batteries, they're pricy but still not enough to make that van worth it. 2 VMAX SLR125 AGM Sealed Deep Cycle 12V 125Ah (250Ah total) batteries for Use with Pv Solar Panels,Smart chargers wind Turbine and Inverters
Turbines are the mechanical device for this. Looks like your application is pretty low power draw, so something like this should work.
To measure flow rate, get a flow meter. You can also get cheap ones from amazon.
The typical value proposition of these large-capacity portable battery banks revolve around the "I hate dealing with gasoline/natural gas canisters, engine oil (required to run most gas generators, which are frequently sold without any), noise (gas generators are not quiet by design), and weight (DAE LIFT WEIGHTS!?!??!?)".
Having that said, I recognize the "leading lead acid competitor": it's the Goal Zero Yeti 1250, and having been on the market for quite some time, its performance characteristics are well-known. While browsing Amazon though I came across this non-SLA "gas generator". Notice the front panel with the 12V and USB outlets? That's a carbon copy of what was demoed on the Grengine, the difference is that the AC inverter outlets are on the side instead of being situated left of the panel.
*looks further down* Oh shit... Grengine Ultra Lite is a literal clone of what I just linked! This is an Alibaba resell! Then again, this is IGG, where reselling existing products is always a thing. Also the pricing for their Ultra Lite is $599 plus shipping. Er guys? These are already being sold on Amazon for just 400 bucks shipped!
Another thing about these battery-based "generators" is the user needs to get their feet dirty in solar panels and the like in order to get the most out of these heavy power banks. In other words, this isn't a battery pack, it's a long-term commitment into off-grid power and that $1450 price (for the full-size unit) is just a down-payment!
In a power blackout situation, I'd much rather have a gas generator instead.
Here's a quick one - RichSolar 100 Polycrystalline Solar Panel. I've been using this when camping to charge devices (6-8 people, one of whom uses a CPAP and needs power, plus several cell phones and tablets). So far, it's worked well. But, it's a big, glass panel. I suggest spending a little more to get a flexible monocrystalline instead.
How about this:
https://www.amazon.com/Yosoo-Turbine-Generator-Micro-hydro-Charging/dp/B00ZCBNNOC
You could likely consume less than you think. When I installed my mechanical interlock and power inlet I also installed a pair of these. They allow me to measure the power being consumed in realtime. When I powered it up the first time I was amazed at how little I actually consumed, so I kept turning on circuits until they were all on. In the winter with all zones heating, the lights all on, and the well pump running I didn't come close to topping out my 7k/9k generator. In the summer with 6 window AC units it gets sketchy if the well pump comes on, but still within the 7k limit. This is a big house. Now COULD it exceed it, sure. If all the ACs were to start their compressors at the same time and the well pump was running and the garage compressor is running I am sure the breaker would pop. It hasn't happened though. I turn off the mains and all circuits, move the interlock, bring on the generator circuit, make sure the voltage and frequency are stabile, then I bring each circuit on line and watch the power levels until they stabilize then add on until they are all running. I assumed I would eventually upgrade, but I doubt I am ever going to.
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I prepared for this though. Find your electrical waste and get rid of it first, it saves you fuel in an emergency and money everytime else. Every bulb has been replaced with high efficiency LED. My heat is oil fired hydronic. All my stoves are LP.
Your best bet is to replace your TV with a 12V LED TV. They only use 18watts-30watts
example: https://www.amazon.com/SuperSonic-1080p-Widescreen-Compatible-22-Inch/dp/B0066AE4M8/
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You connect them directly to a 12V battery. No inverter or solar panels necessary. (Inverters waste about 20% of battery power converting DC to AC (and then the TV adaptor itself wastes another 10% converting BACK to DC) Just get a deep-cycle battery and charge it at home before leaving, and you'll be good for 8 to 12 hours. If you want to, you can bring along a 50W solar panel and a cheap little 5-amp charge controller to keep it running all day as well.
Alternatively, if you feel like a workout, get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/K-TOR-Generator-Emergency-Lightweight-Polycarbonate/dp/B00EZS8VQS. (20W max) The advantage is it will work rain-or-shine and you can keep that TV running a long long time
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best of all, they use a lot less power. Even a nice 40" LED TV uses only 30 watts or so. you'll be good to go all night.
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80w is just too much power requirement to make sense for solar.
solar panel kit!
That fan is pretty big. Might be better off to send something like this: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4M540J4841&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Fans-_-9SIA4M540J4841&gclid=CjwKCAjw3rfOBRBJEiwAam-GsDsOnkscCXpE8V_GHuxwtDWYpkbYqvLXfxgWZ7BQAPY7KwVNn0S5jRoCge8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Edit: the box fan you mentioned uses 120w and needs an inverter to operate vs the camping fan above is 12w and works on 12V DC. simpler and easier to get going with less load, though likely less air movement.
or some other 12V camping fan.
as for the solar, look for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Foldable-SunPower-Smartphones-Batteries/dp/B07432VBX8/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1506716539&sr=1-4&keywords=60w+camping+solar
it has clamps to charge a battery will fold up for your shipping and is easy to set up.
The LPG generator you listed would be loud as fuck. you probably don't want the big ones.
I've been looking at a couple of different Champion Generators.
They have a little 2000w generator that is pretty quite, pretty damned affordable, and less than half the cost of the honda. About $440 on amazon.
The other one i've been looking at is about a 3000 watt dual fuel that runs about $850 (at costco.com)
i've seen the Wen you linked at a local farmers market and it was fairly quiet. I've also seen a Ryobi at numerous food trucks, also runs quite, has wheels for transportation, and is only $440 or so.
Renogy sells good kits for cheap. This one is more powerful that the biggest thing they have at Harbor Freight for less money.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DCEKKQ0?psc=1
You're most welcome! I bought the following:
4x100W Panels
Panel Mounting
Solar Panel Connectors
Tool Crimper
Assembly Tool
Panel Connectors
Power Information
CTEK Charger
CTEK SmartPass
200ah AMG Battery
Fuse Block
300W Pure Sine Wave Inverter
LED Strip
Dometic 35 Fridge
I bought all these items with research into my solar needs and following the advice from here in the vandwelling subreddit and also information I gathered from Amazon. I am probably doing a bit of overkill on my solar setup but I thankfully have the money to do it and don't want to mess with adding anything later.
I will have to do research myself on how to combine the four panels into the battery but that will be a few weeks away so I haven't done much in that area. I do plan to buy 10GA wire from Lowes and use the crimping tool and connectors to form my own wiring harness so it will be clean looking. \
EDIT: Adding info.
Not directly that I know of, but you just plug the solar panel into something like an XTAR VC2 and away you go!
I use this panel because I got it on sale for prime day.
You could easily fit 300w of folding panels in the car...
https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Foldable-Monocrystalline-Inverter-Controller/dp/B075SZMFP2
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Most likely scenario but I'd still feel better if an electrician came and checked it out. It worries me because I'm trying to figure out why they have an RV outlet there instead of the much safer Inlet so if someone accidentally pulls the cord while the generator is running, the male ends don't short out or cause a shock. I hope the transfer switch is not rigged to to be energized (for his RV) when back on the grid. Maybe worth an hour of an electrician's time to come see it.
Yes, When I had my EV I would drive under 50 miles almost every day.
Regarding the product i couldn't find a data sheet or specifications on your website.
That said from photos, and comments here, it appears to be a 5kWh external battery pack, able to be charged from a standard wall outlet (using a tiny wall wart), and with an integrated inverter powerful enough to run a factory volt EVSE (I assume something like 15A at 110V?)
Your website shows a slim female carrying the device with one hand, and you advertise the price as USD999. You state on reddit the current charge time from a wall outlet is 6 hours.
There are a few technical issues with the above that you really should look into.
Weight As an example, the chevy bolt battery pack holds 60kWh, and weights 440kg. Your pack is to be 12 times smaller, so weight will be at least 37 kg (prob more as packaging in a smaller pack will be less efficient. A 2kW inverter will be 5 - 8 kg, therefore your minimum weight will be 42 - 45kg's. No way your slim female is carrying that with one hand wearing heels.
Cost A 6.4kWh powerwall runs as USD3000. Your price is under a third of that, and you need to include an inverter & charger that will run to hundreds of dollars...
Wall Wart To charge in 6 hours, you will need to charge at 830Watts. I don't think any wall wart goes that high.
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Take a look at what is already on the market:
0.4kWh, 300W output battery bank for USD390, 12.36 pounds
Anker 0.4kWh, USD500, 9.36 pounds
1.1kWh, 1100W output, USD1,749, 20 pounds
You specs require something about 10 to 12 times the capacity / inverter power as the first two items, and about 5 times the capacity / inverter power of the last one.
As such I would expect you would need to price your device at around USD 6000, and expect it to weigh 100pounds (roughly 50kg).
With those numbers the proposal is a lot less attractive. 50kg's is very hard to move by hand, and $6000 is a lot of money to tie up in a battery bank. (I wouldn't want to leave that unattended as I charged during the day). Also that money would go a long way in terms of just buying a longer range EV in the first place (Price jump from a 30kWh Leaf to a 60kWh Chevy Bolt in the USA is $6000) and that buys you a 6x the additional range of your 5kWh power pack, with convenance to boot... (no charging car and power pack each night (just charge car), no lugging around heavy power pack. no need to change except at night (every second night) for your 40/ 50 mile days)...
>This is the most ridiculous argument I’ve ever heard.
57% of US Greenhouse emissions come from transportation and electricity. Both you can absolutely change yourself. Nothing is stopping you from buying an EV and solar panels with a storage system. And in fact it is cheaper to do so now.
Lets focus on electricity, the average daily electricity consumption of a US residential utility customer is 10 kWh. (Which is very high, but whatever) that means that in a year it will be 3650 kWh. If we price it at 13 cents per kWh that's 475 USD per year. Or a total of 38K USD in 80 years (average lifetime of american).
A 5KW solar panel array will cost you 4.1K USD, in a good day it will produce about 25 kWh. Those will last 25 years. (they will still work after 25 years, just that their output drops about 1% each year).
A 10KWh lifepo4 battery will cost you 4.8K USD. This one will give you 10 000 charge cycles with a 65% DoD (that is about 6.5 kWh each night from the battery), 10 000 charge cycles is 27 years. In reality it might last longer because I don't think you're going to pull more than 6kWh each night out of the battery.
The reason why the battery is 10 kWh and the array produces 25 kWh is because it is an off grid system, so you need the extra to get by during cloudy days and the extra size of the battery helps with the cycle life. If you're going to be on a grid tie system you don't need the battery, and the array can be much smaller.
Giving that the average american lives about 80 years, that means that the battery and panels would have to be replace 3 times (in reality you don't really have to replace it all, those products will still work after 25 years, just that their output power and capacity wont be the same).
Either way, multiplying the total of the panels and battery (8.9K USD) by 3 gives 26.7K USD. 30% less of what you would otherwise pay on electricity with the somewhat overkill conditions I used. And of course you don't have to go and dump 8.9K USD at once, you can start with a small system that can be expanded in the future.
And I haven't touch wind power, microwind turbines are cheaper than solar panels and don't need as much battery storage. If you live in an area with average wind speeds over 8mph they are absolutely worth it.
Edit: Just in case, I know I didn't add the cost of the inverter and the solar controller, those two don't have that much of an impact in the total either way.
Worth noting that even though a grid tie system sounds better than an off grid one, it's got several issues, at large scale it isn't easy to implement because the utility company will have to deal administrating the extra production of the solar panels (which doesn't match with the peak hours of demand), also if the grid goes down you can't get power out of the panels as well. It all goes down. And finally you might end up paying back to the electric company because they usually pay you less for the kWh that you produce, as well charge you more in peak hours.
Edit2. The batteries as well can be gotten way cheaper by buying them used, there are lots of those. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L43bArxyszU
Edit3: Here are the panels and batteries that I used for my calculations.
https://www.amazon.com/Richsolar-Polycrystalline-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B07DNP14JY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=100W+rich+solar&qid=1565595960&s=gateway&sr=8-3
(50 of those for a 5KW array).
Battery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV5FCYX/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_pMruDb244PVQ
12.8V 100AH (1.28 kWh) 600$. (8 of those for 10 kWh). Need BMS.
I also realized of an error in the calculations and the total of the panels is way less, either way even with the mistake it was 10% cheaper than the grid.
I was hoping to avoid that because it would involve a bunch of digging/underground conduits, plus a bunch of interior finish work.
But you are a voice of reason: if I really want to supply the house with 30A off a generator, I should probably just do it the right way (i.e., suck it up and pay the money).
EDIT:
Or put something like this outside and buy a long cable. Is something like that really weather proof? Snow, rain, freezing etc.?
Sure, I will try to list everything here, most of what I got was from Amazon.
$107 HQST 100 Watt,12 Volt Solar Panel
$20 Charge Controller from Amazon
$90 1000W Power Inverter I went overkill for most on this, but I wanted to power a chainsaw if needed, otherwise you would only need to put in $37 for something really good
$11 Battery to inverter cables
$64 35AH 12V Deep Cycle Battery
$14 12V LED lights
$5 light wiring
$6 Switch
$38 Solar Panel Wires
$13 Battery Cables
$16 Conduit Pipe
$17 Unistrut
$13 For the Satellite Mount on eBay
Then figure $20 for various nuts an bolts.
So for me it came out to about $434, but considering that I paid high for my inverter, and over paid on cables/wire (you can use cheaper cables, but I went with the pre-set ones for convenience), you could do it for just over $350.
My solar set-up was this:
This 100W solar panel was mighty for my 12Volt 15AH SLA batteries, and is used for RVs typically. It did the job well even in overcast skies.
$100 -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHDC6NQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You'll need a controller so you don't overcharge your battery or fry any electronics you'd like to attach. I used one like this(the one I bought is no longer posted):
https://www.amazon.com/Esky-Solar-Adapter-Charge-Controller/dp/B013HK2OOE/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?
The controller attached to the SLA battery. You can then either charge the SLA, remove it from the system as needed, and use it for other things (as I did), or leave the battery to hold power for your various electronics you may be trying to power at your camp. I had a battery for my electronics, but would swap it out for my ebike batteries when I needed to charge them.
I had an inverter connected to the controller so I could plug things (mainly a small fan) into it.
Inverter. I cut the cigarette charger off and connected the wires to the controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDXS0U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here's a diagram that will help visualize how these set-ups are typically: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/63/6b/f5/636bf543aa56b79c556a2c8a1b216461.jpg
Charging batteries in series is doable, but not advisable because they don't tend to charge evenly. IE: The first battery gets more charge and the middle one doesn't get totally full. If you charge them separately you can make sure each is charged fully. This PDF describes the whole concept in more detail: http://www.thunderstruck-ev.com/images/Charging%20in%20Series.pdf
Bumper to bumper, it is 96"x29'3", but inside, discounting the door/drivers area, It is around 88" wide x 26'6" (around 200 sqft).
I specifically went with that one (with the stainless steel front panels) as I am trying to make this as versatile as possible, with a 3 way, I can run off 120v when I have it, propane when I do not, and 12v when going down the road, or when I eventually toss solar on the roof. Still debating if I want to go with an expensive kit that will easily run everything and adding a few more batteries, , or a cheaper one that will just keep the two house, and one main battery charged.
I’ve been fully remote for a while. It’s definitely not for everyone. I find I do my best work on days where I wake up early, go to the gym, then go to the coffee shop immediately after. Something about being around other people, even though we all have headphones in and aren’t interacting.
Short of that, many people that work from home find success with a dedicated space for it. Preferably a room with a door that you can shut when you’re not “on the clock.” That’s not always practical, and from the sounds of you naming your walls, probably not the solution you need.
I’ve also had success when working from a campsite or park. Really, anything that results in me not being at home. It’s easy to get distracted, it’s easy to go stir crazy when you don’t leave your place. Life got a lot better and my range opened way up when I got one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NS7F1FW/
You are cheating yourself (and imposing on others) by not learning the math. A better way to do this is "Here's the math I came up with -- can I get some feedback?"
Some observations: Renogy stuff is perfectly fine but that kit is, IMO, an unforced error on their part. Mono panels are wasted on pwm controllers: the poly version of that kit is cheaper and will deliver more power via PWM than the equivalent 100w mono.
> and I'm driving say 1h/day
When you drive makes a huge difference in this scenario. Solar + isolator charging is a great combination because they can cover each other's weaknesses. You would get the most benefit from the combo if you are driving in the mornings when the battery bank is at its most depleted. The reasons for this is given at the link above.
If you are not driving in the mornings for errands, work, etc, then a DC-DC charger (a special kind of isolator) would suit you better, as /u/211logos points out.
> how long could I run these devices per day?
When you run them matters, too. If you wait until the right time you run those loads without affecting the batteries at all.
>I was talking with my girlfriend about some spin class she wants to do. I said “it’s a shame they don’t hook all those bikes up with generators and have them feed the grid” (apparently they can do that now.)
That reminds me of the "15 Million Merits" of "Black Mirror" (which I highly recommend if you haven't seen it).
We have a Honda 2000i for when it's cloudy for multiple days (1100 watts of solar panels on the roof, so we don't need it much even with a compressor fridge), and when it's on eco mode, it's really quiet. If you are really doing this because of the noise, I don't think you'll be any quieter pedaling.
You might just want to build one of these into your bike frame
http://www.amazon.com/Generator-Emergency-Portable-Lightweight-Polycarbonate/dp/B00EZS8VQS/
for charging up a laptop or phone.
Note: you'll be doing a LOT of pedaling if you're actually trying to power all of your RV (with a lot of energy loss).
ETA: you might want to read this:
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/05/bike-powered-electricity-generators.html
If you get a 12 volt fan it will use about 1 amp, so 8amp hours for all night = 20% of carbatt capacity. Some car batteries will only do that every night for a week before they start to suffer, some will do it for a few months.
This sort of thing looks intresting:
https://www.amazon.com/Station-Portable-Inverter-Generator-42000mAh/dp/B074MN6YG3/
"150 Watthours" lithium Ion battery pack (rather good), "100" Watt solar input , built in 100 watt inverter (that's lowish power but still useful) and usb and 12 volt outputs. cost $160
the specification of the solar input may be questionable, limited to 25 actual watts and nominal 13~14 v level (MC4 connector). That may or may not be compatible with nominal 100 watt, 12v or 18v panel setups.
Then you'd just need a $20 12v fan, and bargain lightweight solar panel deal...
"50W" bendable panel kit for $100 ?
There is a "100W" version for $170 - possibly overkill.
1 kilogram, frameless :
https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Bendable-Flexible-Lightweight-Irregular/dp/B013DZWDI0/
I use this setup and it works pretty well.
My ebike is a 52v nominal Bafang BBSHD with a 12ah panasonic GA cell lithium battery.
My solar setup is http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/products/?fm167200_120w_foldable_solar_panel&show=product&productID=271514&productCategoryIDs=6578 for when I am stopped, + https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Bendable-Flexible-SunPower-Irregular/dp/B013E07FNM mounted on top of a BOB ibex trailer, this charges the system while riding, and I rigged it so I can set up the powerfilm in parallel for a total of 220watts solar while stopped.
To step up to 56.8 volts (roughly 85% charge on the 52v nominal system) I got a https://genasun.com/products-store/mppt-solar-charge-controllers/golf-cart-solar-charge-boost-controllers/ GVB-8-Li-56.8V-WP
The system works pretty well, if you have time to burn to recharge. Its not as fast as charging from mains, but I have seen it pull 9 amps in full sun, which is pretty dang good for a sub 10 lb total system.
Also if you got $265 to spare order one of these, it will help powering smaller items and batteries, and this is relatively portable.
https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Foldable-Monocrystalline-Inverter-Controller/dp/B075SZMFP2/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=DOKIO+200+Watts+12+Volts+Monocrystalline+Foldable+Solar+Panel+with+Solar+Charger+Controller&qid=1555789816&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-1-fkmrnull
Well it just seems strange to have way more inverter capacity than generating capacity. So in this case you have a battery that has 900Wh of capacity, so your little 50W panel will take 18h of full sun to charge it (figure you can get 3 or 4 equivalent hours of sunshine a day, so we are talking most of a week) if you don't have any other load connected. Then if you connect your 1kW inverter and use it at full capacity, you'll discharge the thing in less than an hour. In some specific cases this may be desirable, but in general you need at least as much generating capacity as you have loads, or even more, depending on the load profile. But maybe in your case it makes sense just to have the ability to run the odd 110V appliance off your battery every once and a while, while mostly running DC loads like your light and radio
But I think your biggest problem right now is that you are pairing a panel with 18V Vmp with a 6V battery and a 12V inverter. At the least you need to switch to a 12V battery to use that inverter, but even then you will be wasting alot of solar power by forcing the panel to work at 12V (ie you'll only get around 30W out of it), so you would be better off finding a panel intended for use at 12V, like this one
Edit: you may want to look at this exchange from a few days back. /u/MrCloggy was offering some helpful advice to someone looking to set up a system similar to what you want. Actually, now that we've summoned him, perhaps he'll chime in over here.
When I got this one a couple of years ago it was $108.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018BOK9WU/
Yes, just 100 watts. The key is to use less electricity than your solar panel and alternator produce.
I highly recommend the Champion 3400 Dual-Fuel. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FAWMMEY/
I upgraded from a 2000 watt generator just like you so that I could power A/C on low while also running other things at the same time. I chose this one because it has an RV ready plug and also can run off propane or gas which is a great plus. Electric start is nice as well. It's not very loud, 59 dBA.
I liked this model because it has wheels and is a bit easier to move around, and the 3400 watts peak vs 3100 on the next lower RV ready model could make a decent difference in what I could do.
I have a nice Yamaha 2000 watt inverter generator that I was using before. It just didn't have the guts for things like the A/C or microwave. Like you I also considered getting a second one because you can chain them together, but then I have twice as much that can go wrong, twice as much maintenance, etc. I did keep it as an emergency backup at home but for ease of use when camping lugging around two generators didn't seem to make sense to me. I have a small solar panel setup that I use to top off the RV batteries during the day which is cheaper than dealing with two generators so worst case scenario I'd just be a little uncomfortable if it's hot out and the generator had issues.
I also installed a transfer switch at home so I can also use this to power critical items in my home in an emergency. Since it was just 120V that was pretty cheap too, I was able to pick up the transfer switch for under $200.
This Goal Zero battery pack can charge AA or AAA batteries from mini-USB and give USB-A output.
It's not perfect. Despite (allegedly) having individual channels, it won't charge without all 4 slots full. Using AAA cells requires a physical adapter which limits all 4 slots to AAA. The charger's USB in is mini-USB, not micro-USB, so it's another cable/adapter to have around.
It's better than nothing, but it's not ideal. I have it for emergency purposes only.
Installing a generator permanently is possible of course, but I've also seen people just arrange for an external hook-up and then run a portable generator outside the van. There are a few well-known options but the king is probably Honda; their quiet EU2000i has been the go-to choice for 2000 watts due to it being both a high quality unit and very quiet. And they've upgraded it recently, now EU2200i and lowered the price I believe. Still a thousand bucks, but hey.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079YF1HF6/
Or, you could go a bit smaller, but the EU1000i is only marginally cheaper, so not sure if that's a good idea. Of course size is always nice to reduce in a van.
These also are reportely even quieter, but not sure how well they stack up otherwise: http://www.generac.com/iq2000
Edit: Cummins Onan also have a 2.8 kilowatt permanent mount option you can mount under the van, probably, and connect to the van's diesel, but they're loud as shit at 70 dba (that's literally something like 100 times louder than the Honda) and three times more expensive. You do however get a push button start and never have to worry about fuel. Not sure about what else is out there in built-in generators that would work for a van, most of them are huge diesel units that go in a Class A.
You may also look at dual battery under the car. I used to keep a 7AH SLA (sealed lead acid) from a UPS under my passenger seat, plugged into an accessory area of the fuse box. It had leads going out for cig-plugs, to charge phones and leave everything going when the car was off. SLA means there is less chance of off gassing, but they can be expensive, on the other hand, sometimes they are just enough to get the job done and use the main battery up less. Not to mention they can be tipped with no problem, and are sometimes available free from recovered items, such as UPSs, alarm systems or jump packs.
Also look for areas under the car that can hold a spare battery. Keep it away from exhaust and moving parts, but there may be a wealth of space you never even think to use.
I have also seen some of the fold-up panels available, so if you are in a place you can openly camp, like an open campground or a park, you can lay them across the top of the car, or on the ground / against a tree, for some extra charging, especially of a house battery or phone. Also, the flexible panels are more able to be removed and replaced as needed.
https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Bendable-Flexible-SunPower-Irregular/dp/B013DZWDI0/
With your starter battery double duty, you may want to look at a good deep cycle, especially if you can fit in a bigger one, as deep cycle tends to lose cold cranking amps as you gain deep stability.
Spent a while out there, myself, and want to prepare if I ever have to do it again.
I can tell you what works for me. I have a small Honda EU2200i portable generator and I've installed a ProTran transfer switch connected to our breaker box. This lets us run selected lights, fans, outlets, refrigerator and computers with internet connection when our power fails.
I love this generator because it just keeps going (a Honda) and sips gas in eco-mode. It's a $1k generator but worth every penny if you ask me. I used it for a week when we lost power due to hurricane Irma last year and just this week we had storms knock our power out for a few hours and it was quick and easy to set up.
Here is the link to a video I made about my transfer switch setup.
https://youtu.be/vgFvslleoNs
https://www.amazon.com/Yosoo-Turbine-Generator-Micro-hydro-Charging/dp/B00ZCBNNOC
There is stuff like this, so it is theoretically possible. Not all of them are submersible, and you'd need to run a line through most of them to get enough pressure to power a pi, probably.
https://www.amazon.com/Generator-Emergency-Portable-Lightweight-Polycarbonate/dp/B00EZS8VQS?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00EZS8VQS
Poic Charger.....
Get a solar charger. They are cheap and work just like a trickle charger. never have to worry about bringing a charger with you. just hook it up and set on top of cover before you leave.
Go to your local auto part store and purchase a used car battery for like 50$. Then buy a battery clip on cigarette lighter socket extension cord for 10$ and a Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter for 27$. Now you wont have to drain your car battery charging your phones and it can power other stuff like lights or a pump for your air mattress.
also you can get Portable Solar Car Battery Charger encase you need to charge the battery or use jumper cables.
This is basically what I have. I bought a different battery and inverter because I have an account at batteries Plus but this is a widely accepted quality battery and a decent inverter. I would recommend buying at least the battery local as shipping them is expensive.
NOTE I did not include fuses/breakers in this list but you definitely should build these into your design.
https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Watts-Volts-Polycrystalline-Starter/dp/B00DCEKKQ0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256044&sr=8-2&keywords=renogy+100w+starter+kit
https://www.amazon.com/Trojan-T27-AGM-Group-Purpose-Battery/dp/B00NY0RAW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256242&sr=8-1&keywords=trojan+12volt
https://www.amazon.com/34-97-2-15-17-ENERGIZER-Inverter-charging/dp/B01N5LUMDF/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256346&sr=8-16&keywords=500w+inverter
Depending on what you really want to power this may be way more than you need. You really should start by figuring out the load you want to power and then design your system around that number. This is a great little tool for figuring out how much power the devices you want to power will use and it's certainly cheaper than buying too much system and finding out you could have done what you wanted with half as much as you bought.
https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487256555&sr=8-1&keywords=killawatt
I'm certainly not an expert at solar but am learning so feel free to PM any other questions.
When the pros shoot, they use these, they are quiet so they don't bother people https://smile.amazon.com/Honda-2200-Watt-120-Volt-Portable-Generator/dp/B079YF1HF6/
That's good! L14-30 I am guessing? You will want one of these or an equivalent from a competetir. Depending on how far your run is, you're probably going to want to use 10AWG wire. If the wire is going to be exposed outside your house at all, you'll need either conduit or wire rated for outdoor (probably UF-B to account for sun and water). If the box will just be mounted on the side of your house, romex should do you.
I use a solar generator like this
Then I use a solar panel to recharge it. This battery will run my fridge for a few days plus other items.
They make cheaper ones though like this
That could also be hooked up to a portable solar panel for recharge.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ZCBNNOC?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
I'm thinking about hooking a bunch of these up in series and maybe having them charge an external battery pack. Have arduino tell me the something while it does that
No, those panels output around 10W whereas a computer typically needs ~50W to charge. Also most of them only output 5V USB.
But:
Knock yourself out.
I have one of these. i scored it on ebay for less than $300 us.
It seems to run my Dometic fridge for about a day or two.
I have charged my laptop from it a few times in a jam, but it uses way more power than my fridge.
It also has a built in solar controller which i am going to hook up a renogy suitcase.
https://www.amazon.com/SUAOKI-Portable-Generator-Lithium-Inverter/dp/B01M260BAN/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525759152&sr=8-2&keywords=suaoki+solar+generator
I was wondering - can you charge an XR a few times with a solar panel like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FH85FW9?psc=1&pf_rd_p=e5769fff-2926-4753-918b-93331cd26e61&pf_rd_r=BXWWRP2RMF6CEPVT3CAB&pd_rd_wg=lkT27&pd_rd_i=B07FH85FW9&pd_rd_w=yaefb&pd_rd_r=e16bbf20-f72f-488c-8a7d-d497fdee0a8c&ref_=pd_luc_rh_crh_rh_bxgy_03_01_t_img_lh
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and a battery like this?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NS7F1FW/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AZF6YB7UVA7OU
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I may be taking Burner Express so don't really want to deal with getting a gas generator and a gas tank off and on the bus.
I use 3 different ones from this company.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NS7F1FW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1c3iDbFRMRS1H
$100 panels https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HHDC6NQ/
$20 charge controller https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MU0WMGT/
$100 marine battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008974VFG/
$150 ac inverter 2000watt https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0716WT8D5/
> I have one. It's called a dryer outlet.
Power comes out of a dryer outlet. That's why it has holes.
Power goes into an inlet (hence the name). That's why it has prongs.
Does your dryer outlet look like this?
The fact that you don't understand this basic distinction does not fill me with confidence.
> It's also illegal to install a ceiling fan unless performed by a licensed electrician.
It varies by jurisdiction but homeowners are allowed to do some basic work themselves without a license. I'm not an electrician or a lawyer and (unlike you) I won't overstate my knowledge so I will not give you a definitive ruling re: ceiling fans.
> Last time I post in this sub wtf.
Bye, I'm not gonna miss your attitude.
edit: If you don't own your dwelling then you DEFINITELY should not be doing dangerous and blatantly illegal things with its electrical system. Not to mention, the landlord or other tenants (if any) may come by and injure/kill themselves, not knowing what you've done. I suppose that's the price one pays to run their TV without an extension cord.
Ah, its pretty important that solar panels get direct sunlight. they get quite a big efficiency loss in the shade.
You would want a solar charge controller, something like this and a solar panel, something like this
The ones I listed are just the first hits on amazon, i dont have experience with those, so do some research :) I think that will work with a motorcycle battery but i might be wrong.
BTW, how about a really long extention cord... like 100ft+?
Generally, the appropriate connectors are MC4 connectors. Most solar panels already have them as connectors.
You can buy the connectors on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Findyouled-Pairs-Female-Solar-Connectors/dp/B00KNXPIUG/
They aren't designed for disconnect and connecting repetitively, more for what you said, to connect and leave connected. They work well.
You don't have to buy the crimp tool, but man does it make your life easier than using pliers and a soldering iron:
https://www.amazon.com/Signstek-Solar-Crimping-Tools-2-5-6-0mm2/dp/B00N3PTXJS/
This might be useful too, more versatile. If it isn't compatible with your current set up it also comes packaged with a compatible solar panel.
On mobile right now can't do the math(edit, still did the math) but the solar bike pathway cost 3.7 million (granted it is a prototype) for 72 meters. That might have cost a couple thousand in bitumen and solar panels are around 1$/watt these days I believe. Assuming a width of 1.5m we end up with 105m^2. Now if we take these solar panels on Amazon we end up with 24m^2 for 600$. Now things should be looking pretty obvious. It doesn't matter how cheap they can make the solar roadway it's the same as about 5000~6000$ worth of solar panels and a few thousand dollars of road (didn't bother finding numbers, there's now way we would have roads if 72m cost more than a couple thousand dollars). So yeah, more expensive and less efficient. In conclusion, a terrible idea.GoalZero's gear is popular. They don't recommend using alkaline cells.
http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-21005-Guide-Power/dp/B00D2SQ6W8
Cheaper options exist. They claim a 4" smartphone will get 1 charge per 4 AAs.
http://www.amazon.com/PortaPow-Battery-Charger-Mobile-Devices/dp/B00HCBDV10
For a long tour, why not go with solar and a lithium battery? If you're using it extensively for mapping, you might need a full charge every day or so. On a 750 mile trip, that means a few dozen AAs .. that's a couple pounds of AAs.
I am not sure if this is what you are talking about, but I bought one for power outages and it works great. You can recharge it with a solar panel or your car battery or keep it charged with house current. Then use it to charge AA, AAA, D, or C batteries, recharge your cell phone or laptop or run a lamp, fan, tv, radio or other small appliance. I ran a 12v fan for 6 hours and only used 10% of the battery's charge. A small watt lamp will run about 5 hours. It will recharge about 15% per hour in full sun with a 100watt solar panel. 7lb 500W 288WH Backup Portable Generator Solar Power Source Power Inverter UPS 26000mah Li-on Battery Power Supply Powerhouse https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J44VSL2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks for taking time to reply. My goal was not to have to mess with solar since my cabin sits in the middle of some pretty dense trees and I've never gotten good direct sunlight. I was hoping for a clean and quiet way to plug in at night and get 3-4 hours of light and maybe enough time to watch a movie off a USB stick.
The idea of charging a small 15lb battery during the week at home and plugging in when I showed up at the cabin vs lugging the 100lb gas generator was really appealing. The gas generator has worked fine but it's just so loud and it sits outside the bedroom window so I worry about even cracking that window in the summer to avoid exhaust.
The lights are off all day as everything else (speakers and phones I charge at home or have simple Anker power bricks) and the cabin is all windows so light isn't an issue until it gets dark. I just need 4 hours of LED lights and 2 hours of LED TV to make me happy.
If the wiring is 110V then it sounds like I'm not going to lose a bunch of efficiency to wire resistance? Are watt-hours the right way to look at this regardless of voltage? I get confused trying to understand if watt-hours are standard regardless of 110v, 12v, or 3.7v systems pulling current. Sorry for the newb questions but the online literature seems really inconsistent in the explanations.
Knowing that any power tools or air conditioner I wanted to run would need the extra juice from the gas generator, would a solution like this or even as small as this get me a couple lights at night and maybe enough power to get through a 2 hour movie off a USB stick in a TV?
If there's a crash course read on this please send it my way, I've been looking for a simple explanation.
I appreciate the help from everyone here. Thanks!
I mean we can talk about it all you like in terms of wattage and what not, but if you want to skip to the end this or something like it is what you want.
It would be pretty easy to build something similar for a lot cheaper. Pick up a used suitcase at the thrift shop, mount a 50w panel on the outside (much better than the 10W panel in the case you linked to.) Inside the case, mount a charge controller with USB, this 20Ah battery (again, better than the 16Ah in the other one), and this 500W inverter (not sure how big the one in the expensive case it, but 500W should be enough.) So for less than $250 and a little bit of build work, you can have a much more functional system (500% larger solar capacity and 25% more battery capacity).
How much of a pita is it to hook up the ProPride each time? Do you mark something on a bar or somewhere to know how far to raise it each time?
This is the generator I was looking at:
https://www.amazon.com/Champion-3400-Watt-Portable-Inverter-Generator/dp/B01FAWMMEY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522347779&sr=8-3&keywords=champion+generator&dpID=51diHuUCxhL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
Whatever you do, don't buy any plastic flashlights. If you wanna buy some flashlights at a reasonable price, try getting some Maglites. They can be serviced if need be and will last a long time. If I can't afford expensive flashlights at the moment and would need to buy a bunch of them, Maglites can be purchased on the fly at the box stores.
But if you want the real deal, then get a state-of-the-art tactical flashlight that can fit inside your pocket. ThruNite, Nitecore, Fenix, and Convoy are the kings of flashlights. Personally, I recommend the Thrunite TC12 V2 as the reviews on this flashlight praises its durability and reliability. Not too many people had trouble with this flashlight, except with the V1 because people complained about cycling through modes to get to the one they want.
Since power is an issue. Rechargeable batteries are the way to go. 18650 Lithium batteries will last you 500 charges, but you can pick up rechargeable batteries in AA, AAA, C, and D-Cell Nickel Metal Hydrate as well. Since the flashlight kings have torches that run off of 18650, there are adapters that you can use in case you can't get a hold of them. If you want to stick with primaries and AA/ AAA batteries, then get Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells. They're pricey but they last a long time and can be stored up to 25+ years.
Since this is a third-world nation you're sending these lights to, then USB rechargeable lighting an absolute must. If you want true independence, get a solar charging kit, portable energy storage, and a USB rechargeable battery system. You can use the solar panels to charge your flashlight and your rechargeable batteries without ever using the power grid.
I went with two 100 watt polycrystaline panels from Rich Solar. Around $165 for the bundle.
https://www.amazon.com/Richsolar-Polycrystalline-Efficiency-Module-Marine/dp/B07DNP14JY?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-fpas-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07DNP14JY&th=1
Chose these after watching a video review by Will Prowse: https://youtu.be/k8hYSGI5hiU
Mainly picked these over the Renogy because I have a plug and play battery unit. Otherwise, I probably would have taken advantage of Renogy's bundles with a charge controller and mounting accessories.
Thoughts...
https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Portable-Battery-Cigarette-Charging/dp/B00QRHDIPY/
just guessing honestly, I've never tried to install them. but man, 4.4 kwh for 4 panels? that sound expensive bro. even the 400w panel is like $700.
Two Panels: https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Bendable-SunPower-Resistant-Irregular/dp/B013E07FNM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495643866&sr=8-4&keywords=solar+panel+flexible
Four Batteries: https://www.amazon.com/Vmaxtanks-Vmaxslr125-rechargeable-Solar-Inverters/dp/B00ACNO2AO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495643913&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+vmax
Charge Controller: https://www.amazon.com/CoZroom-Charge-Controller-Regulator-Intelligent/dp/B01ERF0LHA/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1495643961&sr=1-6&keywords=charge+controller
Inverter: https://www.amazon.com/Samlex-Solar-PST-2000-12-Pure-Inverter/dp/B00AYH69UE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495644314&sr=8-1&keywords=samlex+solar+pst-2000
I'm looking at this refrigerator, which draws 43 W.
And this solar panel produces 100 W.
If the solar panels can produce more power than the refrigerator requires, wouldn't it be possible to power the device irrespective of the voltage/amperage, since I can convert the voltage/amperage with converters and all?
I see similar things on amazon too.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013E07FNM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LyPVzb3PAW922
That looks like an MC4 pin in which case you need an MC4 Crimper
Right on! I'm planning on getting one of these myself: https://www.amazon.com/Champion-3400-Watt-Portable-Inverter-Generator/dp/B01FAWMMEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1536353121&sr=1-1&keywords=dual+fuel+quiet
The idea of being able to run for days on propane vs. having to fill up a generator every night won me over...
Have you noticed any MPG or horsepower loss with the beefy alternator?
I'm looking at this combo...Battery & Charger
But for the same price the deWalt one looks like it has more juice
I'm looking at one of these guys
Possibly its big brother
This is the heater
Here's the solar panel I'm looking at.
you should ball out and pick up a couple of these guys: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Generator-Inverter-26000mah-Powerhouse/dp/B01J44VSL2/ref=pd_sim_86_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3H9EBZ5M91P5E2DHR4KK
Trade them for solar panels there.
FYI for others considering solar. Flexible solar panels weigh much less and are simple to mount - heavy duty double sided 3M tape. They will fit on curved surfaces great.
100W, $180. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013E07FNM