# Solar track power project completed



## roykirk (Jul 20, 2012)

I've finally finished my solar track power project for my backyard G scale setup. My track is located over 100' behind my house and running AC line out there wasn't realistic. I would have had to tunnel under nearly 20' of a concrete patio and it seemed like a major headache. So far it works great and I couldn't be happier. 

I have a 20 watt solar panel running to a charge controller, which runs to an inexpensive Walmart car battery. I have a 400w AC inverter hooked up to the battery and then the train controller hooked up to the inverter. Yes, I've been told that the inverter isn't really necessary as I could have hooked the battery directly to the track (through a rheostat), but I needed the AC power in that location for other things as well. According to the solar charge controller, I haven't even come close to discharging the battery yet. The solar panel could probably be a little bigger, but thus far it seems to be doing the job. I'm betting in the winter I'll have to look at adding another panel, however. 

The total project put me out about $150 in supplies. That's probably about what it would have cost me to run AC out there as well (although the AC option would have cost even more if I had to pull the required city permits). But the savings in labor and Tylenol was even greater!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds good. Any Pics? Later RJD


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## roykirk (Jul 20, 2012)

I'll work on taking some this evening.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

You should find your actually making more power in the winter from your solar panels - compared to summer time. 

Did you know that in the summer heat they make less power.../ 

Did you know they make more power when they are cooler...? 

The difference will be in the day time running hours between seasons, and how much you run trains - hence,.. discharge the battery... 

pictures please!! And where are you located? 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Our panels each put out as much as 235 watts each and I've seen the voltage for the larger array (two arrays) go over 340 volts and over 15 amps. That will charge your batteries quickly. 

Regarding winter, yes the panels work better when cool. But the sun is lower in the sky so you loose some efficiency due to the angle.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Angles can change tho!!! 

Try adjustable leg supports for the panels, move them thru the seasons. 

Winter - high, 
Spring/Fall - mid, 
Summer - low 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

In the winter the sun sits lower in the sky. The light has too pass though more atmosphere than in the summer and this causes additional scatter of the photons. While you can angle the panel to best take advantage of what's there, there is not as much there to take advantage of.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Did 'ya feel like that was a mouthfull...?


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Very cool idea--pictures please!


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## roykirk (Jul 20, 2012)

Each photo has a caption to describe what you're looking at. I live in Western Washington near the coast, so winter is going to be interesting because it's usually cloudy and raining all winter long. Please let me know if the link doesn't work as I can't tell.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

I saw them, indeed it works. 

Your work looks great and effective! Small set-up and easy. 

One remark - photos were too clear - looks like some solder would work wonders on your feeders to the track, better connections and less voltage or current loss! 

THX - Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## roykirk (Jul 20, 2012)

I've tried to solder the connections, but it didn't work so well. The molten solder refused to stick to the brass track and just ran off like water. Not sure what to do about that. I've thought about getting some screws to connect them a bit better if the solder won't work.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

I'm thinking that you did not get the rail up to temp. to melt the solder on the rail, which would need to be done to work with both a heavy cross section and a light wire.. 

You may have to also be sure the brass was clean and maybe use a flux to protect the brass surface during the heating process, till it will melt the solder... 

the flux removes oxygen - or protects from oxygen - so as not to tarnish the brass, thus preventing it from accepting melted solder... 

Or try soldering to some of the rail clamps and attaching those between two sections of track. 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By roykirk on 15 Aug 2012 08:36 PM 
I've tried to solder the connections, but it didn't work so well. The molten solder refused to stick to the brass track and just ran off like water. Not sure what to do about that. I've thought about getting some screws to connect them a bit better if the solder won't work. 

You need to "scratch" the track to a bright shiny finish first. Paste flux helps and you need a high powered iron. I use a 325 watt Weller.


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

You need clean track. Bright and shinny. Use a Dremel or something similar with a wire brush to clean it off. Then put flux on it, put your soldering iron (at least 80-watt), not a gun on it. You need the mass of the iron. Apply solder. Then, clamp whatever you want to solder to it, next to it and heat up both the track and the wire (or whatever) until the solder melts against it not the iron. 
If the track isn't clean and you don't use flux or a hot enough iron, the solder will just fall off.
Bob


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## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

You can get solder flux at Radio Shack. Use a large gun that gives you maybe 100+ watts. The job will be done in a few minutes. 
Mark
*http://mmg-garden-rr.webs.com/*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Actually, soldering is a bit of skill... 

1. clean clean clean... don't scratch it.... the easiest way is like Bob said, a small fine gauge wire wheel in a dremel. 
2. now clean with solvent, oil and junk accumulates on wire wheels (steel does not absorb oil and grease) 
3. now a good NON ACID flux... something used for electrical connections like at Radio Shack as Mark mentions... do NOT get the stuff from Home Depot in the pluming department. put it on the cleaned brass
4. Now you need a large iron, like your grandfather had, or one of the "guns" like the Weller Todd mentions, over 200 watts for sure. 
5. tin the wire before you try to solder it... heat it and apply solder to it... the solder will "coat" it, called tinning. 
6. now apply heat... and both things need to be heated... the rail will act like a "heat sink" and draw the heat away quickly, so the soldering iron needs very good contact or you won't get enough heat across. 
7. Only now do you apply the solder... if the solder does not melt instantly as you touch the joint (NOT THE IRON) then it's not hot enough... heat some more. 


What you are likely to find is that the time between when it is hot enough and when it starts to melt ties are very close.... you have to heat the rail quickly so you can solder it before it gets so hot that you melt the ties... 

Practice... some people never get it... then there are other alternatives, like a resistance soldering unit... 

Regards, Greg


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