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Post by fatwelshbuddha on Jan 23, 2018 8:59:01 GMT
I need a button!!! And and and! it shows me how many watts stuff uses AND it shows me that when I plug my speakers into the TV it uses an extra 2 watts of power. Thats important! probably. Ah feck off! EDIT: You dont need one of them Fats. the installation comes with a MPPT controller and I'm going with a splitter so the hab and engine battery gets charged as well. still investigating batteries. the panel on our last m/h just had a simple controller - no buttons to push - if the LED was flashing it was charging; if not it wasn't. seems enough to me!
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Post by Sir Rowley Birkin on Jan 23, 2018 9:07:55 GMT
I need a button!!! And and and! it shows me how many watts stuff uses AND it shows me that when I plug my speakers into the TV it uses an extra 2 watts of power. Thats important! probably. Ah feck off! EDIT: You dont need one of them Fats. the installation comes with a MPPT controller and I'm going with a splitter so the hab and engine battery gets charged as well. still investigating batteries. the panel on our last m/h just had a simple controller - no buttons to push - if the LED was flashing it was charging; if not it wasn't. seems enough to me! WHAT??!! Every guy needs "buttons"... Cars have 'em. Electric drills have 'em. All gadgets have 'em. Even girls have 'em!! I'm with Baz... A guy can't have enough buttons, switches, dials, gadgets...
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Post by fatwelshbuddha on Jan 23, 2018 9:11:01 GMT
the installation comes with a MPPT controller and I'm going with a splitter so the hab and engine battery gets charged as well. still investigating batteries. the panel on our last m/h just had a simple controller - no buttons to push - if the LED was flashing it was charging; if not it wasn't. seems enough to me! WHAT??!! Every guy needs "buttons"... Cars have 'em. Electric drills have 'em. All gadgets have 'em. Even girls have 'em!! I'm with Baz... A guy can't have enough buttons, switches, dials, gadgets... OK OK - I'll get one with a button!! ffs....
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Barry B'stard
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Post by Barry B'stard on Jan 23, 2018 9:15:01 GMT
And don't forget the 3m plastic Velcro to stick it up on the wall with, very important
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Post by fatwelshbuddha on Jan 23, 2018 9:28:52 GMT
And don't forget the 3m plastic Velcro to stick it up on the wall with, very important I've got enough velcro strips and pads - of varying strength - to stick the bloody Velcro factory on a wall!
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Post by nicholsong on Jan 23, 2018 9:56:16 GMT
Fats
I cannot give advice on solar and controllers, but I noticed that so far nobody has picked up on you saying you would use the inverter to charge the laptop - very heavy drain on batteries.
Not necessary, as laptops usually work on about 19v stepped down from the 230v. Look on the box which in in-line on your 230v charger. You can get a charger to provide that voltage and power it from a 12v socket. I got mine from Maplins and it can be selected to different settings to provide voltage from 15v-24v. They come with a cigar socket plug. I have an adaptor to be able to plug it into the smaller DIN 12v socket in the living area. You need to get one that fites into the laptop charging socket, or an adaptor - take the laptop along when you buy it.
I am uusing it in the MH now. When I came out here my laptop battery was at 38% and even though the laptop has been in use all that time the battery is now at 95%.
It really is the way to go off hook-up.
Geoff
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Barry B'stard
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Post by Barry B'stard on Jan 23, 2018 10:15:52 GMT
Fats I cannot give advice on solar and controllers, but I noticed that so far nobody has picked up on you saying you would use the inverter to charge the laptop - very heavy drain on batteries. Not necessary, as laptops usually work on about 19v stepped down from the 230v. Look on the box which in in-line on your 230v charger. You can get a charger to provide that voltage and power it from a 12v socket. I got mine from Maplins and it can be selected to different settings to provide voltage from 15v-24v. They come with a cigar socket plug. I have an adaptor to be able to plug it into the smaller DIN 12v socket in the living area. You need to get one that fites into the laptop charging socket, or an adaptor - take the laptop along when you buy it. I am uusing it in the MH now. When I came out here my laptop battery was at 38% and even though the laptop has been in use all that time the battery is now at 95%. It really is the way to go off hook-up. Geoff I would agree with that and I'm not sure invertors are always safe for sensitive equipment (yes I know about pure sign wave) however in terms of power usage in summer its one of the good things about having solar. You don't need to worry about power usage until the back end. It took me a while to get used to that. I've always been frugal with usage, especially as we are rarely one nighters often staying four, five days or a week or more without starting the van but you just don't need to be. Mid summer I could hammer out battery with laptops, TV etc all day and night and it's still back up to full by mid day. 12v adapters are the way to go though but just make sure the one you get fits your laptops(s) as I had the Devils job finding one for Michelle's Dell last year
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Post by fatwelshbuddha on Jan 23, 2018 10:29:10 GMT
thanks chaps - I'll take a look at a 12v charger for t'laptop. hadn't thought about it really as I have a small inverter which hasn't been used for years and I hated the bloody thing when we did use it!
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Barry B'stard
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Post by Barry B'stard on Jan 23, 2018 11:00:18 GMT
thanks chaps - I'll take a look at a 12v charger for t'laptop. hadn't thought about it really as I have a small inverter which hasn't been used for years and I hated the bloody thing when we did use it! They screw up stuff like leccy toothbrushes. Lsptops should be ok but I don't like them. The only thing we use ours for is charging Michelle's camera and my leccy razor, it knackered the battery on that though
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Post by nicholsong on Jan 23, 2018 12:45:44 GMT
thanks chaps - I'll take a look at a 12v charger for t'laptop. hadn't thought about it really as I have a small inverter which hasn't been used for years and I hated the bloody thing when we did use it! They screw up stuff like leccy toothbrushes. Lsptops should be ok but I don't like them. The only thing we use ours for is charging Michelle's camera and my leccy razor, it knackered the battery on that though Barry Which 'they' are you talking about? - inverters or the 12v chargers for laptops that I suggested? Fats mentioned both in his post you quoted Geoff
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Joe66
Fruitcake full access member
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Post by Joe66 on Jan 23, 2018 18:41:58 GMT
I have a Ring 300w inverter that I use to run my laptop as the battery on it has long gone. It is wired to the battery and I have never had a problem.
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Post by Sir Rowley Birkin on Jan 23, 2018 19:18:45 GMT
I have a Ring 300w inverter that I use to run my laptop as the battery on it has long gone. It is wired to the battery and I have never had a problem. Your battery is wired to your ring?? Ya durrty pervert... Have ya met Brenda??
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Post by Salomon on Jan 23, 2018 19:33:07 GMT
We have an 80W Solar Panel and two Leisure batteries and until November, when I knew we wouldn't get away for a while, we hadn't been on hook up more than half a dozen times in four years whatever the weather and time of year.
Not having a TV helps as they take a fair bit of power but a good pair of leisure batteries, solar panel, B2B unit and you can go virtually anywhere without worrying about hook-up - and over the years it saves you enough to pay to keep the wine cabinet full.
Mind you, a few extra panels help power the wife's hair curlers .......
s17.postimg.org/pqzqg8t73/SOLAR_1_600_x_333.jpg
Saves enough to keep the wine cabinet full ?? How Here we are tonight on top of a mountain with our wine just opened . You do the maths ! 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
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Joe66
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Post by Joe66 on Jan 23, 2018 20:17:22 GMT
I have a Ring 300w inverter that I use to run my laptop as the battery on it has long gone. It is wired to the battery and I have never had a problem. Your battery is wired to your ring?? Ya durrty pervert... Have ya met Brenda?? No yes No
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Post by Sir Rowley Birkin on Jan 23, 2018 20:19:40 GMT
Your battery is wired to your ring?? Ya durrty pervert... Have ya met Brenda?? No yes No Then you should try it... It's luvverly!
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