mkvacik

HAHA, all of these replies is why I just don't feel comfortable buying panels direct.  How do I do in Vegas... Never been, and dropped maybe $10 in a Casino in my life and it wasn't a huge entertainment value, same as DOA panels wouldn't have much entertainment value to them.  
I still don't know where the best deal is yet, but for me, probably not direct.

On 2/14/2018 at 2:27 AM, OldMan said:

Self-censor. Woulda liked to have said it but so many are so VERY thin-skinned. I really miss usenet. You didn't read that, but you can read this, if you're not bored, or even if you are.

For me, Victron, Magnum and the like, actually discourage the use of an entry-level approach to quality solar installations. My controller and inverter together are a bit more than $500. After seeing the $1.5K price tag for the Victron unit, I gasped and closed the window. It scared me.

The implication appears to be (among the wealthier, here)  if you're not using all this cool, highly UN-affordable stuff, you might as well stay home. Hear me out, all you rich people.

I'm a poor mofo. Yes I am. I found myself having to come up with all manner of ways to afford the fairly honkin' solar system I would like to have (though compared to some here, it's miniscule). That's why I've gone to Chinese companies, looking for discounts. I do my best to use the current political situation in the US to my advantage (sometimes I get the sympathy vote from the Chinese), especially since solar panels have become such a pain point for RV owners, who are not usually wealthy. Yes, I'm a commie. Devious...ultimately cheap, but not wanting to sacrifice...for what I want for my family. Sue me.

With regard to solar and the required system components, it has turned out, to my own level of personal chagrin, I can get all but the panels, with relative price equality (when you disregard the panels), right here in the States. *DOH*

In fact, most of it will come from Amazon. I can get 3.2vdc, 50ah LiFePo4 cells with which to build the bank. $155 ea, shipped. I need eight, but hey, cost of doing business. A pair of plain, ol' trolling motor battery boxes for the banks. I can saw off most of the lids and install BMS in opposite ends of the boxes, which will be held together with fasteners and some black JB Weld, but use part of each one to house the BMS. BMS is must have for LiFePo4 battery banks.

Solar charge controller, EPPT Tracer with coach-mounted charge indicator. $180 shipped, including a battery monitor to put in the coach. 3000/6000 watt inverter for the AC stuff. 3000/6000 pure sine wave inverter. Roughly $400 shipped. Hence my buying here. But I still would not have known, had I not taken the side trip to alibaba.com. Learning there enables me to look for things (and their prices), here.

But now, now we get to the panels. Oh, the beautiful, lovely panels.

Only the panels, themselves, are a deal from China, and here is why: I can find panels with free shipping. That's right, you read right, the Chinese have taken the tariff and flipped ol' so and so the big, Asian bird. I LOVE IT!!!

Read it and weep.

I say again, I am totally willing to help anyone who asks, even you rich guys, but you don't need my help. You can afford the high-priced spread.

Hell, I'm so ignorant, myself, sometimes I scare myself. But I want to help if you'll ask. I won't even bitch if you don't take my sage, professional and gold-plated, advice. After all, we all still stink. ;-)

You got me looking at panels there, I am normally very cheap, but I really want to build a system that is going to bounce down the road for years to come without issues.  I guess I doubt my knowledge enough to risk buying stuff like this without at least having the experience of at least one person to go off of and the exact unit I want.  
I am looking at 300 watt 60 cell panels, and can't find anything there comparable yet, but it is probably there if I look long enough.  

44 minutes ago, DesertMiner said:

http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Venus-GX_p_6816.html

Thank you!

On 1/17/2018 at 9:30 PM, lockmup68 said:

I now have a line on a Chevy Volt batt pack. So now I have to start overthinking 48v. You guys are spending my money too fast.....

so the Victron has dual AC inputs, so this means built-in ATS, right? it also looks like the 3000w models are only 12/24 volt. To get 48v, have to go 5000w model? the price of the 3000w's are about half of the 5000w, so maybe 2-3000w? Still only 24v? So is 24v better than 12v, better than 48v? Prob more work to do 24 v banks from the Chevy Volt battery? Too many questions again.....

Sounds like we are in the same boat right now.  I attached my budget plan here, and near as I can tell the Quattro 5000 is the way to go for this application.  I should write more notes when I am researching, but I know there were some reasons to go Quattro over Multiplus.  

I looked at Magnum, even many of the "Geek" friends who have Magnum have all said they would go Victron next time.  I guess I have not seen anyone with reliability issuses, but I think there are probably less of them out there than Magnum in an RV application at this point? 

If I am understanding correctly, the one thing the monitor is giving you, is wifi, so that you can monitor and control your system from anywhere, vs only being able to do it bluetooth, which you could do without installing the monitor at all.  I was considering going without the monitor, just because my "control center" is pretty full, and my phone is always in my pocket.  The victron site shows a "Venus" that gives you the wifi stuff, without a monitor, but I can't find it actually for sale anywhere, so I don't know if it is new or what.  I emailed the supplier on my document there, but have seen nothing back from them yet on it.  

Solar.pdf