mikejkay Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 The dirty deed is done and I am now the proud owner of a 10mm diameter hole (in the roof of my MH). Three hours of measuring, setting out with electrical tape, checking and doing it all again and ten seconds with a drill. I set out from the inside via the hatch and from the outside by measuring between the windows. The first couple of attempts I was several inches out, which was not good enough as I wanted the hole to emerge in a 65mm gap between a partition and the end of a locker. In the end the location was spot on. The only real difficulty was that I had to continue the hole through the top of the locker and my bit wasn,t quite long enough. Roof construction appears to be similar to that of the gas locker door. About 4mm of GRP, 40mm of expanded polystyrene and 3mm of plywood. Next job is attaching the brackets to the frame of the panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Mike ... I'm gonna come and slap you silly if you start yet another thread on your solar panel installation!!!!! :D Please will you post on an existing one ... us old forum grumpies can't keep up when there are loads of different ones! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 12, 2014 Author Share Posted May 12, 2014 Mel - I thought it would be the opposite. Clearer to detail each stage with a separate post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 mikejkay - 2014-05-12 1:17 AM Mel - I thought it would be the opposite. Clearer to detail each stage with a separate post. NOOOOO! Please stop it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 I would have offered more advice but just gave up, your multiple posts are impossible to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Mike you need to give it a rest..or get to grips with repeated posts on ONE existing 8? threads.....for you it may be fascinating but for most I suspect as boring as hell :D why all the measuring etc..all you had to do was drill upwards from inside van (^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 12, 2014 Author Share Posted May 12, 2014 1. There are only two threads. I did not realise that there was a very small size restriction on attachments and I reposted to explain why the photos mentioned were not there. I posted the photos separately again because of the 100kB size restriction. 2. Drill upwards from inside the van? From inside a locker and less than 2cm from a bulkhead? I don't think so. I started these threads in order to put in the public domain the information that I have actually obtained the hard way Iand was not avasilable from omnipotent beings such as yourself. Now I know where your reputation comes from. If you find it boring don't bother to read it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 mikejkay - 2014-05-12 1:39 PM 1. There are only two threads. I did not realise that there was a very small size restriction on attachments and I reposted to explain why the photos mentioned were not there. I posted the photos separately again because of the 100kB size restriction. 2. Drill upwards from inside the van? From inside a locker and less than 2cm from a bulkhead? I don't think so. I started these threads in order to put in the public domain the information that I have actually obtained the hard way Iand was not avasilable from omnipotent beings such as yourself. Now I know where your reputation comes from. If you find it boring don't bother to read it! Well said, my thoughts exactly, some folks eh! Keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 No..there are eight :-D your loosing your marbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Mike.. But it would have all made so much more sense and have been more informative, if you had just strung all your photos and comments into the one thread.. (...and there are about 7-8 "threads", not just 2...the bulk of which are just, individually posted photos).. ;-) .. Also, the file size limit, to my knowledge, relates to each individual photo and NOT to the post as a whole, therefore it is possible to post several photos in one post... (...and if a fumble-thumbed techno numpty like me can do it, anyone can.. (lol) ) Maybe it'd be worth you firing off an email to the Mods, to see if they are able to re-jig your posts into the one thread?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigal55 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-05-12 1:27 PM why all the measuring etc..all you had to do was drill upwards from inside van (^) Thats what i did, it means the cables entered the van exactly where i wanted them, i,e, in the truncking of the main cable run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Onwards and upwards. Partially fitted the panel to the roof: 1 Offer up and make sure that it is in the right position. 2 Mark positions of n/s brakets with tape. 3 Move panel away and mark out brackets using templates. 4 Roughen undersides of brackets using corundum paper and attach 2mm thick spacers. 5 Roughen marked out areas of roof 6 6mm bead of Sikaflex 512 around perimeter of brackets with two extra rows along the wider parts. 7 Place brackets in position and very carefully lower panel frame into position. 8 Screw brackets to frame. 9 Make (very minor adjustments to the position s of the brackets. 10 Carefully remove marking tape complete with surplus mastic. 11 Push panel down firmly. 12 Smooth extruded mastic with wet finger. I then fitted the central bracket on the opposite side (throught the hatch). Remaining two brackets to be done when the mastic has cured for 48 hours. Photos (bad ones) attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Mike.. ...I do hope that making template from a cereal box which had "CRUNCH" on it, isn't some sort of omen....8-) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 It's the "nuts" that got cut off that worries me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 As I understand it shadows can have a considerable effect on the output of a solar panel. If it is a tv aerial in the background that is extended could it pass a shadow over the panel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 mikejkay - 2014-05-13 6:32 PM It's the "nuts" that got cut off that worries me. (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Probably, but only if I watch TV during the day. The only other option would have been to have the panel aligned transversely across the van behind the hatch but this would have meant a longer cable to the gland. The cable would have been vulnerable and would have been resting on the roof where it would have accumulated dirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm a bit concerned how you screwed the brackets to the panels, self tappers are only considered suitable for panels up to about 60 Watts anything bigger the bracket needs to be screwed to the panel with nuts & bolts or fit hank or rivet bushes to the panel. Also if you used stainless Steel self tappers, you will get Galvanic corrosion and the aluminium will corroded where in contact with the screw. When using S/S nuts and bolts you either use a special compound or the old yacht man's trick of a dab of silicon or evostick to stop the S/S coming into contact with the aluminium. Running cables along the roof is not a problem, you run them in mini trunking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Oops! Sounds like a Boo-boo. I'll have a look tomorrow and see if I can get my fat fingers in far enough to hold a nut in place. If so, then I will replace the self tappers ( which are stainless of course!). When so say silicon do you mean silicon grease or silicon mastic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Would be better to fit Rivet nut or Hank bushes then the panel can easily be removed if needed see this link . some other types of stainless ones here Hank bushes can be fitted with a hammer, Rivet bush need a tool, you need to buy the correct bush for the thickness of the metal you are fitting to. I would be a bit weary using a hammer on a solar panel, the fitting the rivet bushes to aluminium you will probably get away with pulling them in with a bolt. Grease or mastic silicon it is just to minimise contact area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 I've looked at Hank bushes and they seem better suited to being used in a thin solar panel frame. However, the ones that I have seen are steel and surely there would still be a problem with corrosion? The solar panel frame is only about 1.5mm thick, an alloy M4 rivnut is about 9.5mm long. Would this hold in a frame just over 1mm thick? Do you think that I could I fit Hank nuts with a nut and bolt? Is M4 the smallest size for Rivnuts/Hank bushes? Sorry to bombard tou with all these questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Gosh, what a palaver, fancy brackets, hank bushes????? I simply folded a bit of aluminium and pop riveted it to the solar panel. Been on for two years now and about 6000+ miles with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Yes Hamish, making your own brackets and pop riveting them on is OK as you can make the brackets in the quantity and size to suit the panel. Mike has a large 150W panel and already has the plastic brackets and just using self tappers on a panel that size is risking it, once the aluminium starts corroding around the self tapper you are asking for problems. Mike- Hank bushes need to be peened over, you can get Rivit bushes in Brass, Aluminium & S/S to fit panel sizes down to 0.6mm. I have just ordered a couple of 100W panels these are the brackets I'm using I had considered making them myself, I wanted brackets that I could easily remove the panel if needed. It would have cost 25 quid plus in materials and without a proper workshop difficult to get a professional finish and would have taken ages just to save 30 or 40 quid (I brought 2 sets of 6). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 I want to be able to remove the panel without having to drill out rivets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Having never fitted them, I'll ask a daft question... So these panels don't come with pre-drilled, pre-threaded(and strengthened?) mounting points then?..... I agree, that I wouldn't be choosing to use pop rivets, "just in case" the panel needed to come off... (rivet nuts would probably be my choice...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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