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Review on 🌞 Efficient 12V Solar Panel Kit: Topsolar 30W Charger + 10A Solar Charge Controller + Mount Bracket for Car, RV, Boat, and Off-grid System by Luke Cotton

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Works great on my sailboat!

I installed this panel on the roof of my 15ft West Wight Potter sailboat. Incidentally, it fits perfectly with the fold-out rails and also fits under the extension arm. That works great! Keeps the battery charged while I'm away and recharges it (in sunny weather) after using my electric motor which I use for trolling when the wind is too light. I mounted the controller on a piece of wood that I made to fit the slot my door fits so we can monitor the on board voltage and USB charge our phones! Pointed towards the sun I didn't seem to lose even a single volt (holds a stable 11.1 volts with a Mini Koto motor at full speed 5) while running the motor, but I've had it for over 20 minutes no longer tries . Even pointed away from the sun, although it will still charge the battery! I have it weird too, but somehow it works anyway. My battery box (which didn't previously come with this kit) also has a volt meter and it matches the reading from the controller so it seems to be accurate to within 0.1 volts. A hit for the price in my opinion. Charges my marine battery to over 13 volts and I've even seen over 14 volts in good sun and not draining the battery much. Installation is easy, just drill holes for the included screws for the brackets and use a small wrench to tighten, although hand tightening can also work. The plate is secured to the brackets with wing nuts that are hand tightened. The electrics are mostly plug and play, although you'll need a small eyeglass screwdriver to connect the wires to the solar controller. The kit includes clamps for connecting to the battery. The battery itself is not included. All in all, a great inexpensive solar option that works better than I expected.

Pros
  • Generators and Portable Power Supplies
Cons
  • Lightly dented