diy solar

diy solar

Mobile cart build

OffGridForGood said:
Or instead of a two-wheeled cart like Will used, get a Garden Wagon on four wheels, rack batteries stack up in angle iron slots welded at one end of the wagon (secure as Tim said using the original tabs lined up with angle), and the inverter/outlet electrical panel/plugs/breakers attached to a bracket welded to support these vertically at the other end of the wagon. Maybe some room on their for useful stuff like an extension cord. Wire in the connections for PV for just in case/future with it's own combiner box and everything ready to go.
{Then apply for a patent and send me and Tim a couple prototyes to "test" for ya!, Tim will "drive" his like it's stolen}
Click to expand...
For this one the small footprint for storage pushes me to the 2 wheel cart. But there's no rule that says I can't build multiple versions! Not a bad idea.
 
timselectric said:
Put the panels on a wagon, behind the self propelled power station.
Problem solved.
Simple. lol
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OffGridForGood said:
Built from a re-purposed golf cart...
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You know, this has some merit, albeit for a different project. A golf cart already has two of the components for a self propelled power station - the battery and the self propelled. You could throw an AIO on the back, maybe augment the battery capacity, and that's exactly what you would have. I'm guessing someone has already done it, but that doesn't matter. The biggest problem for me is I already have a golf cart that needs new batteries but it's 36v. Now I gotta go look into what it would take to convert it to 48v. Maybe this thread wasn't such a great idea after all ...
 
Well, I can get a conversion kit from 36v to 48 volt for a little over $2k so it's certainly not out of the question.

TXT48 Conversion

www.cartsunlimited.net

My cart is an older TXT that was refurbished and retrofitted with lift kit, fancy wheels, folding rear back seat/cargo carrier. It's in great shape other then the FLA batteries being dead as a doornail. This may have to go on my wish list. There should be a way to mount the little EG4 3kw inverter somewhere, like maybe where the rifle rack was going to go. Now if they only made those 4WD conversion kits anymore I'd be in good shape. A mini panel on the roof. Still need someplace for the rifle rack though ...
 
EastTexCowboy said:
Well, I can get a conversion kit from 36v to 48 volt for a little over $2k so it's certainly not out of the question.

TXT48 Conversion

www.cartsunlimited.net

My cart is an older TXT that was refurbished and retrofitted with lift kit, fancy wheels, folding rear back seat/cargo carrier. It's in great shape other then the FLA batteries being dead as a doornail. This may have to go on my wish list. There should be a way to mount the little EG4 3kw inverter somewhere, like maybe where the rifle rack was going to go. Now if they only made those 4WD conversion kits anymore I'd be in good shape. A mini panel on the roof. Still need someplace for the rifle rack though ...
Click to expand...
Now I want to buy a golf cart ?
I worked on a golf course in a past life, those 2wd carts can go some pretty incredible places in stock form... I'd just add some off road tires and a small lift.
Weld a winch on the diy front rammer / bumper that has a mount for the rifle rack on the windshield side...

Edit golf cart, but I'll take a gold one if anyone's giving one away.
 
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I am thinking more like the Action Track Chair, in Camo Green, Inverter mounted on the rear, rifle rack on the front-right side, extra batteries for sure...one 250W panel as a sun roof...
Edit:
And weld a winch on the front, heck weld one on the back too, since no one ever reversed into a spot they shouldn't be in...
 
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I would be very surprised if an Anderson SB-50 won’t be sufficient for solar panel connections. Mounting options available as well. SB-175 is overkill in the extreme.

I’ve even used 30 or 45 amp (much smaller) for lower Amperage panel connections not exposed to weather and used intermittently.

Of course, all of the Anderson stuff is DC rated, not sure about the NEMA plug you mentioned.
 
JoeHam said:
I would be very surprised if an Anderson SB-50 won’t be sufficient for solar panel connections. Mounting options available as well. SB-175 is overkill in the extreme.

I’ve even used 30 or 45 amp (much smaller) for lower Amperage panel connections not exposed to weather and used intermittently.

Of course, all of the Anderson stuff is DC rated, not sure about the NEMA plug you mentioned.
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I was wondering the same thing about the NEMA plug. I think the Anderson was a good suggestion. I'll look at the ratings. I'd rather overkill a little than the alternative, but no need to waste money.
 
JoeHam said:
I would be very surprised if an Anderson SB-50 won’t be sufficient for solar panel connections. Mounting options available as well. SB-175 is overkill in the extreme.

I’ve even used 30 or 45 amp (much smaller) for lower Amperage panel connections not exposed to weather and used intermittently.

Of course, all of the Anderson stuff is DC rated, not sure about the NEMA plug you mentioned.
Click to expand...
Actually the original comment about the Anderson 175A - I meant for the DC connection of the batteries to a mobile inverter, so it can be moved in component parts, but quickly reassembled. Most of the inverters will need at least 150A, - I used 175A because I had them.
For the PV, you are correct that typical amperage on a few panels will be well below 50A, and an Anderson 50A would work here, and is rated for DC. But an Anderson connector is only 2 conductors, if you would like to have a ground to the panel frames, then you need something with 3 conductors. And if it is mobile, likely a floating ground, since few people are going to take the time to drive in a ground rod, it may depen on the applicantion, OP was talking about a back up system for family member's home, so there may be ground connection in that set up.
Can a NEMA connector be used for DC? - seems to me that a few PV panels would mean low amperage and the NEMA plugs all seem more robust than an MC-4 carrying the same current.
 
timselectric said:
Sure, if you want.
Mine might be built on a re-purposed mobility chair.
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OR
built onto a re-purposed 3500 duallly converted to EV...200kWh battery pack, connects to the house for bi-directional power sharing/charging...PV fold out trailer for worksites with another 200kWh of ESS as wind-ballast and power storage ... oh the possibilities.
 
timselectric said:
Anderson also has multiple pole connectors called power poles. Might be worth looking at.
But any connection will do, as long as it is NEVER disconnected under load.
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I never saw these before, Anderson three conductor connectors!
Always something to learn on this forum!
 

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OffGridForGood said:
OR
built onto a re-purposed 3500 duallly converted to EV...200kWh battery pack, connects to the house for bi-directional power sharing/charging...PV fold out trailer for worksites with another 200kWh of ESS as wind-ballast and power storage ... oh the possibilities.
Click to expand...
That's a different project, on my list.
But of course, you already know that. lol
 
On the extension cord topic-

Why not use a retractable cord? If you cut the ends off and install a male where the female is and vise versa you end up with a retractable cord that reached out towards house power instead of the other way around ;)1689516482527.png
 
OffGridForGood said:
Actually the original comment about the Anderson 175A - I meant for the DC connection of the batteries to a mobile inverter, so it can be moved in component parts, but quickly reassembled. Most of the inverters will need at least 150A, - I used 175A because I had them.
For the PV, you are correct that typical amperage on a few panels will be well below 50A, and an Anderson 50A would work here, and is rated for DC. But an Anderson connector is only 2 conductors, if you would like to have a ground to the panel frames, then you need something with 3 conductors. And if it is mobile, likely a floating ground, since few people are going to take the time to drive in a ground rod, it may depen on the applicantion, OP was talking about a back up system for family member's home, so there may be ground connection in that set up.
Can a NEMA connector be used for DC? - seems to me that a few PV panels would mean low amperage and the NEMA plugs all seem more robust than an MC-4 carrying the same current.
Click to expand...
That's a good point. I was also thinking for the PV but it's certainly an option for the battery. I'm going to have to think about when that would make sense for them. I suspect they're going to want as simple as possible. The one thing that comes to mind is it might make it easier to load in the truck if they could pop the battery out. Not so much working out on the farm, because they have cordless tools aplenty, but something like taking it to my granddaughter's house to charge up her fridges. I'm going to have to get a little farther into this. Depending on how I attach the battery it could be easily added later. (y)
 
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