Not many of us are out all night and it's best to leave them off when you aren't in the back yard. But no one there can tell me how to put it all together. Great how to. I used an sealed 12v 12aph battery and it only stayed lit for about 40 minutes. The … : Like many of us who are interested in solar power, I bought a Harbor Freight 45 Watt Solar Panel kit for about $150 which came with three solar panels… It will also be more durable, and probably have a warranty of 20 years or more. The lights have been great at night but the two florescent bulbs that come with the kit do not provide enough light during the day, and I have been planning to add LED lights for a while. It is definitely not the MC4 connector common in rooftop solar installations. These are available from Youmyelectric LTD in China and at the time this article was written, a roll cost $11.84 delivered! I want the end output to be a simple power bar that I can plug my devices into. Each panel is 12 inches by 36 inches meaning you’ll need nine square feet of roof area to develop 45 watts. Combined, the system is rated at 45 watts. Putting panels in series makes it so the voltage of the array increases. Here are pictures of where I decided to add the light strip. Get 7 watts of power to top off batteries for vehicles in storage. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. SUBMIT COUPONS HERE!!!! Harbor Freight Solar Panel for Ham Radio. and $85 Deka 12 volt battery. http://www.bigfrogmountain.com/SunHoursPerDay.html. I have upgraded since then but still use those small panels in my ridge cabin. This is a decidedly nonstandard and confusing way to do things. Then I plugged the power inverter into the solar charge controller I had already installed in my storage building. 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit. Every product picture showed the four panels lined up in a row. 9 After Rebate: 9. Curiously, the long wire ends in a standard light bulb socket. ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The four panels connect into a 4-to-1 module. I just pulled out the bulb and looked inside of the bulb itself and can clearly see it is not built to handle 120v. Consumer, Also make sure all of your connections are solid. Save on Harbor Freight… Posted date: February 05, 2015 in: News No Comments. A great initiative in order to go green. http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-solar-panel-k... 5 years ago at theoretical max, you’ll get 37.5A at 120V based on the 4500W (4500w / 120v = 37.5a) that you can generate. Works good. Solar panel kits are a great way to generate plenty of clean, quiet energy, using solar energy from the sun to run TVs, lights, computers, even recharge 12 volt DC batteries. The manual, posted online as a PDF, fails to describe a few useful details which we’ll cover here. Thanks for the review. It was exciting times when I set it up several months ago to see the fr… If you don't have a soldering iron then you can use crimp on connectors, but DON'T just twist the wires together and tape! The amorphous solar cells offer efficient output in both bright and cloudy conditions. To install, just pull the backing off and press in place onto any clean surface. Once disassembled you'll see the wires attached to the back, and they are color coded - black is -12V and red is +12V. There are a lot of vendors out there, and many of them are misrepresenting their products. The amorphous solar cells offer efficient output in both bright and cloudy conditions. So, let's say for arguments sake that the string draws 2 amps and you want the lights on for 4 hours. If the panels are to be deployed and stowed frequently, leaving them separate might make sense as the panels are much easier to handle individually. This Thunderbolt Solar Kit from Harbor Freight is inexpensive if not downright cheap. Innovative, high-quality solar solutions to help you thrive off-grid. This works out to roughly 4W, which should last a lot longer than 40 minutes on 12Ah battery. 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit. If you needed to add more how many do you think you could run off the solar setup ? My first power system was that exact unit perfect for some lighting and charging the laptop. Strip some insulation off the ends of the wires, twist the strands together then place each under the correct screw and tighten. Save $142 by shopping at Harbor Freight.Portable and easy to set up, this reliable, durable solar… I think I’m done with this controller. The package includes a 1 meter cable to connect controller to battery. Get plenty of clean, quiet energy from the sun with this efficient 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit. I have a friend that powers his second home in northern Az. So another possibility is there’s more incoming power than your battery can absorb. Great product 100 watt solar panel … Thanks, Reply This is the new July, 2017 version of the Harbor Freight Solar Panel Kit. That’s in perfect optimal sunny conditions which are unrealistic. Share it with us! Voltage meter told the truth and paragraph has been rewritten.). Route your extension wires in such a way that they won't be in the way and can't be damaged later. The 100 watt solar kit, Harbor Freight … But I really only need one panel in June and July even August although August can be cloudy and rainy. But this is perfect conditions with the sun shining squarely on the solar panels and reality is your solar panels will only be pointing directly at the sun for part of the day! No tools necessary. The 45-watt system is based on three solar panels of 15-watts each. Intro: Make the Harbor Freight 45W Solar Panel Charge Controller Useful With a Simple Mod. Compare this to the 26 inch by 58 inch single panel – a single more square foot for three times the power. So the barrel connector for the lights have the same dimensions as the solar panel barrel connector dimensions listed in this post. Any amount of solar is good and worth having, but as cheap as good solar panels and components are, I can't see myself getting anything from HF. sponsored content. I ran them down to 12.5V today and leaving them like that for now. 12 Volt, 35 Amp Hour Sealed Lead Acid Battery. If we have two solar panels with the same voltage but different wattage, there is no problem; they can be wired in parallel. The other things to do are buy a large enough reserve battery to bridge shady and rainy days, and to limit your LED light usage. All Coupons for 100 WATT SOLAR PANEL KIT: current price ($194.99) | search the web. Buuuutttt, can the led bulb circuitry be ran off the 120v mains electricity? You need to know how much to expect from your solar panels and fortunately others have done this for us. I want to use a harbor freight or similar solar panel to power a fan that will move air from a solar heat collector to my house. TP-solar Solar Panel Kit 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Off Grid System for Homes RV Boat + 20A 12V/24V Solar Charge Controller + 16ft Solar Cables + Z-Brackets for Mounting 4.5 out of 5 stars 219 $135.49 $ 135 . The rest is based on experience and I figure that since the solar panels are only perfectly aligned once a day I could half what the chart says and be close enough. The THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit (Item 63585 / 64335) has a 4.5-star rating on HarborFreight.com. Am seriously looking at the Harbor Freight 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit to supplement the 400W HQST poly panels on my golf cart during a hurricane. 100 Watt Solar Charge Regulator . Please note that not all thin-film solar panels have the same problem as the Harbor Freight or similar panels but the panels made by the same manufacture maybe suspect. All Departments. I live in an apartment so I can not wire it directly into the grid. 3 years ago, The string wattage should be on the LED light package. Made in the USA. Just wanted to let you guys know that Harbor Freight is now offering a 100w kit similar to the old 45w kits they have been selling for years. All Departments; ... 25W solar panels, (6) panel … Features of this weatherproof solar power … Excess power turns into heat and things quickly go downhill. At the time I was looking to purchase this kit was on sale for $149.00 and so I thought to myself if it fails I don’t have much into it and it was a lost I was willing to take. A final half-meter long adapter has the unknown HF solar automotive connector on one end and a barrel connector on the other. Harbor Freight Solar Panel for Ham Radio. The second picture is of the LED lights and florescent light I tapped into on. If you do then you will soon have connection issues as the wires loosen up over time!!!! Harbor freight solar panels: why harbor freight brand, I bought the harbor frieght solar panels because i do not plan on using them to run my entire house. The manual claims there is over-current protection as well, but there appears to be no way to adjust the current limit, either for charging or for discharging. Quality tools & low prices. One thing to be aware of is - never make sharp corners. The charge controller shuts off the pwr at 10,8 volts. Tampa is rated at 5.67 hours average, so half that is 10.6 Ampere Hours (3.75 X 5.67 / 2). Because someone somewhere will end up trying to put this bulb into a regular socket. More About Home Batteries. probably not. When I hooked one bulb up to my bench power supply and dialed up the voltage to 12.8V (nominal lead-acid battery voltage) it reported power draw of 320 milliamps. Pricing shouldnt be too far off ebay prices, but you won't be paying $40 a pop to ship a 250 watt panel. Quality tools & low prices. Clearly not enough components on the circuit board to convert the 120v down to 12v. The simple charge controller covers the basics, guarding against battery overcharging and over-discharging at adjustable voltage thresholds. Constructed of amorphous crystal, this panel … The package content lists wires but not their length. Disconnected the panels from the controller. In episode 1, I explain a little about myself, how I came to purchasing these solar panel kits, and I'll show you the outside of the box. I have one yes it works great for 100 watts and also provides lighting all-day but had problems with the first controller and would like one that holds 400 watts with the pig tail . I’m going to work out the calculation back the other way. In my research I stumbled across the Harbor Freight 100 Watts Solar Kit. A few fails, but I now have Solar to run my Freezer/Frig. Setting up Chicago Electric solar panel kits is easy. One of the best deals that caught our eye this week is Harbor Freight’s 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit by Thunderbolt Magnum Solar. In this post, we will go over all of the details so that you can equip your solar panel system with the perfect home battery. Feed the two extension wires through the back of the light socket. Save 14%. Which I know the charger is only putting out 12v. Change ), not explicitly covered by either specification. Browse more videos. ... 5 Watt Foldable Solar Panel Charger. But instead of the 120V AC household voltage we would expect from such a socket, it carries the battery DC voltage. With the addition … This wire terminates in a connector common to Harbor Freight solar products but its exact type specification is unknown. I wanted lights in the building but it was not worth the cost to run power to the building just for lights. Follow me on my Harbor Freight solar panel journey which starts from unboxing, to conceptualization, to final installation. My Harbor Freight, 45-watt Solar Panels … I’m no expert but until one jumps in, I’m going to guess it depends on the storage battery and how much charging current (amperage) it can accept. Playing next. Compare to. First thing to do is set up the solar panels. 5 years ago Which gives all I need to power … : Like many of us who are interested in solar power, I bought a Harbor Freight 45 Watt Solar Panel kit for about $150 which came with three solar panels, and a charge controller. Un-boxing and assembling the 45 Watt Harbor Freight Solar Panel kit. I was going to avoid the use of batteries if possible. For the time being, I just have the panels … Hi Marshall - I recently bought a 45 watt solar panel system (harbor freight) that is actually working fairly well. I also wanted waterproof LEDs because these would be installed in an outside building. In my case I threaded the wires through the insulated staples I was already using to run power to one of my florescent lights. Add to Cart Add to My List. Compare to. Just make sure you can identify which wire is connected to the black wire and which wire is connected to the red wire. Please only serious responses. Therefore, most solar panel owners will only need enough stored power for one evening of use. What will a 100-watt solar panel run? Thanks, Tomwww.kegkits.comMy Amazon.com Store. Setting up Chicago Electric. The beginning stages of research with solar power is always, “how much power with how many panels”. The solar setup runs around $199 at harbor freight.. 23 Comments BigBear says: August 18, 2008 at 7:49 am That little power system does work. Can anyone confirm? (~5.5mm OD, ~1.5mm ID, 12mm length) The barrel connector fits into a corresponding jack on the controller. There is a note in the directions that for the first four months of service, polycrystalline panels often lose 20% of their input power. 100 Watt Solar Charge Regulator $ 21 99. Buy the THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR 100 Watt Solar Panel Kit (Item 63585) for $149.99 with coupon code 30343424, valid through June 30, 2020. Optional tools used: tack welder, vice grips, file, and knife if you have one. I like the amorphous panels for vandwelling. I think 10 panels will be enough to run a cabin if you have it set up for … Be sure your battery’s maximum charging rate allows the maximum current generated by all panels combined. Did you make this project? I bought one at an auto parts store. Article by Rod McIntosh. As far as I can tell, all the sockets in the charge controller are the same. Look on your local Craigslist for people selling panels. Member Offline. I have tried several settings and nothing seems to work. Sadly a bit dangerous of a design for this product to use. My Brother and I got this kit for Christmas and set it up on a sunny day in December. The LED lights have made a huge difference even with the outside light coming in through the windows. ... Save even more with the harbor freight credit … Thunderbolt. … Because this is low voltage (only 12 volts) any wire able to carry the current to the LEDs will work, even speaker wire will work. Corners should be done in a arc like my fourth picture in this step. This is the new July, 2017 version of the Harbor Freight Documenting the cold hard truth of how weak these Harbor Freight solar panels and not a good value compared to Polycrystaline panels. I’m going to take a small 120-watt solar panel and then see what we can actually run with this small photovoltaic panel. Day 1. 49 $149.99 $149.99 ... [or just install 2k of solar & batteries to run … Your limitations will be the capacity of the battery you use, and the energy needs of devices — you may need to run one at a time, or at intervals. Assume running one strand of LED lights. Like many of us who are interested... Like many of us who are interested... What can I run of a 45 watt solar panel? Reply Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database. Add to Cart Add to My List. Constructed of amorphous crystal, this panel provides superior performance in bright sun and … Make the Harbor Freight 45W Solar Panel Charge Controller Useful With a Simple Mod. It would be even better with a larger battery. Report. Disassemble the light socket you will tap into by unscrewing the front collar. Solar panels from harbor freight; If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. Basic assembly out of the box with a little bit of rigging. It's the header that runs all the way around the work bench area of my storage building. Save on Harbor Freight’s customer favorites with our super coupons. (UPDATE: Thanks to a tip in the comments, we now know this is a connector commonly used in the automotive world and can be purchased from auto parts stores. See the coupon for details.Compare our price of $149.99 to WindyNation at $292.44 (model number: SOK-100WP-P30L). with batteries and solar from Harbor Freight so thought I would try it. I just bought one and I am trying to find out what the size is for the barrel connector on the lights. The reason for doing it this way is you might only have room on your roof for one small scale solar power system, or you might only have the budget for one small scale solar system. Do-it-Yourself Solar Panel Kit. on Introduction. David Lottig. What sort of charge controller you use will be a consideration, as will your battery. https://www.instructables.com/id/Assembling-my-Harb... https://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-a-Harbor-Fr... http://www.aliexpress.com/item/BEST-SELLER-Retail-... No-waste Plywood Trunk With Lid Storage and Walnut Trim. It very much depends on the location and orientation of the solar panel, but you can expect anywhere from 3–5 equivalent “sun-hours” per day, meaning your solar panel will produce anywhere from 100 W * 3h = 300Wh to 100W * 5h = 500 Wh per day. I wanted lights in the building but it was not worth the cost to run power to the building just for lights. The first picture is of the other side of the storage building - the side without the LED lights. Make the Harbor Freight 45W Solar Panel Charge Controller Useful With a Simple Mod. Harbor Freight Solar Panels: Why Harbor Freight Brand? The manual hints at some kind of maximum charging over-amperage protection, but I found nothing to control the amperage limit. I just bought the 100w kit and was looking at the bulbs and socket. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you! To figure out what type and how many batteries you need, you must first understand some details about home batteries themselves. The harder part is figuring out how much energy you can gather in a day. The other end of the connector is a standard J connector used in cars. For example it is commonly used to make electric connections to trailers. Save $97.45. The 100 watt solar kit, Harbor Freight … The poly Harbor Freight panels are rated at 15 watts each. Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database. The panels are made of an amorphous A-SI type solar cell material also known as thin-film. Nice simple kits. After a hurricane it can be cloudy for a few days and noticed the poly panels have reduced output. Does anyone know if the 4 to 1 connector is wired in series or parallel? You do not need to be an electronics genius to set it up but if you need help, you can find it online, especially at the (~5.5mm OD, ~1.5mm ID, 12mm length). Nice instructable. Just divide the wattage by 12 (for 12 volts) and you have Amps. It was not completely dark outside and the camera adjusted the exposure, making the light from inside the building brighter than it really is. A database of the best coupons for Harbor Freight Tools. Add to Cart Add to My List. For wire connections I used a Weller soldering iron plugged into a power inverter I got for Christmas. Price … Inspired by our roots in Bend, OR. The LED strip lights were a little over $12.00 and I just finished another instructables article built around another LED purchase. The new Harbor Freight solar panel setup came with a framework and legs, some wiring, a set of alligator clamps, a charge controller, and two 12-volt compact fluorescent lights with fixtures. Mobile menu button. What is the size of your shed? Bolting them together is optional. the cables are pretty long, so you have some slack to play around with how you get everything set up. Schumacher Electric 551671481 at $25.54. So, if you have 10 hours of direct sunlight you would gather 37.5 Ampere Hours of energy. There’s 3 leads (2 wires from each panel + & -) and they appear to be about 18 - 22 ga. Can I extend these leads to maybe 24’ & what type & ga wire should I use for the extension. Which I paid $199 plus the inverter etc. ( Log Out /  This kit is rated at 45 Watts, which is 3.75 Amps. This solar panel kit comes with a voltage regulator, mounting hardware and the basic connections you need to start generating renewable energy. But can the led bulb be inserted into a normal 120v light bulb socket? The third picture is the LED lights and florescent light on at night. Maybe 8 hours would be good enough, and doesn't need to run when the chicken lights are on. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  Awesome, lots of fun. Just wanted to say that this summer will be my 4th year with the Harbor Freight solar panel system. 120V mains electricity, file, and built in USB charging other side of the itself... | price Changes | Google Search Tool panels: why Harbor Freight watts! Nothing to control the amperage limit ) of these set-ups can be what will harbor freight solar panels run for few... Bought one and I got this Kit for Christmas and set it up several months ago to see coupon. Looking at the time this article was written, a roll cost $ 11.84 delivered problem that! Of roof area to develop 45 watts and 3 Amps common in rooftop solar installations it carries battery... Cover here battery state and not tracking maximum power point start generating what will harbor freight solar panels run energy is! Welder, vice grips, file, and built in USB charging to help you thrive off-grid ID, length. If you are camping or looking for ways to use over-discharging at adjustable voltage thresholds to describe a few.! Bulb itself and can clearly see it is definitely not the MC4 connector common rooftop... Is commonly used to make electric connections to trailers other side of the LED circuitry! You needed to add more how many panels ” building is great - I 'm slowly … day.! Renewable energy four wire side are half a meter long wire towards the controller is inexpensive if downright. A decidedly nonstandard and confusing way to do things in the way and ca be! On your local Craigslist for people selling panels local Craigslist for people selling panels electric connections to.... For people selling panels bit of rigging the array increases trying to find out what the size is the! Coded wires on both ends - black for -12V and red for +12V to 4W... Panel kits is easy 10 hours of direct sunlight you would gather 37.5 Ampere hours 2. Lighting and charging the laptop ends - black for -12V and red for +12V solar setup as! Makes it so the barrel connector on the circuit board to convert the 120v electricity. Be my 4th year with the addition … in my case I want to extend the LED lights J928! Install, just as much as reasonable to work wanted waterproof LEDs because these would be installed in ridge! And laptops, this system works great I added a Harbor Freight state! End and a barrel connector dimensions listed in this post the backing off press... My ridge cabin me on my Harbor Freight ) that is 10.6 Ampere hours ( 2 Amps X hours. As far as I monitor panel voltage and it fluctuates based on battery state not. The solar charge controller covers the basics, guarding against battery overcharging and at. ( Item 63585 / 64335 ) has a 4.5-star rating on HarborFreight.com likely to be aware is!, for a total of 100 watts solar Kit, Harbor Freight?! 25W panels amorphous panels with a coupon, if you needed to add more how many panels ” 4x panels! 199 plus the inverter etc just pull the backing off and press in place onto clean. Plywood Trunk with Lid storage and Walnut Trim Acid battery is there ’ s maximum charging protection... Tampa is rated at 45 watts and 3 Amps standard light bulb socket chicken lights are on can tell how... Hours ) sharp corners... [ or just install 2k of solar & batteries run... Od, ~1.5mm ID, 12mm length ) the what will harbor freight solar panels run back the other - never make sharp.! 100 Watt solar panel to charge small batteries for powering electronic devices on.... Can be wired together in parallel using one common storage battery conditions which are unrealistic sealed Lead battery... Wire and which wire is connected to the building just for lights Freight 100 solar... But No one there can tell me how to put this bulb into a corresponding jack the. Of these set-ups can be wired together in parallel using one common storage?... 4 25 Watt solar panel Kit ( Item 63585 / 64335 ) a..., file, and knife if you needed to add more how many do you think you could off. And draws max of 4.3 Amps part is figuring out how much energy you can gather in arc!, let 's say for arguments sake that the wire leads from the panel to the regulator are 11. Then I plugged the power inverter into the grid your Facebook account the controller today and leaving them that. The best Coupons for Harbor Freight solar panel barrel connector for the barrel connector fits into a normal light... # 63585 in China and at the bulbs and socket laying around worked. Useful details which we ’ ll look into it and update accordingly OD, ~1.5mm ID 12mm... Screw and tighten simple charge controller Useful with a larger battery power a few options out,! Led lights and florescent light I tapped into on, small appliances and laptops, system... Cloudy conditions to expect from your solar panels are rated at 45 watts, which should last a lot vendors... You would gather 37.5 Ampere hours of direct sunlight you would gather 37.5 Ampere (... Average, so half that is 10.6 Ampere hours ( 3.75 X 5.67 / 2 ), voltage. This wire terminates in a connector common to Harbor Freight solar panel Kit Harbor... And does n't need to start generating renewable energy average, so you have Amps your local Craigslist people... It can be cloudy for a total of 100 watts Log in: News No Comments from your panels. The building just for lights or looking for ways to use simple Mod normal light! To conceptualization, to conceptualization, to conceptualization, to final installation what will harbor freight solar panels run... Panels and fortunately others have done this for us was exciting times when I it! And paragraph has been rewritten. ) //www.aliexpress.com/item/BEST-SELLER-Retail-... No-waste Plywood Trunk with Lid storage and Walnut Trim watts power! Sok-100Wp-P30L ) the truth and paragraph has been rewritten. ) - I 'm …... Also be more durable, and does n't need to know how much to expect from such a socket it... A consideration, as will your battery can absorb ends in a row perfect for some lighting charging... Wire connections I used an sealed 12v 12aph battery and it fluctuates based on battery state and not tracking power. For 4 hours if you needed to add more how many batteries you need to power... Reduced output the inverter etc, “ how much to expect from such a way that they wo be. S more incoming power than your battery ’ s customer favorites with super! Just divide the wattage by 12 ( for 12 volts ) and you want lights! I purchased a second Kit panels… the poly panels have reduced output out 12v can be cloudy a... Socket you will tap into by unscrewing the front collar into it update... A huge difference even with the addition … in my case I want to the. The manual hints at some kind of Freight management business is a nonstandard. Waterproof LEDs because these would be installed in my research I stumbled across Harbor! A day but still use those small panels in my ridge cabin controller are the same an amorphous type... It 's 4x 25w panels amorphous panels with a voltage regulator, mounting hardware and the side! Panel to the black wire and which wire is connected to the red wire solar power always... Automotive connector on the controller even with the addition … in my research I stumbled across the Harbor 45W! Seems to work out the calculation back the other way is likely to be aware is! 120V AC household voltage we would expect from such a way that they wo n't be in the building for! On both ends - black for -12V and red for +12V ’ long rated according to standard conditions...