Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I've had my panels for over 3 years and they still work as good as the day I bought them. Can't vouch for the quality of the newer ones, but I'm sure they are worth it.
I purchased the panels to power a gable vent fan and it works great. In my opinion it is one of the best uses for directly powering a device without batteries. Our AC unit doesn't have to work near as hard to keep the house comfortable. Regardless of how well insulated a house is, heat in the attic can still permeate into the living area. A fan running off the solar panels works wonders.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I built a solar panel - Then Bought this. It is better to buy this than to build price wise. As this kit can charge 2 - 100 amp batteries and be expanded to 8 kits meaning you can charge up to 16 batteries! Though you will need to upgrade the solar charger for such. Regardless, for the Quality and Price THIS BEATS BUILDING ONE. Been there, Done that. As building it cost way more if you screw up just once. Here you really can't screw up if you can plug two wires together that only fit one way. Even the person who knows NOTHING, can put this together and use it! Anyway, I WILL buy 7 more of these and use the combiner Harbor Freight sells so that 8 kits can be connected together. Get a Higher rating Solar Charger though, which I am not sure if they sell one for that much power. My plan is to run a small inverter for each room in the house running only lights on the inverters. This way if one goes out, you can piggy back (Hence why just lights). As it can do more, I will add slowly to see what it can handle. Though I can tell you 2 Marine batteries runs 6 Lights (low wattage (13 watts are less) all night long and charge up again in the morning and do it all over again. Perhaps can do more, but have not tested more...YET.. Love the system, Love the candy store for men - Harbor Freight!

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I have 4 of these systems. Great for power and lighting where electricty is not found. Great option for some one who wants to have back up power when power is knocked out. I wired light sockets in my storage shed, porch, gazebo and powered with this system. You can use 12v RV lights for brighter light. Useing 12v LED corn cobb style light is even better. Its brighter and less dran on your battery. Great kits for prepers to power bunkers/storm shelters.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I just got it. I took it to NASCAR with my travel trailer. I have two 90 amp/hr. batteries and it charged them just fine. I had the panels pointed directly at the sun. I also left them flat on the ground and they seemed to work just fine. I may mount the panels flat on the roof of my trailer so no Hassel moving them.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

Don't let the low price discourage you. This system is worth twice the money. I have been useing two systems tied together for about 8 months now and absolutely LOVE it.
BIG TIP: When buying an inverter, get one that has automatic start/stop. They cost just a little more but.. When you turn on a regular inverter, the fans run and it's on and drawing power from your batteries even if it's not running anything. The automatic inverter draws a tiny bit while it monitors the line, when you turn on a light or your fridge turns on, it starts automatically, when you stop using power, it stops and goes into monitoring mode again.
BATTERIES: Golf cart batteries work great, they are heavy duty and made to deep cycle. Check out the dealers in your area... for some reason, people who buy golf carts want 24 volt batteries, a lot of manufacturers ship their carts to the dealers with 12 volt batteries. Dealers take them out and install 24 volt batteries. They sell the 12 volt ones at bargain prices. In most cases, these batteries are either brand new or just slightly used. You will save hundreds by looking around for these.
I use 4 and they are a perfect match for solar.
WIRE: 6 or 4 gauge is a must for connecting the batteries together but it's expensive. Find a good set of "Jumper Cables", cut them to the length you need (about 8 inches) to link the batteries (+ to + to + and - to - to -). Use copper crimp-on fittings (Use a vise to crimp) then spray them with "Pam" cooking spray to prevent corrosion. Hope this helps... If you want to stay in touch, here is my email lenflorida(at)gmaildotcom.
BOTTOM LINE: You can't go wrong building your system with these panels... Hands down the best there is and very affordable. Good Luck!

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I could not be happier. The electric company wanted $4500 to run power to my property. I figured for that much money I could build a heck of a solar package. I started with one kit just to power my television so I could monitor the weather. I bought a 36 watt LED tv and connected it to a homemade antenna. I pick up 45 crystal clear channels and laugh out loud every time I kick back in my cabin and watch my tv for free! I bought a second set just for lighting. The third set I bought is to keep a battery bank charged to run my spring pump once every two weeks for about 15 minutes. I know I could buy other panels but I like all the goodies that come with these kits. If you are reading this, then you are considering a purchase. I urge you to do so. These are a great way to get started in solar and after learning what works for you and what doesn't, you can make your plans for a more extensive system. Right now, these kits do everything I need. When a storm came through and my area was blacked out, I had power when my neighbors didn't.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I have the older Solar Panel kit with the aluminum frame and the older Charge Controller that has 3 LED indicators instead of the digital meter. It is at least 8 or 9 years old and it works great! I just recently purchased the new Solar Panel kit and mounted it on my shed roof next to my older system and will tie the old and new panels together. I wasn't crazy about the PVC frame the panels get mounted to, but upon closer inspection the PVC seems to be a thick walled Schedule 40 equivalent . I constructed a mounting system and also used lock-washers on every bolt for the frame and Solar Panel mounting points. I have researched and found that these Amorphous Silicon panels are a Mono-crystalline design which is more efficient at producing power in all light conditions from cloudy to full sun. If you are reading this understand that I am a firm believer in, "You get what you pay for." but I must say I am impressed with the Harbor Freight equipment I have purchased. Everything I have purchased from them not only works, but works well, such as my 90 Amp Flux Core Wire Welder, Predator 3200/4000 watt Generator and other tools and equipment. But as far as this review for the 45 Watt Solar Panel kit it is great especially if you get it on sale. JOIN THE "INSIDE TRACK CLUB"!!!!

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I bought the earlier version (90599) with the metal frame and it wouks just fine but I was mounting it on the roof so I really didn't need the angle that the fram was fixed at and it's not adjustable. I fabricated a base for the frame to sit on so the panels would be facing south, and so far so good. I got the largest deep cycle battery I could find and with additional wiring I let the panels charge the battery for a few days, Took be a few days to figure out where south was, due to clouds and such, but that's not the fault of the manufacturer, I blame mother nature. After I had it set and the battery was charged, I switched on my Ham radio, and it has been running 27/7 even with clouds and such for the past 2 or more months. I started adding even more than the one transceiver, and still it's been going non stop. I do plan on buying several more so that maybe I can at least get the whole radio room on 100% solar power including the lights in that room.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

Bought this about two months ago.used it for the first time last week to charge a deep cycle battery.It charged it from 11.8V to 12.9 volts in about eight hours so I could watch Sat TV or a DVD at night and run any lights.Not bad for only [$] with discount.

Comments about THUNDERBOLT MAGNUM SOLAR Solar Panel Kit, 45 Watt:

I knew nothing about solar panels/power etc. I purchased this kit from HF just to experiment in my new 12'X12' shed. I read numerous reviews, and with each review I learned something new. Used two old scooter and one old 12V automobile batteries as my battery bank. I know, no mixing batteries or auto cranking batts. Well the system has been working great for several months now. Oh! Purchased an inverter that "STUPID" (me) shorted and fried the 4 fuses. After repairing the fuses by using strips of aluminum foil its back to normal. I run a CPU, fan, and my AM/FM radio/CD player for about 30 minutes before the inverter starts to complain. However, I can run any one of these items indefinitely. Left my 12V overhead lights on over night and the regulator still indicated 12.2V's in my battery bank in the morning. Very happy with this kit. If I had the money, I would get several more and new deep cycle batts. Thanks Harbor Freight. Didn't like inverters fuses being soldered to the unit. Don't know how they expect you to change the fuses without soldering....