Solar powered gate opener

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #32
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    Re: Solar powered gate opener

    Thank you Shastatron,

    I do enjoy "teaching" -- but I can get a little "wordy" at times and loose track of where I am trying to go (and confuse the heck out of people :roll: ).

    And I too am always learning from others here too.

    I am happy it has been of help.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • pablito3
    pablito3 Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
    #33
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    Re: Solar powered gate opener

    Wow,
    what can I say Bill? That´s some answer you´ve given me. What I can say is thank´s very much for your time and patience. I wont pretend to understand half of your maths so Í´ll just accept your suggestions and buy the kit you´ve specified.
    Appologies for the innacurate meter reading. Cant think what happened there. I did move the red lead from the 10A socket to the mA socket. The only thing I can think is on the DCA section of the meter instead of setting the 200m scale should I have set it to the 200u with the tail in front? I have´nt bought battery, charger or controller yet so if you think I should take readings again I can.
    Anyway, with your help (all who´ve contributed) I now know it´s do-able. In fact I´m already thinking of my next solar project. Anybody feel like advising on solar water heating?
    Thank´s a million again Bill and Niel. By the way Bill a couple of posts ago you complimented me on my English. Very kind of you but I am English. I just could´nt stand the English climate any longer and moved to Spain.

    Regards, Paul.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #34
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    Re: Solar powered gate opener

    Paul,

    I thought that may be the case... We have another poster here Nigtomdaw (Nigel) who has done the same thing out of Valencia--and over the years turned his own off-grid project into a solar business...

    You should look up some of his posts.

    -Bill

    PS: Solar Thermal should be nice for you... It will cost less than solar PV (GT or Off-Grid). If you are into plumbing--it can be a good do-it-yourself project.

    There are a few threads here--This is one that some links and discussion for a home built system...
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • pablito3
    pablito3 Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
    #35
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    Re: Solar powered gate opener

    Hi Bill,
    thank´s for those links. I may know the square root of nothing about electricity but plumbing gives me no problems at all. I´ve been looking at solar water heaters but quite frankly I think all solar producta are over priced.
    I dont think we´re ever going to "save the planet" until the cost of producing power by alternative methods entails only a small premium over present methods.
    I dont know how prices are in the USA but here in Spain a solar water heating system including 150 ltr water tank for self installation will cost a minimum of 1,000 Euro´s. Compared with an elecric system for under 200. The 800 difference will pay for quite a bit of electricity. I know all the arguments about the long term but I dont expect to live forever.
    I want to be "green" but I think that solar and wind products are just too expensive. I´m still looking for the best price for a solar panel to charge the battery for my gate opener and think I´m going to have to bring one from the UK where, while still not cheap enough, seem better priced than here in Spain.
    It gets a little tiresome hearing governments telling us all we have to cut consumption of energy then having the nerve to apply a 17% sales tax (here in Spain anyway) to products that will do just that. That 1,000 Euro´s for the solar water heater is also subject to sales tax by the way.
    Well thats my moan for the day over.

    Paul.
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