Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger Reviews

• Solar Panel

  
  By A30U78R9MZIR0V on 2006-11-04
  It was simple to install on top of my RV. I was able to put a cover over the panel and keep getting the sunlight to charge the batteries. It charges even through glass on the inside of the RV.
  
  

• Works great

  
  By A1LYK9G7FSY8LG on 2007-07-29
  I put this on top of a metal storage container with 3 LED lights inside. I put in a controller and a 12 volt deep cyle battery, and I have lots of light.
  
  Just for grins I put in a 400 watt inverter in case anyone wanted to run a battery charger for a DeWalt cordless drill. Great job site problem solver.
  
  

• Arrived broken, Replacement also broken

  
  By A225BQAYHGEK4E on 2007-05-23
  Amazon has verified my suspicion that their stock of these panels is damaged. This product was placed on hold until the "issue can be resolved". The first panel arrived with broken glass, but the box wasn't in perfect condition. The replacement arrived with even more broken glass, but the box was in perfect condition (which rules out the carrier having damaged the panel).
  
  I must say, Amazon customer service came through for me. When I first reported the problem, they immediately sent me a replacement. When that arrived broken, they took care of me.
  
  I should note: The panel still works broken, just not at 15 watts.
  
  

• Very Nice Solar Panel.

  
  By A1BMDRSLKC10NO on 2007-09-01
  Got this panel for under $70 bucks. The panel came in a very securly packed package. It generate more than it advertised. I measured over 20 watts while it's in direct sun light. One thing that's should improve is that the core could be longer.
  
  

• BAD PRICE-150% price change in 2 days

  
  By ADQV49TQC5Z6O on 2008-01-20
  I was considering buying this item when it was listed for 44 bucks. I put the item in my cart and two days later I checked back and the vendor had increased the price of the charger and controller to 129 bucks. Now I will not pay 100%+ more just because 2 days have passed. I do not know what the hell these guys were thinking and I might consider buying the product if they bring it back into a reasonable price.
  FYI you can find this at the kragen stores and other auto retailers for approximately 60 bucks. I was going to buy it thru amazon because it was 30 bucks.
  I complained to customers service and all I got was a bunch of crap about how prices are not guaranteed or anything.
  DO NOT BUY THIS FOR 99 BUCKS. You can get it for about half from other internet retailers.
  No wonder amazon is having so many stock problems. Trying to choke down 150% price increases is BS and I will not support a vendor who does that.
  If they lower the price back to where it was and offer me a 10% off for the hassle I might consider it.
  I bought one for 52 dollars from another internet retailer.
  Maybe if they dropped the price to 38 bucks you can buy it. Do not get ripped off by these jerk sellers.
  
  
  
• No Problem Here
  By A3EXAVBAK8M0Q3 on 2007-06-14
  Well, maybe I'm lucky, but I ordered two of these and they made it all the way to Hawaii in perfect condition.
  
  The panels are just fine -- cheap and easy to mount, exactly what I need for my remote low-power water pumping system.
  
  
• Works as advertised
  By A1Z10IY2PD2COT on 2007-08-26
  It arrived quickly and in perfect condition. It produced the rated open circuit voltage and short circuit current in full sunshine per the specifications. It was a good buy, very good for maintaining a battery, but you must use a charge controller. You need several along with a charge controller if you intend to produce enough power for useful work. I use 5 (similar) together with a 100 amp/hour marine battery to power my laptop. I'd like to add a few more! Great for the hobbyist who wants to play with solar without a large expense, also useful for low power off grid applications. It has been outside during several large rainstorms and had no problems.
  
  
• no regrets
  By A121S4HE3PUFB9 on 2007-09-01
  The product came as promised. The same solar panel is sold in many other retail markets, this gave me confidence. I didn't save a bundle on amazon, but I saved a few dollars and like dealing with amazon anyway. Plenty of electrical wire for easy connections to my batteries.
  
  
• Solar power is expensive, so not sure it was worth it
  By A1EN86G2D5ABO5 on 2008-02-26
  I got a set of 5 panels for $65 each when I saw them on sale. I've had no problems (with arriving broken or such) & I'm pretty sure they put out the energy I expect when the sun's on them. (Update 7-08, see my review under the northern tool panels for my performance test results of the panels I have).
  
  But after I got these I ran some math on the cost for them and their output versus the utility power rate. With power billed in kiloWatt/hours (or 1,000 watts at a time) these panels can suposedly produce 15 watts (~1/60 of a kiloWatt). Assuming they give me the full 15 watts output for ~8 hours per day constantly, it'll take 15+ years for them to pay for themselves. Since cloudy days & such reduce the output & benefit, it will likely make it take a lot longer. Whether of not the plastic construction will hold up that long I wonder about too, so I'm not sure it was really worth it now. How to fully utilize the power I get & not just be keeping a battery fully charged is another thing I'm not sure of (I don't want to leave something running that drains the battery overnight, but not running anything means I get nothing out of it).
  
  So if you want to power something in a remote location that can run off of minimal power or has a high draw but for only a minimal time, this may be the way to go. Just remember that the panels only give you power during sunshine and you need enough of them to be able to recharge the battery they feed during your daylight hours. The set of 4 panels & more for ~$300 sounds like a better deal than ~$100 each (unless you see these on sale). Also being able to use them with existing things (like in a RV that runs off of 12V power anyway) can make it easier to utilize them as well.
  
  But if you are thinking buying these will help you save on your energy bill at home, you might want to think again. To produce 1 kilowatt of solar power will cost you ~$5,000 up front (and that's almost regardless of who's name brand you choose). To collect up the DC power they produce and convert that into household power requires a car size battery & a power inverter as additional costs. I saw a TV show where a guy in California made himself independent of utilities with a farm of panels & other equipment needed, but it cost him over $500,000 to put it all together. If you can afford such and like the comfort of being energy independent, go for it! Otherwise a utility bill as little as $0.10 for each kilowatt hour seems more cost effective to me.
  
  
• Arrived Broken - Twice
  By A1VR6SP4YGBUI2 on 2008-02-15
  I did not use the product due to it arriving with cracked glass - twice. I will try another product and would not recommend this one due to damaged goods. My guess is these are probably damaged before leaving Amazon since the boxes arrived in good shape.
  
  
• Does what it says
  By A1B6O7SAIYG2N0 on 2008-02-09
  I bought this, then bought the set of 4 that comes with extras. Works like it says but for the money your better off buying the set.
  
  
• Great Item
  By AVN5LJBRV9UJS on 2008-01-20
  It comes with a nice long cord which was long enough to reach from the corner of the room of my RV down the refrigerator vent where I connected it to my 7 am charge controller and ran a wire underneath to the battery. This cord has a plug on the end to connect to one of several connectors included. (No wire splicing necessary). It comes with connectors for connecting to a cigarette lighter, alligator clips for connecting directly to battery posts, as well as a connector that just splits off two wires with the insulation already removed for you in case you need to wire them directly into something, or extend them with more wire. It also includes a LED test light that can plug directly into the solar panels cord to test whether the panel is working.
  
  I have attached two of these solar panels to the roof of my RV camper. They keep the battery fully charged even with the propane detector still using electricity. I was able to screw the panel directly into my rubber roof with the screws provided with no problem. They are very secure and they were a great investment.
  
  
• Good Product
  By A1900VGTEKF456 on 2008-01-29
  I have installed this panel on my RV and so far it seems to work well. Easy install and hook up to controller. It charges very slowly, so if you want faster you might try two panels to double the amps.
  
  
• Addicted to solar
  By A3Q2K6KMTRMPLE on 2008-02-01
  Good product,meets specs or exceeds,same as a northern tool 15 watt panel...so by whichever is cheaper....
  
  
• Great while it lasted
  By A1VOTOGS2SN3MU on 2008-02-09
  This is a great panel to have, if you take good care of it. In full sunlight, it will put out the full 15 watts and is fully weatherproof. It is not heavy duty though, so you cant just have it somewhere it might slip, or have it angled up with the chance of it falling down--because it will break. And you can't fix the glass in it if you take it apart. Even when broken it still puts out the 15 watts, it just needs to be kept weather safe.
  
  I got it at Amazon's lowest price ever and I saw they went back up. But I would have already got another at that same price I got the first.
  
  This 15 watt panel is the perfect size to charge batteries without a controller.
  
  
• Solar Panel
  By A3PQQVYDWHN6JY on 2008-04-08
  These solar panels work well. Just be aware that with a fixed location you will only get a portion of the rated amps. If you have direct sunlight and no clouds you may get full current. They are durable and easy to set up.
  
  
• 15 Solor Charger
  By A27MIWG3GEN267 on 2008-04-22
  Installed on tractor barn to maintain tractor battery during winter months. It has performed well, since installing the battery is always charged. Produces current even on low sunlight days.
  
  
• Charges even in low light
  By ACW40TP0KMZTU on 2008-09-15
  I pull a two horse trailer. When we get to the location and I shut off my truck (Ford F250), the power is then shut to the trailer. I installed my Starter-Booster in the trailer to power lights, fans and a water pump while we are at a location.The Starter-Booster would not fully charge on the trip home, so I often had to plug it into AC to recharge it. I installed the solar panel and the regulator and it is maintaining a steady 13.5 volts.
  
  First panel arrived broken, but Amazon quickly replaced it.
  
  The panel is well constructed. I mounted it on the roof of the trailer between two intake / exhaust vents. The vents will give it some protection from branches that occasionally rub along the top of the trailer.
  
  
• sun force solar panel
  By A304BFUG1HSQJJ on 2008-10-03
  These are the third and fourth panels of this type that I have purchased...there are others better, but for the price, rate of return (amps), and reliability I like these best. Brian
  
  
• Solar Charger
  By A2DDDZ6FF5DNGF on 2008-06-18
  I've had the Solar Charger for awhile now. For its size, it does very well. I'm a little concerned about how fragile it is. The output even in indirect sunlight is approx. 18volts. I used it with Sunforce's 7 amp regulator. Their regulator died after 2 weeks. I sent it back to them and haven't heard back. They where good about the RMA, but again. I have not heard what happened yet. The bottom line is if you want a small unit for a boat, vehicle and you have a day or two to charge the battery. This unit will do. I wish I could say the same for their regulator.
  
  
  
  

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