New design tilting solar panel adjuster

[Zwy]

I came up with this design for tilting my latest solar panel array that is part MT Solar components and part fabricated by myself. Used in combination with the array brace, this design is far superior to the MT Solar adjuster and design. Long I beams eliminate the need to adjust I beam sections for straightness. The brace adds the needed rigidity in high winds. The adjuster provides full 90° travel. It's cheap, simple, adjustable. Easily adaptable to any array.

 

[SouthernSolar]

Thanks

 

[HRTKD]

Slick!

You need to adjust the angle with only one of the cranks? Meaning that the two cranks are not coordinated.

 

[Dave911]

Hi Doc,

I'm concerned that you aren't using enough steel! ;-)

You need to include some 2x4, non pressure treated, of course, to make everyone else feel better about their rigs! Just tack it on the end or something.

The double spool winch fab is great. I was wondering where I could get one of those.

One tip on the boxes which are rusting. Can't help with the rust, but it's common to avoid any top penetrations on electrical boxes outside.
Yes, I know it makes conduit and interconnections more difficult, but no leaks!

What are you using to bolt your panels to? I don't see any unistrut? Are your panels large enough to simply tie into the structural steel.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Flunkyboi]

Slick. I just saw the video. At first, I wondered why it was so overbuilt. Like old Soviet overbuilt, then i noted the lack of terrain and mention of a previous tornady.

 

[fuzzmunky415]

Slick!

You need to adjust the angle with only one of the cranks? Meaning that the two cranks are not coordinated.

@~18mins, he says they 'follow' but he checks against bird nesting, and would be worse with a worm drive.
Also says his tilting flatbed is for sale...

 

[HRTKD]

@~18mins, he says they 'follow' but he checks against bird nesting, and would be worse with a worm drive.
Also says his tilting flatbed is for sale...

I caught the bird nesting but not the follow part or the issue with the worm drive. Thanks.

 

[Zwy]

Slick!

You need to adjust the angle with only one of the cranks? Meaning that the two cranks are not coordinated.

It will follow along if you throw the dog on the other winch going down. It will follow to an extent on the way up. On the way up it does crank harder with the weight biased slightly towards the front. Tension is always on the rear cable when tilting in either direction so I will go to the other pole before the rear cable gets too much slack on the way up and crank on it to get the cable straight on the drum. Moving the array from hole to hole on the brace as the seasons change doesn't take many turns of the drum.

With the factory adjuster, I could only turn the screw jack about 3 turns, then move to the other pole due to binding. Then crank that adjuster 6 turns, the go back to the first pole. It took quite a few trips back and forth. With the winch, about 1 trip, maybe 2.

If you watch closely as I'm tilting it and show the west pole, the handle can be seen turning on the winch by itself. The extra ratcheting sound is that winch turning by itself.

 

[Zwy]

Hi Doc,

I'm concerned that you aren't using enough steel! ;-)

You need to include some 2x4, non pressure treated, of course, to make everyone else feel better about their rigs! Just tack it on the end or something.

The double spool winch fab is great. I was wondering where I could get one of those.

Modifying one is the only way you get one with the handle on the side and that can follow along.

One tip on the boxes which are rusting. Can't help with the rust, but it's common to avoid any top penetrations on electrical boxes outside.
Yes, I know it makes conduit and interconnections more difficult, but no leaks!

I do enter from the bottom when I can and if on the sides, as close to the bottom. The failure seems to be the powder coat/paint lets loose and the Myers hub oring is against the powder coat/paint. It isn't the hub that leaks but rather the water is getting between the steel and the powder coat/paint.

What are you using to bolt your panels to? I don't see any unistrut? Are your panels large enough to simply tie into the structural steel.

The used mounts came with Iron Ridge rails. In the part of the video with the frame raised up to the top of the poles, you can see the rails are attached to the frame.

Thanks,

Dave

If you get a chance, check out the other video showing more of installation details of a MT Solar mount in this thread.

Thread 'If you are OCD, this might bother you.'

Aug 12, 2024

The rest of the story is in this video, yes, I finished installing panels on the MT Solar used mount over the weekend. Warning, video is long but covers quite a few topics.

• Zwy
• Replies: 38
• Forum: DIY Solar General Discussion

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[Zwy]

Slick. I just saw the video. At first, I wondered why it was so overbuilt. Like old Soviet overbuilt, then i noted the lack of terrain and mention of a previous tornady.

MT Solar mounts are built using an I beam frame to hold the rails and that frame allows for tilting. It's not as heavy as you might think but heavy enough. The tornado that hit the mounts had 150 mph winds, the mounts are rated for 105 mph winds. The adjusters had failed allowing the array to be pinned flat against the pole and bent the poles over.

I just happened to get lucky and ran across those used mounts for sale when I was working with Sinclair at the time. This was a better deal and fit in with what I already had.

 

[Zwy]

@~18mins, he says they 'follow' but he checks against bird nesting, and would be worse with a worm drive.

With a worm drive, it would be similar to adjusting angle with the factory screw type adjusters. Back and forth as the worm drive wouldn't follow along.

Also says his tilting flatbed is for sale...

Come buy it, it's still for sale just not by the road as there is a foot of snow down there now. The gooseneck flatbed with the I beams on it in the first part of the video replaced it. I needed a bigger trailer for hauling more used mounts I find on Marketplace plus 21 foot long poles and I beams.
Believe it or not, I took the video of the I beams on the trailer back on June 7th. I did the braces on the other 2 arrays a week later. Then I was busy in the shop. I did the vertical array on the back shed in September/first week of October. The ground mount poles cemented in the ground was on October 13th. I was really busting my ass to get the trenching done and the array finished before it snowed. November 23rd was the day I finished wiring and took the video showing the winches in action. For the winch brackets, I made a pair with the winch slightly ahead of the center of the pole and found the cable hit the brace pipe and had to make a second pair with the winch centered on the pole. The first pair were a work of art, really beautiful but I guess I'll use them for something else. I only get weekends and some free time in the evenings to work on projects like this. Weather sometimes doesn't cooperate.

 

[fuzzmunky415]

With a worm drive, it would be similar to adjusting angle with the factory screw type adjusters. Back and forth as the worm drive wouldn't follow along.


Come buy it, it's still for sale just not by the road as there is a foot of snow down there now. The gooseneck flatbed with the I beams on it in the first part of the video replaced it. I needed a bigger trailer for hauling more used mounts I find on Marketplace plus 21 foot long poles and I beams.
Believe it or not, I took the video of the I beams on the trailer back on June 7th. I did the braces on the other 2 arrays a week later. Then I was busy in the shop. I did the vertical array on the back shed in September/first week of October. The ground mount poles cemented in the ground was on October 13th. I was really busting my ass to get the trenching done and the array finished before it snowed. November 23rd was the day I finished wiring and took the video showing the winches in action. For the winch brackets, I made a pair with the winch slightly ahead of the center of the pole and found the cable hit the brace pipe and had to make a second pair with the winch centered on the pole. The first pair were a work of art, really beautiful but I guess I'll use them for something else. I only get weekends and some free time in the evenings to work on projects like this. Weather sometimes doesn't cooperate.

Thanks for the dose of reality. As I watched, I felt guilty for not getting anything more done today than making coffee and surfing the webz. Now I feel better about another lost day.