General Specialties Universal Post Mounts
sold by Voodoo SolarWhen
spending your hard-earned money on an array of expensive solar panels,
the mounting structure is no place to cut corners. That is never
a problem when you choose a General Specialties Universal Post Mount product.
These are perhaps the very best top-of-post mounts available
anywhere. Built right here in the Idaho Panhandle by a local
craftsman, the support structure is of sturdy steel construction and
the rails that connect to the panels are made from extra-heavy aluminum
stock. Each model is designed by a professional engineer to
handle the rigors of wind, ice and snow, with strength to spare.
Each mount is built by hand, using special jigs to ensure that
everything fits together the way it should. Fit and finish are
excellent to ensure that the day you assemble it will be a happy one.
Quality hardware is provided, with high-grade fasteners where
they are needed.
When compared to mass-produced mounts by other manufacturers, it is obvious that Universal Post Mounts are a superior product. The welds are strong and professional, edges are clean and deburred, metal parts are substantial and robust, bolt holes line up the way they should. General Specialties UPM mounts are characterized by heavy duty construction, ease of assembly, and are easy to adjust for seasonal tilt angle. If you have worked with other mounts, you can really appreciate the ease of adjustment. Sure, other brands will do the job. But quality workmanship and engineering do make a difference!
Welded Steel Construction
The UPM18X is the flagship of the General Specialties solar array product line. At approximately 16 feet square, it will support up to 3450 watts of solar power, depending on the size and brand of solar panels used. The photo shows eighteen SolarWorld 175 watt modules for a total of 3150 watts! This is a HUGE array in one location, which really cuts overall installation cost and provides some serious daily solar energy harvest. All of the Universal Post Mounts can be custom-drilled to fit the solar panels of your choice for only a small additional charge.
The next photo shows the heavy steel sub-frame of the UPM18X, along with the winch-operated adjustment mechanism. The tilt angle is locked in place with two hardened steel bolts and requires no tools for adjustment! Optionally, you can choose to put lock nuts on the bolts for added security. Smaller UPM post mounts use other mechanisms for tilt adjustment according to the size and weight of the solar panel array, but adjusting a General Specialties product is always a breeze.
Here, one can see the heavy-duty welded steel construction that is common to all UPM mounts. Built to do the job well and last a lifetime. It is surprisingly easy to assemble even such a huge structure as this. Visit my Projects page for the entire step-by-step process of installing this array.
General Specialties manufactures a wide variety of Universal Post Mounts to fit solar arrays from small to huge. The steel subframe is topped with strong aluminum rails to hold the solar array. This gives the array both strength and versatility because the rails can be drilled to fit nearly any size of solar panel.
Here you can see a UPM6X mount. As with the larger models, these can be custom-drilled to fit most modern solar panels. This array uses Solarex 80 watt modules (640 watts), and is over 10 years old. Most modern solar panels are around 200 watts or larger, so the mount would likely be configured to hold four to six larger modules for about the same overall wattage, or perhaps a bit more than shown here. Four SolarWorld 175W modules fit the 6X nicely, for a 700 watt array.
This
is the UPM6X after 10 years of use. The construction is simple
and sturdy. Easy to assemble, and easy to adjust the rails to fit
your choice of solar panels.
A little bit of surface rust is evident here, an issue that General Specialties addressed with a more weatherproof paint and primer combination. This detail shot shows how easy it is to adjust the tilt angle of the array. Loosening the four large hex bolts allows the array to pivot smoothly to any position. It is an easy one-person job.
Universal Post Mounts are available in sizes from 3X through 18X to accomodate nearly any size array. Sizes 3X through 8X are nearly always in stock and ready to ship, while the larger sizes are most often built to order. Build time varies from 2 to 4 weeks in most cases.
Return to Voodoo Solar to see the entire lineup of General Specialties products, along with current pricing.
When compared to mass-produced mounts by other manufacturers, it is obvious that Universal Post Mounts are a superior product. The welds are strong and professional, edges are clean and deburred, metal parts are substantial and robust, bolt holes line up the way they should. General Specialties UPM mounts are characterized by heavy duty construction, ease of assembly, and are easy to adjust for seasonal tilt angle. If you have worked with other mounts, you can really appreciate the ease of adjustment. Sure, other brands will do the job. But quality workmanship and engineering do make a difference!
Welded Steel Construction
The UPM18X is the flagship of the General Specialties solar array product line. At approximately 16 feet square, it will support up to 3450 watts of solar power, depending on the size and brand of solar panels used. The photo shows eighteen SolarWorld 175 watt modules for a total of 3150 watts! This is a HUGE array in one location, which really cuts overall installation cost and provides some serious daily solar energy harvest. All of the Universal Post Mounts can be custom-drilled to fit the solar panels of your choice for only a small additional charge.
The next photo shows the heavy steel sub-frame of the UPM18X, along with the winch-operated adjustment mechanism. The tilt angle is locked in place with two hardened steel bolts and requires no tools for adjustment! Optionally, you can choose to put lock nuts on the bolts for added security. Smaller UPM post mounts use other mechanisms for tilt adjustment according to the size and weight of the solar panel array, but adjusting a General Specialties product is always a breeze.
Here, one can see the heavy-duty welded steel construction that is common to all UPM mounts. Built to do the job well and last a lifetime. It is surprisingly easy to assemble even such a huge structure as this. Visit my Projects page for the entire step-by-step process of installing this array.
Sizes for Every Need
General Specialties manufactures a wide variety of Universal Post Mounts to fit solar arrays from small to huge. The steel subframe is topped with strong aluminum rails to hold the solar array. This gives the array both strength and versatility because the rails can be drilled to fit nearly any size of solar panel.
Here you can see a UPM6X mount. As with the larger models, these can be custom-drilled to fit most modern solar panels. This array uses Solarex 80 watt modules (640 watts), and is over 10 years old. Most modern solar panels are around 200 watts or larger, so the mount would likely be configured to hold four to six larger modules for about the same overall wattage, or perhaps a bit more than shown here. Four SolarWorld 175W modules fit the 6X nicely, for a 700 watt array.
This
is the UPM6X after 10 years of use. The construction is simple
and sturdy. Easy to assemble, and easy to adjust the rails to fit
your choice of solar panels.A little bit of surface rust is evident here, an issue that General Specialties addressed with a more weatherproof paint and primer combination. This detail shot shows how easy it is to adjust the tilt angle of the array. Loosening the four large hex bolts allows the array to pivot smoothly to any position. It is an easy one-person job.
Universal Post Mounts are available in sizes from 3X through 18X to accomodate nearly any size array. Sizes 3X through 8X are nearly always in stock and ready to ship, while the larger sizes are most often built to order. Build time varies from 2 to 4 weeks in most cases.
Return to Voodoo Solar to see the entire lineup of General Specialties products, along with current pricing.
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