Perfect winter solar panel set up

[@Spartan_-du9wi]

Great setup. Only thing I may have done different was to stain the wood to match the cabin before mounting the panels.

[@blackspruce1861]

I wish I would have but they're pretty light it should be easy to do once the weather gets better

[@drbosb]

Very smart mounting system idea! I really like that they are off the ground and out of the way of movement and possible breakage.

[@blackspruce1861]

Yeah it works really well . Thanks !!

[@dmcd7333]

Nice setup and off the ground so the critters do not get to it and chew it up!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! it's worked really well

[@troyyarbrough]

That's a great setup. I have 3 of the BougeRV 120 watt panels and I've been trying to decide how to mount them on my tool shed so I have easy access to them yet not have them in the way. This looks like the way to go. The only thing I might add would be a way to latch them down when not in use in case of high winds.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! thats a good idea to latch them down

[@northwoodsyankee3528]

@@blackspruce1861 That was going to be my suggestion too. Latch them when tilted up in case of a gust and when folded down. A couple of beefy screw eyes and a ratchet strap would do it.

[@shep6123]

I love that how you done that I’m trying to figure way of doing it on my roof, but I’m just trouble with trees falling on it on the roof but do it that way when you got a storm coming I can always put take them down like that that’ll protect it I like it. I’m I think I’m gonna try that, thank you love it

[@blackspruce1861]

Yeah a tree falling on them would not be cool . you could put it on an H frame if you have a small clearing too . glad you enjoyed it thanks !!

[@BLAM777]

Nice. Really good idea.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! I thought so too some people in the comments have really good advice I'm happy I followed this one

[@BLAM777]

@@blackspruce1861 yes some do.

[@alecsimages1]

Hope you got a MPPT charge controler, when I bought mine from Epever it transformed everything for me, dont even need sunshine, just bright sky and batteries always full now. Nice video, new sub too.

[@blackspruce1861]

I haven’t got one yet but I think you’ve just convinced me. Thanks and welcome to the channel !!

[@davidjones8680]

What a really fine and practical way for mounting solar panels. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. David in the UK.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks ! Glad it was helpful!

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

Great idea ! I built my first frame kinda like that just a lot bigger & hinged it on the roof by my shop, then I can lay it down for summer months, but I bought an adjustable one for the roof of my house that holds four 340w panels, its awesome :)

[@blackspruce1861]

yeah it works great . nice ! you're place looks pretty awesome

[@therealgirlinthewoods]

Very cool looks great!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks Brooke!

[@robertgraves3215]

Outstanding. I just got a small portable Yoshino setup delivered today. Solid state lithium battery is supposed to be safer , won't catch fire and is supposed to be able to deal with cold better. I'm still at 85% charge after 1.5 hours with a malxlite 9W LED bulb. So far so good. I don't get the best angle from the sunny window inside this apartment though, but their folding panels are pretty nice. I saw a guy use a salvaged umbrella stand , turned into a "lazy suzan " to get the best angle. Might have been one of Brooke's people, can't remember. Hmm, I wonder if you could cover that with a little kid's dome tent. Or even use the umbrella.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! that might be our brother in laws place with the spinning panel out . I can't remember what he said he built it from

[@robertgraves3215]

MacGuyver-Geek challenge: rig up an automatic solar path follower by making a "lazy susan" I think it's either a round umbrella table but could be a cable coil roll thing. It's belt fed. Runs off a timer that's of course solar powered (lol) but it switches on/off every 1/2 hour. Just has to move it like 4 inches etc. I still vote for the kid's dome tent idea to cover it at night or. when snows start. @@blackspruce1861

[@markmickens5161]

Very cool idea!

[@blackspruce1861]

thanks!

[@robertkerby2581]

Nice upgrade! Well done!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thank you !! it really is nice cheep and effective

[@DaleRussell2]

Wow, very ingenious. I’m curious to know if it gets enough sun in that upright position to keep your batteries charged. Let us know please. 👍

[@blackspruce1861]

yes so far no problem .

[@unclebrandy5485]

Dude this is awesome. Love it. Thanks for sharing.

[@blackspruce1861]

You bet!

[@UPDT8243]

Great idea !!

[@blackspruce1861]

yeah it works really well thanks !

[@ksredsfan]

awesome setup never know what you'll learn reading through the comments lol another great video thanks Ryan

[@blackspruce1861]

yeah some of the comments have some pretty great tips . he actually sent me pics of his setup I was going to use them but I forgot when I was editing the video

[@lorettathomas1917]

Overall, great idea. Love your videos! Keep them coming!! 👍

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks! Will do!

[@martinparmer]

You're videos are always great. Straight to the point, useful, and no BS. I really wish you would make more, LOL!!!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thank you !! I really wish I would too lol . I need to get more focused

[@kirknorthof5128]

couldn't agree more

[@blackspruce1861]

@@kirknorthof5128 thanks !!

[@taweechaikogaphai7819]

Very good 😊👍👍👍

[@blackspruce1861]

Thank you very much

[@skull1234444]

great job what brand power tools are you useing and what brand solor kits are the best

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! I’m using a mixed bag of power tools the ones in the video are kobalt I chose them because they were on sale lol but they do work well. These solar panels are form harbor freight and they actually do work really well but I don’t know what the best brand is for solar panels

[@Gstonesheat]

Nice! Thanks for the advice. Ps. What solar panels are you using?

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! they're the ones in the harbor freight kit . they actually work really well .

[@GleeChan]

Give up to this mad lad who eyeballed this without a level.

[@blackspruce1861]

LOL thanks !!!

[@briamericanmade9002]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks!!

[@rogue0921]

May I ask why you put them in the shade?

[@blackspruce1861]

It’s the south side of the cabin and most of the day through the winter it gets a lot of sun . Main reason was the open area in front the ground was frozen so I couldn’t get a post in . I may add a set in front and just leave these set up back there

[@brendannunya77]

Hinge the props on the cabin side. That way they won’t come off, won’t misplace them, and as you lift the panels from 90 to 45 degrees they’ll auto lock in. Hope great makes sense.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thats a great idea thanks !

[@ducksrcool123]

Hey just a heads up, title says prefect instead of perfect! Ppl r gonna eat that up (I guess me being one of them 😂) great vid as always!

[@blackspruce1861]

oh crap me and my poor typing skills thanks I'll fix that lol

[@scottmcfarland2149]

Great idea 👌🏻

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !

[@MythicalMonk3y]

And endless fountain of ideas you are. Well done.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! this one wasn't mine but I'm happy to share it

[@StriveDad]

What a great idea. Saves you a bunch of time cleaning snow off. Will most likely last longer too, not getting as weathered as they would on the ground. Great video as always!

[@blackspruce1861]

thanks !! I bet you're right they should stay in a lot better shape not sitting in the dirt I didn't even think of that advantage

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

Panels should be turned around the other way with the cord facing down and a drip loop in the cord so no water gets into the connection

[@blackspruce1861]

that does make sense but I mounted them the way they would face if they were on the built in stand. I thought it was weird that they have the cords coming from the top too . You would think they would have them run into the back like most panels

[@bennyhill3642]

Gr8 idea! Wondwring, have you thought about more solor panels? Dogs are AWESOME 😇

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! I have thought I may put a couple on the roof on the north side for summer these get a lot of shade then but still produce pretty well . they sure are !!

[@countryboy40701]

Quick Question Ryan . . . You Going To Stain The New Woodwork To Match The Cabin, When The Weather Warms Up ?

[@blackspruce1861]

Yeah shouldn't be too hard to do it was just too cold when I built it

[@NYCamper62]

Over the winter I've set my panels to about an 80 degree angle. So far so good, alot of overcast but a trickle charge is better than nothing.

[@blackspruce1861]

Yeah it works pretty good as long as you're not using a lot of power . haven't had to worry about it much this winter lol .

[@gosmoothgolight7567]

Thanks to you and Andy for this awesome tip! I have 4 older style 160 Watt panels that are quite a bit heavier than your set, but the principle will work great for my set up, too. I might not mount them directly to the cabin, but the hinged mount system is really appreciated! Building my cabin has been a process ... and that's what's been so much fun:) Thanks again, Ryan! Enjoy the journey ... God Bless you & yours

[@blackspruce1861]

No problem ! yeah a post style H frame is probably how I would have went too but with the frozen ground and my impatience lol I chose the cabin .

[@gosmoothgolight7567]

@@blackspruce1861 ... I like the cabin mount style, just looking at the weight all 4 panels will be supplying:) I'm just about in the middle of the Mitt, so the frost will be out pretty soon. Looking forward to more of your content, sir! Kihelakayo :)

[@stevedenoyer5956]

Maybe hinge the supports that way they wouldn’t be loose and possibly come loose in the wind. Just a thought

[@blackspruce1861]

that's a good idea !

[@alexandersmith684]

Ive always wondered was why Americans never seem to put gutters on cabins like this to collect rain water, perhaps due to snow? regardless love your videos man!

[@blackspruce1861]

gutters are nice because they stop the smash back on the walls and for erosion purposes and a lot of people like to use the rainwater for gardens . Thanks !!! im glad your enjoying them

[@tommeisenzahl180]

Awesome job. Thinking about doing that.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! I like it

[@jamesfairbairn1588]

Great video. Thanks for sharing this amazing setup with us. I’m going to use this idea at my cabin.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! no problem It sure has made my system a lot better I'm sure you'll like it

[@wesr228]

Did you use an RV Gland to run the MC4's into the cabin, or another route?

[@blackspruce1861]

I drilled a hole through the sill plate ran the wire and filled it with silicone

[@suzzettebridges4931]

I like it on the house. That is neat.

[@blackspruce1861]

thanks me too and its working really well !!

[@utahreadiness]

Did you say you got those panels at harbor freight?

[@blackspruce1861]

yes

[@marissathomas9327]

This is why I’m so happy I live in Texas lol I can’t deal 😭

[@blackspruce1861]

😂 snow can be a pain. It was snowing here this morning

[@narles1974]

Perfect

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@DavidKing-bm3sh]

Makes sense...simple things, that work....

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks ! it has worked really well so far

[@stephenlwest]

Do the panels keep your battery charge?

[@blackspruce1861]

yes but you do need to keep an eye on the voltage a bit once it gets below I think 11.8 the charge controller won't allow the panels to charge it and you have to take the battery home to charge it . mainly a concern at night .

[@ozarkdaredevils]

You build Quality , well thought out . Thank you !

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!! glad you liked it

[@The42Joker]

Those supports posts to keep it up at an angle could be on hinges too.

[@blackspruce1861]

That’s a great idea !

[@mkuhlman77]

I had two sets of these panels. I only got rid of them because of weight and handling purposes. I got the newer versions of the HF panels. They charge all my EGO batteries and keep my lawnmower and go kart batteries top off and warm during the winter months. It's a great system for off grid cabin living.

[@blackspruce1861]

it really is !! I'll have to check out the newer panels at harbor freight . I plan to add a couple in the front of the cabin for summer

[@mkuhlman77]

@@blackspruce1861 I use an HQST mppt charge controller for all my panels. They have different amps I got the 20 to start and I think it only allowed 300watts of solar at 12 volts and 600@ 24. Cheaper and work just as good as the renorgy controllers.

[@blackspruce1861]

@@mkuhlman77 Nice ! I don’t use much power there so I only have the one battery and the harbor freight controller that came with the kit

[@Lightning77AThiker]

I recently realized that generators are a short term solution. Noob to solar , and trying to do the math for what I need to run a mini fridge and window a/c unit. I can get by without the rest in Georgia.

[@blackspruce1861]

man I'm not sure what you would need for that . my brother in law lives totally of grid full time and has his hooked to a generator when he notices the battery bank getting low normally at night when the solar can't do anything he runs the generator to charge the batteries

[@Lightning77AThiker]

@@blackspruce1861 Thank you. I'm hot natured anyway so a/c is important if I can have it 😂 It'll be a learning experience like other new ventures I've tried.

[@StephanieJoRountree]

Great tip.

[@blackspruce1861]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tr3vorb438]

Appreciate your narration. Makes it easy to follow what you’re doing. 😀

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@slynkylynx]

Excellent idea and construction 👍💪 Straightforward instructions and build. Great work,Ryan! 😉

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks!!!

[@robertgraves3215]

Hey also do you have the link for the white light LED strips you guys use? Dave said he gets 6 days on one charge? amazing. I can't remember whose video that was on, I did try though.

[@blackspruce1861]

I actually bought them right at Menards

[@robertgraves3215]

@@blackspruce1861 I assume the legendary Menards is in Marquette, will check. I just ordered two strips made from some absurdly named Chinese Co. They are due here tomorrow. Do strips run longer than bulbs? the journey continues... Solar 101. But so far, happy...

[@blackspruce1861]

@@robertgraves3215 oh man the Chinese electronic companies sure do find some crazy names don’t they 😂. I’m not sure if they last longer than bulbs or not but I know they don’t use much power and they do put out a lot of light . The only thing I don’t love about them is it seems like I get more glare on my glasses from them

[@robertgraves3215]

@@blackspruce1861 Yoshino has english speaking care reps in the USA. They say. Hope they are not A.I. Okay, so Menards beats 41 Lumber. How is Munising Motor sports on snowmobiles, etc.? Durhams' for guns/ammo? I saw there's another place that serves you burgers and pizza, kinda bizarre. I just figured out that terpentine thins out Boiled Linseed oil really well. I just restored two vintage wooden levels , they look pretty Kewl. Been buying tons of old tools from a new awesome indoor flea market down the road here. What if you made a " LED light diffuser" out of some cloudy plastic bottles, or some cheap dollar store white Chinese curtain fabric?

[@timothyedmiston8756]

That’s a great idea with that set up

[@blackspruce1861]

Yeah it works great !!

[@Shamustodd1]

Pretty slick Idea.

[@blackspruce1861]

it is I'm happy Andy shared it with me

[@subdawg1331]

awesome and thank you

[@blackspruce1861]

No problem! thanks !

[@alejandrayong5411]

Very smart way to do it.

[@blackspruce1861]

I thought so to I'm pretty happy he shared the idea with me its worked great so far

[@streetsharkz]

Good idea always wonder why people lay em on the ground to get wrecked and covered

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@Kralphrn]

Excellent job!!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@ShadowMoonFarms]

Thanks for sharing

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks for watching!

[@danakinscheuer]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@blackspruce1861]

thanks but those are actually harbor freight panels

[@amperetimemarketing7931]

great video！

[@blackspruce1861]

Thank you !!

[@leannemori9688]

VERY nice.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@kingrafa3938]

Great idea 👍

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks!!!

[@pammcdougald53]

Genius!

[@blackspruce1861]

it really does work nice thanks !!

[@larrysmith6499]

Neat idea

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@keenmachine80]

what can you power with those panels?

[@blackspruce1861]

they charge my battery and I mostly just run 12volt lights and charge a blue tooth speaker , but I do have a 750 watt inverter that I can run my oscillating saw with I use it a bit to charge my laptop . you could add more batteries or upsize the inverter and run more and you can add solar panels for more charging

[@keenmachine80]

@@blackspruce1861 ive been thinking of getting solar panels, when you have a fully charged battery how long can you run it under what load, for example a fridge, and how long to charge it fully. Sorry for alot of questions

[@blackspruce1861]

@@keenmachine80 honestly I’ve never tried running a fridge so I’m not sure but I do know that a lot of people who have smaller solar kits use propane fridges like what campers and RVs have and they work really well

[@danielstrachan8988]

😁👍👍

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@JonOffgrid]

👍

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !!

[@skyval7926]

Is it T-111 siding with battens ?

[@blackspruce1861]

nope its rough sawn pine . here's a link to the video I did for building it if you're interestedkzbin.info/www/bejne/b6GUZ2yMfbV4b9U

[@skyval7926]

@@blackspruce1861 thanks

[@KanoeKing]

Simple, yet ingenious at the same time! I hope to remember all your great ideas as I make improvements to my own off-grid cabin. Thanks for sharing your videos with us. I could watch yours all day!

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks!! No problem thanks for watching I’ve got enough videos to take up maybe a quarter of a day lol .

[@maggiemae444]

Good morning! Really nice setup! Thanks!

[@blackspruce1861]

Glad you like it!

[@woodman8261]

Do you have to worry about the battery freezing up?

[@blackspruce1861]

I don’t see why you would. A car battery sits outside all winter and is fine .

[@BS.-.-]

I find the vertical pannels work best for a part time cabin in snow country. They never collect snow and the reflection of sun off the snow helps charge..the sun is also very low in the winter.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thats exactly how it was explained to me I meant to mention that but forgot to put it in the video

[@kbs5150]

Great job. Thanks for posting sir.

[@blackspruce1861]

thanks !! happy too

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Excellent work, and good catch on the wire routing.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! yeah I'm glad I did catch it that could have been pretty bad

[@TonyGeneseo]

Great video Ryan ! Love what you’re doing as always. My first and only concern would be when you’re there and the stove is going and the suns out …. Is the snow sliding off the roof and cleaning the panels out. Don’t recall the pitch of the roof but if that’s the south side because that’s where the panels are aiming ( lol ) might be a concern. When you’re not there and they’re tucked in definitely wouldn’t be an issue. Just my 2 cents worth. Not that u asked and I’m certainly not picking on your work. Take care man

[@blackspruce1861]

hey thanks Tony !! I'm slightly concerned about that too but for the I guess ill just have too keep an eye on the roof when I'm there . for the most part I don't use a lot of power just lights so it might be fine not even tilting them out a lot of times . I'm not sure just another thing to figure out

[@TonyGeneseo]

@@blackspruce1861 I hear ya. Trial and error. Lol. I’m in Maine and I know my metal roof is great but can really tear shit up as the snow slides off. Lol. 🙄😁

[@Kate-nd4rl]

I'm not sure why more people don't do this!

[@blackspruce1861]

I don't know it didn't cross my mind until a view told me about it

[@mikeveine]

That will not withstand strong winds. Needs to be secured better when up and down.

[@blackspruce1861]

the cabin is pretty surrounded by woods the wind doesn't get that bad there

[@mikeveine]

@@blackspruce1861 That's what I thought to on my cabin until a big wind storm caused all sorts of damage. I have window shutters on my cabin that hang down on hinges similar to your panel setup. Before I installed latches to fasten them when they were folded down, they would bang away when the wind blew. Some simple fasters from the hardware store fixed that problem.

[@marcielynn4886]

What Hundred watts at best?

[@blackspruce1861]

I don’t use much mostly 12volt lights don’t need much

[@bethgruenewald7463]

Great idea! I have an H frame for my panels that is working out pretty well so far. I really like your set up.

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! the person who told me about this has his on an h frame I'm sure you could add hinges easily if you wanted too

[@bethgruenewald7463]

@@blackspruce1861 My H frame is about 10 feet tall and has support legs that allow me to change the angle. I'm thinking about building a dolly platform with casters so I can rotate the whole assembly as long as I can make it stable enough to handle the rotation.

[@joshkelloggKCR]

Excellent content, keep it coming.

[@blackspruce1861]

hey thanks Josh !! how've you been ?

[@joshkelloggKCR]

@@blackspruce1861 living the dream

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

Hello from Detroit Michigan brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and for taking us on your adventure through the woods

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks!! I wouldn't Call it expertise but glad to have you along !!

[@frank4fun64]

great concept, KISS always works for me. Not sure about your wind situation there or how heavy the panels are but I would consider a barn door latch at the bottom to keep them from slamming in a wind storm when stowed. Love your videos, makes me miss the north

[@blackspruce1861]

Thanks !! I don't think they should get to much wind with all the trees around but thats a good idea anyways