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DIY solar power is growing topic among hunters nationwide as they seek to extend or sustain power to trail cameras, deer feeders, vehicle batteries, and hunting camps, etc. As popular as the topic is it doesn’t seem as though the hunting industry understands the needs of hunters when it comes to solar products. The hunting industry continues to produce solar products for deer feeders (6 volt & 12 volt) with a “one size fits all” strategy which leaves hunters disappointed in their quest to fully sustain battery power to trail cameras, deer feeders, and miscellaneous stuff around hunting camps, etc. The hunting industry should produce multiple sizes and types of solar panels to better fit the needs of hunters based on their project and access to sunlight. If a hunter knows his feeder will be in an open field with 8 hours of sunlight then he can get away with a smaller panel (a poly or mono type). If a hunter knows his feeder will be in complete shade then he is going to need an amorphous type panel to generate energy from low light and sustain 100% charge. It’s as simple as that.
In this video, I will explain how the hunting industry’s “one size fits all” mentality let me down as a consumer when I ran 6volt solar panels with 6volt deer feeders. When I upgraded my three deer feeders to 12volt motors I then decided to build my own custom solar setup that would guarantee a completely maintenance free deer feeder. Kaboom…It worked! No more dead batteries and no more trading out weak batteries. I’ve even used these feeders in complete shade and these amorphous style solar panels kept the batteries at 100% charge in low light conditions. My three feeders have been running for 3-4 years with not one issue! They stay 100% charged 24/7 and my batteries are still healthy after 3-4 years (they will eventually go bad which is completely normal and expected). The time and hassle this has saved me over the years has been worth every penny!
The success of this system is mainly due to the type of solar panel I use. Amorphous style panels can generate energy from “daylight” versus direct “sunlight”. Hunters should stick with amorphous style solar panels as they are more versatile for various lighting conditions compared to monocrystalline or polycrystalline style panels (For example- deer feeder is placed in complete shade, under a hardwood canopy, or in thick cover, etc). Amorphous style solar panels collect light and generate power in very low light conditions which should give every hunter confidence and flexibility in deer feeder placement.
Below is a list of things you will need to complete a DIY solar setup like mine for your deer feeder:
Wire size from solar panel to battery-18ga-20ga is perfect
Here's the link to my Solar Trail Camera Video that explains how to wire a 12volt regulator:
• Trail Cam Solar Panel DIY
Thanks for watching! If you have any questions you can email me at:
HHSteve@protonmail.com
• DIY Deer Feeder Solar ...