# Solar And Satellite



## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

This past week I ended up spending the most money I ever had on my OB, but hey, I'm not complaining, I'm bragging!









I took my OB to my local favorite RV repair place after I discovered that a hinge was broken on the awning and the TV antenna crank was forever falling onto our dinette. Yeah, I could have done this myself, but I also wanted a satellite dish installed.

I also decided I had to get rid of my ever-increasing priced home cable TV, and after a year's worth of trying to determine whether to go Dish Network or DirecTV, I finally opted for the latter. I got a whole house HD system, and it's phenomenal - I'm sorry I didn't do it earlier. After it was all installed and working, I checked on what it would take to get a satellite on the OB. My wife loves her TV, and prefers watching the electronic glow of a TV rather than the real glow of a campfire. And you know the rule: if momma's happy, everybody's happy.

After reading reviews all over the Internet, I decided to go with the Winegard SK-3005 TRAV'LER Automatic Multi-Satellite TV Antenna. It's pricey, yes, but I found a great deal on Amazon.com and it arrived a week later, free shipping because I'm an Amazon Prime kind of guy. My decision was based on several different factors, including ground based portable satellite dishes have a tendency to grow legs and just disappear, and they can be a pain in the butt to set-up and find the necessary satellites. And then you have to store the thing - inside of the trailer because of those legs, which can crowd out valuable storage space.

This Winegard unit is made expressly for DirecTV, is mounted on the roof of my OB, and as soon as I turn it on, it automatically unfolds itself and begins hunting down satellites. No muss, no fuss - and watching it set itself up is worth the price of admission!

That part is done.

Now I want to watch TV, I need power to drive the satellite dish, the satellite controller, the satellite receiver, and of course the TV. I have one of those Naxa TV/DVD combos that will run off of 12v or 120v, but all the other thingies need ac power. Just getting an inverter to power those is one way to go, but after a while my 2 - 6v batteries will end up at the point of no return (less than 10v for the inverter where it automatically quits - and your batteries may be forever damaged), and I'll either have to crank up the generator or find shore power.

I do have a 4300i Cummins-Onan generator that will do the job, and I don't mind it's drone as long as I'm sitting in my air-conditioned OB watching TV, but some parks have limited hours or even no generator rules. The only way I could reliably get power then was to install a solar system.

I've started with a Samlex (Canadian company) 85watt solar panel, controller and battery charger. My RV techs said try this out, and if it's not robust enough, it's no big deal to add an additional solar panel. But I now also needed to convert the 12v my 2 - 6v golf cart batteries (which I got from Costco to replace 2 aging Trojan 125's) produce to 120v ac. I elected to go with an inexpensive 800w modified sinewave inverter from Pep Boys. The combined draw of my TV, receiver, and satellite is about 50w so on paper I should be good to go.

I got the system home, cranked it up and watched HD movies for about three hours, and discovered that my battery wattage barely moved, and this was on an overcast day. So apparently our calculations on power requirements were correct.

During sunny days, I should be creating more power than my system can consume. And in the evenings, I should be able to watch TV for a number of hours, and then have the batteries recharged the next day. A never ending cycle of clean power.

Add to that, I've switched out all interior lights to LED's. In the pre-LED days, whenever I turned on one light, the other lights would dim a bit. Not with LED's.

Again this system has not had a "real world" test, but I'm heading out to Zion for five days in a couple of weeks, and I'll be anxious to see whether my system can find the satellites, and how well my solar system keeps everything charged. This is one of those places that generators are not allowed.

I'd be happy to answer any questions. And photos will be posted after that first real world test


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## booze123 (Jun 29, 2010)

What model of winegard did u purchase? Need all details as I may go get same one. I'm going to stay with shore power. Thks


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

booze123 said:


> What model of winegard did u purchase? Need all details as I may go get same one. I'm going to stay with shore power. Thks


Winegard SK-3005 TRAV'LER Automatic Multi-Satellite TV Antenna

They make a different one for the Dish Network. Don't get the wrong satellite....


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Pictures????????


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Just for you guys, I went to the storage yard where I keep my trailer and shot this of the counter where all the electronics for the solar and satellite are. I've still got a little cable maintenance to do, and of course the TV is in front of all of this.


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## m2edumacated (Feb 12, 2012)

With that solar panel. Is there a set up that could work to run ac?


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

m2edumacated said:


> With that solar panel. Is there a set up that could work to run ac?


Realistically, no.

The weight of the batteries and solar panels would exceed the capacity of your OB.


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## Beachnut (Nov 9, 2010)

WOW that sounds like a nice set up! I have the opposite problem with my wife, with her, its NO TV while camping! We play games like Agravation, and Yatzie almost every night. But when I go Prospecting alone, that Naxa 22" gets well used! (Nothing like watching a good ole western when your camping in the good ole west!)

I have been thinking of the solar panel upgrade, how many panels did you put on, and did you just put them flat on the roof or what? Did they run the wiring down through the refer vent? Are those golf cart batteries a whole lot heavier than the standard RV bats that came with the trailer? Were they a big improvement over the stock bats? Where is the closest Outback dealer to Oceanside? (Hopefully not Barber RV in Ventura














)

Beachnut


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Here are the answers to your questions:
*I have been thinking of the solar panel upgrade, how many panels did you put on, and did you just put them flat on the roof or what?*
I have one 85watt panel, which according to calculations should be enough since my satellite/receiver/TV draw only about 50watts. Of course I don't get that at night, but it is enough to keep my batteries fully charged.

*Did they run the wiring down through the refer vent?*
No, through the roof and into the wall. This way there are no more than the necessary power wires visible. They did a gorgeous job.

*Are those golf cart batteries a whole lot heavier than the standard RV bats that came with the trailer?*
Yes, but it's not too bad if one only has two on the tongue. Mine is offset by a Cummins-Onan 4300watt generator I have on my rear bumper extension.

*Were they a big improvement over the stock bats?*
Yes, in my opinion, and that of many others, two 6v golf cart batteries connected in series are better than two 12v batteries connected in parallel. When you buy golf cart batteries there's no doubt you're getting deep cycle batteries.

*Where is the closest Outback dealer to Oceanside? *
I purchased mine new in 2006 from Beaudry RV in San Marcos, but their no longer there, however there is another dealer there now an they also carry Outbacks. Mike Thompson's RV in Fountain Valley might be a better deal.


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## Beachnut (Nov 9, 2010)

Fantastic job answering all my questions... I think that is a FIRST ever!









One more, if you do not mind.. Did you have to upgrade your trailer stock battery charger for those golf cart batteries?

I might do the golf cart batteries upgrade first, then the larger attached solar panel later, as I already have a small 2'x2.5' 35 watt "portable" solar panel I hook up through a water proof 12vdc outlet I mounted on the battery box. I put about 20+ feet of *heavy* gage "speaker" wire from the panel to the batteries so I can move the panel around out of the shade and into the sun. I ran the "speaker" wire along a plastic coated cable that I fasten through the tongue lock to keep the some what honest people from walking away with it. It could be cut by hand cutters with some effort, but it is better security than nothing, and it has worked, so far... In full sun, all day, it will fully charge those bat's but then, we try to park in more shade...

Beachnut


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

One thing I noticed as long as I owned my OB is that the batteries were never really fully charged. According to Trojan, manufacturer of the premier 6v golf cart batteries, they should be charged at 14.8v and held there for a while before they go into the float mode.

The OEM charger in the OB is inherently lame. Many people have changed it out for something more robust. In fact, running a generator for an extended period of time will not create enough of a charge to top off discharged batteries, and in the meantime you're running your generator, burning gas, creating fumes and noise, and probably pissing off your camping neighbors. And all the while your batteries are still not getting their full charge.

I elected to go the solar route, using the free power of the sun to continually charge my batteries. Charged batteries last longer than discharged batteries, and batteries really hate not being recharged almost immediately after being discharged. This is where solar comes in: batteries are charged every day, keeping them fit as a fiddle.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

raynardo said:


> I elected to go the solar route, using the free power of the sun to continually charge my batteries. Charged batteries last longer than discharged batteries, and batteries really hate not being recharged almost immediately after being discharged. This is where solar comes in: batteries are charged every day, keeping them fit as a fiddle.


What is the output of your solar system?


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> What is the output of your solar system?


Here's the *kit *I had installed.


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