How Do I Hook up these 2 lost , but found PV panels…?

[JRH]

I bought two small solar panels about 15 years ago for use in a preparedness bug out bag when I lived in the city..they are small …never used… paid 100 dollars each…. OUCH…
they're both 12v and 10 watts each…
I just found them today stored in a warehouse since the mid 2000’s … work good…

since I have a 24V system I would like series them , and hook up to the the main battery bank to simply add to the overall power it receives..
can I simply straight wire them to the main pos / neg bussbars… ( but before the shunt ) ) and let them add their power to the main bank..

I actually feel sorry for them...neglected in total darkness for many years.. an sad fate for a solar panel…

I have no other need for them… that I can think of…

im sure there will be snickers at their size , but at 20 watts x .65- .70% production year round = 14 Wh x 5 +/- sun hours a day x 30 days a month X 12 months = approx 24kwh extra power stored energy per year…That would run the lights /cell phones in the RV a very long time..

what say you.? ...how would anyone of you put them to use…?

J.

 

[n2aws]

I bought two small solar panels about 15 years ago for use in a preparedness bug out bag when I lived in the city..they are small …never used… paid 100 dollars each…. OUCH…
they're both 12v and 10 watts each…
I just found them today stored in a warehouse since the mid 2000’s … work good…

since I have a 24V system I would like series them , and hook up to the the main battery bank to simply add to the overall power it receives..
can I simply straight wire them to the main pos / neg bussbars… ( but before the shunt ) ) and let them add their power to the main bank..

I actually feel sorry for them...neglected in total darkness for many years.. an sad fate for a solar panel…

I have no other need for them… that I can think of…

im sure there will be snickers at their size , but at 20 watts x .65- .70% production year round = 14 Wh x 5 +/- sun hours a day x 30 days a month X 12 months = approx 24kwh extra power stored energy per year…That would run the lights /cell phones in the RV a very long time..

what say you.? ...how would anyone of you put them to use…?

J.

I'd buy a ham radio, get licensed, hook them up to a 12v battery.. and connect that battery to 2 radios, an Icom ID-5100a, and an ICOM IC-705.

20w doesn't sound like much.. but when you plan for a 3.3.3. or a 1.2.3 emergency communications protocol.. that 20w could keep you communicating indefinately.

Since you had the bugout bag mentality back then, this is the next logical step

 

[740GLE]

I think for a standard FLA battery, panels of those size can be wired up without any concern for a charge controller. Especially if it’s a 24v system of any sort of size.

Minor trickle charge at best.

 

[JRH]

I'd buy a ham radio, get licensed, hook them up to a 12v battery.. and connect that battery to 2 radios, an Icom ID-5100a, and an ICOM IC-705.

20w doesn't sound like much.. but when you plan for a 3.3.3. or a 1.2.3 emergency communications protocol.. that 20w could keep you communicating indefinately.

Since you had the bugout bag mentality back then, this is the next logical step

Hell I had that mentality back in the late 70’s.

 

[JRH]

I'd buy a ham radio, get licensed, hook them up to a 12v battery.. and connect that battery to 2 radios, an Icom ID-5100a, and an ICOM IC-705.

20w doesn't sound like much.. but when you plan for a 3.3.3. or a 1.2.3 emergency communications protocol.. that 20w could keep you communicating indefinately.

Since you had the bugout bag mentality back then, this is the next logical step

I used to have some ICOM radio gear on my sail boat back in the 80-90s ..thsts dime damn good gear…and it cost slot back then IIRC ….good call…..

 

[n2aws]

I used to have some ICOM radio gear on my sail boat back in the 80-90s ..thsts dime damn good gear…and it cost slot back then IIRC ….good call…..

Maybe you still have hiding in storage, blow it off and I bet it works

 

[JRH]

I think for a standard FLA battery, panels of those size can be wired up without any concern for a charge controller. Especially if it’s a 24v system of any sort of size.

Minor trickle charge at best.

Yep, I have a bunch of smaller and midsize 12v FLA here and there for different devices . I could probably utilize them as a fall back charge device if things got weird… I would probably monitor them though as they are not big batts… the RV has two 100 amp renogy AGMs on the bow that would be safe to trickle as it’s always in use with a load anyway…
the main PV system is all lithium…there wouldnt be a worry on it I wouldn’t think…

 

[JRH]

Maybe you still have hiding in storage, blow it off and I bet it works

Nope it was sold with the boat…a great radio at the nav station and yess it probably does still work…a man can have alot of fun drinking beer and listening to the stupid stuff happening to weekend boaters on the coast gaurd channel at around dusk…or all night ….. be it Charleston harbor , savannah , Wilmington or port Everglades,etc..etc…. it’s a hoot….