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Rainbow Power Company Enewsletter #106 – 2 April 2007
Index:
1) New Products
2) Sundaya Products 3) Web Shop Hints
4) Camping Lanterns
5) 1st JULY 2007 – We Celebrate 20 years!!
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1) New Products :-
We have added a few more items to our range:
A new selection of Waeco fridges has been added to the range from 110 to 220 litres. These are all fitted with Danfoss compressors and are generally in stock. Freight is only $55 to most locations in Australia. The new sleek looking black coloured 185 litre unit has extra insulation and uses 840Wh/day at 32C. Check them out at http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/-c-1_115.html
For those of you contemplating and buying a wind generator, we now have a small hand held anemometer to help you assess wind speeds. While not a data logger, it will at least give you a better ‘feel' for relative wind speeds.
While you are checking it out, have a look at the Energy Monitor 3000. With all the interest in energy efficiency, this has been a good seller. http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/-c-2_245.html
We are now selling a Pole Mount frame for the Kyocera 40 and 50W panels. It is ideal for mounting on the side of a building etc. With a bit of modification it can also be used for smaller solar panels 10 – 30W. http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/sundaya4050wmodulesupportframe-p-2666.html
We have also added to the range of Unirac framing.
In the Battery Section we've added three more sealed Full River brand batteries.
http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/-c-2_205.html
Last, and maybe least! - We have increased the range of “Anderson' type plugs and sockets. These are designed for high current applications. http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/-c-4_450.html
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2) Sundaya Products:
We have a good range of all the Sundaya kits and lights in stock. A variety of fluoros are available in 3, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 18 watt. The kits are ideal for small lighting applications. We have even put together a small BBQ kit for occasional use in your backyard gazebo, shed or BBQ area - comes complete with a couple of water proof Multilights #3 lights.
http://www.rpc.com.au/catalog/-c-2_240.html
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3) Web Shop Hints:
1) To list all products with the same catalogue prefix:- go to the Quick Find Search Engine and type in the prefix - eg SUN- to find all Sundaya products beginning with SUN-xxx
2) To list all products of a particular type eg products in 24 volts:- go to Quick Find and type in '24V'
3) To find one type of product available in 24V - go to Quick Find - Advanced Search, eg In Categories select 'lighting' - in Search Criteria type in '24V' to bring up all 24V lights
If you are on a slow dial up connection, you can speed up the page download by turning off the images in your browser. For Internet Explorer go to Tools – Internet Options – Advanced – Multi Media (Show Pictures)
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4) Camping Lanterns:
I have written this month's longer article about Camping Lanterns. There are a lot of rechargeable fluoro 'lanterns' on the market these days. In Australia, they are often available from department camping stores, usually made in China and sell for $30 - $50. They usually come with a 12V and a 240 charging lead. Some higher priced versions ($150 - $150) come with a solar panel for charging purposes. They are basically designed for the occasional camping trip.
We are often asked to supply this type of lantern for lighting in Pacific Island homes.
Unfortunately we don't regard them as suitable for this purpose. An overall answer is that basically, they are too cheap and not designed for daily duty.
More specifically, the problems can include:
1) They look 'nice' but tend to fall apart the first time they are dropped.
2) The light in a home is usually needed for at least 5 - 6 hours of use, particularly if it is the only light in the house. Generally, the battery is too small and consequently it gets deeply discharged everyday and goes flat after a day of rain. You really need a 10 - 15Ah battery which is too large and heavy to fit into a lantern. The solar panel is usually too small and is made of a cheap plastic, amorphous type with a short lifespan.
3) The electronics, to prevent the battery over and under charging, are simple and cheap and consequently the battery deteriorates quickly.
4) While a 6W fluoro is quite bright and good for general illumination, most of the light is thrown sideways which is not particularly good for working at a desk or table.
5) They are not moisture resistant or protected, let alone water proof. The humidity in the tropics soon corrode the circuitry and the flimsy contact points to the fluoro.
To conclude, we believe our Sundaya Starter or Shed Kit is still a far better alternative for village lighting and dedicated campers.
They use an 18Ah battery and it is powered by a 16W Kyocera panel. The battery box is moisture resistant and water proof lights are an option if required. The battery pack weighs 9 kgs and has a carry handle. For more details, check out our web site.
http://www.rpc.com.au/products/services/distributor/sundaya/sundaya.html
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5) 1st July 2007:
Sunday 1st July 2007 is the Rainbow Power Company's 20 th Anniversary!!
We are extending an open invite to you all to attend our ‘Open Day' Festivities. Arrive from 12 noon, for an afternoon of good food and music, displays and guided tours. More details in our coming enewsletters, but for now – a marker in your social diaries!
That's all for this month – send us your suggestions and contributions.
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