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Cam-
"800 bucks worth of panels and controller "
Huh? A real fast look:
Two BP350U panels, list $458US discount $375US. Plus shipping...let's say $50 to get them intact. About $800 for the panels alone.
BlueSky SolarBoost 2000e Controller: $236 on sale for $199US, another $200 plus shipping.
So let's be hard, but real. There's a fast thousand dollars worth of panels and electronics there, and many shoppers will pay more. Oh, throw in another $50-100 for the connecting cable. So...
$2700 worth of stik may sound extreme, I know I can use U-bolts and rail sections for far less, too. But a triple-axis adjustable and securable mount...Honestly, have you had any custom welding done, in stainless or aluminum?
Custom radar arch, bowsprit repairs, any mods? I've had some welding bills, and trying to have a metal shop fab up the base and adjusting arms for that price--would mean calling your brother in law and telling him you were locking up your wife and the beer until he was done.
We won't all need that kind of mount, we won't all mount it. Many of us are quite content not to sail on Hinckleys too.
Looking on the positive side, we've all learned that even if we don't need the Hinckley, the expensive MPPT controllers are worth switching to, and gimballing the solar panels (instead of throwing them on the deck) can also boost production an easy 30% per day.
The flip side of the question is...What can anyone fab up a gimballing rail mount (or other mount) for, that will allow solar panels of this size to be rotated in three dimensions to track the sun? Is there anything else out there? (Kinda like a "RAM" mount on steroids? Or a coupla Capuchin monkeys in sailor suits?)
I'd still like someone to either post a public synopsis of results of the PS report (which is legal and proper and does not violate copyright laws) or to PM me and email some info.
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