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06-23-2021, 08:14 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,143
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These Solar Generators Are So Confusing
On the surface, this looks like a deal. With the coupon, its $359 for a 620 Wh unit.
Am I missing something?
The 300 Wh units are running about this price. I am a believer in you don't get something for nothing.
The watt outputs are more about the on board inverter, so I am more interested in the storage capacity. But I know just enough to be confused!! And not enough to click and buy.
My objective is to get a backup that my portable solar can charge, and run a 12V DC compressor fridge and a few LED lights in my Trillium.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YRFLSR3...dDbGljaz10cnVl
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06-23-2021, 08:19 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: P
Trailer: Casita
Washington
Posts: 343
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My trailer battery is the charger of things that need charging.
I was a bit worried while on my way to W. Oregon to dry camp. The weather report was for rain. I put out my solar panels anyway. I found that even on the overcast days, with sucker holes appearing briefly, the panels kept my battery charged up. It was a pleasant surprise. It didn't take much and even on the overcast parts, the readout showed a charge happening.
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06-23-2021, 08:21 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
Posts: 6,926
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2
Check your link.
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Bill, You linked to this:
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06-23-2021, 08:45 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,143
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06-23-2021, 09:06 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: You can't call me Al
Trailer: SOLD: 1977 Scamp 13'
Massachusetts
Posts: 824
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That one is US$559 which seems to be inline with others.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SM5HBK1/ref=emc_b_5_t
Was US$359 a type or a special price?
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06-23-2021, 09:54 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,143
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Amazon is giving me a $200 coupon on it, making it $359.
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06-23-2021, 10:43 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: You can't call me Al
Trailer: SOLD: 1977 Scamp 13'
Massachusetts
Posts: 824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thrifty bill
Amazon is giving me a $200 coupon on it, making it $359.
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It sounds legitimate then.
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06-23-2021, 10:51 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: You can't call me Al
Trailer: SOLD: 1977 Scamp 13'
Massachusetts
Posts: 824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thrifty bill
a 620 Wh unit.
My objective is to get a backup that my portable solar can charge, and run a 12V DC compressor fridge and a few LED lights in my Trillium.
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How much power does your refrigerator draw?
I've seen numbers between 7 Amps and 15 Amps.
Assuming (You know the saying...) it's running 50% of the time, that's between 3.5 and 7.5 Amps.
At 12 Volts, that's between 40 and 90 watts.
So you'd be able to power your fridge for between 8 and 3.5 hours to get your battery 50% depleted. (Which is what I understand is as far as you should go to get good lifetime out of a battery.)
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06-23-2021, 03:55 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
Florida
Posts: 2,445
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622 wh with an 80% discharge to protect the battery from over discharge leaves 497 watt hr for use.
497 watt hr is equivalent to 497 watts / 12.8 volts or about 40 amp hrs.
40 amp hours is not too bad considering that the DC compressor fridge will draw about 4 amps running and maybe 2 - 2.5 amp hrs if running ~50% duty cycle.
40 amp hrs available divided by 2.5 would give you maybe 16 hours of run time, if the specs are as I understand them.
The only worry I would have is if the reviewers are really buyers and users of the unit.
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06-23-2021, 10:04 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,941
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanKilian
How much power does your refrigerator draw?
I've seen numbers between 7 Amps and 15 Amps....
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they said they had a COMPRESSOR fridge. 7-15 amps is for an absorption fridge. Compressor fridges use far less power.
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06-24-2021, 05:22 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,143
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Yes the plan would be to partner it with a compressor fridge, solar panel and regular battery.
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06-24-2021, 06:58 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,941
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as long as you realize, a 'solar generator' is just a portable battery with a bunch of attached junk.
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06-24-2021, 07:03 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Pat
Trailer: 2006 Scamp 19 Deluxe
Enchanted Mountains of Western New York State on the Amish Trail in Cattaraugus County!
Posts: 621
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Just to give you a idea, I run a Domenic CFX28 portable compressor fridge in my Honda Odyssey. It runs off the cigarette lighter plug in the back of the van. The "rated input current (DC), [A] 6.5" quoted from the manual. Never have had any problems with it killing the battery. Been running it for at least 3+ years now. It turns on when I start the van and off when not running. Leave it plugged in all the time.
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06-24-2021, 07:16 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Name: Perry
Trailer: 2016 Bigfoot 25RQ
Lanesboro, Minnesota, between Whalan and Fountain
Posts: 761
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
as long as you realize, a 'solar generator' is just a portable battery with a bunch of attached junk.
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Yes, and for that you get one expensive battery! There is no free lunch.
Enjoy,
Perry
__________________
2016 Bigfoot 25RQ - 2019 Ford F-150, 3.5 V6 Ecoboost,
Previous Eggs -2018 Escape 5.0 TA, 2001 Scamp 16' Side Bath, 2007 Casita 17' Spirit basic, no bath, water or tanks, 2003 Bigfoot 25B25RQ, that we regreted selling
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06-24-2021, 07:26 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: You can't call me Al
Trailer: SOLD: 1977 Scamp 13'
Massachusetts
Posts: 824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
they said they had a COMPRESSOR fridge. 7-15 amps is for an absorption fridge. Compressor fridges use far less power.
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Well that's why I looked:
Dometic 3.8 cubic foot says 6.2 Amps
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/food-a...crx-110e-56279
You are right that the 15 Amp draw was 12 Volts on a three-way fridge so that was my problem. Sorry.
Do you have a reference I can look at showing compressor fridges drawing "far less than" 7 Amps? I've LOVE to find something like that and I'm not the best google searcher. Thanks.
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06-24-2021, 07:53 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,941
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https://www.northernfridge.ca/pages/faq suggests the *average* usage is 2 AH per hour.
specs on a 3 cu ft tall fridge from that maker suggest its actual usage is 5 amps while on.
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06-24-2021, 09:22 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,156
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanKilian
..
Do you have a reference I can look at showing compressor fridges drawing "far less than" 7 Amps? I've LOVE to find something like that and I'm not the best google searcher. Thanks.
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My portable Indel B (Same as Truckfridge and others), draws between 220 and 900 watt hours in 24 hours. 900 is with it set to freezing. The typical number if you dont open it a lot and the ambient temperature is close to room temp would be 250-300 watt hours a day.
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06-24-2021, 09:26 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,941
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2
My portable Indel B (Same as Truckfridge and others), draws between 220 and 900 watt hours in 24 hours. 900 is with it set to freezing. The typical number if you dont open it a lot and the ambient temperature is close to room temp would be 250-300 watt hours a day.
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so thats between 18 and 75 amp*hours per day, or 0.75 to 3.2 amp*hours per hour.
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06-24-2021, 09:33 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: You can't call me Al
Trailer: SOLD: 1977 Scamp 13'
Massachusetts
Posts: 824
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2
250-300 watt hours a day.
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What does 300 watt-hours per day mean?
https://www.goalzero.com/blog/what-is-a-watt-hour/
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