Solar panel with built in battery: can't find one

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 7:38 pm

I saw one last week, but forgot to find out the manufacturer.

The panel is about 30 x 20 inches and about 2.5 inches thick, and very heavy as there is a battery pack behind the entire panel. I don't know if it has a built in 120v inverter, but I really don't need that,,,,just a 12v output.

I love the idea on NOT running anything off my car battery and using a panel (plenty of those with 12v outputs!) to charge the car battery.

An hour of searching on google yielded nada..

Anyone know of this panel with built-in battery?

Thanks

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:09 pm

Asking any questions goes against your avatar's namesake.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:18 am

Maybe here.
But why?

http://www.realgoods.com/category/solar ... +solar+.do

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:15 am

Real Goods does have a big one with a 12v battery all mounted on a cart ($3700) and a small one with a lithium battery inside ($69), so obviously, I wasn't the first to think how nice it would be to have portability for a power source. And the fact there can be power during off-sun times is a huge reason for these products!

All the other "chargers" or panels I've found require any electrical device to be tethered to a big battery or home/RV/car. I don't need that much juice, just enough to power some great old RadioShack 10 watt self-powered speakers, inverter and ipod charger that are all sequestered in a portable unit. There portable boom box (that can eat 8 alkaline "D" batteries in no time!) that can come near this setup in db output, and if there was, it would be huge and probably butt ugly, too.

frenchblue1 · Post by **frenchblue1** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:01 am

Are you speaking of the Coleman CL3900? I believe they are 60 watt. They are battery chargers and have an inverter. They cost about $350 I think and are available at camping world I believe or Costco.
Typically we use then along with a serious of car batteries.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:08 am

If you get nicad D cells, note that most are not D cells.
Look at the capacity.
They should be close to 10,000 mah.
Most are AA cells.

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:34 am

I appreciate the links and help, but none of those items is what I'm looking for.

Let me try once more with brevity this time:

-----A solar panel, about 2 x 3 feet
-----The panel is mounted in a sturdy frame about 2.5 or 3 inches thick
-----The frame is stuffed with a battery or a series of batteries.
-----The panel/battery combo is stand alone.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:41 am

If real goods doesn't have it, I don't know where to look.

It's an odd approach as batteries usually are kept out of the sun.
You might call them and see if they know.

I have seen some small items that are self contained and even have some going on ebay, but nothing of the size you describe.

Is this close?
http://www.realgoods.com/product/solar+ ... charger.do
http://www.realgoods.com/product/home-o ... charger.do
http://www.realgoods.com/product/solar+ ... lar+kit.do