Lets See Your Solar Setups

[ConcordCarlos]

Anyone using the Zamp 180 or 230 watt folding panels ?

Do you think it could keep a good 12v deep cycle battery charged with a 50 qt ARB ?

How about an 82 qt ARB ?

Thanks for the input.

I have a folding 100w by Renogy , Victron charge controller and a Bosch agm. Smaller than my starting battery (08 gx470) . I move the panel a few times during the day to track the sun. Even with heavy use and 90 degree temps no issue with power. I have the same fridge as well.

 

[Borrego60]

This has been working great so far no problem at all. I also have an ARC from Blue Seas, handles both battery charging needs flawlessly!

 

[java]

365w LR Neon2 panel, Victron 100/50 controller.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[Mccaf]

Anyone using the Zamp 180 or 230 watt folding panels ?

Do you think it could keep a good 12v deep cycle battery charged with a 50 qt ARB ?

How about an 82 qt ARB ?

Thanks for the input.

With a 230 watt panel I would think you have a lot of room to spare. I’m no expert but it seems like a lot if that is all you are running. You need to figure out your daily ah needs and size according. Panels will provide charge even on overcast days-but not as much. I based my system size on my ARB drawing 2.3 amps per hour. The compressor obviously cycles on and off so that figure is subjective and from their website.
Is that ARB your only power usage?

I can keep my 100w AGM batt charged with many ah to spare. My largest consumers are an ARB 63, HardKorr strip LED lights at night, usb/ cig lighter receptacles for charging tablets/phones/speakers, water pump, 12v fan when needed. No ac converter used.

I use a 100w folding Renogy, and a 20 amp Rover. I can move it during the day to trac the sun on a 50’ tether.
The battery is back to 100% after a couple hrs of sun in the morning. During the day the batt usually hovers around 100%. I crank the ARB temp down to use what the sun is providing and keep that beer as cold as possible. There are several good threads on here that really helped me.

 

[the406]

With a 230 watt panel I would think you have a lot of room to spare. I’m no expert but it seems like a lot if that is all you are running. You need to figure out your daily ah needs and size according. Panels will provide charge even on overcast days-but not as much. I based my system size on my ARB drawing 2.3 amps per hour. The compressor obviously cycles on and off so that figure is subjective and from their website.
Is that ARB your only power usage?

I can keep my 100w AGM batt charged with many ah to spare. My largest consumers are an ARB 63, HardKorr strip LED lights at night, usb/ cig lighter receptacles for charging tablets/phones/speakers, water pump, 12v fan when needed. No ac converter used.

I use a 100w folding Renogy, and a 20 amp Rover. I can move it during the day to trac the sun on a 50’ tether.
The battery is back to 100% after a couple hrs of sun in the morning. During the day the batt usually hovers around 100%. I crank the ARB temp down to use what the sun is providing and keep that beer as cold as possible. There are several good threads on here that really helped me.

Is your Renogy set up with SAE or MC4 connectors? I have a Zamp equipped SAE port on our RV; would that set up work with an additional SAE cord?

 

[Mccaf]

Is your Renogy set up with SAE or MC4 connectors? I have a Zamp equipped SAE port on our RV; would that set up work with an additional SAE cord?

MC4. No difference in connectors except the difficulty on separating them, lol. You can always hack off the MC4 and put SAEs. Or make Anderson set ups.
My connection goes from the controller to a short lead to butt connectors. The other end of the butts go to MC4s to the panel. On a 50foot tether and/or another 50’ connection for 100’ total (10ga all the way)
You can always get SAE splitters. If you are talking adding another panel to your set up, that would depend on how many volts your panels can produce at max sun and your controller rating.

 

[inhabor]

300 watts system. Three onehundred watts Renogy panels, two 170ah Renogy lithium batteries, Victron 100/30 charge controller, Victron multiplus compact, Victron Color control gx,Victron BMV-712 smart and Renogy Dc to DC charger.

 

[dreadlocks]

what kinda output are you getting? all that shade form those racks gotta hurt.

 

[inhabor]

I'm getting enough to keep the batteries fully charged. Victron equipment is amazing. Right now is 6.00 PM, raining, kind of dark and I still see the solar controller producing 5 watts .

 

[dreadlocks]

I guess thats all that matters eh, but FWIW.. my 325W panel I mounted on top of my racks outputs like ~100W on gloomy overcast days w/out any direct sunlight.. a panel is only as strong as its weakest cell, diodes wont help when you got bar shaddows doing it across the board.. I could go out and hold a broom handle over my solar panel crossing all the diodes and the output will drop to a tiny fraction of what is w/out that shade.

 

[inhabor]

I guess thats all that matters eh, but FWIW.. my 325W panel I mounted on top of my racks outputs like ~100W on gloomy overcast days w/out any direct sunlight.. a panel is only as strong as its weakest cell, diodes wont help when you got bar shaddows doing it across the board.. I could go out and hold a broom handle over my solar panel crossing all the diodes and the output will drop to a tiny fraction of what is w/out that shade.

I'm very happy with the performance of my system. I even run a microwave for short periods of time.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Full writeup on my 420 watt system on my web page.... www.rvbprecison.com