Harbor Freight DIY Solar Generator 

[ this is a list of the parts I bought off Amazon ] Check out this page from fishinnstuff www.amazon.com/shop/fishinnstuff?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_aipsfshop_aipsffishinnstuff_VYC99BHMM8XR8DG9C64R&language=en_US

I`m dirt poor for life in Louisiana. I never dreamed I`d have solar powered air conditioning but for decades I did dream OF having it. Well, I saved my stimulus money and in July 2022 I bought the parts...a 2000 watt inverter, 60 amp MPPT solar charge controller, 20 amp plug-in charger, cables, fuses, testers, and a 300ah Ampere Time battery. I already had a few solar panels and got one more 200w one. My relatives called me several names for "wasting" my money instead of buying a leather couch, but guess which "crazy" guy had air conditioning in his 5th wheel camper when we had FIVE power outages during the extreme heat emergency this summer? LOL!

I have watched dozens of videos on solar stuff so I can turn my shed into an off-grid office when I work from home. Why is it that a fishing channel building a poor man's harbor freight battery is the absolute best tutorial I have ever come across? This is so helpful! Thank you!

I've been working with electronics for over 23years. This guy did an amazing job.

I work as a tech in military aerospace and I'm an ASE Master Certified Auto and Truck technician and I'm building my 2nd LiFePO4 battery/solar system for my RV with 6 batteries. This video is awesome! I can learn the tech stuff from hundreds of videos but none are more entertaining that you plus you gave me at least 2 great ideas for the system I'm building now. 1) The cheap battery tray to keep the batteries from moving 2) Mounting my components on a board before installing- genius! You might not be a tech guy but your are sure smart! And funny! And some of the best video editing I've seen! Thanks and please keep it up!

One suggestion the air or vent holes in the top I would put screen mesh over those holes to keep critters out

sine is pronounced sign. Here's your sign! If you don't tell someone you aren't an electrician, looking at this power supply, they will never know. It looks professionally built. I wish I had helpers that did 1/4 that good

I work for Harbor Freight Tools. I appreciate all that you're doing. Positive or negative. I hate not knowing everything about our products.

Did an inverter on my son's van a while back... I was blown away by how fast this stuff adds up when you do it RIGHT. I'm a lifetime tradesman, and former stereo installer, but wasn't prepared for the cost of wire these days along with breakers, etc. Safety ain't cheap, and cheap ain't safe.

just some feedback and ideas: - the solar controller draws very little power when idle, and by placing it on the other side of the switch, you have to have the box powered on to charge it with solar, which probably means the inverter and fan are also on, which draw FAR more power. Move that solar controller to the battery side of the switch. - PWM is probably fine for your use. MPPT is for times when you either need to squeak every watt you can out of the panels, or when you have a lot of panels and missing out on 5% would be a lot of lost power. - lithium batteries have a higher voltage, so your indicator is probably overly optimistic, being calibrated for lead acid. You might have difficulty finding one in that shape that's designed for lithium though - your lithium battery has built-in protection from deep-discharge, so you probably can't damage it from over-discharge. it'll just stop providing power automatically. - I would suggest you add a "ground bus" bar inside the box, to tie all your grounds together, so you don't have so many wires going to your battery's negative. - good call on using the circuit breaker (its not a "fuse") on the inverter. it's easy to accidentally overload the inverter, and just being able to flip the breaker to reset it (rather than change a fuse) is convenient. the fuses in the inverter itself are only designed to protect the INVERTER from damage due to overload, and should not be relied on for accessory safety. Make sure your breaker is rated at least 10% below the rating on the fuses in the inverter. (the manual should tell you what value of breaker to use) - also good call on using the powerpole for the solar connector. that SB50 is probably overkill for your panels, but it should work just fine. Those MC3 barrel connectors are a PAIN to connect and disconnect, and really aren't designed to be connected and disconnected with any frequency, whereas the SB50 is designed for lots of convenient use. Just attach the MC3's to the pigtail going to the SB50 and leave them connected. - I think I would have cut a larger hole and put a 4-outlet panel on the outside for my 120vac. With that single external connection, odds are you are going to need to pack a small power strip for when you need to plug in multiple accessories at the same time.. - I worry a little about all the holes and the exposed fan, if you're intending to use this in a marine environment. But waterproofing that would be a lot more work. I know that a lot of my projects are difficult for me to decide if I want to go to all the added trouble to waterproof them. Some I do, most I don't. Some I don't, then have problems, and have to go back and try to add at least some additional waterproofing. It's much easier when you plan for it from the start. - the inverter's wire gauge recommendations are for longer runs, like 10-20 feet. For short runs like this, you'd probably be fine going up a gauge or two and saving yourself some headache dealing with stiff wires. That's a relatively small inverter and will do just fine with 6 gauge at that short distance. - I almost forgot - adding a "current meter" to your battery + wire is VERY handy, to see how many amps you're pulling (or recharging) on the battery. There are meters with a "donut" you just pass the big red wire through to get a current reading. Those meters usually can display voltage too, so you can use that instead of just the volt meter you have now. - and I don't see how you are connecting the external charger. I'd consider adding another SB50 like you have for your solar, to make that an external connection as well so that you don't have to open the box to charge. Nice build, thanks for the video!

This is easily one of the most straightforward right to the point diy videos I've seen on this type of build. Everyone else likes to over complicate things and make it sound like you need a masters in engineering to do this. This is my new tutorial video of my next project in my overlanding rig build

I don’t fish, I don’t know if I would ever build anything like this but I subbed because I love this video! I also love anything DIY when a great content creator breaks it down this well. Thank you!

The stackable tool box system and power station on wheels would work perfectly for a mobile amateur radio station. Thanks for the build video!

You a Bad man! Well, you probably a good man but on this build, you knocked it out of the park.

Another nice thing about the stack-ability of those cases is that I bet with a little modification you could add additional battery capacity to this system. Make it modular to the use you expect that day.

Man, I could listen to you talk all day. You're a riot.

I finally finished building this power station. I used a 700 watt pure sine power inverter. I also bought the lithium battery with the discount. The only problem I ran into was waiting for all the component to arrive!

It is the best half-hour "comedy/brilliant info" show I've watched since Gallagher :-)

Just a couple of notes for safety. When using this system be sure to have the battery disconnect turned on before plugging in the solar panels. This will prevent toasting the solar controller. You can run lithium batteries below 12.2 volts. As a matter of fact the inverter probably has a cutoff when the battery gets down to around 10 volts to prevent fully discharging the battery. If you were using a lead/acid battery then you don't want to drain them too much or it will kill the battery. The cooling fan is a nice addition to keep things from getting too hot but I would suggest a hole(s) on the opposite side of the box for good airflow in and out.

I like how simple this is, each component is separate and can be switched out easily and or up graded without a lot of trouble ! Thank for sharing… I think this could be a cool build for a parent and a son or daughter !!!

Random recommendation from RU-vid...gotta say, I watched whole video. I really appreciate you just getting straight to the point and with a little humor. thanks

I’m a woman & I admit I was lost much of the time, but I watched this all the way through because 1) you are entertaining as hell, and 2) this sort of thing fascinates me! I don’t have anyone to help me with stuff like this & watching your video makes me wish I did! This would be so useful! 🙏 Congratz on a brilliant idea!

Wow! Incredible build and tutorial. For us folks that aren't quite so hip, slick and cool maybe you could do a parts list to save time gettin' the right stuff. Thank you, thank you!

My boyfriend pulled a temper tantrum over a stupid thing and just walked out. Man, thank you because i really needed a huge bellylaugh!!!😂 That fish joke had me. What can i say. You came up on my feed for a good reason. I would love a solar generator for my well pump in florida.😊

I have been looking for something just like this for emergency power for my wood boiler. I am looking at all the great suggestions in here and going to build this. Great build!

Nive job. I actually built a portable 1k pure sine wave inverter unit almost 8 years ago now. Used an old cooler with wheels I had. Installed 2 xs power agm batteries and the harbor freight 100 watt solar kit. Glued hinges to the panels to be able to fold them up. It was bulky and heavy but it worked. Since then I've replaced the agm with 2 50ah lithium and pwm controller. Still use the panels. It's now power for a shed. I will say this. Replacing the agm with lithium was a real weight saver. Nearly 40lbs.

I've watched your channel for a few years. But this is a standout build. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 14. I built my own about 6 months ago. It's mounted in the truck. But your mobile application has mine beat by miles. Congratulations. This build will be tough to beat.now couple this to your black lights, your boat lights and all the other stuff, and, well, it's nothing short of awesome.

The companies that build these will be gunning for ya 😃👍 you just explained so much with out complicating the process! Good work and your craftsmanship is outstanding 👏🏼

This was the most down-to-earth and easy-to-understand explanation of how to wire a solar setup I have seen. Thank you.

That little ub1280 battery is a reliable little power source. I use it to run a rule 500 gph, 4 Amp bilge pump to keep the deck of my 12 foot rib dry. Great product.

Excellent build, always appreciate seeing new ideas, especially useful ones.

Wow I just live your sense of humor!! Perfect for a frezzing cold night!! I have bought things from Harbor Freight before. I never had any problems.

Older lady here. Some experience with batteries and solar panels. Means I know how to do it but haven’t done it. U make this project understandable and enjoyable. Thanks!!

On the lifepo batteries it's hard to judge the state of charge by voltage. You should get a shunt so you can track the state of charge accurately.

Really cool build. That hydraulic crimp you have will do the job fine. I find that it is best to start with the crimp size that they recommend, and get it started. The dies will touch, and the lug will not hold. So you swap in the next smaller die and use that. I usually go to the full length of the smaller die, and it's absolutely fine. New sub from Australia

Your editing is top notch. I absolutely love all the cuts. Even when you say something wrong you go back and correct yourself that’s just great. Keep the videos coming new subscriber.

This is perhaps the best more budget friendly build I have seen! As someone who is interested in building battery boxes, I am definitely taking some tips. Awesome tutorial!

I have seen a ton of videos to setup my trailer and never understood the bus bars and some other things. After this video i got a way better idea on how to do it. Thank you very much and awesome job!!

I just wanted to say thank you for the great video. The production and creative skills are outstanding. Excellent execution of building a portable power station.

Excellent instructions. In ham radio, we often put together source-boxes for power supply's and this one is a really good example of a way to obtain alternate power sources.

That's pretty awesome, I have no electrical skills at all, but you showed how simple of a build it was to do. I'm going to Chinafreight tomorrow and start collecting parts. Good job. Thanks

I like this guy; he gets so thrilled by the simplest and common things like an extendable luggage handle. I bet he was one of those kids that, on Christmas morning, threw away the toy and kept the box to play with.😁

You could offload several of those in a heartbeat. That was cool 👍

I really like this. 1. people normally don't put things or make things out of parts. 2. I am with you on your reasoning and selection of parts. Great reasons and statements. Really.

I don’t fish but I’m inspired by this DIY project. My husband and I will try this. You explained everything with such great detail! New subscriber here, thanks!

I’ve made one of these before. I was a lineman and it’s something that I just wanted to do. The only added feature I had was that I made a ground rod connection for the ac power I just felt safer. You did an awesome job dude;).

I'm not going to build this project, but I always enjoy watching you get creative in your shop. 👍🏼

Nice, your correct on keeping an eye on battery voltage, but more so with lead acid.

I like the fact your friend is man enough to say "I like purple", so am I... it also has the benefit that other guys are somewhat reluctant to ask to borrow it... and those that do, return it pretty quick - lol. Your video instructions/demo are clear, the little bonus things, the extra protective fuses, tool/parts/supply info, are really helpful.

I dont fish... but I did enjoy this video. i will watch your build videos all day long! 10/10 my friend!!!

I made an ammo box power station, and just love it....Super handy. Something like this is next on my list.

Finally... Someone who knows who to talk to me about remote power setups. I have had it all figured out, sort of, for years, but it never all came together as well as this little box and your way of relating it all. Thanks!

You are now my favorite RU-vid channel. Thanks a million, and worth it. God Bless and Stay Safe my Brother.

You did a GREAT job! The mounting board was a stroke of genius! Thank you for taking the time to share!

Nice! The multi tools are a game changer. It's one of the best tools ever invented in my opinion

Thank you I was planning to make a power station...I was going to build the container..but the stackables from harbor freight will be better than what I had in mind. Actually perfect for this application . Thanks you

This was hands down the best video I've come across for making battery backups. Keep at it!

Well done, Keith . The bigger power from that battery would be great camping, bank fishin. Don't know that I'd put on the boat, but it would give access to 110 volt. And I'm guessing that the Harbor Freight box is strong enough you could use it as a stool to set on. Either way, it ought to give you lots of options. I didn't see much there on the install that I'd do different, 👍👍 Thank you for all the report you go to to bring us these videos. God bless ya'll, and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

I Thank You for Posting this video! You and Mr Lure, CRACK ME UP!! And im really into Solar! My sailboat is all solar and i have 2 battery banks. 1 for the motor and 1 for the house bank (boat, we just call it house bc it lights up our running lights and VHF/AIS, Chartplotter/fishfiner/depth finder.....). You get it! HAPPY THANKSGIVING 🙏❤🇺🇸⛵👣🤗

Love the way you've explained everything. Well done. I built something similar to power wired security cameras remotely.

First time watching any of your videos, Mr Einstein. You are a super cool engineer 😅, the way you explain this built was so deep, but at the same time easy to follow, we should have guys like you building the rockets that fly to space, cus you could build it with simple tools and easy for others to follow, great job, ready to watch the rest of your creations.

Great idea! A heat gun should take care of the scratches that you made on the box. Also, try using elevator bolts for the exterior, they sit flush with the surface!

Great build!!! I built one quite similar, with a few variations Used a Deep Cycle battery, I didn't have a free lithium to use😂 so it's likely heavier. Love the wood mounting board, I used Alien Tape and hot glue. For charging it at home installed the charger inside the box, with a plug socket like you find on most PCs to plug into. Lastly, I've got 2 cigarette lighter outlets for running 12v devices. All outlets are water resistant and are available from auto or boat part stores (Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc)

I was thinking of buying one of these already pre made and now I can make one of these myself. Thanks for the tips and it was enjoyable to watch too. Take Care!

My truck!!! That cut in of the truck driving to Harbor Freight (where my wife conveniently happens to be a manager 😉) looks like the very same, early 1960s, exact color blue Dodge truck we had while I was growing up. Gooood memories (it had a 392 hemi with a 1 ton 4speed). 😀

Very nice build. "Sano" in some circles! 🙂 Idea: glue small squares of bug screen over the vent holes from the inside. It'll keep the bugs out while allowing the air to flow... Again, very nice!

Big Fan here and loved the build; I did one identical with nearly the same components two years ago for my boat. Overall, great video but there was a critical mistake presented @29:00 minute mark. When using a LiPo battery, they can go down to a DoD (Depth of Discharge) to zero, if you wanted. ONLY NON LiPo batteries or regular Deep Cycle batteries is where your 12.2V/12.5 volts 'minimum' comes into play! You WILL NOT damage a LiPo battery when exceeding past 12 volts, however, your DoD WILL, ever so very slowly, start to diminish your returns over time. Take Note: @25:54, you clearly see the DoD percentages product marketing info-graphic in the lower right hand corner for this battery. So while you 'can' take the battery down lower, it's advised to stay within your 25-50% DoD to get a 'greater' value out of your battery as a whole. But for the common DIYer, the statement for 12.2 volts 'damages' these batteries was incorrect. Keep up the excellent work!!

I had an old battery box i dropped a marine battery in with a 400W inverter to run lights on the barn. Thought it was cool, then i seen this!! Definitely wanna build one!!

Thank you for the Ed. Class on the fishing battery end table the compartments fit a cold one next to the lawn chair. As an observation, one might get some FLEX SEAL SPRAY for some of the inside open wires and switches.

Cool video!!! I'd thought about making one of those for our camping trips, but hadn't yet because I hadn't found a box which was a good fit for the project. You saved me a bunch of time with this video since now i don't have to go figure out all the component placements. And... Voltswagon 😅

I always love watching your video, as everybody else said in the comments, you knocked it out of the park. Awesome video I love the build want to do one for myself have been thinking about it and you gave me some awesome direction. Only thing I would suggest is that with the lithium batteries from what I understand you can run them down to zero without hurting them several thousand times it’s the lead acid batteries that you have to not run down to low voltage or they’ll damage other than that the video is spot on. Thanks for sharing

I'm 66+, living in my 30ft camper sleeps 9, permanently. Everything that this camper needs to be done I'm responsible for. I am the last of my family. So,..It is up to me, with GOD being my strength and Counsel 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️ Enjoyed this video. Thank you. Step by step, easy & tools I have access to. Thank you sir.

Jeremy thank you for your energy! You opened my eyes to a lot of knowledge.God Blessed you. I like to learn mechanical ,and physics! Teach me.I need more power

I just found you by accident, and Sir, you are the genuine article! Great stuff. Very interesting, and you are creative with your solutions. I subscribed immediately. Thank you!

That build was frikin Awesome !

We are living in the era of DIY, it’s Awesome!!!!! I wanna build a house, thank you. Also, thanks for a great video 👍

That thangs got the go handle and go wheels! Awesome build man!

Great idea. On the circuit breaker, it should be installed closest to the battery, i.e. between battery and master cutoff switch. This protects the battery and eliminates the inline cable fuse you used.

That is cool, nice build Keith!! Now if your night fishing you can run that coffee pot!!🤣🤣🤣

Thank you for being a better teacher than any public school I've ever been to.

Dude, you are amazing. I love the way you talk and you are very thorough and analytical and down to earth. Damn, you’re good.

Fantastic build! Can't wait to make one for myself. My only recommendation is you invert the 120ac exterior receptacle. Thanks for sharing your design!

That is a pretty awesome P. Station , you could also use a few of the compartments in the top box to store different charging cables too , anyway , I hope you and the family have a great Thanksgiving

Best video on building one of these I have seen. Just thinking out loud here but, Voltage read out difference may be due to one being directly connected to the battery (outside gauge) and the multiple connections that the solar charge controller has before getting to the readout. (connection, line loss)

Really enjoy watching your videos. This one caught my eye as I'm an off grid enthusiasts and assemble off grid solar systems for my RVs and give suggestions to friends. In this video you attempted to use an hydraulic press and referred to it as junk when your connection failed. I too had this issue and reverted to the crimper you showed being used at a retailer. These crimpers I refer to as a "pincher" and not crimper. The "crimp" that you end up using this type crimper can cause unnecessary resistance and a "hot" spot; consequently, I don't use this "pinching" crimper. I now use the hydraulic crimper and this is how. I first crimp the connection and once done, I leave the connector in the press and simply turn it 45 degrees (a quarter turn) and crimp it a second time. This technique makes a very good connection and one that has a lot less resistance to it. Give it a try.

Outstanding DIY build as you are highly skilled with tools and planning. Your future electronic projects would benefit from having an engineering buddy for advice. #2 wire for a few inches is way overkill, caused challenges for ring terminals, and hard to bend. The key to wire gauge is you want minimal voltage drop and heating. Substituting #10 THHN stranded wire for #2 provides same performance and allows for smaller terminal blocks. Other 12V wires could be #14 or smaller depending current.

Great build. You inspired me to start building mine. You definitely went a bit overkill on the fuses, but you can't be too safe

Those new batteries - hammer combos seems to work pretty well 👍

Just checked out the batteries and I'm impressed. Really good deals and nice variety for off grid projects.

This video has really inspired me! I went out and got this same tool box and I am in the process of installing a 2000w inverter, three 100ah batteries, solar controller, various switches, fuses, fans and ventilation.. And it's still going to be weatherproof.. At least that's how it works out in my head.. It's exciting!

The stackable tool box could be used to add additional capacity by making a battery module to stack on top.

Absolutely awesome write up and documentation of your project

That is an awesome build right there! Well done sir. Thanks for sharing this! 👍 😊

This is the BEST build i have seen! Now i have to rethink "the box" mine is going in lol. Thank You Keith!!

This was an AWESOME build !! the only thing I can say is, add a high temp hot melt glue gun for some of your attachments . They are a great tool in your arsenal. Thanks for takin us along in this build. This is a great camping power station !

Great build! Safety first, I’m really impressed.

Great idea. I've been trying to think how to improve my solar setup. This gives me a great idea.

This build is awesome man! I want to make one of these myself now! One thing I noticed is that you have both bus bars mounted to wood using metal screws. Wood is a conductor and not an insulator. Same reason you cant use wood posts without insulators for electric fence. Your bus bars are essentially connected through the wood. Im sure its not causing issues, but may be an issue long term. Just found your channel and subscribed. I look forward to seeing more.

Nice work, real life on the fly engineering. Well thought out. Thanks

Love it. Great Oakie-Enginuity 👍You got me wanting to try and build one