ideas for a small testing system

Hello,

I am new to the solar scene and have been dooing alot of research about this fantastic source of energy. I am gearing up to invest in a solar system for my house, but before i do this i wanted to do some testing.

I want to make a small testing system that i can use to measure average levels of sun in specific areas on my house and property. Yes i understand there are alot of variables to consider, but this is how i would like to start to understand solar energy.

My questions are as follows and are based off these assumptions and ideas:

Scenario:
Portable System consisting of a solar panel around 2' x 3' or 4'. I would like to set the system up temporarily and have it collect data over a week period. Idealy the data should be feed to a laptop that will be nearby or worst case have something log the data that i can download into the laptop.

First What equipment would i need? (Minus the obvious Solar Panel and Laptop)
Would i need an inverter for testing or just a meter?
What brands or models would work best?

What Software is available to run on the laptop to track and analyze the results results?

Through my research and browsing i have gathered a rough idea of what is needed but i am really looking for and experts opinion on the matter. I am pretty handy with electronics and would like to make the test system as DIY as i can. I am hoping to keep my cost under 500$, but not sure about pricing since this is my baptisim into solar power.