Rugged Solar Generator 2.5kW

I know most of the Solar generator builds test their rig with some type of high current draw heat lamp or space heater, but being in Arizona I didn't have access to a space heater. I do have access to some heavy equipment and while the generator was not able to start the table saw, it was more than capable of running the 1 hp drill press.

For a low voltage test I brought the solar generator up to Sedona for our most recent camping trip. No issues charging camera/drone gear, running lights, and powering the diesel tent heater. After 3 days and 2 nights of camping we were sitting at 85% charge, although I am curious to do some extended testing with the diesel heater to see how many nights this generator will be able to keep us warm and toasty. 

I've always been an avid outdoorsman drawn to camping and nature; After moving from NY to Arizona I fell in love with the night sky and began venturing deeper into the wilderness to capture it as best as I can. Keeping my gear charged on extended camping trips was usually done with a small foldable solar panel, but as my equipment list grows so does my need for off-grid energy. Chasing meteorite showers, eclipses, wildfires, and the occasional blooming cactus has been very therapeutic. I'm excited to begin taking deep-sky nebula photos now that I have this solar power station along for the ride. 

The first company I worked for when I moved out to AZ won't be named because frankly I don't have anything nice to say about them. However one of the projects I was tasked with was putting together an E-bike version of what they called the "Cruiser." (Huge marketing budget as you can tell by the name). That involved designing a lithium pack that would fit within a predefined bike frame, the convoluted pack was shoehorned into a very expensive SLS case. The batteries were soldered to the nickel strips as we discovered far too late that the battery spot welder we had purchased would just not cut it. It was ready in time for SEMA that year but it was such a painful process I did not built another pack based on 18650s for a looooong time. 

Bear with me while I organize files and add build-logs and steps for Gen 1 of this project.