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MyUsernameTX said:
I actually just got this from Harbor Freight for $150. Looks identical to the folding Rich Energy ones but for $50 less


Its quite a large "suitecase" as they call it, I'm on the fence if its too big for the River 2 Pro

I have an SAE to XT60 adapter arriving tomorrow I can use it
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Because your R2Pro uses LFP, you could safely do more that the stated 220W solar input. That's VERY low & I don't know why they state that.
Conversely, the AC charge on it is soooooo crazy high, I simply wouldn't use it.

You could do two 200w panels for that unit no problem

I have a 1300Wh Delta
 
I was actually thinking about going smaller haha! The River 2 Pro is quite compact, but the 100w panel is not compact at all.
 
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If you connect two of the HF suitcase panels in series or parallel, you'll be on the right track TX__🙂
 
I'll run a cord from the roof 😁

1718054291470.jpeg
 
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As you know, on a perfect day/angle/pitch/ a 200W solar panel will give you about 175W max.
Your River 2 Pro tops out at 220W solar (probably an internal limiter)

>>>>Don't feel like a 200W panel or more will be too much for your River*, always have to factor in haze/clouds/sun angle/ect.. limiting
Solar charge being dc~dc efficiency, I feel 220W solar input is super low, should be like 400W input because of the LFPs' used.

Like I said said while back, did suggest a River 2 to a neighbor relative,, alot to like about it


btw, I don't take my Delta outside, just my LFP batteries & controllers along with my Pecron E1000 which states 10A @ 29V max,, I'v given it 20A or more (no limiter)
My Pecron is just Li-Ion = 18650 loaded , 1028Wh unit
 
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[h4]MyUsernameTX[/h4], hope my last few post didn't come across as too intense. That can be a turn off for most people.
I get all fired up on my solar hobby, but did make some mistakes learning as I went.

The one that stands out the most was buying smallish panels,, I didn't know what to get at the time.
Now, those small panels are unused, to the point that I have two 200W panels not in use.
(all my panels are rigid frame)

Solar hobby is an expensive & good one at the same time,
one that makes you keep your thinking cap on.

Have fun with it

_____________

add: these were the last two panels I purchased, wired them in series
got them a few weeks ago for $339 each, no tax

www.bougerv.com

BougeRV 300 Watt 12BB Mono Foldable Solar Panel

Looking for a high-performance solar panel? The monocrystalline panels and 10BB cell design make this 300w 12v solar panel an exceptional choice.
www.bougerv.com www.bougerv.com
 
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My cables get here today, so I'll report back how the 100w HF panel does with the River

I'm not sure who it was, but a few pages back someone warned about a grounding issue with some kind of configuration.

My plan to discharge the River 2 Pro is to plug in a second PSU of a rackmount server I have running, so half the load comes from the EF. The server is of course grounded to house ground via the rack and other PSU. Am I going to run into an issue there?
 
MyUsernameTX said:
My cables get here today, so I'll report back how the 100w HF panel does with the River

I'm not sure who it was, but a few pages back someone warned about a grounding issue with some kind of configuration.

My plan to discharge the River 2 Pro is to plug in a second PSU of a rackmount server I have running, so half the load comes from the EF. The server is of course grounded to house ground via the rack and other PSU. Am I going to run into an issue there?
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Can't think of any grounding scenario.

With your new XT60 cable, double check the polarity before plugging into your River2 using a multimeter on DC.
There is a pos. & neg. symbol on the XT60

..so plug the cable into your panel, then check polarity on the XT60,
you'll get a DC voltage, just make sure it's a positive number.

Doesn't hurt to check this
 
orbital said:
hope my last few post didn't come across as too intense. That can be a turn off for most people. I get all fired up on my solar hobby, but did make some mistakes learning as I went.
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I've been playing with solar for 30 years. I started off small with it and worked my way up. I'd actually encourage anyone looking into it to start with something small and portable, THEN work on reducing your loads. More insulation in the house, better windows, better efficiency. Only after you've reduced your loads does making any sort of large-scale solar for the home make sense.
 
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Thoughts on these panels? One would be nice for my Delta 2... (gotta buy 10 for $107)


solar2.jpg


signaturesolar.com

Aptos 370W Bifacial Solar Panel (Black) | Up to 480W Bifacial Gain | DNA-120-BF26-370W

Signature Solar provides solar panels, off-grid solar systems, grid-tie, and hybrid systems. Quality solar inverters, bifacial solar panels, complete solar kits, solar batteries. Featuring brands such as EG4 Electronics with their solar battery, LifePower4 and EG4 LLifePower4 and EG4 LL
signaturesolar.com signaturesolar.com




signaturesolar.com

Grape Solar 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel For RV's, Boats and 12V Systems | GS-STAR-100W

Grape Solar 100W Monocrystalline Solar Panel For RV's, Boats and 12V Systems | GS-STAR-100W, Grape Solar 1-Module 31.89-in x 28.15-in 100-Watt Solar Panel
signaturesolar.com signaturesolar.com

IntegraRack IR-30 BallastRack™ Solar Module Racking System (Single Frame) – Solar Power Distributors

solarpowerdistributors.com solarpowerdistributors.com
 
TPA said:
I've been playing with solar for 30 years. I started off small with it and worked my way up. I'd actually encourage anyone looking into it to start with something small and portable, THEN work on reducing your loads. More insulation in the house, better windows, better efficiency. Only after you've reduced your loads does making any sort of large-scale solar for the home make sense.
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Agreed. Goal-Zero for me going back over a decade.
 
Lips said:
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Thoughts on these panels? One would be nice for my Delta 2... (gotta buy 10 for $107)
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Lips, if you need just one panel, this for $199 is solid ~250W Newpowa
Slightly different panel in that it's working voltage is just under 24V, right in the sweet spot for your Delta 2


Personally have a couple of them; they are not made in China, but I forget where actually :yellowlaugh:
 
Lips, what are you going to do with the other 9 panels? Have you checked the cost of shipping? Things work better when compatibility issues are addressed before hand. It is good to remember that other components can add up pricewise for systems as well.

I respectfully disagree on starting with a tiny rig first unless you have a plan to use that small system camping, emergency evacuation, that kind of thing. There is a 15W Goal Zero Solar panel bought on sale that never got much use, sitting in storage at our place.

Buying larger panels and components with the grunt to achieve more significant benefits is what I recommend. Just take the time to learn and work methodically without major distractions. Being able to actively benefit from your solar system every day is so much more cost effective than something that Might get used in an emergency, only.

MyusernameTX, those smaller power centers can have issues interacting with certain loads that require a type of grounding. You might be able to research that.
 
KITROBASKIN said:
Lips, what are you going to do with the other 9 panels?
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I'm a newbie on solar so just wanted 1 panel to learn on and get it up to spec of my EFlow.


My unit EF Delta 2 Solar Charging = 11-60V, 15A, 500W max so I wanted a panel to get close to 500w. The guy from DYIsolar said these were the best panels he's seen for 2024 so figured they were good.


Shipping for 10 units is $165. I saw it was listed at $103 for one panel and said I want that! Figured I can grow from there as the Lifepo4 100ah batteries are getting right in the price...
Aptos 370W Bifacial Solar Panel (Black) | Up to 480W Bifacial Gain | DNA-120-BF26-370W

During an outage you can slam charge my Ecoflow at 1200 watts from a generator so really a backup on backup...


.
 
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This afternoon the storms held off and the sky was partly/overcast'ish and I didn't want to set up my LFPs'
so plugged in my Pecron to 1100W worth of panels.
You can get some solar charge on overcast sky.
It was doing a decent charge and then the sky started to clear, I looked at it and was charging at 678W

My Pecron is just a 18650 based power station @ 1028Wh
Although it does charge at 29.4V,,, 678W is on the limit!!!👽
 
Lips I am not clear but it is my understanding you would have to buy 10 panels to get that price. A 500W panel is big and kind of heavy. Using 2 or 3 smaller panels is a lot easier for one person to manage, and wiring it up is not a big deal.
 
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