We currently have an 80 W portable solar panel,thinking about buying something bigger here's the delema Aussie panel with Japanese solar crystals 180 w $650.00 or an EBay 200w panel for $200 it's A bigger panel for a third the price sounds like a bargain but is it rubbish that's the worry,anyone with an eBay panel your input would be much appreciated ...
oops just noticed there's a solar section on the site I won't post solar here again my mistake...
-- Edited by Ron-D on Tuesday 19th of September 2017 04:31:45 PM
A friend purchased this 160W folding solar panel for me, from a seller in Victoria on Ebay for $190 delivered by Aust Post. Quite happy with it. I removed the REG & fited near the battery (the REG was fitted to one panel with Velcro.)
Thanks for your reply DeBe sounds like maybe there's not much in it ,it's just the Aussie branded one made a big deal over the fact that there Kyocera jap cells are something special and is that something special worth three times the price that's what I would like to know...
Thanks for your reply DeBe sounds like maybe there's not much in it ,it's just the Aussie branded one made a big deal over the fact that there Kyocera jap cells are something special and is that something special worth three times the price that's what I would like to know...
Hi Ron
I have bought several lots of panels off ebay. They were all good and tested OK. I did join two normal 80W panels with hinges to make a 160W portable set. But actually found them too heavy so removed the hinges and just used a long heavy cable with a double socket end. And a SS cable with a lock.
I would not pay $600 for 180W panel even if it had gold plated rails . Far too much. $200 is a fair price delivered. Some years back I got 5 x 80W panels on a special for $430 delivered to my door. They were OK and I used 4 of them as portables for my 24V motorhome as they also fitted well on the back box, that MH has been sold since. The last panel is still used as a battery charger at home.
Bosch (Germany) BP and several others.
yes they cost.
But all those names I've bought over the last 40 yrs. Still working
On Yachts and Caravans. House.
Still have a 36yr old 40wBP on Carport floating the boat battery.
And several 80\85w Kyocera and BP all 20\25 yrs
and still going.
Nobody knows YET. How long these Chinese units will last.
Till then. I buy the named ones.
As in all products you'll find the bigger you get the cheaper per unit, ie, bigger panels are cheaper per watt that the smaller panels. I buy mine from China, cheapest available never had a problem with any of them. same with regs.
Going back 20 years, the cost per watt was $10 for "larger" panels (37w) - that was for the only ones available then (Australian made Solarex & BP Solar) which Telstra used to power their remote sites. The Solarex panels eventually developed a fault where a soldered joint would let go in the junction box but that was easy to fix if you knew a tech who was told to destroy the failed panels.
I bought a smaller 10w panel (Solarex) in 1997 for my camper trailer - it cost me $175!
Now due to the Asian influx, the 20w panels which I find easier to carry/hinge together cost around $60-75! Whether the cheaper panels will last as long, only time will tell.
__________________
Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
I purchased a 120W panel from outbaxcamping. I had trouble with t until I realised that almost the entire power disappeared in the 9m cable that was about as thin as a hair. I fixed that and then bought a second 120W panel. It was cheap and I knew what I had to do to get it to work good. However the cables had been updated but not good enough. I had to cut 3m off. Also bought a bag of Anderson plugs and two wattmeters. Now everything works good and I can monitor everything.
. Far too much. $200 is a fair price delivered. Some years back I got 5 x 80W panels on a special for $430 delivered to my door. They were OK and I used 4 of them as portables for my 24V motorhome as they also fitted well on the back box, that MH has been sold since. The last panel is still used as a battery charger at home.
