I went to a welding supply/industrial gas shop. They have all sizes of wire and should be able to make you anything you want
100W Portable kit on ebay
- Thread starter Dennx
- Start date
I went to a welding supply/industrial gas shop. They have all sizes of wire and should be able to make you anything you want
JKJenn
Adventurer
If you happen to be within driving distance from Pittsburgh, I am selling my Renogy 200 watt kit. It is a great kit, jut too big for me with everything else I carry. I carry too much but can't seem to scale back. Here is the CL posting: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/app/4661692138.html
Why would my panel voltage be reading 19.7v 0.5-0.6 amps in the middle of the day? Panel is aimed directly at the sun with no clouds. When it is connected to the battery it will spike up to a high amp reading for a couple seconds and then settle down to around a half amp and @19.7v.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
What brand panels/controller, what battery, what load, and what are you measuring with?
This is the Renogy 100w suitcase with the View Sonic VS1024BN controller. Batteries are Diehard Platinum. No load connected. I am reading the PV display on the controller.
Hi Sovereign, I have nearly the same set up as you except a yellowtop for the battery. When my battery is near full charged, and no load on, I get the same reading as you. If I drain the battery or put on a load, the reported amps go up and the volts go down.
I have interpreted this as the Controller will always want to push to the Battery a combo of Amps and Volts. If the Battery is low, more Amps are pushed which steals from available volts. When the Battery is already charged, it will lower the amps which pushes up the Volt side. That is my untrained and layman's interpretation. So I am real glad you asked the question, because I want to watch for a real pro to answer.
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Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I've never even looked at what the controller says is going on; I've always used a real meter and I've never seen anything like that going on with mine. I have two flooded marine batteries on it.
I'll look at the controller next time and see what it says.
Contact Renogy Tech and ask them.
I'll look at the controller next time and see what it says.
Contact Renogy Tech and ask them.
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
That's a PWM controller.
When the battery is less than full, the controller will connect the solar to the battery, and the battery will hold the voltage of the solar panel down to whatever the battery voltage is. Since the solar is connected to the battery, current is flowing and the battery is charging.
Once the battery is full, the controller will disconnect the solar from the battery and the solar is dead.
Technically, since there would be no load on the solar at that point, it shouldn't be operating at all - no voltage, no current, nada - BUT, the charge controller needs to test the solar and see if it works, so it is putting just a little load on the solar in order to get some electrons flowing so it can test it.
So that's why you are seeing the Voc (Voltage - open circuit) and seeing a just a touch of current flowing.
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
Hrmmm...just a minute.
Are you saying you are seeing that reading when the controller is NOT connect to the battery at all?
Well, usually charge controllers instructions tell you to connect the battery first, then the solar. The reason is that the charge controller gets its power from the battery and won't work at all unless connected to a battery.
If you are seeing that reading with the battery not connected at all, then the charge controller is getting the power to run itself from the solar, which is kinda cool. That would also explain the little half amp load you are seeing - that'd be the power needed to run the charge controller.
Are you saying you are seeing that reading when the controller is NOT connect to the battery at all?
Well, usually charge controllers instructions tell you to connect the battery first, then the solar. The reason is that the charge controller gets its power from the battery and won't work at all unless connected to a battery.
If you are seeing that reading with the battery not connected at all, then the charge controller is getting the power to run itself from the solar, which is kinda cool. That would also explain the little half amp load you are seeing - that'd be the power needed to run the charge controller.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
He's saying there's no load on the battery, dwh.
Thanks for the explanation.
I had my panels out over the weekend but only had enough sunlight to get up to 12.8v. Warm fall; too many leaves still up.
Thanks for the explanation.
I had my panels out over the weekend but only had enough sunlight to get up to 12.8v. Warm fall; too many leaves still up.
dwh
Tail-End Charlie
Don't give me that. It's obvious from that picture that THE DOG could find a nice sunny spot!
(But he probably wasn't drunk, like his boss.
)