Wulfmann wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 9:39 am
Agree I have a 500 watt and 2 100 watt panels that will do stuff charging, a light, and very small things and I intend on getting a small 27-32" TV that takes HDMI and USB and have converted many DVD series to MP4 Video cuz any day now any day it's happening. We will need some distraction in a blacked out room
I want to get a bigger solar inverter and a couple more panels but no panels on the roof IMO a magnet for trouble.
Keep your head down, be invisible
I think they've gotten better with the 12V TV stuff. I recall seeing some larger ones that had on-board USB with smart TV features, so reading .mp4/.mkv files should be pretty easy.
The TV I got (several years ago now) doesn't do any of that, but has HDMI at least. Its only 13", has a horrible viewing angle, but it does indeed work. Pulls 24 watts so its not terrible as far as draining the system goes.
There's quite a few USB powered devices too that can be handy. The "Playstation Classic" for example is one of them.
Currently looking at 2 48volt 100ah batteries, 3KW off grid inverter charger. If house is still standing I've got a patio cover I can mount solar panels on that could not be seen. Found a motorized cart I could mount the batteries and inverter/charger on.
May also get a charger with solar panels to keep my golf cart battery charged.
wjbarricklow wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 9:43 am
Do you have some holes in the lid to vent hydrogen?
It's hard to see but yes there are a few small, well placed holes to vent any gasses.
An AGM Deep Cycle battery shouldn't be a problem though. Depending on your application you could also probably mount a USB or similar DC fan inside the box to vent heat if needed (Think desktop PC cooling fan).
That one in the picture I took was my lawnmower battery adapted for this use in a pinch, I still need to get a better battery (or two batteries) to fit that little toolbox.
I really wanted to make it out of a 50 cal ammo can
I've thrown away so many UPS batteries that were still good, you can't imagine. There's a really good garden tractor size AGM battery that I've used for trolling motors. It would be perfect for that box.
If it has lead and acid it can vent hydrogen if it charges too long. Large UPS rooms will have hydrogen sensors. There was one a few years back where a data room was abandoned and the gas alarm was ignored for 3 days. The hydrogen ignited and blew the roof off the building.
I made a power station something similar to yours a while back for camping and the intermediate time between the power going out and when I can set the generator up. A 850 amp battery will last a little over 3 hours running a fan, TV, ,led light and when the ups runs out the internet box. It will run a single fan all night.
It's all in the amperage tour drawing from the battery and the max load of the inverter. A fan that draws 1 amp ac will draw 12 amps plus the efficiency lost in the inverter from the battery. This efficiency loss is is why solar power is another problem. If you have 1000 watts of power being generated by the panels, you have a minimum 5% loss through the inverter. Then there is the power loss in transmitting the DC power to the battery, then the loss of power in the battery itself. Whatever the point of use power needed, I add 10% to the panels for power loss and double the inverter size if start up power hungry compressors are going to be used or extreme power draw appliances like a microwave/water heater.
You will need a minimum of 2000 watts (18 amps@110 volts AC) of inverter to start a moderate size refrigerator and not damage it. If you can get someone to install a hard start capacitor in it you may get away with 1500 watts. But once its started you will only need 500 watts (3 to 4 amps). Once you get it started turn the fridge down to its lowest settings so the compressor does not cycle. Then then excess power from your panels can be stored in battery.
