Aux Battery Set-up with Ram EcoDiesel

[DiploStrat]

Those Indeed,

but you will also need:

-- Wiring, both sense and panel to controller to battery wiring.

-- A shunt, larger than the total capacity of your battery bank,

-- Temperature sensor for the batteries. (This is essential to the mojo.)

See here: http://www.bogartengineering.com/content/accessories

 

[228B]

.
Outstanding, sirs!

 

[ohv]

If I had the eco I would goto a scrap yard and find any 2500/3500 Cummins and pull the parts off and follow the same on your rig.

 

[adventurevrogger]

Type of Wire

What type of wire have people used for the solar panels? I don't want to mount the solar panels to the roof, for among other reasons, because I want to be able to set-up in the shade when possible, then throw-out the panels ten, twenty, or thirty-feet away. For this purpose, I need something that's flexible, yet still sun and weather resistant. The THHN type wire is a bad fit for this due to it's stiffness and work-hardening attributes. I'm starting to lean towards welding cable, but fifty-feet of 6 AWG welding cable is going to have a weight and bulk cost.

Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[adventurevrogger]

Nice. Thanks.

Also found this ************ stuff, http://www.axon-cable.com/en/02_products/02_composite-cables/02/index.aspx

I'm basically an armored vehicle, right?

 

[228B]

.
^ ^ ^ lol true 'nuff!
.
verkstad's recommendation of 8AWG marine cable is an excellent one...
.
For a 25' PV panel extension, I used 10 ga copper stranded 2-conductor landscape cable (.90-something per foot, Home Depot)... but I'm on the threshold for too much voltage drop when using just one panel over that distance. However since I now use both 100W panels and connect them in series (to produce 24V nominal) my system performs better than expected through one 10 ga extension.
.
Will I ever need longer extensions I will invest in the necessary footage of 8AWG marine cable. That is the very stuff I used from the trailer wall-to-the charge controller-to-battery wiring (less than 2' runs, each)

 

[LeishaShannon]

However since I now use both 100W panels and connect them in series (to produce 24V nominal) my system performs better than expected through one 10 ga extension.

This is a big benefit of MPPT controllers over PWM for RV use. We have 4 x 100W portable flexible panels that we put in series to produce almost 80v at just 4.5amps. I can use our standard 25 meter long AC extension lead (2.5mm2) to put the panels well out of the shade with less than 2% voltage drop.

If I was using PWM I'd need 25 meters of 0000 100mm2 cable for the same voltage drop!

 

[228B]

.

If I was using PWM I'd need 25 meters of 0000 100mm2 cable for the same voltage drop!

.
Hahaha! That is funny stuff... I laugh because what we here in the States call 4/0, or #0000, is about the most-serious cable size-wise that is commonly available. It is used in high-voltage, high-amperage motion picture lighting too.
.
Thank you for your reply. I read some of your other replies in various threads in amazement; you know your way around regarding the flow of electrons.
.
Here too I was thinking the benefit going into the MPPT controller was simply due to the increase in voltage... but where MPPT also shines is in it's ability to utilize the higher voltage PV input to produce better amperage. For example, when these two 100W panels were connected in parallel, I'd see at best 11.8-something amps being sent to my 100Ah AGM battery... now, with the panels in series, the battery sees over 12.5 amps going in. That is effectively over 6 amps per panel!