Lot of sun down there in Hawaii, Christopher? Josh Luthman Office: 937-552-2340 Direct: 937-552-2343 1100 Wayne St Suite 1337 Troy, OH 45373
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." --- Albert Einstein On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 3:05 PM, Christopher Erickson < christopher.k.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > Maybe start with one or two 75 watt panels and an MPPT > charger and see where that gets you. And it isn't against > the rules to visit the site to charge up the batteries > with a Honda 1000i generator once in a while during winter > if the site begins to fall behind a bit in charging. > > The MPPT chargers ar a tiny bit more expensive than the > old technology chargers but they do a better job of being > able to charge with feeble sunrise, sunset and overcast > light. They can even charge the batteries when the panels > are putting out less than 12 volts. They probably add > about 5% to 10% more charging every day than old style > chargers. And they will never overcharge your batteries. > > "My advice is free and worth every penny!" > > -Christopher Erickson > Network Design Engineer > Waikoloa Village, HI 96738 > N19°57' W155°47' > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org > > [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of AJ > > Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 9:42 AM > > To: WISPA General List > > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Solar suggestion for ultra low use site? > > > > As far as sun hours are concerned, this is in the Boise, > > Idaho area which > > falls within Zone 4 with an average 4.5 sun hours per day. > > The site itself > > should be in full sun the majority of the day as it sits on a > > bench above the downtown area. > > > > The "inversion" haze is pretty bad in the winter - however - not many > > parades, marathons, races or marches (other than the Boise > > Holiday Parade) between November and April... > > > > Power is consistent across the board - all of the radio and control > > equipment work directly off of 12 VDC. > > > > Batteries are free to us as surplussed by the utility donating them. > > > > I *completely* agree with security screws on panels - the BLM > > sites here > > have heavy L channel over the edges of the panel with pad locks to > > completely secure the panel in place. > > > > We work on roughly a $500 annual operating budget solely from > > donations - > > whatever we end up with would need to be scalable so we can > > start out with a very basic system and ramp up over time. > > > > Thanks! > > > > -AJ > > > > On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 12:21 PM, Christopher Erickson < > > christopher.k.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Latitude and average cloud cover will be factors. > > > > > > I would use MorningStar MPPT solar charge controllers. Get every > > > last watt of solar charging you can manage. Each controller can > > > handle one to three 75 to 200 watt panels. If you end up needing > > > more than three panels, add controllers and panels until > > > sufficient charging is obtained. > > > > > > Avoid as many power conversions as possible. Power conversions > > > never have 100% efficiency and many of your precious watts end up > > > wasted as heat. > > > > > > 6V golf cart batteries are the best bang for the battery buck and > > > can be deep cycled much better than 12V automotive-style batteries > > > because they have much thicker plates. > > > > > > Dusty and/or snowy areas can be a problem. If so, schedule > > > regular PMI visits to inspect and clean the panels. > > > > > > Use security screws on the solar panel mounting brackets. Solar > > > panels are starting to become a popular theft item. > > > > > > "My advice is free and worth every penny!" > > > > > > -Christopher Erickson > > > Network Design Engineer > > > Waikoloa Village, HI 96738 > > > N19°57' W155°47' > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org > > > > [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On Behalf Of AJ > > > > Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 8:38 AM > > > > To: WISPA General List > > > > Subject: [WISPA] Solar suggestion for ultra low use site? > > > > > > > > Thought I'd tap in to the collective intelligence of the WISP > > > > group for this question... > > > > > > > > > > > > Looking at setting up a solar powered VHF ham repeater in the > > > > middle of a > > > > metro area for infill coverage... Site is land locked by > > > > ghetto on one side > > > > and rail tracks on the other - commercial power is not an option. > > > > > > > > We have available a dozen or so surplus Alpha 85 amp hour gel > > > > cell batteries > > > > which test out at roughly 90% capacity (PM swaps)... > > > > > > > > The first thought was to simply charge up a battery for each > > > > event we work > > > > in the downtown core, drop by the site and swap out whatever > > > > battery is in place.. Not quite the most efficient plan. > > > > > > > > Our next thought was to place a decent sized array, maybe > > > > 300-400 amp hour, > > > > then supplement with an off the shelf solar panel or two > > to maintain a charge... > > > > > > > > Our equipment consists of an ancient GE MastrII repeater > > > > turned down to 25 > > > > watts and an NHRC controller. Standby draw is 125 mA, > > > > transmit ramps up to about 3.5 amps... > > > > > > > > Duty cycle is key here - we work perhaps a dozen events a > > > > year within the > > > > coverage of this repeater for about 4 hours each on about a > > > > 10% duty cycle > > > > (TX 6 out of every 60 minutes). The rest of the time the > > > > repeater sits idle > > > > and will not transmit unnecessarily (no IDs or anything > > > > unless it's actively in use)... > > > > > > > > What is out there on the market for a low cost solar site? > > > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > -AJ > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > ------------------ > > > > WISPA Wants You! 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