Van Life Essentials - Solar Amp Hours Explained
Today we look at the basic concepts of solar starting with the idea of amp hours, especially as it relates to your battery and it's health. I'm well aware that most people are overwhelmed by attempts to explain the basics of solar, and in this video, I work hard to avoid all jargon and terms you don't know.
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Пікірлер: 346
Usually my eyes glaze over at electricity demos. So helpful. Bringing it down to an understanding level.
Finally it’s starting to make sense. Thanks Bob for all you do. The RTR rocked.
@WeLoveCops
5 жыл бұрын
still a bit confused but am starting to get it..... 200 watt solar panals charge a 200 amp hr bank at 50% in how long full sun? Variables I understand, but on average....?
Bob, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to explain mobile power to folks. In fact just attended the RTR looking for inspiration in this area. You have NAILED it! This is the best analogy I’ve come across yet and will help many to understand the world of mobile power. The next question people will have is how to know how many amps (quarters) their device will use (cost). I know you aren’t a big proponent of a battery meter, such as a Trimetric, but I am. With a Trimetric, they could turn on their device and know exactly how many amps they were using at that moment. A Trimetric, or similar, is the only accurate way they have to keep track of how many Amps (quarters) they have taken from their bank. Using a voltmeter to gauge battery level is like trying to determine how much gas is in your car by reading a fuel pressure gauge. You need a gas gauge, and that is a Trimetric or similar. And, again, thank you for this. You did it. You actually simplified what was a foreign and complex topic for many.
I'm in the planning stages of a van build and I was so confused by all this. Your videos are a huge help. The charitable work you do is amazing too. When I buy all the gear for my conversion I'll be sure to buy via amazon using one of your links. These videos and all the other work you do is really worth while. Your're a good man, Bob. Thank you.
Yeah! I was looking for just basic teaching on solar. Thanks Bob!
One of the best, basic, easy to understand videos out there.. one quarter=1 amp ... awesome
The heavens are opening up and and the angels are singing! I finally see the light! I get it now!!!!!!
What a Great Video. After all this time I actually understand it! Thank you so much Bob.
Finally!! An explanation simple enough for me to understand!!! Thanks, Bob!!
What a great explanation and math lesson! Bob, you are so helpful to all of us, thank for giving us knowledge to build on and to make informed decisions.
THANK YOU!!!!! Finally explained so that I get it! My husband was an electrician and it was all jibberish to me! Can't wait for the upcoming videos, you explain things so clear. I really believe you have helped a lot of people today!
Excellent video. I finally got it. Thanks for simplifying things. It was really needed. Many of us are clueless
Thank you so much. After all the researching I've done and people I've talked to, no one had been able to get it to connect with me until this. Forever grateful.
Oh my goodness! I saved this to listen again. First time this has ever made any sense to me. Wonderful easy instructions!!! Thank you Bob!
Looking for my first Class C to go full time. Almost have everything ready to go. Just can't find that perfect RV for me yet!! I WILL FIND ONE!! :) I plan on being at the next WRTR and then RTR. I will get solar and composting toilet and still learning how to get all that but see by your videos IT CAN BE DONE. Thank you for all your very informative videos. Hope to meet you one day. :)
@mouseboots46
5 жыл бұрын
Right behind you! Can't mske any more plans or hunting until my house sells. 😣
@danielletoner8487
5 жыл бұрын
I’m launching in August! Can’t waitFYI: I was searching for class C and opened my search...... found a 26’ Class A. Very sweet. I love the big view out the front
Hi! This video is totally awesome! For first time I could understand what u nomads are always talking about so easily, using words none of which made any sense to me. I loved this tutorial; succinct, easily applicable, and just gave me more confidence as I contemplate this lifestyle in my retirement and tentatively get my feet on the ground, living solo. Living female solo. ( I added the female part only to say I am one of those females who knows literally nothing about maintaining vans/Class B, C rigs. Know nothing about repairs, etc.). But very willing to do the homework, take on-line classes I’ve seen by other nomads, research and just gain as much knowledge as possible, recognizing I will mostly learn by ‘doing’ once I’m actually on the road. felt overwhelmed with all I need to learn before embarking on my adventure so have watched various nomad videos for this last year to gain needed knowledge. However, this was an area I was just totally confused about and yet felt it was an area of critical importance . Loved loved loved this “Amps/Watts/Volts/Solar 101”. You truly spoke in language I could understand and correlate to present life. Also made me aware of what to look for when purchasing my new home. I was so excited realizing I understand you! Before, it was like a foreign language when you and different nomads interviewed other nomads and spoke about all you’d done to increase power and battery life. I just didn’t get it. I hope you continue these types of ‘101’ series of various subjects. There are so many of us out here who just need certain issues simplified, pros and cons, that typical ‘homework ‘ just doesn’t answer. Again, thank you. I’m smiling big cause I just learned a new skill. Lauren
I really enjoy hearing you talk Bob (seriously!). You explain things in a way that many can latch on to, and that's key to education. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.
Thank you so much Bob..so many of us need to keep it simple.. I have a battery isolater and 300 W of Solar..makes living g in my van a breeze!!
Thank you Bob. You broke it down to make a complex topic understandable. Throwing in Ohms Law provided the core info we need. I hope you'll pin this video!
Thank you SO much for explaining! I've read articles and the analogies for volts, watts and amps too yet your visual presentation with the bank/currency analogy just seems easier to absorb. Perhaps it's because more people have a closer relationship with money as it's so crucial to our everyday lives? It's more relatable. Well, who cares?! It helps! And the rest of tbe knowledge will come with time! Thank you, thank you!
I have listened to many many videos about electricity. Thank you for being the first to explain things easily enough for me to understand! Loved it!
Thanks Bob! I have watched a few / well, many vids about the subject [solar & batteries]--little by little I'm getting it. Today's lesson was perfect.
Thank you for this fantastic explanation! I finally feel like I get it! Wow. What a difference a simple explanation makes.
I have tutored for electronic technician's school. This is a great way to teach it. Thank you for including and stressing that batteries should be kept above a level to improve longevity. I'm looking forward to you next video in this series. This is one criticism though: Encourage someone who still doesn't understand to ask more questions. It is the teacher thing in me.
Thank you very much for taking the time to explain at a basic level so newbies to solar power can understand.
Thanks! I am really excited to see the series start!
Wow Bob; great analogy & tutorial! Thanks for the education. I didn't know anything about this stuff.
Thank you Bob I can finally understand how this all works. Now I know what I have to do to get it all together. 👍😁
Thanks Bob, another great video! From one Alaskan transplant with a dog named Kodi to another!
Bob, this is the clearest explanation I've ever seen on the topic. Great job.
Thank you Bob..... Thank you for all you do.
THANK YOU!! I've tried to understand electricity so that I can understand a solar system and have run into the analogy of water running through a hose. Nothing stuck. But you've just explained things in an exactly perfect way for me to understand my power usage. Again, thanks! I appreciate the time you took explaining this!
Thank you so much for breaking it down. Your bank analogy helped me tremendously! Very excited for the other videos in this series, thanks again 👏🙂❤
Thank you for a perfect explanation of how the battery works. That analogy helped me to understand for the first time in my life! You made me so happy! I appreciate all your videos so much.
thank you Bob. off to a good start learning about amp hours to charge our devices and run our appliances. Understanding the electrical system is vital to rv living.
This was so helpful in an area I just feel was inaccessible to me. Thank you so much! I can't wait for the next lesson.
Thank you so much Bob! I finally have some info I can understand to help me plan for my Nomadic future.
Just saw this. Thank you Bob for breaking this down for me! Hope to be joining you all sometime in the near future. I'm planning on building out a cargo van & want to be sure I get the right amount of solar for my needs. This is a great help. Take care😊
Great topic and understandable explanations Bob! Can't wait for the rest of the series on solar. Getting psyched about solar on my new rig. You're the best.
This is great. I will watch and learn all of these videos. Thanks a bunch. Nice background 👍.
Thanks Bob. Beginner here. This made a lot of sense. Can't wait for the next episode.
Thank you Bob! I finally learned the basics of this in your 15 min video. Keep the the excellent work :-)
You have given the very best simplistic explanation of amp hours . I took electronics courses many years ago . Bob: thank you for a down to EARTH 🌎 explanation of electricity and a common sense approach to electricity
oh my bob thank you so much me and my fiancé are trying to learn as much as we can before we start our journey and your videos have been the biggest and most informative help that we have to learn the ins and outs in the simplest way.
Great analogy without making it complicated! Thanks Bob
This was a great beginner video for me. I still don't quite understand it but I am looking forward to your other videos and hopefully I will catch on.
Great info Bob! I look forward to your solar videos! Thanks from Alaska! :)
Always informative. Thanks Bob
Bless you Bob. Finally, some clarity!
Bob thank you for making it plain for all to understand
Thank you.. people learn in many ways how to understand things and this helped me so much!!
I watch every video, some several times. This was very helpful! I am learning before I start which is a few years off.
I now understand much more because of you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Faye
Wow this was a really great video! Thank you! Learned a lot more from this video then all the times others have tried to explain watts, volts and amps to me. I feel tons smarter just by watching this video! This actually put a smile on my face and I seriously need all the somethings to smile about that I can lately. Thank you, Bob :-)
Oh my Bob this is fantastic!!! Incredible explanation . Thanks so very much!
Great demonstration that makes it very understandable. Thank you.
Thanks you sooo much for keeping this simple. A true indicator that you know your stuff. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽✊🏽
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I finally get what everyone is talking about in their videos when they are discussing their batteries, inverters and solar! The inverter was the main thing I could not grasp!
This is the best I have ever heard it explained.
Most deep cycle batteries are rated at a C20 rating. That means if you have a 100amp hour battery, the most efficient use of that battery will be drawing on the battery over a 20 hour period. This means that you really have 5amps you can use per hour. Thus you could draw from your battery over a 20 hour period of time. Now, if you are drawing 10 amps per hour, you might think you're going to get 10 hours. Unfortunately batteries dont work that way. You'll end up getting 5-7 hours. So be careful with how you load down your bank.
@yoso585
5 жыл бұрын
mscavsfan So basically, can’t really have too much battery?
@lindac7146
5 жыл бұрын
That's good to know.
@mscavsfan
5 жыл бұрын
@@milcotto4153 I run my down to zero and have no problems charging them right back up.
@ReflectedMiles
5 жыл бұрын
@@mscavsfan You run what down to zero? Hopefully not deep-cycle flooded batteries. If you do, they will have a short life indeed. If there's a mantra across the whole battery industry it's "never run your batteries to zero." That applies to pretty much all types, and certainly all types normally used in RV's.
@edgarbleikur1929
5 жыл бұрын
@@yoso585 correct
Light bulb moment! It is beginning to get thru to me! Thanks for simplifying this!
I just love your explanations and your manner of speaking.
Great explanation! Thanks Bob 😊
Beatiful analogy. So here is the thing I learned: Lead-acid batteries can only be discharged up to 50% before irreversible damage occurs. However that's not how other batteries work. But lead acid do work that way. Thank you for sharing that important information :)
Super helpful video for the novice. Looking forward to watch your other videos. Thanks
I like the analogy Bob easy to understand. I have found it hard to explain this to people and try to keep it simple....money people know about.
GREAT SERIES, MUCH NEEDED!
Awesome solar class thanks Bob😊
Wow it’s like you read my mind! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Bob, for the confidence boost to head out on the road this yr. Just what I needed. :)
THANK YOU BOB FOR MAKE IT SIMPLE! GREAT VIDEO!
Great explanation! Amp hours for dummies! Which I apparently am....thank you sir!
Thank you for explaining it so clearly. Much appreciated.
Finally it makes sense, thanks so much for making this video!
Thank-you for making it really simple. I needed that! Well done!
Ok so now I know I want 200w panels with 2/100amp batteries in a bank to be able to run a 12v fan at night and charge my phone for the next day. I can have a Lucy lite for daily solar charging. It would allow me to watch vids on my ph at night. Then there's no worries of running the batteries dead. This really helped. Thanks so much.
@wherewomenwander2921
5 жыл бұрын
Louise I see you are in Fla. Me too so I thought I would tell you something incase you haven't heard. I don't know what kind of solar you may be installing but Lots of people have tried the flexible panels on top of their vehicles here in Fla. They have failed due to the excessive heat and not enough ventilation when people put them on the roof of a vehicle. Just letting ya know. Have a great evening.
@louisemissouri4410
5 жыл бұрын
@@wherewomenwander2921 hey thanks for that info. I travel mostly in Missouri-Arizona. I think a grate under them would solve that problem. Shouldn't cost much for someone to weld something together for that problem. Good luck... TC ATB Louise
Thanks Bob. Look forward to next video in the series cuz what I don’t know is a lot! 😬
This was a great informative video. Thanks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am building a barn and I want to use solar just for some tools to be recharged and a couple of fans and led lights. I will have to watch this a couple of more times so I can get it. This has been the best explanation I could grasp hold of because I don’t have a clue about electricity or solar.
Bob - I love your videos and your general approach to all things cheap RV living/van life. I’m working on not making my van conversion so complex I never leave home! I can’t wait to get my tail out there and meet you!
Thanks Bob, super helpful as always
I am amazed how you can talk solar in layman's terms. I am a performance engineer for a major communications company. Your series is right on. Thanks for sharing. With a little investigation everyone can customize their solar. People go small travel trailer or go truck camper! The boondocktor. LOL
Thank you Bob !
Thank you for that simple explanation!
thanks so much.........it's BEGINNING to make sense!!
Fantastic! This was great Bob! Thank You!!!!
YOU ARE A GOD SENT! Thank you so much Bob! 😁👍🏼💖🌸
This is the best explanation. Thanks a heap Bob.
This gentleman is exceptionally good at counting
Thanks ,much more clear.
Wow. Thank you for making this video and demystifing solar. Awesome.
You are so good at explaining this topic!!
This is one reason, among others, why I decided to use Lithium batteries. Lithium batteries can be drained down to 10% vs 50% without damaging them. They also have over twice as many cycle times over lead acid deep cell batteries Yes they cost more but they just last much longer and can even be stored for ver a year and retain their charge to 80%. Nice video Bob. Thanks
Simple and straight forward, thank you
I'm glad you made this subject clearer. Once, way back, I had asked how many amp hours? You had kept referring to your new battery bank as 6 golf carts while live streaming you and Jim / Denver. It's so very important to know how many amp hours. I have rejuvenated a friends wheelchair batteries. They are 40 ah each. I have purchased 400 watt system from new powa last winter and nearly blew up my new used batteries. The expanded and I had acid (AGM) on the floor of my van. Baking soda took care of that mess. My batteries still work. Hopefully, live and learn. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I get it! I am such a visual learner:) now to find out my items required amounts!!
Thanks Bob!!! Finally someone explaining it that makes sense
Great job Bob! Keep up the good work!
Loved the banking analogy - thank you. Makes more sense.
Excellent! Now I understand. Thank you😁