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  • #16
    I’m not an electrical engineer but I do know a fair bit about solar and charge converters. (Worked for a solar install company for years)
    General rule of thumb is…
    Pwm chargers will do for the odd weekend away, charging the 4x4 second battery but won’t hold a candle to a decent MPPT.
    Cheaper panels (pretty much everything on eBay) will overstate their wattage by about 30%. You can still end up with a decent watts/$ result but if you buy a 300 watt panel, expect a 200 watt panel. Most won’t have a wattage labeled on the panel despite advertising one. I have personally bought and tested a few models.
    More expensive panels will have a far superior waterproofing, meaning the chance of water causing corrosion internally is a lot less. Not a huge concern for panels that only spend say 4-6weeks a year in the weather but still….

    Best setup is a proper MPPT mounted next to the battery and a high volt (18ish +) line between it and the panel. Works well in low sunlight and will be a world of difference from a standard camping panel setup.

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    • #17
      Another thing to consider is angle to the sun.
      In winter, I get about 20% difference between flat on the ground and angled at 30 degrees approx.
      All tested in real world environments with variables kept to a minimum.
      Solar blankets are a great idea but definitely not the most efficient given you can’t angle them. Just something else to think about.

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      • #18
        Thank you for taking the time to reply in such detail.

        Originally posted by GeeWhizz View Post
        However I looked at the specifications for this Hardkorr 200W mat kit and it's specifications are realistic. If Harkorr's specs are correct, I calculate that it could deliver close to 200W, with an efficiency of 16.4% - credible. I'm not sure where your figure of 20.38% comes from - another model perhaps? For me, the big unknown is, what is their quality and how well do the suppliers support their product. When buying rigid panels, you have to also consider how well they stand up to rough roads etc.
        I have a Hardkorr solar mat rather than a blanket: https://hardkorr.com/au/product/200w...n-cell-armour/ and the efficiency I quoted came from this page. I see that the cheaper blanket doesn't quote efficiency. I have the model with the regulator, although an older model. Both old and new regulators are PWM, although I rarely use it, as the Prado has a 40A Redarc DC2DC feeding a DCS 100A lithium and the van has a 40A Enerdrive DC2DC feeding 2x200 Enerdrive lithium. I think both regulators are MPPT. The van has 420W of seemingly good performing solar on the roof, which according to Collyn Rivers is not really enough for the 400Ah of lithium, hence the additional panels for shady and cloudy conditions.

        The four panels in the mat are not soft like a blanket, but not quite as rigid as glass panels, although they're fairly rigid. The attraction of this mat is that it seems fairly robust - that is one of its selling points.

        Originally posted by GeeWhizz View Post
        Solar panels can work quite well in winter, due to the cooler conditions but you do need sunny weather. It depends on how far south you live and how cloudy the sky is - both of which reduce the output.
        I'm in the ACT, so it's pretty cool at present, and uncharacteristically it's not a sunny winter. I'm struggling to get the right conditions to test before I next set out.

        Originally posted by GeeWhizz View Post
        My suggestion is that you read reviews and owner feedback on their experiences with their panels and blankets. And, be aware that some owners sing the praises of their particular solar setup because they don't want to lose face. Buying the latest and greatest is often not the best move - I prefer to use proven products, even if they were released a year or two ago.
        Good advice, and I tried to do that. This is an area where it's not easy to find reliable, unbiased advice. I relied on extensive research in which Hardkorr well-regarded by a range of people with no reports of problems, and also the personal experience of people whose views I respected. As far as I could tell it seemed a "credible" brand. So the under-performance and warranty claim came as a surprise. Given your comments, the claimed cell efficiency of 20.38% seemed on the high side.

        Originally posted by GeeWhizz View Post
        I have to say that my first folding solar panel was a Kings "160W", purchased 5 years ago. I connected it in parallel with the 120W fixed panel that came with my camper trailer, bypassing the folding panel's PWM regulator and ran the cable into an Anderson double adapter connected to the camper's Projecta IDC25 DC-DC charger. It never performed as well as the camper's 120W no-name brand fixed panel (it's about the same size as the camper trailer's fixed panel). I still use it but it only delivers about 100W when working alongside the fixed panel. I should have known better but was in a hurry to get away into the bush camping. You live and learn!
        You're an electrical engineer, and so this may be a statement of the bleeding obvious, but did you test the Kings panel separately? I recently read an article on connecting panels with different specs in series and parallel https://mowgli-adventures.com/wiring...s-vs-parallel/ because I had considered getting a second, cheaper set like the Kings for extended camping in cloudy conditions. If the Kings really do provide good Watts/$ then you could buy two of them and connect them in parallel, but it's a lot of panels to have sitting around.

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        • #19
          Really great info. Thanks all :-)

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          • #20
            Your calculations are correct - based on the maximum current and voltage provided in the specs, the solar blanket should output around 200 watts of power. However, it's important to note that the actual output you will receive will depend on various factors such as the angle and orientation of the blanket, the intensity and angle of the sun, and any shading or obstructions that may be present. Additionally, as you mentioned, the output will be regulated by the charge controller or regulator that is included with the blanket. Overall I advise you also purchase an additional solar generator e.g. ECOFLOW DELTA In case there isn't enough power.

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