this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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2 20 amp batteries. 2 USB ports outside. 2 USB ports inside. 2 AC outlets. 300 watt inverter that I'll probably have to upgrade.
DeWalt rolling toolbox. Water resistant. Charging posts for when solar isn't the best option.

But it accomplished my goal. It can charge power tool batteries by plugging in the standard tool charger or run A CPAP.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

it accomplished my goal

That's the most important part, IMO.

I was in the boonies once with another camper and rigged up something similar for them. The goal of this one was to run small loads off the inverter while the sun was out. I had a spare motorcycle battery from another project, a small spare inverter, and a relay. The battery was basically just a way to stabilize the solar charge controller and was not intended to run loads in the normal sense.

  • 200w of panel -> 20A single-stage PWM like pictured in the OP -> 12Ah AGM
  • PWM load output -> relay trigger
  • battery -> relay power -> inverter -> 120vac loads

Basically whenever the sun was out they could run their small loads. When the battery voltage dropped below 12.7v (ie, sun no longer out) the relay would turn off the inverter and the loads would no longer be powered.

Since the controller was a single statge charger I set it to the Vabs of the battery, 14.5v.