The motor home roof I just helped refurbish we just Sikaflex the fixed panel brackets back on with a couple of S/S screws, nice bit of air flow for it..... I would only use flexi panels as portables............. if the few kgs is a worry then you really have too much junk.
Solar The Solar Panel Thread
- Thread starter cruza driver
- Start date
We thought body flex plus roof getting to over 50 degs on hot days the adhesive may not be happy at 100kph, so for peice of mind fasteners added.
Ah fair enough. I know most sika adhesives and sealants have an service temp rating of -50 to 90 degrees and then 4 hours at 120 degrees or something similar. But each to their own. I think most mountings fail by separating from the adhesive, not the adhesive separating from the roof
Just so people aren't confused
The sikaflex products I'd use in order of bestest to best are;
Sika 292i
Sika 252
Sika 221
And always follow product instructions. Surface prep, followed by activator
The sikaflex products I'd use in order of bestest to best are;
Sika 292i
Sika 252
Sika 221
And always follow product instructions. Surface prep, followed by activator
Quick question.
when I connect my 250w portable panel to the jhub j35b unit (via the 6.8mm spade connectors) does it have to be via an MPPT unit first or does the j35b unit Take care of the magic and I don’t need one?
when I connect my 250w portable panel to the jhub j35b unit (via the 6.8mm spade connectors) does it have to be via an MPPT unit first or does the j35b unit Take care of the magic and I don’t need one?
Hi,
the J35B has an inbuilt solar regulator.
You must connect the solar panels directly to the solar panel input terminals on the J35B. That will mean bypassing any solar controller mounted on the back of the solar panels.
Another alternative is to connect the portable panel AND its controller directly to the battery terminals, bypassing the J35B.
There are pros and cons for either way.
take care
Mike
Thanks Mike For the quick response.
reason I asked is i had originally had the portable panel and MPPT Connected direct to the battery but the jhub display panel wasnt showing the battery charged, it stayed at 20% and was telling me almost no time remaining Even though battery was 12.7v. So I presumed the panel wasn’t charging the battery, so I put the van on 240v charge and instantly the screen refreshed and showed a full battery with 199> hours remaining. Can’t do this every time to refresh the screen when we charge off grid so will connect direct to the j35b in future.
As Mike said ........................................... do you have an external Anderson which you can plug into which feeds the J35 or are you going to just run a cable into the van ???
If you can run a cable from the J35 to an outside anderson fitted on the off side of van with the cable out of sight inside is the best way to do it , sometimes this is not possible as the wiring from the J35 is buried but you can fit a direct line to the battery , in which case you would need a regulator on the portable panel .....................
If you can run a cable from the J35 to an outside anderson fitted on the off side of van with the cable out of sight inside is the best way to do it , sometimes this is not possible as the wiring from the J35 is buried but you can fit a direct line to the battery , in which case you would need a regulator on the portable panel .....................
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Yes, that is one of the disadvantages of connecting the solar panel and controller directly to the battery. The JHub cannot monitor the solar charge going into the battery.
There is a great device that can be bought for under $20 that can be put inline with the feed from the solar panel to the battery that will measure instantaneous voltage, power and current as well as accumulated AH and Watts into the battery.
Look on eBay for 12V power analyser.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3934235...CnBMh|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524&frcectupt=true
Another point: There are proper MPPT solar controllers and fake MPPT controllers which are just cheap PWM controllers that have MPPT stamped on them. The controllers fitted to the back of panels are seldom proper MPPT controllers.
take care
Mike
Yes, that is one of the disadvantages of connecting the solar panel and controller directly to the battery. The JHub cannot monitor the solar charge going into the battery.
There is a great device that can be bought for under $20 that can be put inline with the feed from the solar panel to the battery that will measure instantaneous voltage, power and current as well as accumulated AH and Watts into the battery.
Look on eBay for 12V power analyser.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/393423599649?_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item5b99dfb821:g:UYYAAOSwuaNg4B8h&amdata=enc:AQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSU8qUIAeVPdz29zRlje3Lg9Dg1EAgbGv92P7CxwVuKDZ2LhJNzzaEWbNxFqDcWLmjvATCwI9eoGkKnzS5nI08ZIwOGqRnW1K8iSNWaBcranbPVHK1WGyBNiaj3I6L9Rwz4tu45%2B8kowl2L3plEwjmwMHBatbxpOTePyiSnXrz5Hwf5rbHOcpZAllUTdd4%2F39grSJ%2FlhZ%2FilpbU%2BL3Y4H7EGDGq2OZVhRcQHox6fUUhkBr1q7ikTvT7wF1Ld1X3J9kcKqGBwnZxTy3AnNagg7dbblx%2FtEnD3XZzEBz9jujejfJFhLBOdREuJi8fXK1Zz%2F4MdcbJTK9OyDZ2xi9DyST%2BszqHAQ2wqgFr3zlVou55qRkEPYPoe3wkCNZsDs06NB3PZYQtHZiI6HGWTWvvsfotsoeEMJueItH0unqNYM2cwjkbu0eLzsdUElrDZi5pn83fnMqe7Jq6bXM%2FE6XcIs%2Bk7jcNPMkRHcmK960Je%2B2%2BwLCH%2FryCI3nQtaRoscqAxOB0xK9zRsmlS%2BLWUYw1FwnTUFx8Ke0aKvsgGVG1wdaGP%2BHsB2J%2BIF6tXQJnew9I%2FUvGDy8NU55rKqOahXYRj1LnR6jbGLvga1LiFk99ZQhG4XJdhP5xH361F4HLSkt99g7C6gTIgXSS0N%2FJWhNjxzHIbN1yMfUtrriXEUCaaz0%2BFjyrQoMBmPM8vA3wOzdzNVRnTnTfXxiq7vzOEYWCw4lp%2BLprXiYK3PB8jMikAX7H6eXUwBaUZxWf1dBGmZAnrg0t7YBlgR%2FqMma6FAB8uhK9%2BVuOarqg%2Bn5cVwTNShi98IAusw1iYnVkgPoduCCnBMh|ampidL_CLK|clp:2334524&frcectupt=true
Another point: There are proper MPPT solar controllers and fake MPPT controllers which are just cheap PWM controllers that have MPPT stamped on them. The controllers fitted to the back of panels are seldom proper MPPT controllers.
take care
Mike
Hi Mike @mikerezny, here is a real good example of false advertising of a controller being a MPPT/PWM solar controller. Has a lot of user settings and in the description talks about max efficiency and all that info about how a MPPT works too. But at that price (approx $18.00!) can that possibly be true?? No wonder it confuses a lot of the those not knowledgeable about the real operation and function of MPPT. Buyers beware! A good one for Mr Ilett to test out.
MPPT/PWM USB Solar Controller Panel Regulator Auto Focus Tracking 10A—100A | eBay
10A/20A/30A / 40A / 50A/ 60A /70A/80A/90/100A battery 12V photovoltaic system: power is respectively 100-1000W. 10A/20A/30A / 40A / 50A/ 60A /70A/80A/90/100A battery 24V photovoltaic system: power is respectively 200-2000W.
www.ebay.com.au
Hi @Boots in Action,
it would be virtually impossible for a novice to determine whether a solar controller advertised as a MPPT controller is a fake or not. Hence why the sellers can easily get away with it.
There are only four ways I know of to tell the difference:
1: buy a well known and accepted product from a professional supplier: Victron, EPV, etc,
2: go on the advice of someone experienced enough to review the controllers and post the results online: solar shed etc,
3: open up the product to inspect teh circuit board looking for the inductor / transformer that is needed in an MPPT controller and would not be in a PWM controller, or
4: do an actual test using a 40V solar panel and 1: Check that the output current into a load is about twice as much as that going into the load. 2: measure the solar panel voltage and current, check that it is about the same as the panel spec for Vpmax and Ipmax which would indicate that the MPPT controller is putting the correct load on the panel to draw maximum power, 4: the the power coming out of the panel (V x A) is about 1.1 times the power going into the load.
So, quick summary of what I would do: Check the maximum input voltage of the controller is above 50V. Get a 24V solar panel from a house installation that has an output voltage of 40V or so. Hook the panel and controller into a constant load (a fully-charged van battery with a load attached that exceeds the maximum panel output. Check that the output current from the controller is about twice as much as the current from the solar panel.
The chances of a normal consumer being able to do this is virtually nil, hence why the sellers are getting away with it.
take care
Mike
it would be virtually impossible for a novice to determine whether a solar controller advertised as a MPPT controller is a fake or not. Hence why the sellers can easily get away with it.
There are only four ways I know of to tell the difference:
1: buy a well known and accepted product from a professional supplier: Victron, EPV, etc,
2: go on the advice of someone experienced enough to review the controllers and post the results online: solar shed etc,
3: open up the product to inspect teh circuit board looking for the inductor / transformer that is needed in an MPPT controller and would not be in a PWM controller, or
4: do an actual test using a 40V solar panel and 1: Check that the output current into a load is about twice as much as that going into the load. 2: measure the solar panel voltage and current, check that it is about the same as the panel spec for Vpmax and Ipmax which would indicate that the MPPT controller is putting the correct load on the panel to draw maximum power, 4: the the power coming out of the panel (V x A) is about 1.1 times the power going into the load.
So, quick summary of what I would do: Check the maximum input voltage of the controller is above 50V. Get a 24V solar panel from a house installation that has an output voltage of 40V or so. Hook the panel and controller into a constant load (a fully-charged van battery with a load attached that exceeds the maximum panel output. Check that the output current from the controller is about twice as much as the current from the solar panel.
The chances of a normal consumer being able to do this is virtually nil, hence why the sellers are getting away with it.
take care
Mike
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Could not agree with you more @mikerezny . Whilst the first three of your suggestions are feasible, the first is knowing what brands are reputable (noting that Kings advertising of a MPPT controller is highly suspect IMHO! - see attached) ,the second would depend on the knowledge, experience and honesty of that person and who/where they are. The third is easily the best if person is happy enough to open the unit and sight the inductor and know what to look for, but have to purchase unit first. Your last idea would only apply to those who already have significant 12 volt electrical experience, have the equipment and ability to set up and read instruments - would apply to very, very few.
The easiest and simplest is the third idea and some sellers are now showing shots of internal circuits to convince buyers they are not selling fake or re-branded PWM types. So it still gets down to "BUYER BEWARE". Julian Ilett's tests on various units has had some very revealing outcomes.
30A MPPT Caravan Solar Panel Regulator Charge Controller 12V/24V Auto LCD LOG | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 30A MPPT Caravan Solar Panel Regulator Charge Controller 12V/24V Auto LCD LOG at the best online prices at eBay!
www.ebay.com.au
Adventure Kings 20A MPPT Solar Regulator USB Charging Power 4WD Caravan Control | eBay
Kings MPPT Solar Regulator 20A Charging Highly efficient for more power Charge your batteries quickly and efficiently with the Adventure Kings 20A MPPT Solar Controller. A Solar Controller (or regulator) is a must for safeguarding your battery from the high voltage output of solar panels. It...
www.ebay.com.au
But maybe, just maybe, technology is moving fast and what I did not think was possible is now possible, and I was/am still too cynical on these products. But, I still fall back to the old saying: "IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!!" Tread your own path.
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Hi @Boots in Action The MPPT controller LD Solar TD2310 which we installed according to your sage advice is working a dream. Great piece of kit. PV Voltage is currently 21.5V under a filtered sun of 7/8 Cirrus/ Cirro stratus cloud. The PV panel is a standard Jayco 150 Watt.Could not agree with you more @mikerezny . Whilst the first three of your suggestions are feasible, the first is knowing what brands are reputable (noting that Kings advertising of a MPPT controller is highly suspect IMHO! - see attached) ,the second would depend on the knowledge, experience and honesty of that person and who/where they are. The third is easily the best if person is happy enough to open the unit and sight the inductor and know what to look for, but have to purchase unit first. Your last idea would only apply to those who already have significant 12 volt electrical experience, have the equipment and ability to set up and read instruments - would apply to very, very few.
The easiest and simplest is the third idea and some sellers are now showing shots of internal circuits to convince buyers they are not selling fake or re-branded PWM types. So it still gets down to "BUYER BEWARE". Julian Ilett's tests on various units has had some very revealing outcomes.
30A MPPT Caravan Solar Panel Regulator Charge Controller 12V/24V Auto LCD LOG | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 30A MPPT Caravan Solar Panel Regulator Charge Controller 12V/24V Auto LCD LOG at the best online prices at eBay!www.ebay.com.au
Adventure Kings 20A MPPT Solar Regulator USB Charging Power 4WD Caravan Control | eBay
Kings MPPT Solar Regulator 20A Charging Highly efficient for more power Charge your batteries quickly and efficiently with the Adventure Kings 20A MPPT Solar Controller. A Solar Controller (or regulator) is a must for safeguarding your battery from the high voltage output of solar panels. It...www.ebay.com.au
But maybe, just maybe, technology is moving fast and what I did not think was possible is now possible, and I was/am still too cynical on these products. But, I still fall back to the old saying: "IF IT LOOKS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!!" Tread your own path.
I learned a lot, although I did know not to use the side cutters before disconnecting the batteries, fine surgery with side cutters isn't my best skill. Anyhow all is working well, and thanks again for your help.
Take care
So glad you are happy with the setup @Johnanbev. You persevered, and was patient with my pedantic instructions. And no "smoke and mirrors" either although you went close when using steel side cutters to cut through the twin cables while they were still connected to batteries. Saved by the fuse!!! Thanks for the great feedback. Another satisfied member!! If you have any further queries on how to read screen or check logging, just drop me a message. Cheers
Just an FYI in case anyone wants to know.
Just had sign off on our new van last week and MPPT controllers are now an option at Jayco. $150 option to upgrade from PWM to MPPT.
The solar panels have also been upgraded to 180W as well from 160W.
Cheers and hope the weekend is treating you well.
PM335J instead of PM235BTJ
Just had sign off on our new van last week and MPPT controllers are now an option at Jayco. $150 option to upgrade from PWM to MPPT.
The solar panels have also been upgraded to 180W as well from 160W.
Cheers and hope the weekend is treating you well.
PM335J instead of PM235BTJ
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Interesting. Was wondering how long it would take them to offer that. Think all solar panels are 180w standard from factory now
Hi,
seems that both of these are complete battery management systems from Projecta. Complete replacements for the Setec, and BmPro products offered in the past.
https://www.projecta.com.au/intelli-rv-products/pm200
https://www.projecta.com.au/intelli-rv-products/pm300
There is also a pm300BT which also talks via BlueTooth to via a smartphone app.
take care
Mike