Bosch Solar Charging

[Sweetwater]

lol
Great discussion with Math explanations.
My solar isn't portable but charges my eBikes just fine.
5.94 kW, 330 Watt Panasonic panels, SolarEdge 7.6 kW inverter, rooftop installation.
1:1 exchange with my Power company for 16 more years.
Waiting patiently for more battery options.
Never failed to charge and run the HVAC simultaneously.

 

[olsenn]

Webcurl, how do you like your P3 125W solar charger? I was seriously considering purchasing that one myself. However, the output voltage was outside the accepted range of my peripheral devices.

I don't have an e-bike, but my solar setup is an Omnicharge Ultimate Li-Ion battery bank w/ built-in MPPT solar charge controller, and the PowerFilm 60W FM16-3600LTMC. I also purchased the now discontinued 70W MiaSole' (Omnicharge branded) solar charger, which for my uses I actually am starting to prefer (semi-rigit keeps it from blowing all over the place in the wind without any nails or weights added for stability; and it has QC2.0 USB built-in.. plus is more waterproof than the PowerFilm)

I also own, but rarely use, a GenaSun GV-5 MPPT. However, neither this nor the Omnicharge supports the high voltage of that P3 panel, hence why I didn't end up going for it.

 

[webcurl]

Webcurl, how do you like your P3 125W solar charger? I was seriously considering purchasing that one myself. However, the output voltage was outside the accepted range of my peripheral devices.

I don't have an e-bike, but my solar setup is an Omnicharge Ultimate Li-Ion battery bank w/ built-in MPPT solar charge controller, and the PowerFilm 60W FM16-3600LTMC. I also purchased the now discontinued 70W MiaSole' (Omnicharge branded) solar charger, which for my uses I actually am starting to prefer (semi-rigit keeps it from blowing all over the place in the wind without any nails or weights added for stability; and it has QC2.0 USB built-in.. plus is more waterproof than the PowerFilm)

I also own, but rarely use, a GenaSun GV-5 MPPT. However, neither this nor the Omnicharge supports the high voltage of that P3 panel, hence why I didn't end up going for it.

Note sure how they compare to others in low light but it doesn't do all that well, it's very directional, you need to point it at the sun to get the most, but i'm sure they are all like that (move it every few hours or so to get optimal output). It's light & tough, you'll need pegs etc. in wind.
But in the direct sun it's great, in the Aussie summer i got 113W out of it, which is pretty good for a 125W panel.
Your MPPT's don't allow up to 40V, that's a bit average?

 

[webcurl]

Anyone tried one of these: https://powerbutler.de/ ?

 

[Ddewsbury]

One question if I may please.
I have a Toyota RAV 4 with a 10 amp cigaret lighter outlet.
I want to use my 4 amp 110 volt Bosch charger with the aid of inverter so I will be able to charge my battery while travelling.

Do you think a 500 watt inverter should do the trick ? If not, what should I use ?
Thanks

I picked up a cobra 400 watt cigarette lighter inverter at a truck stop. Works just fine with the 2amp charger. I carry my bosch ebike in the sleeper cab.

 

[webcurl]

I picked up a cobra 400 watt cigarette lighter inverter at a truck stop. Works just fine with the 2amp charger. I carry my bosch ebike in the sleeper cab.

I missed the original questions details. Mentions a RAV 4 with a 10A cig lighter outlet, this would be 10A at the car voltage (13.8) so 138W.
The Bosch 2A charger would be fine with this.
The mention of a 4A 110V Bosch charger is mixed up, it's 110V on the input and 4A on the output, it outputs about 40V at 4A which is approx 160W, my 240V input, 4A output Bosch charger actually consumes up to 195W, i'd say the 110V version would be similar.
This would blow your cig lighter socket fuse or wiring.

 

[webcurl]

I picked up a cobra 400 watt cigarette lighter inverter at a truck stop. Works just fine with the 2amp charger. I carry my bosch ebike in the sleeper cab.

Do you know if it's a Pure Sine Wave inverter or a Modified Sine Wave inverter?

 

[kvanstee]

I recently bought a 12V DC-DC Bosch charger on ebay. Expensive but worth it. Hmm... when I purchased there were 3 left. Now there's 7.

 

[webcurl]

I recently bought a 12V DC-DC Bosch charger on ebay. Expensive but worth it. Hmm... when I purchased there were 3 left. Now there's 7.

Hi, very interested. Which batteries are you using it with? Any problems when below 50%?

 

[kvanstee]

Hi, very interested. Which batteries are you using it with? Any problems when below 50%?

Using with classic line(?) battery and adapter since there's no dedicated charging port. Works fine at all charge levels.

 

[Ddewsbury]

Do you know if it's a Pure Sine Wave inverter or a Modified Sine Wave inverter?

Modified

 

[olsenn]

Just thought I'd share a little comparison between the:

BJCS-108: 108W CIGS Foldable Solar Charger
(https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...21037a4fvrTz1U)

FM16-3600LTMC: 60W Amorphous-Silicon Solar Charger (Lightweight version)
(https://californiapc.com/Portable-So...-3600LTMC.html)


Starting with some photos of their relative sizes, you can see that these two devices measure similarly in dimensions:

When folded, these two chargers have roughly the same size profile. Here (below) are these solar chargers when deployed:

Here you can see that despite having 80% higher rated power output, the 108W Baijian charger takes up less space when unfolded than does the 60W PowerFilm charger.

Below are some more images of their texture/materials:

The two devices may be similar in size. However, their weights differ significantly! The 60W PowerFilm charger weighs in at 2.4lbs / 1.1kg. The Baijian Solar 108W device weighs in at a hefty 4.1lbs / 1.9kg. Nevertheless, the watts-per-weight of output power favours the latter, at 26 Watts/lbs vs 25 Watts/lbs. Close, but worth considering.

If these metrics are important to you, then you may wish to also consider the Baijian Solar 100W charger with 'Global Solar' supplied cells (Model: BJGS-100). This device is slightly larger than the 108W model above. However, it weighs only 2.5lbs. Global Solar now goes by "P3 Solar", and they have some options worth considering as well. Beware, their 125W model is tempting but unless your equipment works with voltages as high as 40V, this option is not for you!

As for the two units reviewed here, the BJCS-108 is significantly cheaper than the FM16-3600LTMC. Also, while the former is encased in a vinyl-like ETFE which is highly waterproof and semi-rigid, the PowerFilm unit encapsulates their cells in a cloth-like fabric which is extremely lightweight and flexible. I strongly prefer Baijian's way of doing it, as the lightweight, cloth construction makes the charger not only far less waterproof, but also it blows around in the wind like you wouldn't believe. While I can usually set the BJCS-108 flat without it moving on me, even on relatively calm days I have to place heavy objects on the four corners of the PowerFilm unit to keep it in place. Both devices come with metal grommets for those wishing to mount them.


My Comments on power delivery I will have to deliver on a different day, after I have had more time to test these two devices more thoroughly in various conditions. To be continued...

 

[webcurl]

My Comments on power delivery I will have to deliver on a different day, after I have had more time to test these two devices more thoroughly in various conditions. To be continued...

Looking forward to test results...

 

[olsenn]

Just a quick update: I have had an opportunity to test out these two solar chargers a few times this past year, and the BJCS-108 consistently outputs a good 50% - 75% more power under the same conditions as the PowerFilm one.

Me being the addict that I am, I also recently went ahead and purchased one of those P3Solar 125W chargers mentioned earlier in this thread; I should be receiving that in the mail over the next week or two. I will be comparing that charger with the other two then as well. I cannot use the OmniCharge units with the P3-125W (voltage is too high); however, I will be using my Victron 75/15 MPPT and a standard LiFePO4 4S battery.

Lastly, to complete my foray into the world of power generation, I have also recently acquired a Wavhoom 30W Hand Crank Generator. I can provide details about that for anyone interested as well. However, in general, I do not recommend that option.

 

[Merle Nelson]

I'm picturing my planned application and riding mountain bike paths all day then coming back to camp and handcranking all night to charge batteries - no.

Very interested in yours and others solar charging solutions. Thanks for posting you findings and experiences.

 

[webcurl]

Just a quick update: I have had an opportunity to test out these two solar chargers a few times this past year, and the BJCS-108 consistently outputs a good 50% - 75% more power under the same conditions as the PowerFilm one.

Me being the addict that I am, I also recently went ahead and purchased one of those P3Solar 125W chargers mentioned earlier in this thread; I should be receiving that in the mail over the next week or two. I will be comparing that charger with the other two then as well. I cannot use the OmniCharge units with the P3-125W (voltage is too high); however, I will be using my Victron 75/15 MPPT and a standard LiFePO4 4S battery.

Lastly, to complete my foray into the world of power generation, I have also recently acquired a Wavhoom 30W Hand Crank Generator. I can provide details about that for anyone interested as well. However, in general, I do not recommend that option.

Interesting results, P3-125 cost a great deal?

 

[olsenn]

Interesting results, P3-125 cost a great deal?

Indeed! I spent roughly $1000 CAD for that P3-125W and I haven't seen the customs charge yet. It will be my most expensive charger. I ordered it in the Multicam fabric from CaliforniaPC. Intererstingly, their datasheet/pdf for the P3-125W has recently changed... they used to claim a rated power of near the 125W expected for the charger, but it now says it can pull 150W. I'm not sure if the solar cells have become more efficient or if their just fudging the numbers to make it look better on paper for prospective buyers.

 

[webcurl]

Indeed! I spent roughly $1000 CAD for that P3-125W and I haven't seen the customs charge yet. It will be my most expensive charger. I ordered it in the Multicam fabric from CaliforniaPC. Intererstingly, their datasheet/pdf for the P3-125W has recently changed... they used to claim a rated power of near the 125W expected for the charger, but it now says it can pull 150W. I'm not sure if the solar cells have become more efficient or if their just fudging the numbers to make it look better on paper for prospective buyers.

Best i've received from any of the 2 x Multicam P3-125's i have is about 114W in full Aussie sun in summer, no more than 30 degrees off from facing exactly direct to the sun, somewhere between 30 & 33 degrees Celsius from memory.
Hopefully you're lucky and they've improved, which of course would piss me off to the nth degree considering what i paid for them

 

[olsenn]

Best i've received from any of the 2 x Multicam P3-125's i have is about 114W in full Aussie sun in summer, no more than 30 degrees off from facing exactly direct to the sun, somewhere between 30 & 33 degrees Celsius from memory.
Hopefully you're lucky and they've improved, which of course would piss me off to the nth degree considering what i paid for them

All solar chargers need to be tilted towards the sun at a 90 degree angle to get the best results, but generally with these blanket chargers you don’t do that (just lay them flat and accept less power generation). 114W is excellent and what I’d expect in best case conditions. However, I expect more like 40W - 60W laying flat in good (but not the best Aussie summer) sunlight

 

[webcurl]

Indeed! I spent roughly $1000 CAD for that P3-125W and I haven't seen the customs charge yet. It will be my most expensive charger. I ordered it in the Multicam fabric from CaliforniaPC. Intererstingly, their datasheet/pdf for the P3-125W has recently changed... they used to claim a rated power of near the 125W expected for the charger, but it now says it can pull 150W. I'm not sure if the solar cells have become more efficient or if their just fudging the numbers to make it look better on paper for prospective buyers.

I have an older (year or 2 old) DataSheet PDF that say's 150W, i can't ever remember seeing that change.
They do under-state the weight by about 300g.
I had to pay for customs clearance & gst (vat) twice
Very expensive panels, hopefully for others in the future SunPower can make foldables.