Stupid Simple Solar System Advice

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The SAE setup would check the box for a small panel if that's all you're going to add. I don't deploy a portable panel often but if I do I just backfeed it into the house battery via the cigarette lighter plug in my outdoor entertainment cubby.

Didn't see a user manual online for that controller. The description sounds OK but I always look for what the setpoints and timing is for the various charge phases, or if they're user settable. The brand name didn't come up with a manufacturer website with a basic search so the flag there is support may be limited. For the price you might not care.

I think its a valid learning process with solar to start with something, anything, and see what happens. No matter what it will do something, and as you go you'll learn and discover what makes it work better. Someone could architect a system for you and hand it over but you wouldn't really know the how's and why's. Ultimately it needs to work for you and there's no better person to judge success or failure then the one that uses it.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
If I were to add a second or even a third panel at one point down the road, is there such thing as a SAE splitter you could use to plug multiple panels in?
 
Sure, you can buy or make whatever wiring plumbing you like. But the SAE connector isn't rated for more than about 10 amps, so if you anticipate needing more than that for your portable solar input you need to consider a different connector. MC4 connectors are the standard for solar systems if you want to go down that road.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
So the panel that I currently use has SAE on the end of it. Would I need to just chop that off and rewire it MC4 in that case?
 
Depends on what your plug and play goals are. Keeping panels "stock" is easiest, and there's no overcurrent question there. You can buy premade SAE to MC4 adapters and other cabling, so that's probably the most expedient path as you expand your system. Just wanted to point out that the SAE connector is a fairly limited DC connector.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Strangebird00 said:
I think I am going to focus on making the solar part of it work initially and worry with the inverter a little bit down the road.

For the Solar Controller, If I plan to run 100W solar panel currently and possibly upgrade two 200-300W down the road, what controller would you go with? Would a 30Amp controller suffice?
Just a random one I was looking at on Amazon, Beleeb Bluetooth Solar Controller. If you have any recommendations on others, I am all ears as well.
Click to expand...
Controllers are rated by the current they can deliver to the batteries. 30 amps x 12 volts = 360 watts so it will work up to that power. If your panels can deliver more than that it will just ignore the extra potential power.

However, you have to be sure the new panels you install are the same voltage as your existing panels. If you combine panels of different voltages the higher voltage panels will be pulled down to the voltage of the lower voltage ones and you'll lose some of their potential power. For example, combining 18 volt and 24 volt panels will cause the 24 volt panels to lose 25% of their output power.
 
Invest time now... YouTube, google, diysolarforum.com or invest more $$$ later.
As tempting as all the bells and whistles are there is a lot to be said for K.I.S.S.
You still havent said what you need/want to run off an inverter.
Your helpers here are working with one hand tied behind their back
 
WME said:
Invest time now... YouTube, google, diysolarforum.com or invest more $$$ later.
As tempting as all the bells and whistles are there is a lot to be said for K.I.S.S.
You still havent said what you need/want to run off an inverter.
Your helpers here are working with one hand tied behind their back
Click to expand...
The only thing I would want to run off the inverter would be a small fan or something to disperse heat that built up during the day. Running the fridge would but nice but I just don't think it is feasible with that little solar I have. Again I want to keep it as simple as possible as at some point we will more than likely have to trade up into something large when my kiddo gets older.
 
And for a portable fan I got a "marine" 3-speed that runs on 12V. Probably draws less power than some inverters use doing nothing.


Powering residential fridges with solar are another story, but even that problem can be solved with the application of sufficient quantities of money.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
WME said:
Don't need no stinking inverter :cool:
Fantastic Vent Endless Breeze Fan | Fantastic Vent | Endless Breeze Fan
They also make powered vent fans for the roof vent. Running a vent fan at night with a few open windows will do wonders for a good nights sleep
Click to expand...
So the vent fans… I have been looking at those. Those are the ones that go basically inside the bathroom vent right? My folks always called them “toot snatchers” LOL. I thought about getting one of those and just maybe wiring into the light in the bathroom.
I assume this is what you mean? Vent Fan from Amazon

One option I’ve been thinking of for a portable fan is I have one of those Bauer brand job site fans that run off the 20v lithium batteries from Harbor freight. I ran that thing for a solid 16 hours on low with a 5Ah battery. For a 16 foot camper, that would pretty much be enough for what I would probably need.

You’re right though, I probably don’t need an inverter. I was just thinking of having one for the few times I come across random stuff I might need to charge up. I don’t know. A fail safe really.
 
Or, poke a new hole wherever you might think a vent should go. My RV has 2 of them, a "toot snatcher" in the bathroom and midships in the living area. The living area one is a fantastic fan and what I like to do at night is run it on low in exhaust mode, and crack the windows in the bedroom for a bit of fresh air. The fan draws in the air through the bedroom but it's far enough away you can't even hear it while in bed.

Below is a photo my my random stuff/fail safe inverter I keep in my class A. I have another one very similar to it in my pickup I used to run my popup. I would offer that in the interest in simplicity try something like this a while. If you find you need more, then you have a definitive problem to solve. If you find you hardly ever use it, it costs little money or space.

1687491046048.png
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Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
​
 
Another dumb question for you guys.. my solar panel supposedly is 17.2 DC Volts in the spec sheet. Some of these controllers say they work with 12V and 24V solar panels. Is that an issue?
 
New thought since we were recently talking about how the SAE Connector is only rated at roughly 10Amps. As for right now, I only plan to use 100W Solar Panel, but I could see easily getting 1 more for a total of 200W. If I install an SAE port on the side of my camper, and use a SAE splitter plug there with two 100W solar panels going, would I run into a bottleneck basically at the port?

I assume at an ideal situation, I probably would not be pulling more than 150Watts in from both panels combined, which at 12V would be 12.5 Amps on that port right? Would it just only allow 120Watts to come in at a time or do I risk burning up the port? I guess I am just trying to figure out a little futureproofing.

SAE Bottleneck.JPG
 
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