Installation

Updated: 06/22/2010

There's been a lot of talk over the past few years about the Harbor Freight solar panel kits. Are they for real? Do they work? Is this a joke? Yes, yes (with a caveat) and no. The panel kits are bulky as far as panels go. I have ours strapped together and have replaced the wires, updated the charge controller and have tested them at the shack. Replacing the cheap ass wiring on them with 12 gauge or better does the trick. Also, the brass connector screws in the junction boxes come loose. That aside (and don't use the "Charge controller" that comes with it. It's a distribution box. Get a real charge controller.). You can see how to do the wiring and the testing of the panels in this episode of This Old Shack.

Having HF solar panel kit 12 volt distribution box problems? See photos below. Email me with questions.

The installation of the panels has is done! I installed them along the side of the cabin so they get around 4 hours of sun a day. The panels at 90 watts will charge the battery bank from around 65 - 70% charge to over 90% over the course of the solar day. Herre's the neat part. In the afternoon, there's another 2 hours of sun. But the panels face south. So, I have two reflectors that reflect the sunlight for this time of day only that boosts the output by 20% to within 30% of direct sun output. For final topping off, We use our 2.4 kw generator. Our new charging regimen will bring the bank from 70% charge to full in less than 3 hours. 

System highlights:

Cooling and lighting:

For air circulation, I use 2 12 inch 12 volt fans. One fan at the east end of the cabin is connected to a 12 volt AGM (20 ah) battery through one of the Harbor Freight distribution boxes that came with the solar panels. Also connected is a 12 volt table lamp. At the west end of the cabin, another 12 inch 12 volt fan that runs off the battery bank is used with yet another of the HF distribution boxes. Also connected to this are 2 12 volt lights. Also used are several compact fluorescent lights (60 watt equiv.) when more lighting is needed. 

Heating

For heating, we use a convection heater by Kerosun. This produces 30,000 btu of heat. The heater is surrounded by class A fire retardant on two sides and runs in the utility room that acts as a heat collector. The west fan takes that heat and distributes it. On a 40 degree day, 78 degrees is achieved inside. On a 30 degree day, 68 degrees. For supplemental heat, a small indoor rated propane heater is used (14,000 btu).

Household current

This portion of the installation is not yet complete.

While most appliances are able to be run off of 12 volts, some are not - it's about 50-50. The output from the inverter runs to a Square D QO breaker panel. One circuit feeds the bedroom, one circuit feeds the living area and one for the outside lights.

Communications

Now this part kicks butt. Of course if I'm not going to pay the electric company, I'm surely not going to pay the phone company, so cell phones it is.

For years the only way to use the cell phone was to stand on the pickup truck, hang 2 strips of foil from your nose, and spin as fast as you could. The connection would last for 2 seconds.

I've now installed a Wilson Cell antenna, which gives full signal. So we now have phone service.

We use a 52 element Channel Master antenna and a Radio Shack 10 Db amplifier for the Television, which is a small 12 inch unit. This unit uses 10-20 watts when running.

	Photo of the panels just sitting in the yard.
	The final installation spot for the panels.
	My 12 volt ground. This is bonded to the Xantrex C12 and the solar panels.
	The Xantrex C12. Note the 2 1/2 inch conduit connectors.
	Assembly detail of the solar panel installation.
	Guts of the "controller" that came with the solar panels. I use this as a power distribution box. Now, look at the connections on the left. These are typically loose. You need to tighten them. In the center of the box, there's a small board. Check all those connections. Typically, the output connectors (the headphone jack things) are okay.
	Circuit board in the controller. When the voltage from the panels goes under 12 volts, the "peeper" squeals 24/7. Use a small caliber gun and shoot it.  Many of these connections are loose. Go through all the solder connections and check them. I hit each one with a soldering iron as soon as I get them.
	This is the is the stupidest connection system I've ever seen. These are the connectors you need to check and tighten from the inside of the box.
	Details of the front of the controller.

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