Dumb question about physically moving solar panels

[12VoltInstalls]

EVERY time I have actually needed it, it had an issue. One was a bad control board

This is why I have two solutions I’ll be using in the future (I’ve never had a generator)

One is an alternator (GM 12V 1-wire internally regulated) run by a horizontal shaft 3.5 or 5hp motor. This will be self-engineered and assembled. I have the parts, just gotta do it. NO electrical board to fail and a new spare alternator and belt is $75. And no board to fail
(This probably wouldn’t be ideal unless you’re lead acid for batteries)

I also got a circa 1987 5000W Generac ‘cradle’ generator for free that ‘sorta runs’ after cleaning the fuel tank and replacing the carburetor but I still need to tune the cheap china carb. Once it runs properly I’ll figure out if the 120V output is clean, and good. That will run my table saw and 120Vi welders fine; the 220V TiG might crowd it? Dunno.

Either way: no ‘boards’ in it to fail. And my basic solar meets well over 100% of my daily requirements.

Anyways, like the ladder cradle ideas. A lot of 4x8 plywood has gone up a ladder in my life but at 56 I think a lot of that wasn’t safe or a good idea - I was just lucky.
Solar panels are about the same: not that heavy, but bulky, heavy enough, and not forgiving in a wind.

 

[Hedges]

One is an alternator (GM 12V 1-wire internally regulated) run by a horizontal shaft 3.5 or 5hp motor. This will be self-engineered and assembled. I have the parts, just gotta do it. NO electrical board to fail and a new spare alternator and belt is $75. And no board to fail

So long as the engine has breaker points, not electronic. I've got a pressure washer with Briggs that has electronic ignition unit, and spark is weak to dead, won't start. Old Briggs on tiller and Onan on trencher with points start right up after a decade of disuse.

Charging battery and letting inverter regulate AC sounds good. I would like to feed PV input from generator, so charge controller regulates battery charging.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

So long as the engine has breaker points, not electronic

Better: magneto

 

[Hedges]

Better: magneto

Those certainly work, but the one on pony motor of my Caterpillar gave me problems. Only every other spark comes during compression stroke (another during exhaust.) When I pull rope to engage, the centrifugal weights engage a wind-up spring that gives a fast spin for powerful spark. But after that, the following sparks are very weak, with crank still spinning at rope pull speeds. What it needs is springs to hold centrifugal weights in until RPM increases. I had a lot of difficulty starting it. Need to re-engineer.

I like diesel. No spark. If you have a traditional one, no glow plugs either.
My pickup has glow plugs also "PMD", pump mounted transistor driver for injection valves. That is a failure point, but hopefully long lived now that I've relocated it.

I saw some arrow board trailers at auction years past. They had a lawnmower size diesel engine with 12V generator.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

They had a lawnmower size diesel engine with 12V generator

Crap. I can feel it.
Now you’re gonna have me chasing down the rabbit hole trying to find 36cc diesel motors.

 

[Hedges]

But water cooled could be better for CHP, combined heat and power. I would also duct exhaust through a heat exchanger.

Yanmar used to sell diesel generator CHP systems. When they dropped the product, a dealer had leftover Sunny Boys as part of his product, which I picked up.