Hello everybody. I am looking forward to picking a few brains on this forum!

[UglyMac]

Been working across the US for the last 10 years with only holidays off. Finally taking some time for myself. I have the summer off this year and will be spending it in the wilderness writing, drawing, taking photos and basically enjoying quality time with my dog FAR away from civilization. Which brings me to this site. The only amenities I will have will be what I bring with me and there are a few necessities that require a power source. Therefore I will have A LOT of questions about solar power. I hope you will all be patient with me and find contentment in the knowledge that with your tutelage I will someday be able to offer knowledgeable answers to future newbies. Thanks in advance for your help.

[inetdog]

Been working across the US for the last 10 years with only holidays off. Finally taking some time for myself. I have the summer off this year and will be spending it in the wilderness writing, drawing, taking photos and basically enjoying quality time with my dog FAR away from civilization. Which brings me to this site. The only amenities I will have will be what I bring with me and there are a few necessities that require a power source. Therefore I will have A LOT of questions about solar power. I hope you will all be patient with me and find contentment in the knowledge that with your tutelage I will someday be able to offer knowledgeable answers to future newbies. Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome UM!
With an attitude like that, now could you fail?

The very first thing you will be asked (like right now) will be just what power those few necessities will consume over the course of a day. (Hint: Get a Kill-a-Watt meter.)

[UglyMac]

@Inetdog Thanks fortossing down the welcome mat...

BTW - Thanks for the suggestion. You will be pleased to know that I have already decided to include a Kill-o-Watt with my solar kit purchase. A lot of troubleshooting and reviews I have read online indicate its a must-have.

As for my original needs, it is looking as if it might not quite work out like I planned. What I am looking for is solar charging for my cellphone, iPod, GPS, laptop, and...a mini-fridge. I plan on heading to town only once a month for supplies so an ice cooler is not feasible and I have been told by a couple people now that the thermoelectric coolers suck a lot of juice. I also don't want to have to keep adding panels to a system I'll have to lug around every time I decide to start moving around the mountain. The kit I was looking at is a Sunforce50048 portable 60w solar charger with 7amp charge controller, 200w inverter and my original plan was to add a pair of sla 12v-35ah batteries that I could switch back and forth. It was explained to me that 2 batteries were overkill. I was shown a couple of OHM equations today which I dove right into. I ended up doing calculations for this solar kit twice, but produced different results each time. And not a little different, but a lot different! Not sure what I did wrong, but I am hoping at least one of the two was correct. I know little about watts, volts and amps. I have spent the last week researching solar kits and such but it was really only today when a forum member gave me the equations and some good info that it all started to click for me. Anyway, I tend to ramble. Sorry. Here's a couple of questions you could answer for me if you wouldn't mind.

If I am able to find a portable system that would run a 2amp mini-fridge how would I connect it to the charger- inverter ac or direct to battery for dc? Is that even possible to do?

And here is probably the kiss of death on the whole idea: Can I run the fridge while the storage battery is charging and still maintain a charge on both?

As for phone and iPod, I have an inverter that plugs into the dc plug in my vehicle. So no worries there. I just ordered GPS today and will have to check the charging requirements to be certain. So if you or anyone else reading this has nothing better to do, it would be great if you could look over my proposed solar kit and tell me what I would have to do to make this all work yet still portable.

Fridge: 2 amp continuous draw for at least 6 hours each day.
Laptop: 65w with 47WHr. If I did my math right, would need to charge for 1.5 hours each evening.
Solar charging: 4 15w amorphous solar panels
Charge controller: 7amp
Inverter: 200w
Batter:Unsure. Depends on if I grow the panels with this kit or give up my dreams of a cold beer at the campsite and go as portable as I can yet still keep the laptop charged. Your opinions on the subject are welcomed.

So thanks again for the welcome. I am elated to be here. Lot of good info at this site.
I look forward to your replies. Peace

[Sunking]

As for my original needs, it is looking as if it might not quite work out like I planned. What I am looking for is solar charging for my cellphone, iPod, GPS, laptop, and...a mini-fridge.

Fridge: 2 amp continuous draw for at least 6 hours each day.
Laptop: 65w with 47WHr. If I did my math right, would need to charge for 1.5 hours each evening.
Solar charging: 4 15w amorphous solar panels
Charge controller: 7amp
Inverter: 200w
Batter:Unsure. Depends on if I grow the panels with this kit or give up my dreams of a cold beer at the campsite and go as portable as I can yet still keep the laptop charged. Your opinions on the subject are welcomed.

You are pretty much dead in the water. From your other post you discovered the fridge alone consumes 1400 watt hours in a day. Your Harbor Fright system at best can only generate 100 to 200 watt hours in a day if you are extremely lucky.

Your assesment is also incorrect on your laptop. It will likely use a lot more than you have accounted for. Depend on how many hours you use it in a day. Most laptops use on th eorder of 20 to 30 watts. If you use it say 5 hours per day, then it is using 100 to 150 watt hours per day. So th e60 watt system you have planned might not even be able to run your laptop. Better had take a few books and a canteen out in the wilderness with you because you are going to be sitting there doing nothing all summer with a 60 watt system and wishing you had something cold to drink and eat.

Just to power that fride is going to require around 400 to 500 watts of panels, 40 amp MPPT charge controller, and a 400 pound battery. You want fries with that? That will cost you another 100 to 150 watts, a larger controller, and anther 100 pounds of battery.

[Buckhorn]

Are you going to have any Gas? If so I'd look into a gas fridge. I have one and it works great, mine's a little old, 1947, but still working fine. I also have gas lights that will be a supplement for the electric lights once I get my system in, but are my main lights for now. If you use a lot of gas inside make sure you have a battery operated carbon monoxide detector.

[Sunking]

Are you going to have any Gas? If so I'd look into a gas fridge.

I think you mean LPG?

[Buckhorn]

Yea, LP.

[russ]

If you use a lot of gas inside make sure you have a battery operated carbon monoxide detector.

Why? So you can be warned after an explosion? A CO detector serves no such purpose as you describe.

[Buckhorn]

Intelligent comment Russ, appliances that burn LP gas give off CO, that’s Carbon Monoxide in case you were wondering. Your a moderator??? If maintained they don’t give off enough to worry about, but there’s always that chance. I have LP fridge, gas lights and a gas stove, all work great, but I have a CO detector, it’s common sense.

[russ]

Intelligent comment Russ, appliances that burn LP gas give off CO, that’s Carbon Monoxide in case you were wondering. Your a moderator??? If maintained they don’t give off enough to worry about, but there’s always that chance. I have LP fridge, gas lights and a gas stove, all work great, but I have a CO detector, it’s common sense.

Listen fellow - I am somewhat aware of gas detectors - we use dozens of industrial types ranging from single point infra red to mass spectrometers.

There you said nothing about products of combustion and if the system is correctly installed they are unnecessary. The exhaust to the atmosphere is what you are worried about.

There are also detectors that will warn you if there is a gas leak - hydrocarbons in the air.

If you want to chatter about something you know little about then explain yourself or stifle.

[Buckhorn]

I'm going to make one statement then I'm done with this thread last winter there was a family of 5 who died here in Colorado because of a malfunctioning gas fired furnace and no working CO detector at a high end ski condo. The safety instructions on the gas fridge’s state that you need a CO detector in the room where you have the appliance stalled. Here in the states if you build a living quarters you are required to have a Fire/CO detector.

I didn't join this site to argue, especially with site moderators, I did come to learn more about PV solar, something I do no little about, thanks for all you insight Ross.

[russ]

I'm going to make one statement then I'm done with this thread last winter there was a family of 5 who died here in Colorado because of a malfunctioning gas fired furnace and no working CO detector at a high end ski condo. The safety instructions on the gas fridge’s state that you need a CO detector in the room where you have the appliance stalled. Here in the states if you build a living quarters you are required to have a Fire/CO detector.

I didn't join this site to argue, especially with site moderators, I did come to learn more about PV solar, something I do no little about, thanks for all you insight Ross.

I happen to be from the US - I am familiar with most regulations though not current - I am going to be surprised if all living quarters with gas appliances have CO detectors - better yet what percentage of the things would function.

[SunEagle]

I'm going to make one statement then I'm done with this thread last winter there was a family of 5 who died here in Colorado because of a malfunctioning gas fired furnace and no working CO detector at a high end ski condo. The safety instructions on the gas fridge’s state that you need a CO detector in the room where you have the appliance stalled. Here in the states if you build a living quarters you are required to have a Fire/CO detector.

I didn't join this site to argue, especially with site moderators, I did come to learn more about PV solar, something I do no little about, thanks for all you insight Ross.

I believe you mean the home requires a smoke and gas leak detector. A CO monitor can be added but I do not believe it is required for homes with gas fired appliances including a water heater.

Even my RV which uses LP gas for the stove, frig, water heater and furnace has a gas leak detector and separate smoke detectors but no CO monitor.

[russ]

I believe you mean the home requires a smoke and gas leak detector. A CO monitor can be added but I do not believe it is required for homes with gas fired appliances including a water heater.

Even my RV which uses LP gas for the stove, frig, water heater and furnace has a gas leak detector and separate smoke detectors but no CO monitor.

An RV is actually worst case as strange drafts and winds can cause funny things to happen.

A smoke and gas leak detector are for alerts before an explosion whereas a CO detector is looking for incomplete combustion.

[SunEagle]

An RV is actually worst case as strange drafts and winds can cause funny things to happen.

A smoke and gas leak detector are for alerts before an explosion whereas a CO detector is looking for incomplete combustion.

I understand what they do. While they are good to have I just have not seen a building code requiring a CO detector. Of course I am not up to speed on the latest BOCA codes.

Usually it is good to have a CO detector if you have a wood burning stove or run a gas generator close to the living quarters.