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Fitting my Solar Panel
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Motorhome Facts -> Solar Panels

Author: sallytrafic,

Location: Salisbury

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:09 am Post subject:

oldun wrote:

When fitting the charging regulator (controller) is it best to have it near to the solar panel, near to the battery or does it not matter?

As far as I can see there is no great advantage in having loads run directly from the controller as it will only be these loads that are switched off when the battery is low. Also running loads directly from the controller usually means that a larger amp controller is needed.

Have I got it right?

It doesn't really matter but as some regulators do temperature sensing of the battery then it is better to be close to the battery.

When your battery is getting discharged to a low level wouldn't be nice to automatically dump some of the non-essential loads that are taking it down? This facility is only available on 'larger regulators' so I concede your last point but if you have load terminals already because of your choice of regulator why not use them.

For those with integrated systems its no use your controller knowing how much goes into your battery if it doesn't know how much is coming out as well It will always tell you your battery is more fully charged than it is Smile

Author: Kev_n_Liz,

Location: Leeds, Gods County.

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:

I've been using the panel for a while now, and it never seems to go over 1.0amps charging, am I missing something?

Kev.

Author: Chascass,

Location: Co Durham

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:28 pm Post subject:

Hi Kev
Unless you are charging run down battery's in optimal charging conditions you never get near what the literature says the panel can produce.
I have 100w's which can produce around 5.5a but in fact on a sunny day up north I only get between 3a and 3.5a in Spain on a glorious day I have had 4.5

Charlie

Author: Kev_n_Liz,

Location: Leeds, Gods County.

Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject:

I did ask some questions about setting up the regulator, as I don't think the manufacturer knew what panel I had, but no one was prepared to give a definitive answer #Black smile

.

Kev.

Author: Techno100,

Location: Leeds up North

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject:

Kev_n_Liz wrote:

I was looking at my regulator while away this weekend and I'm not sure it's set up properly, and would like some expert advice on what levels to re-set it up with, if there is someone who can help.

The current set up is as follows.

Load 000004 (odd as nothing on it at all, and why so many zeros?)

Battery SOC 80%

Charge off at 11.00V

Load off at 10.9V

Load on at 12.6V

Charge 000058ah (what is the pic below saying 58ah, .58ah or 5.8ah?)

The instructions posted earlier show how to do the adjustments, the English is not too good, but I can just about make sense of it, enough to make the changes reccomended.

Kev.

PS I'm not sure if it would make a difference to any suggestions, but the two 110ah batteries are not yet connected together, not had the room to get underneath yet to run cables.

I don't know how I came across this but as I have.
The information you provided shows your charge cut off is set at 11 volts ? This means that anything over 11 volts in your battery will stop the solar panel charge going into your battery. So it is no wonder that you've never seen more than 1 amp of charge as you say in a later post.
Best thing you can do is press the reset button which will restore the default settings and the 12.7 volts charge cut off.

EDIT actually the reset may not restore defaults.
You need to press the menu button repeatedly until the "charge off xx.xx" appears in the display and then press the + button until it says 12.7 then press OK. That's it.

P.S. the ah display 0000058? is how much charge has been delivered since first installing or since last RESET

Author: Techno100,

Location: Leeds up North

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:47 am Post subject:

Just found my instructions. To RESET the unit to defaults press and hold the MENU button for more than 5 seconds.

Author: Kev_n_Liz,

Location: Leeds, Gods County.

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 6:07 am Post subject:

Thanks Techno, only just powered up the lappy, I'll have to look into that, I'll also recheck the readings first.

Watch this space Rolling Eyes

Author: Techno100,

Location: Leeds up North

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:27 am Post subject:

I'm going blummin daft Confused

Charge cut off should be THIRTEEN point SEVEN.

Author: sallytrafic,

Location: Salisbury

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:10 am Post subject:

Techno100 wrote:

I'm going blummin daft Confused

Charge cut off should be THIRTEEN point SEVEN.

Really? Are you saying every modern car is wrong at 14.4V

Author: Techno100,

Location: Leeds up North

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:28 am Post subject:

14.4 permanently on the leisure batteries will cause gassing and loss of electrolite surely.
The default setting is 13.7
This is also the output from my onboard mains charger as my batteries never indicate more than 13.7

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