Sure, you can use gas generators to power your RV, appliances in a cabin, or other things which require energy. However, generators like this tend to be very expensive. There is also the fact that gas generators create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions and other toxins which nobody should be breathing. Gas generators are also very loud, they can be hard to turn on, and they don’t smell nice either.
If you need a quiet, clean, and reliable energy source, a portable solar panel kit is a great way to go. If you are on the hunt for a clean energy provider, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar 100 Watt Kit is a great option to keep in mind. It has quite a bit of power for all of your needs, it is fairly durable, and it’s reliable too – not to mention easy to operate. This is our Thunderbolt Magnum Solar 100 Watt Review, so let’s get right to it and find out what this particular solar panel energy kit is all about.
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Key Features:
- 4 x 25 watt solar panels
- Silicon power cells for all weather use
- Wind and water resistant
- Blocking diode to prevent night time battery discharging
- 6.8 amps
- Fairly portable
- Comes with a battery terminal, 12-volt light system, USB ports, and a DC power adapter
The Review
If you need a quiet and clean source of energy, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit is choice option to go with. Of course, we do have to mention that solar energy is both quiet and clean; it does not produce any waste, there are no dangerous gases or emissions created, and it is whisper quiet. For anybody who wants a quiet and clean energy source that does not harm the environment or wake up your camping neighbors, a solar panel kit like this is a great way to go.
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The Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit features 4 separate solar panels. Each of these panels can generate a maximum of 25 watts of energy every single hour, all day long. When combined, all 4 panels produce a combined total of 100 watts of energy per hour. If you don’t like talking in watts, and would rather talk in voltage, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit produces about 12 volts worth of energy per hour. Now, this is not the best and highest producing solar panel kit out there, but it is quite impressive nonetheless. We do have to say that it is impressive that such a small solar panel kit can provide this much clean energy to begin with.
To be clear, each of the panels can be used separately, or you can choose how many of them you want to operate at once as well. The Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit produces more than enough energy to run or charge the battery for your motor home. It can also be used to power various appliances like smaller stoves and ovens, televisions, computers, refrigerators, freezers, and other such things too. You might have some problems running multiple appliances at once, at least very large ones, but the fact remains the same, which is that for such a small and portable solar panel kit, the amount of energy it produces is quite astounding.
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Some Items Sold Seperately
The Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit comes in at 7/8 x 13 x 39 inches, making it relatively compact. It can fit on small campgrounds with ease. Moreover, it can also fit in your car or RV with ease. Its limited size is quite convenient in terms of portability’s sake. You really should not have any problems in terms of finding space to transport, store, and set it up. With that being said, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit weighs close to 40 pounds, so it is not exactly lightweight and does take a bit of muscle to carry around.
With that being said, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit comes with all the necessary mounting and setup hardware. Simply unfold the stand in the rear of the panels, find a sunny spot to set it up in, plug in the required cables and other hardware, and you are good to go. The universal DC power adapter, the battery terminal clamps, power control panel, and 12 volt light kit are included. In other words, you can easily connect this solar panel system to the battery control panel, which you can then easily connect to your appliances. The DC power adapter and USB ports are perfect for charging small appliances like phones, tablets, and laptops.
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In terms of durability, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar Kit is up there with the best of them. It is totally weatherproof, which means that really hot and cold temperatures won’t affect it, plus a bit of rain and wind won’t do any damage; however, keep in mind that this is generally speaking, but a 100 km/h and -40° Celsius snow storm could do some damage. Very strong winds might tip it over, and impacts from hail and flying debris won’t do it any favors. Yes, this solar panel kit does have a high level of durability, but when it comes to solar panels, this only goes so far.
When it comes to the solar panels themselves, they are made of amorphous silicon solar cells. This is a really good type of solar cell to be using because they are very efficient and have an extremely high output compared to their surface area. Of course, solar cells work best in strong and direct sunlight, but they don’t do a terrible job at absorbing light energy on cloudy days either. There is a special mechanism included to prevent overcharging and to prevent battery discharging during dark times like the night. Do keep in mind that the battery does not come included and needs to be purchased separately, at least if you want to store energy instead of using it right away.
Conclusion
When all is said and done, if you need a really good solar panel kit for camping, fishing, and other such things, maybe even for your whole RV, the Thunderbolt Magnum Solar 100 Watt Kit is a choice option to go with. Yes, it does need fairly strong sunlight for maximum efficiency, and it won’t be able to resist very extreme weather, plus an actual storage battery is not included, but other than that, this is undoubtedly one of the best options around. It works in most lighting conditions, it comes with all the needed hardware, is quite efficient, portable, and fairly durable.
Learn how to Calculate Watt Hours!
So, you’ve seen the term Watt Hour pop up a lot lately. You may have been wondering what it is and how to calculate them? In this blog post, we will talk about what a Watt hour is, and how to calculate them.
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