TV Satellite Dish Solar Panel

Found a use for old TV satellite dish: support some Harbor Freight/Thunderbolt Solar Panels.

Supplies

Solar Panels (I used these Harbor Freight panels )

Two 6-foot fence pickets

Couple screws

Old satellite dish

Old 12-v motorcycle battery

Step 1: Unbox Panels

Remove everything from the box, with the HF panels, there are

4 panels

1 controller

2 Lights

1 multiplex cable

Step 2: Frame the Panels

Layout the panels and use the fence pickets as frames on the top and bottom of the rows of panels.

On the HF panels, there are pre-drilled holes in the tops and bottoms of the panels.

Hint: don't try to drill with a long screw and you are holding the panel up with your foot. Ahem. Yes, been there done that.

Step 3: Flatten the Dish

My dish wasn't too curved, so I only had to jump on top of it a few times.

A few glasses of wine makes this really fun.

Step 4: Screw Frame to Dish

I glued a few extra pieces of the fence boards to the backs of the two center panels to give the dish something to screw into.

Here, I put the whole schmeel onto an old umbrella stand.

Step 5: Connect Cables, Controller, Battery

The cables from the panel run to the controller, then from the controller to the battery.

Here I just used an old 12v motorcycle battery.

Step 6: Lights

Connect the lights (12v light, this came with the kit) to shed light on your messy shed.

Step 7: W00t

Done.

Eh, it'll work for now.

If I did it again, I'd use just three of the panels since they are kind of large for my dish.