Average customer review: 
Product Description
Dead batteries got you down? Soak up some sunshine with this 60 - watt Solar Kit! Solar power: efficient, abundant and FREE. Looking for a little juice? Solar may be the answer! These super-efficient crystalline Solar Panels were designed for use with cabins, outbuildings, RVs, boats... anywhere running electrical line is not practical. A 7-amp charge controller and 175W inverter help use the sun's energy to charge any 12V vehicle or marine battery. Saves you a TON compared to doing the same job with a gasoline-powered generator! Also can provide remote power for items like feeders, landscaping equipment and more. A bright idea: Produces 4 amps of current under ideal conditions; Maintenance-free and completely silent; Works in all weather conditions, from -40 to 176F; Blocking diode will not allow batteries to discharge at night; Durable ABS shell; All hardware included (battery sold separately); Measures 40" h. x 58" w., weighs 55 lbs.; Order now for "sun"-sational savings! 60W Panel power potential for 1 week. Will run ALL below: Device: Satellite Dish Wattage: 30 Hours of Use: 90 Device: Bilge/Sump Pump Wattage: 100 Hours of Use: 29 Device: Laptop Computer Wattage: 50 Hours of Use: 59 Device: Compact Lights Wattage: 10 Hours of Use: 294 Device: 12" TV Wattage: 20 Hours of Use: 147 In a typical week (7 days / 7 hours of light each day), a 60W solar panel will generate 2,940W (196 amps) into a 12V battery. 60-watt Solar Panel Kit
- Amazon Sales Rank: #180 in Automotive
- Brand: Sunforce
- Model: 50044
- Released on: 2005-11-25
- Dimensions: 42.25" h x 12.00" w x 54.00" l,
- Solar charging kit is designed for RVs, homes, boats, back-up and remote power use, and more
- Built-in ultra-bright blue LED charging indicator
- Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells
- Includes PVC mounting frame, 7 Amp charge controller, 175-watt inverter, and wiring/connection cables
- Maximum temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit
Customer Reviews
Good item, but old technogly.
This item is big and get only 60 watts,.. so I was looking for more. I invest $1000 for a Sanyo HIP 200,.. its the about the same size and weight but produce 200 watt.
Cons, Old technology, big, come in 4 pcs, only 60 watt
Pro, good price, come with accessories, easy to buy.
Great Price to Go Solar
For some reason I had some bad luck with this product arriving partially broken. The wonderful people at Amazon made everything alright and I'm really quite happy with my purchase now. These solar panels power a car battery that I found on the side of the road. That battery powers some 12 volt LED lights and a 120 volt inverter for small task in my shop.
Try it you'll like it. But don't be surprised if you have a broken panel or two when it arrives.
These work well
I bought three of these kits kits for a total of twelve panels. I use them to charge two 115 amp hour marine batteries. The panels seem to bring the batteries up to full charge (green light on) even though the panels are only in direct sunlight for about two hours a day. There are plenty of different connecters for a varity of hookups. The only thing I didn't like was the cheap plastic stand that comes with it. I threw mine out and made a good one out of 1 1/2" angle iron that is 14' long with twelve panels in a row, looks impressive too. Now I'm wondering what I could do with another twelve panels, these things are addictive!
Permanently installed on roof
The panels are installed on my garage roof, wired in to a battery bank and inverter which primarily functions as a very large (4KW) uninterruptible power supply for the house. So far, everything is working fine. They keep the batteries topped off without using power from the grid.
Like most manufacturer's specs, the 60 watt claim is hard to realize. The panels' current output is about 3.2 amps under bright sun, which yields only about 45 watts into a 12 volt gel cell battery at 14.2 volts. The panels can output about 20 volts which would indeed yield 60 watts, but not while connected with the included charge controller. A MPPT controller would achieve 60 watts, however.
The included controller is acceptable in that it works as advertised. One good thing about it is that it does not shunt the panels when the battery is charged, it actually opens the circuit, which means the excess panel output would be available for other uses. I intend to build another device for charging another set of batteries after the primary set is charged.
The included inverter works, but I did not use it in the system. Instead, I'll just keep it around for a portable inverter.
Also, I did not use the PVC pipe stand included with the system, instead mounting the panels directly to the roof.
The kit did include a variety of connectors allowing use with cigarette lighter plugs and jacks, alligator clips, and hardwire, but the charge controller is only usable if hardwired. I strongly recommend the charge controller be used, as the panels can easily overcharge most any 12 volt battery if a charge controller is not wired in.
