Can I run the Axe Fx II off of solar power?

mattmodlinski

mattmodlinski

Member
I'm going to be moving into a van soon to live a more nomadic, minimalistic lifestyle. I would like it to efficiently double as a mobile studio. I use my Axe Fx II for all my guitar recordings, so it would be a sad day if I have to eliminate it from my studio set up. I plan to get two 100 watt solar panels and two 125ah 12v deep cell batteries. I'm very new to solar power. Would anyone here be able to lead me in the right direction? Thanks for your time. :)
 
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Minimalist lifestyle with thousands of dollars of studio gear... okay. ;-)

Anyway - you can run any standard device off of solar if you have a big enough inverter (to get AC power) and enough cells to provide the necessary wattage. You also want a quality line conditioner with voltage spike/drop protection. The Axe won't be your primary power concern - any loudspeakers / studio monitors will likely be the biggest draw, as will any non-laptop computer.
 
Conversion isn't free, either. The inverter(s) to get from DC to AC will burn some power up themselves in efficiency losses. Depending on usage scenarios, I can imagine it's sometimes better to have a smaller inverter for each load group rather than one large inverter that's only lightly loaded at times.
 
I'm currently doing the same thing in a 15 foot box truck both for living and for a mobile recording studio.

Before you commit to solar study everything on this blog and learn how to make it work perfectly for you.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/

The guy reads like a grumpy survivalist but he knows solar inside and out.

I posted on the beta testing forums months ago asking if an axefx could run on a modified sine wave inverter. No response. But since then I've played a couple of outdoor gigs running off Honda generators with no problems.
 
Thanks for all the input so far! I definitely appreciate it. I never take easy route. It's a gift and a curse. I did say "more" minimalistic lifestyle to be fair, though. ;) Like @Xrocker stated, it's all relevant. I just want to be able to do what I love and put everything I have into that, rather than things that don't serve me. Plus, I've always wanted to go on tour, but haven't had a good opportunity to do so. What's better than being on tour and bringing your home and studio with you? :D I will accomplish this! I will upload pictures once I do.
 
Cagey said:
Conversion isn't free, either. The inverter(s) to get from DC to AC will burn some power up themselves in efficiency losses. Depending on usage scenarios, I can imagine it's sometimes better to have a smaller inverter for each load group rather than one large inverter that's only lightly loaded at times.
Click to expand...

Definitely will take this into consideration. I have entertained the idea of creating two separate banks with two separate inverters. One for lights, fridge, etc. The other for the studio setup and more demanding appliances. Thanks for the response!
 
Xrocker said:
I'm currently doing the same thing in a 15 foot box truck both for living and for a mobile recording studio.

Before you commit to solar study everything on this blog and learn how to make it work perfectly for you.
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/

The guy reads like a grumpy survivalist but he knows solar inside and out.

I posted on the beta testing forums months ago asking if an axefx could run on a modified sine wave inverter. No response. But since then I've played a couple of outdoor gigs running off Honda generators with no problems.
Click to expand...

Will do! Thanks for the share. I definitely have to do a lot more research before I jump in head first. I've actually been leaning more towards the box truck idea versus the van idea as well. So much more room for activities! :D
 
I've got a cheapo chinese inverter feeding lab equipment with 8% losses.
Just make sure the battery cells' end voltage is enough to keep your devices on when they run out of power. That way you'll squeeze em out good without the excess work of any voltage regulator.
 
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