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The 17v 100w panels are wired in 2s/2p configuration giving me 12a and 34v maximum. I’m not 100% sure if the double pole breaker is the best possible, but since some people skip it entirely it seems OK. Its sole function is break both positive and negative solar wires at the same time.

Hello! I built a roof rack with 4x8 sheet of 3/4” marine plywood. Putting a couple of glands in roof for solar wires and other wires. Bought 4 NewPowa 100 watt panels with misaligned cells for $70 each - hoping they arrive today. I want to go some places without paying for motels, come home...

The batteries are lithium from Lossigy. I thought they had BWS protection against below freezing charging, but that’s wrong. I just have 2 each 100ah now, but may add another if I need the storage capacity to run the 12v freezer and the heater or a fan all night. IF I add another battery it...

The induction cooker can wait, both it and air conditioning are frills. So I’m going to buy one more battery for 12v 3s with 150 amps max output. That means I will probably buy a 1200 or 1500 watt inverter - but even if I stay with two batteries for awhile, I will still buy one of those inverter...

I’m ready to mount the panels but I have 2 big questions: 1) each one is 20” x 44.5”. Should I mount them fore & aft as pictured or side to side across the top of the plywood. Either way they will fit, but s x s let’s me make an air dam, damage protector combo across the front. That’s why the...

Sorry about the pics - storm is coming in so I was in a hurry.

I saw Will use a resistor to eliminate the spark when first feeding power into an inverter. I’m going to buy a 24v inverter - around 2000 watts or maybe 1500, depending on the best price I can find at the time. Looking at Amazon resistors, I’m seeing from 1 to 1 million ohms. Help?

I want to use my 24v fuse box as the start of my 12 volt system. It goes 24v 40a fuse to 40a 24 to 12v converter to 12v fuse box. Is this OK? Not too late to send stuff back to Amazon, but I want to be sure to do this properly. I bought a Victron 100/20 solar charger, but need to be frugal for...

I know that the Victron can stop charging to avoid damage when the temp gets to freezing, but not sure about the Epever. I’m sure it says “somewhere”, but tend to get bogged down in the weeds easily. Will someone please compare these two SC’s for me, especially about charging at freezing...

I think that the best choice is a Victron Orion-TR Smart Non-Isolated 12|12-18, but I can’t find it anywhere, not even at the VE website. Was it discontinued? Is the Renogy 20a DC-DC charger my only alternative?

OK. That would sure simplify things. So it would go battery + to 100a fuse to + bus bar to 25a fuse to 24-12v converter to 40a fuse to 12v fuse box. Battery- to shunt to - bus bar, etc ?

But if I connect the solar charger directly to the + bus bar, doesn’t that risk getting a rush of 24v current back into the Victron 100/20 ?

Power Queen , dammit. Come to think of it, they do all come from the same manufacturer. It’s called the CCP.

Sorry, but what is a Megatron? What is a “inverter series microwave”? Is it a 12v microwave which works without an inverter?

After reading about the Weize low temp disconnect 12v 100ah I looked on Amazon and found them at $464 each. Damn! A day late and a dollar short, that’s my motto.

OK - 30a Victron it is. I would like an illuminated on/off switch to stop it from working when I’m in city traffic since I read somewhere that it could be damaged by start and stop, low rpm charging. Would a 12v 2 amp switch be strong enough?

Interesting. I was thinking on top, to partially protect the panels from twigs, angry birds, whatever. Also it would help prevent the headwind from getting under the panels. Under the plywood the 4 x 4 would help create a vacuum between the roof and the plywood - maybe? I’m on shaky ground here…

Slightly better picture as I started removing the panels.

Don’t really want to do any service on batteries, but I will check out Wal-Mart. Sam’s is pretty high, but they’re AGM. Trolling motor, golf cart and now Dual Purpose. What’s the difference? Amazon has 12v 100 ah LiFePO4 batts from MJBSAN for $335 each, including shipping. That’s tough to...

OK, I’m ready to order the battery. I think a 24 v 100 ah Ampere Time will be best because it will be enough to handle what I need now and I can connect another one in parallel if my needs increase later. I’m hoping someone will tell me if I would be better off with two 12 v batteries in series...

Thanks!

Incidentally, I got 33.9 volts from the 2s2p panels late yesterday afternoon, so that seems OK.

OK - so the Magnetron is the component which generates the microwaves. Thanks! What about the “inverter series microwave”? What is that?

Wow! Even assuming some of that may be marketing hype, so much of it rings true that it looks like a Panasonic microwave removes the need for induction cooking. Thanks!

Now I’m worried again. I bought a Victron 100/20 for a single 24v 100ah battery with the intent to add a duplicate battery when I can afford it. Will I have to replace the Victron when I add the 2nd battery, even though I won’t add more panels?

My budget is Cheap and CHEAPER, but sometimes my better judgment lifts me way up the price ladder. Don’t want to prematurely wake up dead.

OK. Got it on order. Thanks!

I’m doing something wrong - I convinced myself to buy most of the stuff I needed so that I could figure out how to shoehorn it all into the rapidly shrinking van interior. Now I’m waiting for the small 2 kw diesel heater and the mattress to arrive. Going without insulation because I’m worried...

OK, I sent a message to an Epever dealer on eBay. He said the 2215N will not stop charging a lifepo4 battery if the temperature drops to 0 Celsius. It seems really stupid for manufacturers to not protect against a threat which will probably destroy the battery - but then again, look at all the...

I have two 12v 100ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel (50a max thru the BMS) which I want to use for an inverter. Most of the stuff in my van is 12v, but I’m thinking of AC to run some tool chargers (makita, hitachi, etc) and a 24” tv with a DVD player. My thought is to get a 1500 to 2000w inverter...