Rudimentary questions.... i'm new.... please be gentle....

Fulthrotl said:
as far as panels.... what would you hang on your house?
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Personally, Ive never been that picky about panels. ITs more about price, availability, location/shipping. This guy has good deals:

docs.google.com

Surplus Solar Current Live Inventory

docs.google.com docs.google.com

Here is another site I have seen good deals:

clearenergypartners.store

New Solar Panels - Clear Energy Partners

Solar Panels Collection Elevate Your Energy with Brand New Solar Panels Welcome to our remarkable collection of solar panels for sale, where cutting-edge technology and sustainability converge. We're proud to offer brand new solar panels that will redefine your energy independence journey. Why...
clearenergypartners.store clearenergypartners.store

Note these things are not cheap to ship, so be sure to take that into account. If you have a CED around you, they have a renewable division so you could see what they have and presumably you could pick them up at your local branch.
 
Fulthrotl said:
thanks.

this gives me a good starting point.
i have a lot of reading to do.

as far as panels.... what would you hang on your house?
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Panels are almost commodities. Just get the best deal you can from a major mfctr.
They all last 20 years or more.

Look for black on black. You need to look at them for decades.
Panels are not the critical choice. Inverters and batteries are. These can fail, panels do not.
 
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ggunn said:
What makes you say that?
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1. Many I know have moved away from using SolarEdge (SE).

2. SE stock has crashed.

3. I was BIG on SE......, but experienced so many issues.
Takes months to get parts sometimes.
I have 0 desire to use them again.
Their support was terrible.
Fairly universal experience.

4. Who knows though! I have never been good at predicting financial outcomes!


Screenshot 2025-05-11 090101.png
 
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A question related to the OP, who makes a quality solar label pack? Something that will stand up to UV and weather, of sufficient thickness and letter size, with all the required 2020/2023 NEC labels?

Cheers, Wayne
 
Fulthrotl said:
'dis be da kinda chit i'm looking for..... thank you.

someone is gonna chime in with the best racking.... i can feel it.
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ACHTUNG! Alles DIY und non-solar contractors!

Das chit is nicht fur gerfinger-poken und mittengrabben. Oderwise is easy schnappen der springenwerk, blowen fuse, und poppencorken mit spitzensparken.

Der racking is diggen by experten only. Is nicht fur geverken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseenen keepen das cotten picken hands in das pockets, so relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.
 
Fulthrotl said:
i'm contemplating, finally, panels on my house. so, i have questions....
i'm painfully new to all of this, and rather than wade thru the internet,
i figured i would just come and ask here.
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well, the strategy changed.
i bought a 4 season off grid trailer.
it's got 750 watts of solar, and 1,050 AH of lithium.
and a 3KW inverter.

so, if things get ugly, i can feed the house off that.

if things get mega ugly, i can tow it away, and live in it.
 
Fulthrotl said:
i was thinking more along the lines of natural disaster. civic issues? i'll stay where i'm at, thanks.
i've lived here 20 years, and have a bunch of really cool neighbors.
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the new portable solar generation unit is in service.
the AC ran all night at 70 degrees, near abiline, tx at a rest stop
the batteries are at 93%.

however, this is texas.
someone pulled into the rest stop in the middle of the night,
and parked in the exit. the entire stop is full of rigs, backed up.
i'm not going anywhere until the sun comes up. back to sleep.

it dropped about 2" of rain here yesterday, so things are pretty soggy.
 
Fulthrotl said:
the new portable solar generation unit is in service.
the AC ran all night at 70 degrees, near abiline, tx at a rest stop
the batteries are at 93%.

however, this is texas.
someone pulled into the rest stop in the middle of the night,
and parked in the exit. the entire stop is full of rigs, backed up.
i'm not going anywhere until the sun comes up. back to sleep.

it dropped about 2" of rain here yesterday, so things are pretty soggy.
Click to expand...
Somehow, I don't see truckers in Texas twiddling their thumbs waiting on someone to get their beauty rest.
 
retirede said:
No. But the the number of hours they can drive in a day is limited by law.
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True, but back in the day I know truckers would keep two log books. One for the feds and one for the office. I actually had a trucker grouse about the delay when he was loading spent sulfuric acid from my work area 30 years ago. He said I was screwing up his logs.
 
gadfly56 said:
30 years ago
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They were manual logs back then.
Nowadays the GPS system know where and for how long.
Not to say they still can't be fooled, it's just not like it was. Maybe that's why there is a trucker shortage, need two guys instead of one overworked driver.
 
gadfly56 said:
Somehow, I don't see truckers in Texas twiddling their thumbs waiting on someone to get their beauty rest.
Click to expand...
i coulda gone over the curb to the right, across a lake of mud, pulling a trailer,
until i was situated in my own personally created hell. couple people did that.
they got stuck.

i just went back to sleep. when i woke up, everyone had left, and i drove away.

crossing texas is best done at night. the truckers are largely good folk. smoothly
moving, flowing around slower traffic, which i was.

the jeep made it almost to el paso before pooping the bed. stranded on i-10 half
an hour outside of downtown. i let it cool off for an hour and a half, and it started up...

i started down the shoulder of I-10, for about 10 miles, and it didn't quit. but i could
go no further on the shoulder, and didn't want it to stop in traffic. there was a frontage
road running parallel to I-10, because, well, texas...

but there was a steep embankment about 50 feet high. 45 degree slope.4 hi,
and down we went. the trailer tows well. a few miles along the frontage road,
and we came to a mariott residence inn, which is where i am at now.

tomorrow, i'm changing out the the main fuse block. i bought a new one in plano, tx.
if it all starts and runs well, i'm nonstopping it 800 miles to home.

my bullcrap filter is plugged with this jeep. if it does't make it home,i'm probably gonna sell it.
if it does make it home, i'm probably gonna sell it.in a perfect world, meaning tons of money?
i'd get this thing home, and go and buy an AMG G wagon. i'm not sure what i'm gonna do.

jill does not trust it enough to explore back country in it. and honestly, neither do i.

every trip recently has been equal parts apollo 13, and hostange negotiation with a terrorist,
fighting for every single mile to get home after another failure.

the trailer kicks butt. this was a good decision. the only thing that i'm changing is the toilet
from a spin a poop, to a wrappon trekker, which i already have. personal preference.

the charging and inverters aren't sexy redarc, and don't have all the bling, but they don't need to.
with all the stuff turned on, and the AC running at 70 degrees nonstop, most of the time the
batteries sit at 100%. after running all night, they are down to 92%. 4 hours after sunrise,
they are back to 100%. with the AC running full blast, an overcast day still is showing the
batteries charging.
 
Fulthrotl said:
i coulda gone over the curb to the right, across a lake of mud, pulling a trailer,
until i was situated in my own personally created hell. couple people did that.
they got stuck.

i just went back to sleep. when i woke up, everyone had left, and i drove away.

crossing texas is best done at night. the truckers are largely good folk. smoothly
moving, flowing around slower traffic, which i was.

the jeep made it almost to el paso before pooping the bed. stranded on i-10 half
an hour outside of downtown. i let it cool off for an hour and a half, and it started up...

i started down the shoulder of I-10, for about 10 miles, and it didn't quit. but i could
go no further on the shoulder, and didn't want it to stop in traffic. there was a frontage
road running parallel to I-10, because, well, texas...

but there was a steep embankment about 50 feet high. 45 degree slope.4 hi,
and down we went. the trailer tows well. a few miles along the frontage road,
and we came to a mariott residence inn, which is where i am at now.

tomorrow, i'm changing out the the main fuse block. i bought a new one in plano, tx.
if it all starts and runs well, i'm nonstopping it 800 miles to home.

my bullcrap filter is plugged with this jeep. if it does't make it home,i'm probably gonna sell it.
if it does make it home, i'm probably gonna sell it.in a perfect world, meaning tons of money?
i'd get this thing home, and go and buy an AMG G wagon. i'm not sure what i'm gonna do.

jill does not trust it enough to explore back country in it. and honestly, neither do i.

every trip recently has been equal parts apollo 13, and hostange negotiation with a terrorist,
fighting for every single mile to get home after another failure.

the trailer kicks butt. this was a good decision. the only thing that i'm changing is the toilet
from a spin a poop, to a wrappon trekker, which i already have. personal preference.

the charging and inverters aren't sexy redarc, and don't have all the bling, but they don't need to.
with all the stuff turned on, and the AC running at 70 degrees nonstop, most of the time the
batteries sit at 100%. after running all night, they are down to 92%. 4 hours after sunrise,
they are back to 100%. with the AC running full blast, an overcast day still is showing the
batteries charging.
Click to expand...
Hopefully no troubles from here on. Make it home in one piece Randy.
 
What pooped the bed? Engine temp?
Make sure the rad and tranny cooler isnt swamped with bugs...
Im curious if you ended up with a tranny temp guage.. it sure helps to see when the thing is pushing 300°...
Anyhow, good luck. If you happen to need a hand anywhere in Az, id be glad to help.
 
Fulthrotl said:
i coulda gone over the curb to the right, across a lake of mud, pulling a trailer,
until i was situated in my own personally created hell. couple people did that.
they got stuck.

i just went back to sleep. when i woke up, everyone had left, and i drove away.

crossing texas is best done at night. the truckers are largely good folk. smoothly
moving, flowing around slower traffic, which i was.

the jeep made it almost to el paso before pooping the bed. stranded on i-10 half
an hour outside of downtown. i let it cool off for an hour and a half, and it started up...

i started down the shoulder of I-10, for about 10 miles, and it didn't quit. but i could
go no further on the shoulder, and didn't want it to stop in traffic. there was a frontage
road running parallel to I-10, because, well, texas...

but there was a steep embankment about 50 feet high. 45 degree slope.4 hi,
and down we went. the trailer tows well. a few miles along the frontage road,
and we came to a mariott residence inn, which is where i am at now.

tomorrow, i'm changing out the the main fuse block. i bought a new one in plano, tx.
if it all starts and runs well, i'm nonstopping it 800 miles to home.

my bullcrap filter is plugged with this jeep. if it does't make it home,i'm probably gonna sell it.
if it does make it home, i'm probably gonna sell it.in a perfect world, meaning tons of money?
i'd get this thing home, and go and buy an AMG G wagon. i'm not sure what i'm gonna do.

jill does not trust it enough to explore back country in it. and honestly, neither do i.

every trip recently has been equal parts apollo 13, and hostange negotiation with a terrorist,
fighting for every single mile to get home after another failure.

the trailer kicks butt. this was a good decision. the only thing that i'm changing is the toilet
from a spin a poop, to a wrappon trekker, which i already have. personal preference.

the charging and inverters aren't sexy redarc, and don't have all the bling, but they don't need to.
with all the stuff turned on, and the AC running at 70 degrees nonstop, most of the time the
batteries sit at 100%. after running all night, they are down to 92%. 4 hours after sunrise,
they are back to 100%. with the AC running full blast, an overcast day still is showing the
batteries charging.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry you're having such grief with the jeep. Is it genetic with Jeep, or just an outlier?

It sounds like Jill has good self-preservation instincts. I understand how hard it is to let go of something you've poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into, but I'd go with her on this.

I'm impressed by the solar gear performance. Is it the solar gear, or crazy efficient AC and loads? I remain intrigued.
 
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