Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 21:08:49 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Yee haw, got my solar setup installed
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I paid $80.00 for a Bentley manual for my 83 Westy.
I paid $18.00 for the Hayes manual for my 83 Westy.
I paid $28.00 for a Bosch Injection for my 83 Westy.
How the heck will any future owner ever decipher your modifications?.
I had a simple short in the fuel relay on my 911 Porsche.
I inquired of the Porsche 911 list and the best advise I had from the
Porsche list folks was to remove the aftermarket alarm system, remove the
ghetto blaster amplifier system, remove the FM booster.
Once I got all the twisted, taped up, over stretched and undocumented wires
and devices removed I found the fuel delivery (fuel relay) electrical
problem within 10 minutes using the known wiring of the vehicle in the
Bentley manual.
Michael, You're in my prayers. I hope you never have an electrical fire.
Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Elliott" <j.michael.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 8:47 PM
Subject: Yee haw, got my solar setup installed
> Under the driver's seat: one (1) Optima deep cycle battery with
> requisite wiring and relay to permit charging while driving, but no
> discharging of engine battery while camping. Entire cabin re-wired to
> run off cabin battery, including a couple more Thinlite fluorescent
> light fixtures for general lighting, and a couple of nice little halogen
> reading lights over the bed. DC outlets in the cabin, a nice 1kW
> inverter to run the morning coffee bean grinder.
>
> With a little lighting at night, a little running of the sound system
> during the day (softly, softly), the watching of a DVD movie on the
> laptop (draws nearly 4A from its DC-DC converter) in the evenings . . .
> after a couple or three days, the cabin battery starts getting soft.
> Careful conservation of power allows usage of up to four nights with
> these loads, but I depend on an oil lantern for constant lighting, and
> have to be quite frugal about running the laptop.
>
> So . . . need some way to stuff power back into that battery. Driving
> around just to charge the battery is not acceptable: I came to came
> goshdarnit, not drive. A little generator would do the job, but they are
> the Antichrist: noisy. I can hear the reefer fan outside the Westy where
> I camp. Even the quietest Honda generator would be a total nuisance.
>
> So I just finished up installing my solar setup.
>
> Two BP350U 50-watt solar panels. $290 each + shipping from Colorado
> Solar http://www.cosolar.com/catalog/cat_panels_bp.htm . Small enough to
> stash up above where the upper bunk mattress used to live. Mrs Squirrel
> and I sleep below.
>
> One Blue Sky Energy 2000E MPPT charge controller from Arizona Wind and
> Sun, $208 http://store.solar-electric.com/sb2000.html . An MPPT
> controller will let me get the most amps out of these relatively small
> panels.
>
> Some big honking 6 gauge wire (reduce ohmic losses) to build solar panel
> "extension cords" so I can plunk the panels out where the sun is (I
> prefer to park in the shade), and "Powerpole" connectors to plug them in
> with.
> http://www.powerwerx.com/category.asp?CtgID=1001 - I used the 75A size
> so they could handle the 6-gauge wire.
>
> No, it's not a mighty system. No, I won't be able to run a 500 watt
> stereo all day, nor power a microwave oven. We will still need to be
> conscious of every amp we consume (a 3-1/2'' analog ammeter mounted at
> the rear of the driver' seat base gives us a visual indication of how
> much current we are pulling at all times) . . . but now we have a chance
> to stuff a charge back into the battery every day after an evening of
> all-out fluorescent lamp and DVD-watching madness!
>
> And the best part? Mrs Squirrel is paying for all these bits and pieces
> for my birthday present!
>
> We're going camping up at Table Mountain campground, near Wrightwood CA,
> this coming Labor Day weekend, for four nights. This will give me a
> chance to test this setup a bit. I will report back.
>
> --
> Hoping the spirit of John Wallace is with you, I remain
>
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> KG6RCR
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