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Old 04-08-2015, 09:57 AM   #4 (permalink)
mikeyjd
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
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Matchbox - '93 Ford Festiva L
Team Ford
Last 3: 70.16 mpg (US)

Salamander - '99 Chrysler Concorde LXI
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Urquhart - '97 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 V6 3.4L DLX
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90 day: 25.81 mpg (US)

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90 day: 40.65 mpg (US)

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Quote:
Originally Posted by elhigh View Post
Whether it's worthwhile depends on what you want it to do. If you're looking for a means to make your alternator delete project a nearly transparent transformation, this could do it.

It delivers over 5 amps at full sun, if you don't cover a lot of distance in your daily commute this could replace what you take out of the battery. Keep a weather eye on your battery's SOC and you're golden.

Add a fillet of caulk or something at the leading and trailing edges to minimize what it does to your aero performance.

The "30 degrees maximum bend" isn't as useful a specification, in my opinion, as a radius. Still, it's more than flexible enough to conform to something like the roof or hood of your car.
Thanks. I guess I should have given more specific criteria in my original question. That is what I was wondering about. I'm curious how well it would keep up on a sunny day if I installed a manual alternator toggle switch to control charging. If I was able to save 5% on fuel it would take roughly 3-4 years to break even on the modification. But it would also free up horse power for towing and acceleration making the driving experience more enjoyable, while allowing me to squeeze more mpg for the fun of it.
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