# Solar Spotter — Stop Guessing. Start Charging. > Solar advisor for off-grid users, optimizing charging and panel alignment. (iPhone/iPad app by Richard de Belin.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-spotter/id6759715349 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Richard de Belin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880327100) - Category: Navigation, Travel - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 29 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-03-10 - Data updated: 2026-08-23 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solar-spotter/id6759715349/reviews.md ## What is Solar Spotter? STOP GUESSING. START CHARGING. Solar Spotter is the solar advisor for off-grid 4WDs, tourers, vanlifers, and anyone who relies on portable solar. Live local conditions, precision panel alignment, and a direct read on your battery — we tell you when to charge, how to align, and what your battery's actually doing, so you get the most charge out of every hour of sun. Your setup works hard so you can relax and enjoy the outdoors. FREE — NO ACCOUNT, NO SIGNAL NEEDED: - Read today's solar day at a glance - live irradiance, efficiency against the physical max for your spot, cloud cover, and temperature. - Set up for the hours you want to charge - intuitive solar compass with azimuth, altitude, and optimal tilt, plus highlighted bands for charging now, the next+3hrs, and the next +6hrs. - Plan around peak solar - full-day sun path chart from sunrise to sunset with peak hours marked. - Catch what's coming - 3-hour weather snapshot. - Bush Bash offline mode - works anywhere. No signal? No worries. UNLOCK PRO Save ~33%. Ends 31 May One price. No subscription. No monthly fees. Buy once. Yours to use forever. CHARGE SMARTER. NOT LONGER. Pro turns your phone into a full solar advisor — here's everything you get: — KNOW WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING — • Battery Bluetooth (BETA) reads your battery's built-in monitor directly over Bluetooth. See what's pushing in (solar, your DC-DC, or both) and what your fridge or other gear is pulling out — without conflating them. Works with JBD and JK-family battery management systems (BMSs). • Daily Battery Tracker projects your sundown % and runs a sunrise safety check from your current charge and system draw. • Estimated Output runs your real panel + battery specs against live conditions and shows hourly wattage, recharge rate, and projected daily harvest. Updates every 15 minutes. — CHARGE IN THE RIGHT HOURS — • Best Charging Window (BCW) rolls through the day on live weather. Set a duration, pick a custom window, or let the app find the optimal one. • 3-day solar outlook — see what the next few days charging looks like at your spot. • Hyperlocal 15-minute weather — YOUR exact spot, not a regional average. — SET UP TO THE DEGREE — • AR Panel Alignment shows the exact direction and tilt with audio + haptic feedback to help lock it in. A real game changer for portable blanket users — about 25% more charge than guessing the angle by eye. Reposition with confidence each time, or set once and forget for the day knowing you’ve optimised your charging for today’s conditions. — PLAN THE WHOLE TRIP AROUND SOLAR — • Trip Planner: multi-stop solar forecasts so you can see what charging conditions are like where you’re headed to, not just where you are now. • Your own trip archives and campsite notes. Record the great (and the not so great) parts of the trip - future you will thank you • Use different equipment for different trips? Save multiple panel + battery profiles — switch between rigs in a tap. Designed for the real world. Works in the outback, at the beach, in the mountains —anywhere you setup camp. Every calculation runs on-device. No reliance on cloud services or mobile coverage. Our Honesty — live-weather, physics-based, real-conditions-aware outputs for your exact spot, right now. Plain talk on what we can and can't tell you. Your Privacy — no ads, no tracking, no analytics, no accounts. Your spot stays yours. ## Key features - Live solar conditions - Precision panel alignment - Battery status monitoring - Offline mode - 3-day solar outlook - AR panel alignment - Trip planner ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Solar Spotter Pro | $14.99 | one-time | ## Frequently asked questions about Solar Spotter ### What is Solar Spotter? Solar Spotter is a solar advisor app designed for off-grid users. It provides live solar conditions, precision panel alignment guidance, and battery status updates to help you maximize your solar charging efficiency. ### Does Solar Spotter work offline? Yes, Solar Spotter features a 'Bush Bash offline mode' that works anywhere, even without a signal. This ensures you can access its features for solar charging and navigation in remote locations. ### What are the Pro features in Solar Spotter? Pro features include Battery Bluetooth (BETA) for direct BMS reading, Daily Battery Tracker, Estimated Output projections, Best Charging Window (BCW), a 3-day solar outlook, hyperlocal 15-minute weather, AR Panel Alignment, and a Trip Planner. ### How much does Solar Spotter Pro cost? Solar Spotter Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription fees. There is a promotional offer to save approximately 33% ending on May 31st. ### What battery management systems (BMS) are compatible with Solar Spotter Pro? The Battery Bluetooth (BETA) feature in Solar Spotter Pro works with JBD and JK-family battery management systems (BMSs). This allows direct reading of your battery's built-in monitor. ### How does AR Panel Alignment work in Solar Spotter? The AR Panel Alignment feature uses augmented reality to show the exact direction and tilt for your solar panels, providing audio and haptic feedback. This can lead to approximately 25% more charge compared to guessing the angle visually. ### What is the update frequency for Solar Spotter? The app was last updated on June 10, 2026, indicating ongoing development and support. The 'Estimated Output' feature updates hourly, and weather forecasts are provided in 15-minute intervals. ### Is Solar Spotter suitable for children? Solar Spotter has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for users of all ages. The app's focus on solar power and navigation is generally appropriate for a wide audience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.8.2 — 2026-06-10 NEW — Battery Bluetooth (BETA). Pair your battery's built-in monitor over Bluetooth and the app reads your live state-of-charge directly — no more guessing the %. The sundown projection and sunrise check now anchor on a real reading. The app sees what's pushing in (solar, your DC-DC, or both) and what your fridge or other gear is pulling out — so the day's plan stays honest whether you're driving in or parked up. Built for batteries that use a JBD or JK monitor (BMS) — like LiTime, Fogstar, iTechworld, Power Queen, Photonic Universe, KickAss and Supervolt. Confirmed on iTechworld; we're verifying more. If yours doesn't connect, tap "Report a Bluetooth issue" and we'll get on it. This update also sharpens the free Solar Day so it reads the rest of your day — not the hours already gone — and makes Bluetooth reconnect to your battery quietly in the background. Plus the usual under-the-hood polish from real-world field testing. ### 1.8.1 — 2026-05-25 NEW — Battery Bluetooth (BETA). Pair your battery's built-in monitor over Bluetooth and the app reads your live state-of-charge directly — no more guessing the %. The sundown projection and sunrise safety check now anchor on a real reading. The app sees what's pushing in (solar, your DC-DC, or both) and what your fridge or other gear is pulling out — so the day's plan stays honest whether you're driving in or parked up. Works with JBD and JK-family battery management systems (BMSs) — including LiTime, Fogstar, iTechworld, Power Queen, Photonic Universe, KickAss, Supervolt and more. Marked BETA. If your readings look wrong, tap "Report a Bluetooth issue" in the pairing sheet and we'll fix it. Plus dozens of small polishes across the battery and Bluetooth flows from real-world field testing. ### 1.8.0 — 2026-05-17 Big update. Battery tracker. See your battery level through the day — enter your current charge and draw, and we'll show how much your system will produce by sunset, and whether you've got enough to make it to sunrise. Updates every 15 minutes. Trip Planner. Plan a multi-stop trip and see the solar forecasts at every location you're visiting, day by day. Start and end markers, home as a saved place, and a one-tap handoff to Apple Maps. Live mode tracks visited stops with per-place notes. On archive, rate the trip with highlights and lowlights — reviews by you, for future you. All trip data stays on your device. Your spots, stay yours. Compass + Optimal Tilt redesign. Optimal tilt now sits in the centre of the compass — readable at a glance in field. Plus: night-aware forecast icons, in-app feedback, smarter review prompt, smoother iOS geolocation, and Pro IAP reliability fixes. Privacy: zero data collection across the app — always has been, always will be. ### 1.7.0 — 2026-04-09 Solar Spotter 1.7 — our biggest update yet. • New guided Setup Wizard (Pro) — friendly 3-step panel setup • Honest efficiency gauge — output against real physical max for your spot • Planned Charge preview rebuilt — full 3 min banked across sessions • Aussie Mode audio cues for AR alignment • Free users get irradiance + clearer PRO labels • Bomb-proof reliability + snappier startup Our Honesty — live-weather, physics-based, real-conditions-aware. Your Privacy — your spot, our secret. ### 1.6.1 — 2026-04-02 Introducing AR Overlay Mode (with Lidar capability for enabled devices) Smarter BCW now optimises the whole day rather isolating into a 3hr window and shows upcoming dangerous weather conditions like hail/thunderstorms/high wind. 3-day forecast bug fixed that was stopping weather data from loading correctly. UI improvements and bug fixes in free-tier weather. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-23.*