Solar Panels - Information and Questions

[HeadsUp]

This topic has been posted before but technology changes so fast i will ask again.

I will have ;

a secondary deep cycle battery fitted to my 4WD.

a 120 watt semi flexible solar panel fitted to the racks.

2000 watt 240 volt inverter connected to the second battery on intermittent use.

what is the most reliable dual battery control system i can use that will take solar charge or charge from the alternator when solar is not contributing ?

this is one option i found , anything better ?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CTEK-D25...=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43ce357317

 

[groveraus]

Depending on the vehicle you have.

Traxide if you have a Land Rover.
Redarc BCDC system
Ctek

It comes down to horses for courses, depending on what you need it for and how much you are willing to pay.

The three listed have really good names in the industry and work really well for solar and dual batteries. There are other players now putting up some really good options but have not had much experience with them.

 

[Colmaca]

Why would you need a 2000 watt 240 volt inverter ? what the hell you running Big screen TV

 

[ProspectorPete]

You'd be surprised at what some items pull in "spike" power, I have a 1000 watt inverter hardwired in my ute and if the missus uses the little hair drier while camping it trips the fuse breaker even with the engine running, wish I had a 2000 watter instead.

 

[goldtruck59]

we use ctek, perfect for what you want. set and forget

 

[HeadsUp]

Why would you need a 2000 watt 240 volt inverter ? what the hell you running Big screen TV

i very rarely use 240 volt anything out bush

i picked up the 2000 watt inverter for the same price as other people charge for a 300 watt unit so i thought why not ?

It only draws whatever you load it with plus efficiency factor so if i have enough battery juice on any given day i will use what it can supply.

most of my power requirements will be 12 volt but if i need 240 V it will be there

 

[HeadsUp]

Depending on the vehicle you have.

Traxide if you have a Land Rover.
Redarc BCDC system
Ctek

It comes down to horses for courses, depending on what you need it for and how much you are willing to pay.

The three listed have really good names in the industry and work really well for solar and dual batteries. There are other players now putting up some really good options but have not had much experience with them.

side by side the CTEK is around $249 while the redarc BCDC 1225 is $ 390

other than that i didnt spend 4 hours reading 4WD forums to see which ones have been more reliable / popular over time

 

[condor22]

Here's the math using Ohms Law.

A 2000 W inverter will produce 240VAC @ a little over 8 Amps.

However it will use a bit more than 2000 W @ 12VDC to produce it because of efficiency loss.

This means 2000 divided by 12 plus a bit = about 170 AH.

So a 120 AH battery will be dead flat in about 40 minutes if you use all 2000 W.

(you didn't say how big your auxiliary was)

Even a 300W inverter will draw about 29AH if loaded to max.

I use a 150W on my aux battery and another the same size in my caravan. If I need any more than that I get the genny out.

 

[slowflow]

I have fitted & run ctek 250 dual in my sons & my vehicle.Mine has run for about 2 years, 1 st to charge 240 Ah but now 120 Ah. Charge from the car or a 250 watt solar panel which almost keeps up with a 55 ltr freezer + an overnight draw of 3 amps for however long I sleep. Voltage will drop from 13.6 (AGM battery) to 12.4-6 overnight. Current draw is MUCH higher if the car is locked up in the summer sun due to freezer running continuously & inefficiently. I need to run the car every 3-4 days depending on conditions.
Freezer usually at -5.
My solar carries an independent charger & therefore plugs directly to the battery.
Ctek puts out 20 amps max. 5 stage charging. Tunning at home to precool the freezer I use a 20 output computer power supply to the ctek solar input.

I would not expect 120w to maintain the battery for the freezer for more than 3 days depending on operating environment.

 

[condor22]

From chatting to many here and on the 4x4 forum I belong to, most people don't really understand as much as they should about battery power and unfortunately, they just accept what they are told by retailers that don't understand much more. After all a sale is a sale.

I am a retired electro/mechanical designer and have researched this topic specifically for over 10 years and am happy to pass on my knowledge.
It can be a complex subject but following a few simple rules will result in longer battery life.

Needs differ from one person to the next, but the logic is the same. So, I am going to start a post on this subject covering deep battery types, technology, charging and maintenance. Solar panel charging, smart charging, cables, connectors and generators.

It will take a little time, so stay tuned.

In the mean time I'm happy to answer questions.

 

[HeadsUp]

From chatting to many here and on the 4x4 forum I belong to, most people don't really understand as much as they should about battery power and unfortunately, they just accept what they are told by retailers that don't understand much more. After all a sale is a sale.

I am a retired electro/mechanical designer and have researched this topic specifically for over 10 years and am happy to pass on my knowledge.
It can be a complex subject but following a few simple rules will result in longer battery life.

Needs differ from one person to the next, but the logic is the same. So, I am going to start a post on this subject covering deep battery types, technology, charging and maintenance. Solar panel charging, smart charging, cables, connectors and generators.

It will take a little time, so stay tuned.

In the mean time I'm happy to answer questions.

Without looking back through old posts I think you may have been one of those who has made good detailed posts on it before .

I have seen complicated systems that people build when they have higher demands than my simple needs but those were done years before the current technologies were released and it will be easier now with improvements in simplicity , footprint and capacity , however I like the minimalist approach to camping with the exception of sometimes carrying an angle grinder on big trips for emergency repairs and other power tools that would be on a 5-10 minute duty cycle

I am guessing you could probably have two or three package descriptions designed to suit different capacity requirements , there are folks who merge towards the glamping end of the spectrum

 

[condor22]

Without looking back through old posts I think you may have been one of those who has made good detailed posts on it before .

I have seen complicated systems that people build when they have higher demands than my simple needs but those were done years before the current technologies were released and it will be easier now with improvements in simplicity , footprint and capacity , however I like the minimalist approach to camping with the exception of sometimes carrying an angle grinder on big trips for emergency repairs and other power tools that would be on a 5-10 minute duty cycle

I am guessing you could probably have two or three package descriptions designed to suit different capacity requirements , there are folks who merge towards the glamping end of the spectrum

I do, in fact I have 2 setups myself, 1 for the 4x4 if I swag it and another for the caravan, or as you put it "glamping". Also 2 previous caravans that were setup differently to my current one.

As I said everyone has differing needs, but many of the criteria are similar if not the same. My thoughts for the future thread are to firstly explain the types of batteries commonly used, the different methods of charging them and how to work out what is needed.

The key thing is, any system needs to be designed properly, fit for purpose and if needed with future expansion in mind. Also, any equipment I specify will be the good stuff because when it comes to the crunch, cheap "knockoffs" rarely perform or last as well as branded kit.

I'm still thinking about how and in what order to do this, because as you may be aware, I have to remember that some of those that read it may have little technical expertise. So the last thing I want to do is baffle with science.

If you want my help before I do this PM me with details. ie, everything you want to power, their amps or watts if known, how long a trip will be and what battery type, size and chargers etc. you currently have.

 

[Guest]

Hello Condor22,

I look forward to the upcoming battery post, as I'm sure many others do too.

This site just gets better and better every day. Great people with varied intelligence and experience. Such a pleasure. Thank you to all.

Regards

Lambi

 

[HoracioReach]

This topic has been posted before but technology changes so fast i will ask again.

I will have ;

a secondary deep cycle battery fitted to my 4WD.

a 120 watt semi flexible solar panel fitted to the racks.

2000 watt 240 volt inverter connected to the second battery on intermittent use.

what is the most reliable dual battery control system i can use that will take solar charge or charge from the alternator when solar is not contributing ?

this is one option i found , anything better ?

I do believe solar power system is pretty effective.. I have been using it for years and got pretty nice outcomes.

 

[winnemucca]

My thoughts for the future thread are to firstly explain the types of batteries commonly used, the different methods of charging them and how to work out what is needed.

The key thing is, any system needs to be designed properly, fit for purpose and if needed with future expansion in mind. Also, any equipment I specify will be the good stuff because when it comes to the crunch, cheap "knockoffs" rarely perform or last as well as branded kit.

looking forward to your posts condor22, appreciate your knowledge being shared. cheers, winnemucca

 

[condor22]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9156

Been up for a while

 

[nucopia]

Gday Condor22
Just read through your two threads great info !
I just bought a 2nd hand land cruiser prado 90 series.
I think it might have had duel batteries in the past, but not 100% sure.
In the engine bay the front battery area is vacant and the rear battery space is taken up with a 55ah battery ( see pictures) that run the vehicle system now.

What I would like to do is add a duel battery system that would give me options for when we go bush and have limited or zero access to power.
Something that could be charged and run with in the vehicle system as well be run and charged Independently from a solar panel.
Would value any advice you can give me to point me in the right direction.
Looking at a 100ah AGM battery ,12v 160w folding solar panel, 30A controler charger and 1000w invertor on ebay
As well as a
Redac duel battery kit
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REDARC-S...348146?hash=item5d462d8a32:g:6uIAAOSwk1JWb3I0

 

[ProspectorPete]

Hi guys,

I've got a Powertech 80 watt folding solar panel which I use for camping connecting it to my camper trailer to keep the deep cycle battery topped up while my Engle is running from it.
Last trip a couple of weeks ago I noticed it wasn't charging the battery even though the sun was high and bright, the deep cycle is permanently mounted in the front drawbar box with a fuse box, 2 x 12v cig lighter sockets and a digital volt meter.

When I got home I set it up out the back and took to it with the multi-meter (which I forgot to take on the trip) and the panel is sending around 20.9v to the controller but only around 3.7v out to the plug, the Sun light is not lit on the controller when in the sun and it does register with 2 (of 4) Batt lights on when connected to the trailer battery.

I've opened the back of the controller and visually inspected the connections and all seems good from what I can tell but it could be a dry solder on the circuit board or a blown resistor/capacitor??

Any suggestions guys? Auto elec?

 

[davent]

Sorry, didn't read the post properly

 

[Rockhunter62]

Sounds like the controller is playing up Pete, but I'm not a auto electrician. I would have thought that you should be getting about 13 - 14 volts out of the plug from the controller.

Cheers

Doug