Harbor Freight solar panels on sell to day

[Birdmmjb]

All right guys help a girl out here.

I bid on a set of Harbor Freight solar panels today and the price went within $2.00 of my max bid within a hour.  So I really thought that I would be out bid there.

Well I went on line and look here the panles are on sale for $199.99.  So I take husband and head to Little Rock to pick up a new set there and while we were out exchanged my battery at Wal-Mart as my 125 ah battery was showing 11.9vdc after only 10 hrs running a 1amp load.  So while I was getting that replace I bought another to increase my run time.

So do I tell husband about the extra or just keep quiet? I have the money on my own to pay for my mistake.

It has taken my for me to get him to take my RE project seriously this months electric bill was the smallest in 26 years. Yea.

He never looks at what I have and I just dont want to get into a fight about such a small amount of money.

So do I confess or keep quiet??

Jan

[Norm]

Jan,

  To thine ownself be true, tell him and that's

it...your problem is solved...it's better to have

it out in the open and be done with it.

        ( :>) Norm

[TomW]

What that Norm guy said.

Best to get it aired out now by choice than have it pop up later and bite you on the backside.

Its funny how the tiniest things can lead to major meltdowns later if things are kept secret.

Cheers.

TomW

[ZooT]

A lie is the theft and/or betrayal of trust.

If you lie and he finds out you'll lose some degree of trust.......

Is this worth the risk to avoid an arguement?

[luckeydog]

  Well heck he is gonna see it...Right?

I wish my woman would go buy some extra RE stuff.

 He should be proud of you. I know I am

tell him sooner rather than later.

 Luckeydog

.

[tecker]

Need to know only .But wait how can you hide smoething that big ? Well I'll have that bill coppied to a Tee shirt and have a one woman wet tee $#|+ contest, then I'll tell em .Hmmm ? I got it .Oh hun look what I won in in in . Ok If you don't like it I'll send it back OK. A delima for sure .

Take charge of that electric bill girl you can't loose with that in mind .

[tecker]

I 've re calculated RE expenditures and savings in creative ways .There's pizzas ,movies ,football and baseball tickets  tickets ( a good one) yard work .and my personal favorite Booze (maybe not your first choice).  For Twenty pizzas we save X  .For tickets for four to the dome you get X . You get the idea . Hope this helps If not

you can ignore everyting I just said

[Birdmmjb]

He is going to see it.

No the man wont even learn to reset the charge controler when the power is tripped.

He has no interest in my solar or wind setup.

Jan

[Birdmmjb]

All right I told him this morning.

It's worse than I thought.  I figgured he would demand another gambling trip to make up for my spending more than my share on the re system.

He wants two trips in exchange for the extra set of panels.

Yea more power to me.  I think I'll have to make this mistake again. Not really.

By the way as to the gambling trip.  He usually wins and I get to spend the day swimming and floating in the hotel spa.  Even when he looses we have a great time.  Its a win win situation.

Another win was the electric bill last year in Oct. we used 1224 kwhs this year was down to 710 kwh.

Jan

[tecker]

There ya go.

[Norm]

Also...after the two trips are come and gone....

you'll still have the two panels.  and saving

money and having fun !

              ( :>) Norm.

[Experimental]

Hi Jan,

   I just read your files of projects, and have nothing but admiration for you !!

You are a wonder and your husband should be giveing you a lot of credit !!

   My wife watches (occationally) as my projects progress, but she appreciates them only when the power goes out -- then, when I turn on the inverter, she notices and appreciates what I have done -- but when the power comes on, it,s all forgotten -- So, I know how you feel !!!

   Anyway, you have my admiration and I,m sure, many others on this site..

You keep up the good work and have a great Christmas, Bill H...

[Birdmmjb]

I have to laugh at the only noticing when the power goes out.

Last week or the week before I was in the bedroom readng.  That room is totaly solar and wind.  I got up to get a coke in the kitchen and the light didn't come on in the fridge.

This is an old farm house and tripping circuts is not uncommon, although less common than when we first moved in) so to the breaker box I go.  Humm nothing tripped then I realized that the power was off in the enitre house except my bedroom duh.

Jan

[TheCasualTraveler]

Thanks Jan for the heads up on the Harbor Freight solar panels for sale. I went and got a set today, my first panels. I was impressed! I had an idea from the pictures I saw and the posts I read that these panels were kind of junkie and the only reason people used them was because they were the only thing available in that price range. I expected flimsy plastic panels and a charge controller that was just a box with a few LED indicator lights. What I got, (and I'm no expert) seemed like well made, glass laminated panels and a charge controller with a digital readout, inputs for solar and battery in the back and about 8 different DC outlets in the front and also an easy to replace fuse. Also 2 cool little 5 watt fluorescents. Now I have read people saying these panels only give out about 30 watts though their rated at 45 but at $199 I still think it's a good deal. I will test them tomorrow and may go back for a second set.

     As to your extra set, I like don't ask don't tell. If he didn't ask, I wouldn't tell. If he asks, tell the truth.

     And about going to the fridge for a coke, I have an idea. Since the 3 major electricity guzzlers in our house are, AC, Hot water and the fridge I plan to make the fridge the first thing I take off grid. Rather than all the work to run outlets and wires for DC lighting or other uses for my power I'll just concentrate on one appliance. I figure it's the easiest way to cut a big chunk of the electric bill.

Again, thanks for the On Sale post,

[ghurd]

The controller is a box made to impress people who are getting their 1st PVs.

Get something decent.  It's cheaper than new batteries.

Taking the fridge off grid is a major undertaking. And not the easiest!

Maybe shoot for the TV first.  Maybe just a CFL or 2 in the living room.

Fridge stuff...

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/10/22/182710/82

G-

[TheCasualTraveler]

Can you be more specific? What's wrong with the charge controller?

[jonas302]

Andy search the board for info on the panels and controller there was a big thead awile ago seems like most recommeded taking it apart to check for loose hardware

I have the same set the fridge is a hard one mine ran fine on a cheap 1500 watt inverter but the panels couldn't keep up I had two new golf cart batts once the fridge drained them it took a few days of good sun to get them back up

Have fun in your adventures

Jonas

[TheCasualTraveler]

Thanks Jonas, I'll study the controller and see what I can do with it. I don't plan to do the fridge until I have more power.

[Birdmmjb]

Well to start with I get a little afraid whin I read, dont leave the panles connected to the charge controler when you are not there and to manually disconect them at 13 vdc.

Per the instructions that come with your panels.

Can some one tell me how to get a sig line that states that my mind works faster than my typing and to egnore the errors.

Jan

[fungus]

Birdmmjb -

Go to the box on the right hand side of the screen, second one down and go to user preferences, inside there is a box for 'signature'.

"Last week or the week before I was in the bedroom readng.  That room is totaly solar and wind..... the power was off in the enitre house except my bedroom duh."

I've been waiting for that to happen for like a year now

[ghurd]

"What's wrong withe the charge controller?"

Everything but the paint job.

Google search the board for PDU and SG-4, in addition to the obvious.

G-