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12 VOLT TIMERS !! GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST HOLY COW !!

I need to say anything but Damn nice price....I ordered 2 really fast !…See More
Discussion posted by Dale Marshall 4 hours ago
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John J. replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
Well then, I'm confident this is the place to find out about the sale when it's on. Maybe I'll pick up two.
4 hours ago
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Dale Marshall replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
I went to my Local Harbor Freight today myself. To buy a few items and check on a few things. I got to talk to the store manager. He said to me.. Expect a Blow out sale of the 45 watt that are metal. And he said expect a low price you haven't…
5 hours ago
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Renewable Ray replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
I was thinking the same thing, the panel itself will probably last just as long but how long will the plastic itself hold up.
6 hours ago
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Big Moe replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
As a pure guess... I would say it is a two fold decision that has nothing to do with the end user.  First, it updates their kits with a sleek new outside and the packaging is updated with a new look and new name. Thunderbolt Magnum sounds…
9 hours ago
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Renewable Ray replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
Hey Moe, do you think this change was done [in Harbor Freights own mind] to make mounting easier for the average person with limited mechanical skills. Did we lose our metal frame panels just so people could have "some holes" to pump…
11 hours ago
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Michael B. Minor, Donna Cooper, Pamela Pezzullo and 2 more joined Harbor Freight 45 Watt Solar Panel Kit Community Forum 11 hours ago
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Raymond Dias replied to Lance B.'s discussion 'Manual switch from Grid Tie to CC vice versa.?'
I used a Marine batter switch http://www.iboats.com/Attwood-4-Way-Battery-Selector-Switch/dm/view_id.47115 Do a google search. I used a Perko 3 way switch
12 hours ago
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Nova Electric inverter

I saw a Nova Electric 3000 watt 48 volt dc  pure sine wave inverter on eBay and I was wondering if anybody has any experiance with this inverter?Also would like to know if the circuitry could be modified  to accept 12 or 24 volt dc in?                   Ray              See More
Discussion posted by Raymond Wood 12 hours ago
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Manual switch from Grid Tie to CC vice versa.?

Anyone have any suggestions? 2 way switch or 3 way switch. Or heck i may just pick up another set of panels just to charge my batteries and leave the other 2 sets to run straight grid tie. I have seen those large Red switches in a lot of the Youtube videos. See More
Discussion posted by Lance B. 12 hours ago
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Big Moe replied to hoopty_yo's discussion 'Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit'
Well I believe the change is for real... I was sitting on the fence but have just received the new "super coupons" flyer and it has the new plastic framed panels in the coupon picture for the kit. And it is called the Thunder Bolt magnum…
14 hours ago
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Bill K replied to Bill K's discussion 'What are these called and where can I get them?'
Thanks, guys, I know where to get 'em now...I like the color coded wires, Ray, in my sometimes simple mind, the colors are important.... The whole plan continues to go thru my mind and I may not need them, the plan changed 3 times yesterday…
20 hours ago
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Jim replied to Jim's discussion 'Re-Purposing the Harbor Freight CFL'
Very cool! When my wife and I were dating (1986), George Thorogood and the Deleware Destroyers were our first concert. BAD TO THE BONE!!!
yesterday

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Forum

Dale Marshall

12 Volt Timers! Get Them While They Last, Holy Cow!

Started by Dale Marshall in General Discussion 4 hours ago. 0 Replies

I need to say anything but Damn nice price....I ordered 2 really fast !…Continue

hoopty_yo

Look of the new Topray 45 watt kit

Started by hoopty_yo in Harbor Freight Solar Panels. Last reply by John J. 4 hours ago. 33 Replies

This eBay item appears to be the new kit. It doesn't show…Continue

Tags: solar, panel, Freight, Harbor, Topray

Lance B.

Manual switch from Grid Tie to CC vice versa.?

Started by Lance B. in General Discussion. Last reply by Raymond Dias 12 hours ago. 3 Replies

Anyone have any suggestions? 2 way switch or 3 way switch. Or heck i may just pick up another set of panels just to charge my batteries and leave the other 2 sets to run straight grid tie. I have seen those large Red switches in a lot of the Youtube…Continue

Raymond Wood

Nova Electric inverter

Started by Raymond Wood in Power Inverters 12 hours ago. 0 Replies

I saw a Nova Electric 3000 watt 48 volt dc  pure sine wave inverter on eBay and I was wondering if anybody has any experiance with this inverter?Also would like to know if the circuitry could be modified  to accept 12 or 24 volt dc…Continue

Jim

Re-Purposing the Harbor Freight CFL

Started by Jim in Tips and Tricks. Last reply by Jim yesterday. 15 Replies

Clamp on utility light: about 8 bucks at the Lowes/DepotSolder on Cigarette Lighter Plug: couple of bucks at The ShackResult: a much more useful 12 Volt CFL…Continue

Tags: plug, lighter, cigarette, CFL, Lowes

kaimusailing

Greetings

Started by kaimusailing in General Discussion. Last reply by larry isaacs yesterday. 4 Replies

Hello all,I'm new to the forum. I have 4 kits installed on my boat with 2 Sunsei PWM charge controllers. Each charge controller charges a pair of deep cycle batteries, size 31. I am looking at a pure sine wave inverter to add to power a microwave…Continue

Tags: inverter, controller, charge, Sunsei, batteries

Tom95076

Its time to pull out the battery charger and juice it up!

Started by Tom95076 in General Discussion. Last reply by Dale Marshall yesterday. 3 Replies

I was just thinking about the ball of fire (SUN) in the lower part of the sky and  it might be a good idea to charge up my battery bank. When was the last time you did this?  A little preventive maintenance can go a long way.  Topping off your…Continue

hoopty_yo

New 30 amp Charge Controller to replace Sunforce

Started by hoopty_yo in Harbor Freight Charge Controller. Last reply by hoopty_yo yesterday. 2 Replies

Just got the new flyer. They show a new 500 watt charge controller #68738. Labeled as "Thunderbolt Magnum Solar" - which seems to be a new Harbor Freight brand. Anyway, looks like a Topray TPS-555 available on Ebay.Also, a 12 volt 35AH sealed…Continue

Jeremiah Johnson

Problem with 95596 Inverter

Started by Jeremiah Johnson in General Discussion. Last reply by Jeremiah Johnson on Wednesday. 4 Replies

I have had this inverter for a little over a year and it  has been working great. I just added some outlets in our cabin and checked to see if all was OK with my wire job using my old square D wigington. I am indicating AC on both legs when checked…Continue

Tags: electrical, AC, inverter

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    Blog Posts

    Marcia Behnke

    Is there a way to heat an above ground pool with a 45 watt solar unit?

    Posted by Marcia Behnke on January 26, 2012 at 3:27pm 5 Comments

    I know next to nothing about solar.  have been reading this blog for knowledge.  It does look pretty complicated, should I just call someone that does it for a living?  I like to try to do things like this to learn though.

    norvel richards

    Need to find out where I can find a diode for 2 HF 45 watt kits

    Posted by norvel richards on January 23, 2012 at 9:30am 1 Comment

    Hi I'm knew to all of this trying to find out where I can get diodes for my HF kits seems to be draining power off batteies  at night. I live in Aumsville Oregon and we don't get that much sun this time of year. Any help would be good as I'm not too good with elect

    Thanks, Norv

    Anon E mouse

    "45 Watt Solar Panel Kit" ? Why is this kit called a "45 Watt" kit? Why not...say a... "30 Watt" kit?

    Posted by Anon E mouse on January 2, 2012 at 11:11pm 23 Comments

    I have never measured more than 30 watts. The greatest voltage was 14.5 and the highest current was 1.9 amps. If Watts = Volts * Amps or in this case 14.5 * 1.9 = 27.6 Watts. This reading was obtained 12:30 PM on June 20, 2011.  Though many other readings were close, this was the highest seen during 2011.

    NOTE: Current was kept flowing to the battery bank as long as additional load was added to keep the Charge Controller Cuttoff Voltage at 14.5 or below. The current flow being…

    Continue
    Norm Murphy

    Using System?

    Posted by Norm Murphy on December 23, 2011 at 8:00am 2 Comments

    Good day

    I have the 45 watt system with 2 - 12 volt deep cycle batterys and a 2300 watt converter.  My question is, my system sets idle most of the time and just sits there doing it's thing, keeping the batteries charged up and ready to go, is this bad for anything by not using it?  I bought this for an o my good situation, thanks everyone!

    Norm

     
     
     

    This May Be Your Most Important Purchase, Even Before You Buy a Solar Kit!

    A nice small, economical controller for 12V solar panels that produce less than 4.5 amps. Uses the same high performance circuitry as the more expensive SunSaver line. Epoxy encapsuated for marine environments. Easy to connect.

    The Xantrex C35 is a quality controller that is one of the few that features a "dump option" that can be used to direct excess power to a 12 volt water heater.

    So you don't have a Harbor Freight near you? No problem we have you covered.

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