Just want to show off my solar panel and wind deflector

[joel0407]

I was a bit worried that the angle of my panel was a bit steep but its not as steep as my windscreen and it allows me to put a few light items behind it.

The wind deflector is made of corflute. I don't know if it will make that much differance but the tent is the least aerodynamic lump going so what the hell. I had the corflute just lying around the shed.

The inner edge will get sandwitched between the solar panel and the bracket and the outer edge will rely on the wind pushing it down and bull dog clips to stop it moving around. The clip on the top corner is just there to hold it in place while I was sizing it up.







Happy Days.

[TeamFA]

Cool idea....

If the corflute (didn't know it was called that!) doesn't stand up to highway wind speeds, it would be very easy to bend up some thin aluminium and put it in place.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I imagine the panel was a bit of a toss-up between point-north parking and fuel economy

[DiscoMick]

Why does a solar panel have to be on an angle? After all, don't we spend most of our time NOT driving northwards, so when we're driving east, south or west a north-facing panel isn't going to be doing much, is it? So the panel could just be flat, couldn't it?

[Andrew D]

At least when I'm cruising through the burbs of Darwin and I see all theses triangular pieces of corflute on the road I'll know who put them there.

Bulldog clips might pack some punch on the end your fingers but not much else. 2 ks down the road if that and gooone....

Regards
Andrew

[vnx205]

Why does a solar panel have to be on an angle?
It doesn't, but a wind deflector does.

I assumed that was the main motivation.

[Tombie]

Why does a solar panel have to be on an angle? After all, don't we spend most of our time NOT driving northwards, so when we're driving east, south or west a north-facing panel isn't going to be doing much, is it? So the panel could just be flat, couldn't it?

When you're driving the alternator is doing the job

[Blknight.aus]

Why does a solar panel have to be on an angle? After all, don't we spend most of our time NOT driving northwards, so when we're driving east, south or west a north-facing panel isn't going to be doing much, is it? So the panel could just be flat, couldn't it?

not understanding your concern.

If we were driving wouldnt the alternator be doing its bit, but it looks to me like hes using it as the center of a wind deflector which would otherwise be a wasted chunk of flatish real estate. hes just got to remember to park facing north, substantially less effort than remembering to park facing down hill on a northwards facing slope thats not got an obscured view of the sky if hed flat mounted it.

[joel0407]

I had intended to put it flat as then it doesn't matter which direction I am facing when I park but measurements didn't end up that way.

The front cross bar is as far forward as I car go before the factory roof bars start to slope down. My awning is on the end of this cross bar.

My UHF antenna is in the middle of the cross bar and being the middle of the vehicle gives the best all round reception. I know the roof would have provided a better ground plane but I didn't want to drill a hole in my roof.

So the Antenna on the cross bar mean the solar panel can't sit on top of this bar but must fit before the tent. So up at an angle it is. Then it also doubles as a wind deflector.

Now I am installing a small cross section for our cooker and small butane gas bottle to sit on. The advantage of the solar panel being mounted at the angle allows this to sit behind it.

I'm trying to keep the roof weight to a minimum hence all the aluminum.

As for the charging while driving. As others have said the alternator will have over 100 time the current the solar panel can offer. The solar panel will have a piece of corflute covering while traveling to prevent damage from stones and the like.

Happy Days

[bob10]

No reason why it wouldn't work, Joel. And the good thing is , you can make minor adjustments as the situation warrants. Good to see you're thinking about top weight. Just a question. stones thrown up from road trains, etc. Not often they get that high, I guess, do you think it could be a problem? . Bob