Thread: I stuck a solar panel to the roof of my D4

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Well done. I put an 80 watt eBay one on the roof rack of my Defender and it's great. No more flat batteries, even with the fridge running.
Where do you mount the regulator?

You should mount the regulator as close as possible to the item you are powering from the solar panel, and NOT at the solar panel end of the cable (as most commercially available solar panels with "built-in" regulators come standard).
I also have an 80 watt fold-up panel set. The regulator was originally mounted in the pouch of the bag frame holding the panels together. On the advice of an electrician who is pretty clued up on these things, I removed the regulator and re-installed it at the other end of the cable (just before the anderson plug that I have installed on it). Works much better that way.

Since then, I have actually installed two anderson plugs - one either side of the regulator - so that I can use the solar panels with or without the regulator installed. Without the regulator, I get about 17 volts at the plug in bright sunlight, which is a very good working voltage for my electrolytic cleaning tub that I have set up outside the shed for cleaning the rust / grease etc off camp ovens / griddles and other cast iron items. Works very well and only costs me the occasional packet of sodium carbonate (washing powder) and a bit of rain water from the tank (Kalgoorlie tap water has too much chlorine which tends to slow down the reaction).

Do you have a photo of the set up kenl?