Originally posted by SwampRabbit
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Good stuff Bob.
One more thing (because I've been doing a lot of looking/reading/etc)
I'd be curious as to what your battery/solar panel setup is. Did you use a marine battery or a special storage battery? Panel and charger would be good.
Being an Electrical Engineer... I can do the math
but what I am more interested in knowing what equipment you are using that has lasted over the years.
Right now, I'm looking at wiring/routing:
12V Battery
Solar w/ Charger
12V Leds inside/outside the cabin
12V car adapters inside for electronics.
12V pump
5L heater.
All that stuff adds up quick... so don't want to buy things 2 or 3 times.
One more thing (because I've been doing a lot of looking/reading/etc)
I'd be curious as to what your battery/solar panel setup is. Did you use a marine battery or a special storage battery? Panel and charger would be good.
Being an Electrical Engineer... I can do the math
but what I am more interested in knowing what equipment you are using that has lasted over the years.Right now, I'm looking at wiring/routing:
12V Battery
Solar w/ Charger
12V Leds inside/outside the cabin
12V car adapters inside for electronics.
12V pump
5L heater.
All that stuff adds up quick... so don't want to buy things 2 or 3 times.
Bear with me- I bought and installed all this stuff in 2012 and I've forgotten some particulars.
Here are the essentials: for the House.
12V Deep Cycle I can't remember the size but I remember it was $100 new and I paid $65 off craigslist. the batteries are no bigger than a car battery. (I have one Battery in house and one in shower)
Solar Panel/s I have (2) 75 watt panels for the house and (1) 75 watt in the shower.
Charge controller (buy one that can handle your Amp load) you'll need one per panel. (the two panels in the house are run as one)
Inverter - takes DC to AC (try and add up how many watts you think you'll need) I bought an AIMS 1,200 Watt inverter - about $120. Find one that is quiet. I had a cheap 750 watt originally and the overheat fan drove me nuts. It is easier to find 120V items and gives you a lot of flexibility.
Lights- I run Bug lights/Yellow CFLs in the house through the inverter.
In the house I typically run 3 lights inside and 2 on the porch. We charge a multitude of electronics including power tool batteries. (at least 4 items charging a night) and we run a couple of 12" fans above the beds.
I wired the house with old extension cords to cut down on cost of wire.
In the shower I only run 12V DC items (Pump and LED lights) No inverter needed.
Note: the Ecotemp does not require power - the igniter is powered by 2 D batteries. The pump pushes the water through which in turn initiates the igniter. Install a switch between the battery and pump so you dont have to disconnect the battery a million times.
Tip: remember the bigger the panel the more power you will get. I wanted to make sure I could draw enough power even on cloudy days to charge my batteries.
Hopefully I didnt forget anything.
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