Lets See Your Solar Setups

[Corey]

Forgive me if there is already a thread of a collection of solar setups.

I just updated my aux. battery solar setup Friday, and have some pics located in my buildup thread here:
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...erland-amp-daily-driver?p=2287238#post2287238

I am using the Renogy 100 watt suitcase solar panel setup with some customs cables made up from Battery Stuff.
Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Suitcase


Custom Cable 4' 10 Gauge with Rings & SB50 10ga4ringSB
They also made the 20' 10 gauge cable for me with the Anderson SB50A plugs on each end, but you will have to call them to custom order it.

A few pics taken today for the aux. battery solar setup:

Anderson plug attached to the side of the ARB Intensity LED light bracket

Charge controller comes alive when it senses hooked up to the 12v battery

Cable running to the Renogy solar panel

After about 15 or so minutes, the auxiliary battery voltage went from 12.3 to 13.4 volts

Below is my older setup which I still use to charge the starting battery.
It is a Powerfilm 60 watt folding panel, connected to a Brunton 7 amp charge controller under the hood.

 

[dwh]

 

[Bbasso]

I've got to have this dual volt gauge, please post a link

 

[Corey]

I've got to have this dual volt gauge, please post a link

Here is the info along with a link.
It does ship from Australia, but it did not take too long, around three weeks.
I actually found out about it on the forum here in another thread.
https://www.yotatech.com/f204/coreys-2007-fj-cruiser-build-up-thread-90962/index14.html#post52337947

 

[john61ct]

Has anyone got a direct link to purchase the actual product? Spent a lot of time looking through that thread and forum, no luck.

 

[Corey]

Has anyone got a direct link to purchase the actual product? Spent a lot of time looking through that thread and forum, no luck.

The link was listed in my build thread above, unless it gets messed up or something, but here is the direct link to OZ.

http://www.solidkit.com.au/product/dual-battery-volt-meter-toyota-120/

 

[fitt]

200 watt Zamp portable, all Led lights 400 watt inverter ran my CPAP every night for the 9 day we were in Glacier National Park.

 

[Steve F]

240W of solar, each folding panel wired in series to put out 38-40v and then wired together in parallel at the Victron 75/15 controller to push out up to 14A if it needs to (rarely).

And the setup inside, here the panels are not connected as I was testing the early 80's Yamaha generator and battery charger for those days when the weather is bad and the battery needs a boost.

Cheers
Steve

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Keep it simple

100W flex panel
Moringstar controller
110AH of deep cycle storage

 

[Matpoo]

150 Watts through a CTEK D250S Dual (combination DC to DC battery charger and MPPT solar charge controller) feeding a 76 Ah AGM battery, and monitored with a couple of DC power meters to keep tabs on power/current from the solar panels into the house battery and from the house battery to my loads (ARB 37 qt fridge/freezer, LED strip lighting, water pump, and ventilation fans for the rooftop tent).

When the D250S Dual fully charges the house battery using the solar panels it switches to charging starting battery. A great way to avoid a dead battery when parked in one spot for an extended period of time...particularly true since I also have a 75 Watt panel mounted on my roof rack full time. Currently this panel is covered by the rooftop tent when it's installed; something I'm looking to change this Summer.

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[dwh]

When the D250S Dual fully charges the house battery using the solar panels it switches to charging starting battery.

Are you certain about that? I thought that you had to add the Smartpass to the 250s to enable charging the engine battery from the solar.

 

[java]

Controller is in the truck, its a Victron MPPT 20A.

And a very thin folding panel, no review on it yet. But its rated at 100W

 

[Matpoo]

Are you certain about that? I thought that you had to add the Smartpass to the 250s to enable charging the engine battery from the solar.

Quite sure.

Maintaining a starting battery is a feature of the D250S Dual. Here's a link to CTEK's product page... second to last bullet in the first set of bullets:

http://smartercharger.com/products/dcdc/ctek-d250s-dual/

Also, there are three lights that indicate where power is coming from and going to depending on if the engine alternator is running or if the solar panels are the sole source of power.

Here's a photo of the D250S Dual with the solar panel and alternator lights illuminated (indicating the maintenance charging of the starting battery) along with my clamp ammeter. The starting battery was being pulsed with current ranging from 0 amps to approximately 2.5 amps... consistent with what I understand this product to do when the house battery is fully charged.

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[dwh]

Good deal. I must have missed that while trying to decipher the manual some years back.

Makes me feel better about recommending it.

 

[Matpoo]

Good deal. I must have missed that while trying to decipher the manual some years back.

Makes me feel better about recommending it.

Indeed. The D250S Dual is a great product for the right application and has been serving me well for a couple of years...one year with a full-time solar panel attached.

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