Solar The Solar Panel Thread
- Thread starter cruza driver
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Accepted @Drover in what you say. However, you do NOT have to lose the flexibility of using the portable panel on other tasks if an Anderson plug is fitted to side of van and wires are connected in parallel with existing panel to Drifter. Flexibility is still maintained as you can decide whether to connect in extra panel at any time you please and still have the advantage and greater efficiency of all solar current (from fixed or both panels) going into the one controller in van. The bypassing of controller on portable panel is easily done by connecting an extra set of wires from output of panel (and before output from portable panel controller) and terminate with a Anderson plug. (Output via controller NOT used, but still available for other uses without changing anything). This extra wiring does not have to be removed (just not used) if charging other items. I will agree that the wiring to the Drifter is extra work but surely if @Miket351 wants the best setup and is capable of doing this, he at least knows about this better option. I admit that I am a bit of a "tech head" on these matters, and am always trying for the ultimate even if it means more work! So like you in the suggestions that you have put forward for improvement, I am only giving options. It is always up to the user to determine their own priorities and how far they want to go and their own ability to do these things. Thank you for the Christmas/New Year good wishes. I look forward to meeting you somewhere/sometime during 2018. Regards.
Yeah thats a point with the extra connections on the panel just use different Anderson's so you don't stuff up..........I know what you mean with getting the most out if it but if you really need to squeeze every drop then one would really need more panels, way better to be at half throttle than full noise........mind wiring to drifter/roof panel would be a big pain, I don't know if it would be worth the hassle.
Wasn't criticising you @Boots in Action , I enjoy your tech head critique, gives me food for thought, once its chewed to bite size I can get some good ideas to follow up on........
Just looked at my earlier post, a bit has gone missing....stupid phone.....
Wasn't criticising you @Boots in Action , I enjoy your tech head critique, gives me food for thought, once its chewed to bite size I can get some good ideas to follow up on........
Just looked at my earlier post, a bit has gone missing....stupid phone.....
Hi @Drover , I can take anything you can dish out, (@bigcol warned me about you when I joined this forum!!) and I like to take you up on some of the more technical things! Very rare on other threads!!! No hard feelings at all!! We are BOTH trying to be constructive I am sure. What you said may be correct in that connecting to Drifter panel MAY not be that easy (an area that I have little practical knowledge on!!) and therefore some extra technical work may be necessary to get the benefit of the additional power that way. @Miket351 can make that decision for himself. Still cheaper than buying and having extra panel/s. Like tuning up a small 2 litre car and trying to make it perform as good as a V8 - provided you have the expertise and desire. I believe from some of your previous posts that you have rewired "Big Mal" amongst other electrical modifications too, so I know you have electrical "know how".
Also I am following up on the real technical information on what happens when two solar controllers are feeding power into the same battery, and what results when a big load is placed on the electrical system. The exercise problem that another "tech head" (@mikerezny) said "would do his head in!!".
Keep chewing. You do not have to swallow!! But you never know what may be of interest to you when you regurgitate all that info and modify it to suit you own needs. I have done this from the info you have provided. And your long experience in this field is very much appreciated by all on this forum. Kindest regards and enjoy your Christmas too.
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Connecting via the Drifter is extremely easy, it’s just a matter of connecting the negative input to the shunt instead of directly to the negative terminal of the battery.
If you have a drifter I see no sense in not connecting one of the power inputs to it, as it’s entire purpose is to monitor incoming and outgoing power to provide an estimate of battery capacity and time.
Thanks @Bellbirdweb for that info. I would agree with your thoughts. I guess that @Miket351 will be happy to hear that news. I hope access to wiring will be just as easy for him if he goes that way.
It wasn't the actual connection to the Drifter I was meaning, it was getting the cable to that point was what I was getting at since most I have seen are up on the wall in a cupboard with no other access other than inside the wall, a cupboard run from floor and up inside a cupboard would be ideal.
@Drover thw wiring does not go to the drifter panel itself, it goes to the shunt which is located at the battery, so the cabling from the Anderson just has positive to the positive battery terminal and negative to the load side of the shunt and bingo, Drifter is monitoring the portable panel.
This now seems to be a very easy modification for @Miket351. Looks like @Drover and I have learnt a lot here. Thanks @Bellbirdweb. The next thing could be @Drover using THIS info to upgrade/modify his set up with his portable solar panel. I love it when the whole plan comes together!! Merry Christmas.
Okay, I thought the Drifter panel was the display/control part of the BM35 box, going by the info (manufacturer info) I had working on some similar gear which mentioned the control panel could be a Drifter, Trek or some other unit, must have a few variations on the units, the Trek system doesn't have a shunt off the battery but if you connect the monitor wire in any position other than first on the terminal it won't calibrate how much is left in the batteries.....took ages to find that.......Good to know these things, just proves one can't assume the manuals tell it all, thanks @Bellbirdweb
No way I'm changing my set up, built to have redundancies, roof solar runs it's own show, portable on it's own and the 240 charger is seperate as well, so if any one unit fails I don't have to pack up and run, monitoring individual outputs is just a matter of looking at the controller in question but rarely done as not that interested after the initial test , it works, it's good, no need to look.
No way I'm changing my set up, built to have redundancies, roof solar runs it's own show, portable on it's own and the 240 charger is seperate as well, so if any one unit fails I don't have to pack up and run, monitoring individual outputs is just a matter of looking at the controller in question but rarely done as not that interested after the initial test , it works, it's good, no need to look.
"If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it"!! But mighty hard to teach an "old dog" new tricks!!
This old dog always open to new tricks and does upgrade as required but if for say your Drifter, Trek or any of these fully integrated units fails you have lost the lot, 240, solar, 12v from tug maybe even 12v supply from battery and a holiday cut short very quickly especially if you have only a compressor fridge...................just saying sometimes the advanced tech is lacking in some things.
@Bellbirdweb @Boots in Action @Drover
Thanks for all the feedback........
I will be going the direct route to the shunt (negative terminal) and to the positive terminal of the battery and see how that goes. I do not have the time or skills to be installing blocking/bypass diodes so I think this will be the best bang vs time for me. I have managed to locate the shunt in my battery and will connect from there.
I also had another idea I am considering please let me know your thoughts I have a Baintech powertop that I use as a second battery in my car which is connected to my main battery but also portable to run my Engle fridge.
The question is this. I can have my solar running straight to my Baintech from there I can either have the Baintech running my Engle as well as (need to know this one) my Caravan through the flat pin plug. If I wire up the pin only to directly charge the battery in my caravan will this be a problem. If this way could work I would not need to worry about switching my portable solar panel from the caravan to the Baintech
Thanks for all the feedback........
I will be going the direct route to the shunt (negative terminal) and to the positive terminal of the battery and see how that goes. I do not have the time or skills to be installing blocking/bypass diodes so I think this will be the best bang vs time for me. I have managed to locate the shunt in my battery and will connect from there.
I also had another idea I am considering please let me know your thoughts I have a Baintech powertop that I use as a second battery in my car which is connected to my main battery but also portable to run my Engle fridge.
The question is this. I can have my solar running straight to my Baintech from there I can either have the Baintech running my Engle as well as (need to know this one) my Caravan through the flat pin plug. If I wire up the pin only to directly charge the battery in my caravan will this be a problem. If this way could work I would not need to worry about switching my portable solar panel from the caravan to the Baintech
If you want to use the baintech that way, you’d need to use a battery of the same chemistry and capacity (ie if you have a 100AH Gel in the van then the other one would need to be gel and preferable 100AH).
If doing it this way, I would not go via the shunt, as the current going into and out of the aux battery would give a false readingon the drifter.
This would work in theory provided you have decent cabling between the two batteries and use an Anderson plug to connect them together.
It may well be better to run them as 2 independent systems rather than trying to connect them together, as individually they will be more efficient than linking them.
@Miket351 have a read at the articles here https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/how-to-connect-two-batteries-in-parallel/ it will give you a great insight into the How's and Why's of hooking up power.
Soooo, maybe these thin panels just aren’t worth mucking around with.
Mounted this on our van 2 mths ago, used van for 1 night and rest of time been in shed.
Got van out Wednesday and today got ontop to wash panel ready for avweek away and found this. Two spots like it.
Panel is mounted on a piece of laserlite profile sheet so has plenty of breathing under it.
One spot looks like a burn and other coating has cracked over burn spot.
So far still working but not happy jan.
Mounted this on our van 2 mths ago, used van for 1 night and rest of time been in shed.
Got van out Wednesday and today got ontop to wash panel ready for avweek away and found this. Two spots like it.
Panel is mounted on a piece of laserlite profile sheet so has plenty of breathing under it.
One spot looks like a burn and other coating has cracked over burn spot.
So far still working but not happy jan.