Lost $90 on a cheap solar panel kit, here's the catch

Bought a 100W kit from a discount site last month thinking I'd save cash for my camp setup in Conway. The panels worked okay for about two weeks, then the charge controller started frying my battery. Replaced the controller for $45 and it did the same thing again. Turns out the wiring was undersized, and the seller ghosted me on a refund. Anyone find a reliable budget brand that actually holds up in damp New England weather?

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the_sam1mo ago

My neighbor up in Littleton burned through two cheap controllers last spring before he figured out the same thing, the wiring was the weak link, not the panel itself. That $90 stings, but the real kicker is they ghost you after the return window closes, it's like they count on it. For damp weather, I'd look for kits that list the wire gauge upfront, 10 AWG minimum, and maybe skip anything that claims "all in one" for under $150. Renogy and Rich Solar have held up for me through a few Maine winters, but I still redo all the factory connections with marine heat shrink. Hope you can salvage the panel at least, sometimes the controller is the only junk part.