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Zamp 90 watt

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14552
Printed Date: 09 Jul 2025 at 3:31pm
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Topic: Zamp 90 watt
Posted By: ronahue
Subject: Zamp 90 watt
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2021 at 4:03pm
I bought a Zamp 90 watt portable for my 179 we normally can go 3 days on 2 interstate 12 volt batteries hoping the Zamp will allow us to go 5. We have a backup Honda 2000i just in case. Any thoughts.



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Ron & Sharon
2015 R-Pod 179
2022 Nissan Frontier

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated



Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2021 at 4:15pm
If your batteries are 100 amphours and you're limiting yourself to 50% discharge as you should to prevent short battery life then you're using about 33 amphours a day. A 90 watt module on an average East Coast spring/summer day should give you about 20 amphours a day, which should extend you to something like 7 days.

Of course if you hit our common cloudy East Coast weather you'll be cranking up that Honda like I do.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: ronahue
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2021 at 4:27pm
Thanks most of our long stays are in Rockies that is really what I bought it for. I appreciate your input.

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Ron & Sharon
2015 R-Pod 179
2022 Nissan Frontier

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated


Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2021 at 7:31pm
We use a 100 watt panel and it keeps our batteries charged most of the time, obviously dependent on sun availability.  Point being that 90 watts will work, but  be  careful with power usage.
One thing that people tend to forget is that batteries don't have to be recharged everyday to 100%.  For example, if you draw down to 70% overnight and can recharge up to 90% the next day, then down again to 65% and recharge the next day to 85%, next day is sunny and you go back to 100%, etc, etc.  You can still go many days and have a usable capacity over 50%(for 6 volt golf cart batteries) or the minimum that you feel comfortable with.
Solar is not fast, but it is almost always available in sufficient supply to keep you going, even if not 100%.
Vann


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Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2021 at 7:48pm
Van, I assumed a slow discharge over time as you are describing when I came up with about 7 days to discharge to 50%. That was based on a 90 watt module, modest 33 amphour daily load, and tupical summertime East Coast 4 sunhour days. YMMV.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold



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