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Tailgating....Power Question

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Ok well mod's please move this if it is in the wrong section.

The way i look at it, tailgating is a sport….lol, or at least should be…

That being said, I am looking for a "less is more" approach for basketball and baseball season, and if it works football.

I have read several posts about these Solar Power Panels that can keep your battery charged while idling.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11298862&search=solar%20power&Mo=5&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=solar%20power&Ntt=solar%20power&No=2&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

I think that this would allow us to run the car stereo for a good amount of time without having to worry about cranking the car….right?!?

We normally use a generator for football to power a stereo system or just run the car.  Both are not convenient either for using too much gas or having to lug a generator to and from the house.

We tried a marine battery with a small car amp and some 6x9's this year but for 1 game it over heated and we ended up having to go to back to using the car/generator.

Looking for some advise.

Thanks in advance.

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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

It's ok in here…unless someone has an objection to it.

Any objections?

None.

Motion passes!

So, onto your solar powered idea…

Radio is nice amenity…BUT:

Can we add another item to the list of explorations?

Any way to get one to power a portable AC unit for those rediculous summer days?? ;D
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

well while trying to find other people that use these solar panels to keep their batteries charged i found 1 fan in Texas, go figure Austin, TX.

His entire tailgate is powered by a $2,000 solar panel setup.  I emailed him for pictures (which i will post here if i get them).  He runs a sat. tv setup, one of those cool zone mist machines, and several other small appliances.  It sounds pretty crazy and in the exact opposite direction that i am trying to go with the "less is more" approach.

Im pretty sure that the panel will work after further review….but still looking for someone here that has used something like this before.
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

Nunzio42 said

His entire tailgate is powered by a $2,000 solar panel setup.  I emailed him for pictures (which i will post here if i get them).  He runs a sat. tv setup, one of those cool zone mist machines, and several other small appliances.  It sounds pretty crazy and in the exact opposite direction that i am trying to go with the "less is more" approach.

Nice!
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

Tailgating....Power Question

Tailgating in Texas is serious business - especially at UT-Austin. LOL.

When FAU came to town in 2008, I had a chance to see some of the setups. Apparantly some tailgate for days before the opening game. I did see a cot, a hammock and a few sleeping bags at some tailgates, so I wouldn't doubt it.

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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

We got in Wed night and they were tailgating then....
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

Upon further thought, this is primarily a FOOTBALL topic, so Nunzio gave his blessing to move it to the football forum...
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

smittysahoot said

Apparantly some tailgate for days before the opening game. I did see a cot, a hammock and a few sleeping bags at some tailgates, so I wouldn't doubt it.


If you haven't already, please read the book Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer. It chronicles passionate football fans and their tailgating lifestyle. Some people camp out for a week before a game to tailgate and "get into the zone" of tailgating.
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

Thats an amazing book!
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Re: Tailgating....Power Question

Solar Pannels will work, but the amount of current produced isn't very large.  Also they are rated at peak output not at nominal.  You'll need about 250 running watts for a stereo.  Also you'll need some type of reserve so you would need a deep cell batteries, maybe multiple batteries.  150 run about 800-900 dollars.  Plus you'll need a charge controller, as well as batteries, and an inverter if you would like AC power, assuming you are using car amps, you could connect the amps directly to the charge controller or batteries.

All things taken into consideration, this is might be the most environmentally friendly setup, it's not the most economical.  The best thing would be a very small generator.  They make very cheap small generators that are light, and almost run on fumes for hours as well as they are the size of a 12 pack.  http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200313480_200313480 would be my recommendation.
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