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Post by rabird on Dec 1, 2016 9:52:35 GMT -8
did you read the NOTE: just below how to set the battery type?
NOTE: If the LED lights do not flash, hold the gray button for 7 seconds again, release, and immediately press the gray button again to enable the flashing
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Post by rabird on Nov 20, 2016 16:46:37 GMT -8
look at the panel specs generally I divide wattage by 18v (Vmp) to determine panel current (Imp) but it is printed on the back.
50 + 100 = 150 watts / 18v = 8.3 amps total, this is about the max for a 10A controller.
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Post by rabird on Nov 18, 2016 17:26:55 GMT -8
batt % is bogus, disregard.
Absorption!
With the batt at 14.7v, the controller is turning on/off very fast to limit power to the batt to prevent overcharge, this is its job. When the panel is OFF PV = 21v in SUN. When the panel in ON, PV = Batt V. So if the controller is on 50% and off 50% then the voltage (PV) would be (21 + 14.7)/2 = 17.85, later in sun the controller is off say 75% so .75 * 21 + .25 * 14.7 = 19.425v. The controller stays in absorption for a set time like 2 hrs while the amps (current) is limited to keep the batt @ 14.7v. Keeping the batt @ 14.7 by turning off the panel limits current (amps). Note PV amps of 1A is low for 200 watts but the controller is OFF most of the time since the batts are near full.
After absorption, the controller keeps the batt in float of 13.?, but in full shade, PV off is less than 21, could be very low! Note again the low PV amps since the batts don't need much power to maintain the float voltage.
Later the controller knows it is dark and PV is very low with no charging.
learn to ignore the %
The concept is batt V rises to 14.7v or whatever it is set to, stays there for a few hrs then goes to float of 13.2v or whatever it is set to.
PV voltage matches batt until the controller limits power to the batt since it is at a set pt.
panel disconnected in SUN should read 21v or so and if you measured the current it would be ZERO amps. since power is volts x amps, power when OFF or disconnected is 21v * ZERO amps = ZERO watts. This high frequency on/off at various on/off times is what keeps the batt from overcharging and the limited time of absorption. The controller is far to dumb to know % charge most of the time!
I'd set the controller to AGM or sealed, I think my ViewStar does 14.4v absorption for sealed batts, 14.6v for flooded.
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Post by rabird on Nov 10, 2016 11:25:43 GMT -8
ASSUME 100watt laptop and 100 watt light = 200 watts, is the monitor extra?
ASSUME 80% inverter eff or 200/.8 = 250 watts.
250 watts / 12v = 21A
ASSUME 2x6v = 230 ah capacity
21A is just about 10% of the ah capacity, I would not expect that load to draw the batteries down below the under voltage warning of 12v.
old batteries? Fully charged?
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Post by rabird on Nov 10, 2016 5:43:08 GMT -8
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Post by rabird on Nov 10, 2016 5:40:35 GMT -8
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Post by rabird on Nov 8, 2016 7:48:27 GMT -8
There are 2 sides of the controller and since you have an MPPT, you can series the panels into the controller and the output to the batts can be '12v' or '24v'. Series advantage is 1/2 current for 2 panels in series compared to 2 parallel. Less current = less voltage drop for the same size feed wires to the controller. Additionally, look at the controller manual (last few pages) to compare controller efficiency at various input/output voltages.
With 4 panels you could have 2 strings of 2 panels, ie 2 x 2 panels in series, paralleled to the controller, this would give you 1/2 the current of 4 in parallel. Each string of 2 in series = 11A compared to 4 in parallel @ 22A.
4 in series would be near the 100v input limit (Voc~22vx4 = 88v)
I suggest sticking with 12v batt configuration (4 12v in parallel and balanced, 4 6v in series/parallel configuration).
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Post by rabird on Nov 3, 2016 6:25:19 GMT -8
try 17 (or whatever you manual suggests)and use the button to turn on and off all other are for night time operation.
4. Manual Mode (T1:#17) Manual mode eliminates any timer functions and leaves load control to the discretion of the user. Once manual mode is set, simply use the orange set button to click the load on or off indefinitely. NOTE: Only Timer 1 can be set to Manual Mode. As a result, Timer 2 will be disabled when Timer 1 is set to Manual Mode.
probe the load terminal with a volt meter to determine if operational.
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Post by rabird on Nov 2, 2016 17:01:08 GMT -8
Is the temperature sensor able to control any equipment, such as turning on a fan if a space gets too hot? Nope, the temp sensor adjusts the charge, float etc voltage based on the temp correction factor default or programed value. yo could set the load feature to always on and add a thermal switch to switch a fan on/off.
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Post by rabird on Nov 1, 2016 11:06:11 GMT -8
specs show 3+ inches, what's the gap between the panels.
I'd mount the mppt near the batteries out of the weather and rewire the 'suitcase'. some of these controllers need to be connected to the batt before the panels are added, tough to do with a 'suitcase' unless ya hook the controller to the batter and add a pigtail with 2 prog plug to plug the 'suitcase' into the controller.
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Post by rabird on Nov 1, 2016 11:02:39 GMT -8
disconnect the batteries and get a charger on the low battery ASAP or charge the low one via solar.
get a controller & panels that can handle 24v
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Post by rabird on Oct 19, 2016 9:40:23 GMT -8
sounds like you are slowly discharging the battery either by not fully charging and/or using too much power.
6A into 2 G27 ain't that much, like a 3% charge. It will take time to raise the battery voltage to the 14s.
disconnect the load for a few sunny days or hook a battery charger to the batteries for many hours.
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Post by rabird on Oct 19, 2016 9:36:19 GMT -8
yes, if you are going to use the load control terminal of a charge controller you need to 'program' it. If '16' is on all the time and that is what you want then go with '16'.
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Post by rabird on Oct 7, 2016 8:18:56 GMT -8
There is rule of thumb about fusing panels before the controller in parallel that 2 does not need fusing but more than 2 does. This is based on larger 8+A panels w/ 10g.
If ya have 3 15A panels with 10g and 1 shorts, the 2 remaining can exceed the 10g wire rating 2x15 =30A but then ya multiple by 1.25 for the panel exceeding its rating and another 1.25 for NEC. 30 x 1.25 x 1.25 = 47A > 30A 10g wire. If ya had 2 15A and one shorts the one good one 15A x 1.25 x 1.25 = 23.4A < 30A 10 g wire.
You have 2 x 50 watts or 2x2.7A adding another 2x2.7A = no harm, each 2.7A x 1.25 x 1.25 = 4.2A, if one of the 4 shorts you could see 4.2A x 3 from the other 3 = 12.6A which is well under the 10g wire 30A rating.
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Post by rabird on Oct 6, 2016 16:25:28 GMT -8
I see no problem with adding 100 watts, the first 100 is approx 6A so an additional 6A is well with the 20A rating.
I love the ViewStar, Renogy once sold the 100 watt suitcase with 10A ViewStar.
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