back to 2024.05.04 Spring Camporee

3 solar and power:




I "only" brought two frames (8 panels) to the event, which in hindsight was still probably overkill. The frames
are very portable, but as a result they take awhile to set up and take down. I was testing out my new heavier
panels this time, and the added weight definitely changes how things work out. The frames are much more rigid
and easier to handle, and the added weight doesn't really cause a problem with them. The frames were well-behaved,
even with the heavier load. In many respects, the heavier panels are easier to work with than the lighter ones.
The downside of course is the added weight. The single tote with 8 heavy panels in it weighs 33 pounds.

The wind was still a problem though. Since these frames were just leaning against a shelter with open sides, there
was no protection from the light wind gusts we were getting, and it was clear the panels were going to need to be
tied down somehow to keep them from getting blown over. Fortunately, Mark (N8TWO) had a few ratchet straps
handy, and we were able to get the tops tied to the shelter, which did a great job of keeping the panels under control.

There wasn't much power demand from my battery or solar though, just the one code radio plus the talk-in radio
I had set up when I arrived. Panel voltage hung around 83 volts, indicating we had a lot of solar power to spare.
I hadn't gotten the 97 (UHF) repeater programmed into the talk-in radio yet, and it wasn't able to bring up the
94 repeater for some reason, so it wasn't very effective as a talk-in, but we didn't have a lot of operators coming
so it wasn't a big deal. I'll need to do a little troubleshooting on that later.

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