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Post by mediadogg on Sept 22, 2019 14:37:33 GMT
I'm not with Renogy, not hawking anything, but I thought it might be fun to share if we think there is something especially juicy or unusual being offered on sale. So, here are two that I have gotten: Backpack - surprisingly versatile little backpack with a pea-sized solar panel and external connection. Side entry pocket for a laptop. Secure back pocket. I like the fact that it can be reconfigured using zippers, the solar pouch detached, and works as a very lightweight but rugged little backpack. I use it for quick trips down to NYC or DC on the train to visit friends and family. Battery Pack - Like I needed another battery pack. But what got my attention, other than 25% off, was the combination of decent capacity, compact size and 3 USB outputs. Most portable power packs have only two. Anybody else with an interesting "sale price" experience? Buying something you really don't need, because "IT'S ON SALE!!!!"  |
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Post by mediadogg on Oct 22, 2019 15:44:23 GMT
Gasp. Monumental toy sale going on for Halloween! Definitely picking up that car-power-inverter-in-a-cup, and maybe another BT module. I'm such a sucker for sales! |
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Post by mediadogg on Oct 22, 2019 15:59:53 GMT
Done. New toys on the way!!!
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Post by mediadogg on Nov 13, 2019 14:46:20 GMT
Jumping all over the preview Black Friday sale!!! Amazon seems to be matching the prices.
That 160W flexible panel for $200 is the bargain of the century. I have a couple of the 100W versions. Virtually indestructible, high output (over 160W for 2 x 100W in series) just randomly positioned on my South facing kitchen roof (just outside my computer room window). No matter how many inches of snow, I just reach out the window and slide the mass off the roof edge. The plastic has a teflon-like action, so that rain and snow just glide off and leaves blow off quickly.
Aw what the heck. Also picked up that 50AH Li-Fe-Po battery. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet.
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Post by Upton O'Good on Nov 14, 2019 20:56:24 GMT
Cool, let us know how you like the new gadgets!
Upton
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Post by mediadogg on Nov 23, 2019 15:52:01 GMT
Cool, let us know how you like the new gadgets! Upton Solar panel and battery are as expected, and good values on sale. I also picked up a couple of the 10A PWM Wanderer CC, but now I wish I hadn't. I did a test between the legacy Renogy Tracer MPPT and the Wanderer, and the MPPT delivered over 50% more power in well lit situations, and 2 - 3 times more power as the sun went down!!! Almost dark, I was getting 2 - 4 W from the PWM and over 10W from the MPPT, which is enough to cover the inverter drain for a few hours as the sun goes down. QUESTION FOR ADMIN: Can I return the un-used, actually un-opened PWM units, so I can apply the funds to the new little Rover MPPT instead??? |
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Post by Admin on Nov 26, 2019 19:52:16 GMT
Cool, let us know how you like the new gadgets! Upton Solar panel and battery are as expected, and good values on sale. I also picked up a couple of the 10A PWM Wanderer CC, but now I wish I hadn't. I did a test between the legacy Renogy Tracer MPPT and the Wanderer, and the MPPT delivered over 50% more power in well lit situations, and 2 - 3 times more power as the sun went down!!! Almost dark, I was getting 2 - 4 W from the PWM and over 10W from the MPPT, which is enough to cover the inverter drain for a few hours as the sun goes down. QUESTION FOR ADMIN: Can I return the un-used, actually un-opened PWM units, so I can apply the funds to the new little Rover MPPT instead??? Depending on how long you have had the item, this might be a possibility. We would recommend to contact customer service. |
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Post by Upton O'Good on Dec 1, 2019 18:52:35 GMT
Solar panel and battery are as expected, and good values on sale. I also picked up a couple of the 10A PWM Wanderer CC, but now I wish I hadn't. I did a test between the legacy Renogy Tracer MPPT and the Wanderer, and the MPPT delivered over 50% more power in well lit situations, and 2 - 3 times more power as the sun went down!!! Almost dark, I was getting 2 - 4 W from the PWM and over 10W from the MPPT, which is enough to cover the inverter drain for a few hours as the sun goes down. QUESTION FOR ADMIN: Can I return the un-used, actually un-opened PWM units, so I can apply the funds to the new little Rover MPPT instead??? Depending on how long you have had the item, this might be a possibility. We would recommend to contact customer service. Thanks. Great info about the PWM Wanderer charge controllers. I almost bought one for an "upgrade" to a cheap PWM I use to keep an old John Deere A tractor battery charged. I'll wait and upgrade my camping truck to MPPT one of these days instead and use the PWM from the truck for the tractor charger. I also want to upgrade my AGM SLA batteries to the LIFEPO4 battery too, but I'll wait until the LA batteries start going south to do that. Hope you let us know how you like the battery. |
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Post by playersz28 on Dec 1, 2019 19:21:15 GMT
Depending on how long you have had the item, this might be a possibility. We would recommend to contact customer service. Thanks. Great info about the PWM Wanderer charge controllers. I almost bought one for an "upgrade" to a cheap PWM I use to keep an old John Deere A tractor battery charged. I'll wait and upgrade my camping truck to MPPT one of these days instead and use the PWM from the truck for the tractor charger. I also want to upgrade my AGM SLA batteries to the LIFEPO3 battery too, but I'll wait until they start going south to do that. Hope you let us know how you like the battery. I was looking to get a pair of the Li 170's for the BF discount but customer service didn't answer emails. I'm not paying to call them long distance from Canada either as the last time I called there I got bounced around for some time and never got the answer I wanted but ended up with a nice LD bill. If a company can't afford a toll-free number then I won't buy the batteries. I'm load testing my AGMs at this point. They are four winters old and planning to run them for a fifth this winter. |
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Post by mediadogg on Dec 2, 2019 2:30:52 GMT
Ironically, I am thinking about keeping the little cheap PWMs. The fact that they cover all battery profiles, are small and lightweight, have 2 x USB ports and BT-module output for about $15 on sale cries out for DIY fun.
One project will be to attach one to a stock consumer grade UPS such as a CyberPower sine wave unit. Would make for a good portable all around emergency power unit that could recharge even during a power outage.
Another project would fit a unit with a barrel jack for PV input, and another connector for the battery such as Anderson PP for a pair of portable aligator clips. Would make a nice compliment to my portable folding 60W solar panel that I take on road trips and family visits for charging power banks. The PWM unit would add the ability to top off a large SLA/AGM or car battery.
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Post by Admin on Dec 4, 2019 19:05:08 GMT
Thanks. Great info about the PWM Wanderer charge controllers. I almost bought one for an "upgrade" to a cheap PWM I use to keep an old John Deere A tractor battery charged. I'll wait and upgrade my camping truck to MPPT one of these days instead and use the PWM from the truck for the tractor charger. I also want to upgrade my AGM SLA batteries to the LIFEPO3 battery too, but I'll wait until they start going south to do that. Hope you let us know how you like the battery. I was looking to get a pair of the Li 170's for the BF discount but customer service didn't answer emails. I'm not paying to call them long distance from Canada either as the last time I called there I got bounced around for some time and never got the answer I wanted but ended up with a nice LD bill. If a company can't afford a toll-free number then I won't buy the batteries. I'm load testing my AGMs at this point. They are four winters old and planning to run them for a fifth this winter. We apologize for this inconvenience. Call volume is very high especially during sales events. Is there anything we can answer here? |
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Post by mediadogg on Dec 11, 2019 20:34:34 GMT
Just thought of a new use for the little Wanderers. Due to low cost and high functionality (BT module, USB ports, Lithium), these could be used as "combiners" for mismatched solar panels. So long as each array falls within the specs of the CC, you can parallel the output of multiple Wanderer CCs across your battery bank, with each Wanderer having its own PV array input. Each array would consist of a matched set of S/P connected panels, whose total wattage and Voc lie within the specifications of the Wanderer. A cheap way to put some unused mis-matched panels into operation. Cool idea, huh?
In order to avoid multiple overlapping Equalization cycles for lead acid chemistry, all you would need to do is set all but one of the CC to GEL, which according to Renogy documentation, does not have an Equalization mode, and all other parameters match those of SLA or Flooded.
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Post by Upton O'Good on Dec 25, 2019 23:54:38 GMT
That's exactly what I do with my two charge controllers in the truck (when I had them hooked up that way). One is in gel battery mode and the other in SLA. I now use just one CC and have the two panels in parallel. Cut down on the cabling. One is 50 watts and the other 100, but the voltage so close that hooking them in parallel is not a problem and the output is what would be expected. Not very much! But it does the business...
Tatoo recommended the parallel configuration for my truck in a thread a while back.
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Post by mediadogg on Dec 28, 2019 1:43:57 GMT
That's exactly what I do with my two charge controllers in the truck (when I had them hooked up that way). One is in gel battery mode and the other in SLA. I now use just one CC and have the two panels in parallel. Cut down on the cabling. One is 50 watts and the other 100, but the voltage so close that hooking them in parallel is not a problem and the output is what would be expected. Not very much! But it does the business...
Tatoo recommended the parallel configuration for my truck in a thread a while back.
Thanks. Nice to have that experience validated. In my case, the two sets of panels are way different in terms of voltage and current specs, so I can't bypass using the two charge controllers. |
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Post by mediadogg on Mar 16, 2020 17:52:17 GMT
Absolutely run - do not walk, to the latest sale. PWM Li-30 charge controller with BT-1 module only $43, just $5 more than regular price of BT-1 alone!
Waterproof Bluetooth speaker - I thought is was a joke, but actually a great little item for only $30. Has small solar panel, USB output and mini-usb input, loud speaker (deep bass) and a flashlight! What is not to love for any gadget freak!
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