after a rigid solar panel, £100-200. What one to get?

UK-WOOZY

UK-WOOZY

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I usually use Photonic universe but just had a 50w fail within a year after running the engine. Im after a rigid panel so i can mount to a noa solar pole from force4. im thinking alng the lines of a 120w.

thanks
 
Photonic Universe usually stock back contact panels, i have a pair of 100w ones that came from them.

To the OP, what panel did you buy from Photonic Universe and did you contact them about the premature failure ? If so, what was the response ?
 
its a 50w semi flexible panel. when i spoke to them before via customer service they dont normally seem helpful. They have stopped selling the panel too which is suspect. I have had replies on yacht advice facebook page people saying panels they bought from P.U have failed too. So i was aiming to get a better branded panel as i think P.U's panels are their own, unsure. I could get a panel which they say is german made but still unsure on brand. i had installed one of their 50w rigid panels which was labelled as bosch back then on my previous boat in 2011 and it still going strong (the previous boat is still at the club im with)
 
UK-WOOZY said:
I usually use Photonic universe but just had a 50w fail within a year after running the engine. Im after a rigid panel so i can mount to a noa solar pole from force4. im thinking alng the lines of a 120w.

thanks
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I am surprised that running the engine made the panel fail or is that just coincidence?
I would just go for a ebay panel from a reputable trader.
 
UK-WOOZY said:
its a 50w semi flexible panel. when i spoke to them before via customer service they dont normally seem helpful. They have stopped selling the panel too which is suspect. I have had replies on yacht advice facebook page people saying panels they bought from P.U have failed too. So i was aiming to get a better branded panel as i think P.U's panels are their own, unsure. I could get a panel which they say is german made but still unsure on brand. i had installed one of their 50w rigid panels which was labelled as bosch back then on my previous boat in 2011 and it still going strong (the previous boat is still at the club im with)
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I think you should contact them about the early failure. I've fitted several of their rigid panels and not had any problems. It would be good to hear of their response to your problem.
 
good site. i will likeley get the Victron 100w from them. I dont think the 175w will fit on the noa mount, their own brand is too wide also. the noa mount=

https://www.force4.co.uk/solar-panel-turning-pole-mount-with-deck-fitting.html

also my present PWM controller did duel batteries. id like to go the mppt route but the duel ppts are beyond my budget, is there a way around it. the cheapest duel mppt i found is this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/efficiency...ocphy=9044987&hvtargid=pla-744885344763&psc=1
 
UK-WOOZY said:
good site. i will likeley get the Victron 100w from them. I dont think the 175w will fit on the noa mount, their own brand is too wide also. the noa mount=

https://www.force4.co.uk/solar-panel-turning-pole-mount-with-deck-fitting.html

also my present PWM controller did duel batteries. id like to go the mppt route but the duel ppts are beyond my budget, is there a way around it. the cheapest duel mppt i found is this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/efficiency...ocphy=9044987&hvtargid=pla-744885344763&psc=1
Click to expand...

The force4 mount seems a bit pricey, plus it's out of stock. I also fancy buying a Victron 100w panel, I see they also have mounts, I wonder if they could supply one similar to the force4 one?
 
TQA said:
I have 3 Kyocera 135 w rigid panels on my boat. They are now 11 years old and still doing the business.
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Possibly the best rigid panels made but were expensive. I bought 4 x 43w around 11-12 years ago and they were €250 each then but still outputting fine. Have recently removed them and fitted 2 x 160w rigid Chinese from Photonicuniverse. Have the 4 x 43w for sale but Algarve based.

A 25w LVM semi-flexible fitted 15 years ago as a trickle charger no longer works and friends also report short life on flex and semi-flex.
 
just had a call of midsummer to say they cannot get the 100w anymore from Victron. Vicron have apparently superceded it with a 115w panel which is too wide for the noa mount as are the midsummer own branded ones:nonchalance:
 
UK-WOOZY said:
just had a call of midsummer to say they cannot get the 100w anymore from Victron. Vicron have apparently superceded it with a 115w panel which is too wide for the noa mount as are the midsummer own branded ones:nonchalance:
Click to expand...

That mount is over priced and stupidly over spec, there is no justification for a 40mm pole to hole such a panel. My current boat came with an ally framed 60w panel (the same size as my new 100w panels), which was fitted to the top of a 25mm tube, clamped to the pushpit with three stainless u-bolts. Whilst it did flex a bit, it had been there since 1988.
 
theres literally no room or a way for mounting a larger than 50w panel on my boat. a solar arch or a pre-made mount is the only way and i wanted a way to do it before i launch end of this month

just found out the noa pole only takes maximum 80w anyway, nothing about that on force4 where i ordered it
 
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