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Post by mournlight on Aug 4, 2016 17:38:04 GMT -8
Hi:
Renogy 20 amp mppt controller, 100 watt panel, MT 5 racer. The instructions say, "Wire an in-line fuse holder no more than 150 mm from the battery positive terminal." That's only six inches, right? But the battery tray cables are about four feet. Am I missing something, or am I truly supposed to slice into the big cable and insert a fuse six inches from the battery?
Question 2: What size fuse should I use? I don't see any guidance on this.
Question 3: Just to make sure I'm not misundertanding anything. I got a 400 watt inverter. It connects to the battery, and since it is fused, I don't need to fuse it, right?
Question 4: I have a 12 v tv-dvd player, a 12 v phone charger, a 12 v fan and a 12 v led light. I can use a busbar to make a connection for those items, and the busbar connections will run to the load plugs on the controller, right? (I won't be running all of these items at once.) Can anyone recommend a busbar for 20 amps? I can't seem to find one for that small a load. I might not know the right search term for that. I want to put two cigarette-plug receptacles on this to plug phone chargers into. If I understand everything correctly, it is more effecient to plug a 12 v charger into the controller than to plug a 120 v charger into the inverter - right?
I'd appreciate any guidance. This is my first attempt at a solar set up. I've turned a small enclosed cargo trailer into a tiny rv and put the panel on the top (flat). All I'm trying to power is an led light a few minutes here and there, charge the phone, and maybe a dvd or watch the news from time to time (esp if weather seems to be threatening). Oh and maybe the fan.
Thanks in advance.
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Post by jsb2000 on Aug 5, 2016 16:10:06 GMT -8
The instructions say, "Wire an in-line fuse holder no more than 150 mm from the battery positive terminal." That's only six inches, right? But the battery tray cables are about four feet. Am I missing something, or am I truly supposed to slice into the big cable and insert a fuse six inches from the battery? The key words are " No more than 150mm from the battery positive terminal." A battery terminal fuse block comes to mind: Like this. That's what I'm using. Question 2: What size fuse should I use? I don't see any guidance on this. I believe those fuses start at 30Amps and go up from there. That's the value I use. Question 3: Just to make sure I'm not misundertanding anything. I got a 400 watt inverter. It connects to the battery, and since it is fused, I don't need to fuse it, right? Correct. Generally, items that have their own fuses don't require separate ones. Question 4: I have a 12 v tv-dvd player, a 12 v phone charger, a 12 v fan and a 12 v led light. I can use a busbar to make a connection for those items, and the busbar connections will run to the load plugs on the controller, right? (I won't be running all of these items at once.) Can anyone recommend a busbar for 20 amps? I can't seem to find one for that small a load. I might not know the right search term for that. I want to put two cigarette-plug receptacles on this to plug phone chargers into. If I understand everything correctly, it is more effecient to plug a 12 v charger into the controller than to plug a 120 v charger into the inverter - right? If you want to run the 12V items on a schedule linked to day or night or run them unattended and have the controller cut power to them if the battery voltage falls too low, the the load terminals are for you. Personally, I connect my 12V devices directly to the battery (through switches and fuses, of course). I use these and these. And yes, it is absolutely more efficient to use 12VDC devices than to use the inverter. Once I started using solar, I started looking specifically for things that I could run directly from 12VDC. My office now uses 12VDC LED lighting, 12V fans, 12V...everything. I have an inverter, but it has a nice layer of dust on it from non-use! |
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Post by mournlight on Aug 5, 2016 18:59:20 GMT -8
Thank you. I have never heard of that ceramic block. That makes sense. Before I read your answer, I ended up going with a 30 amp circuit breaker that allows me to disconnect the battery power, too, without as much trouble. I went to an alternator store and had them make me a six inch heavy duty cable. So I guess I complied, though barely. :=) I just ordered one of these, and think it is going to work very well. I'm anxious to get it. It will allow me to more easily plug in those 12 v items: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000THQ0CQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1After the visit to the alternator store, I came home with enough to get everything hooked up. I set both timers for position 6. I don't quite understand why the Load Terminal on the controller doesn't work at certain times. I would have thought it would let me turn on a light when it gets dark, but obviously not. I found a small LED light at a police equipment lighting supply store and hooked it up to the battery with a switch. It puts out a lot of light and should work well. Is there any reason I can't hook a digital voltage meter to the battery terminal connectors at the controller so that I can read the voltage from the battery without relying on what the tracer says? I'd like .to record what it says periodically to see how my loads are pulling Everything is working. I'll see how it charges tomorrow. Thank you for your time. |
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Post by jsb2000 on Aug 6, 2016 8:18:47 GMT -8
I set both timers for position 6. I don't quite understand why the Load Terminal on the controller doesn't work at certain times. I would have thought it would let me turn on a light when it gets dark, but obviously not. According to the manual, mode 6 on both timers would turn the load on for 6 hours after sunset (and a 10 minute delay) and on again for 6 hours before sunrise. So, if the sun sets at 8PM and rises at 6AM, the load should come on at 8:10PM, stay on until 2AM, then stay on until 6:10AM. Of course, the controller might get confused if there's any artificial light strong enough to shine on the panels. Also, remember that the load will cut off if the battery voltage falls too low...regardless of the timer settings. You might want to try setting it to "dusk to dawn" just to see if that changes anything. If that works, then try the timer settings again. Is there any reason I can't hook a digital voltage meter to the battery terminal connectors at the controller so that I can read the voltage from the battery without relying on what the tracer says? I'd like .to record what it says periodically to see how my loads are pulling Absolutely! You can connect any additional digital volt meters, current meters, or power meters you want. As I've mentioned several times on these forums, I use two of these meters. I have one positioned between the batteries and the controller and the other between the solar panels and the controller. Together, they tell me everything I want to know. At around 10-15 dollars, they're a steal (in my humble opinion). I've been using them since 2014 and they're still working perfectly. Everything is working. I'll see how it charges tomorrow. Thank you for your time. Glad to hear it. Looking forward to your report! I'm very happy with Renogy and their products. Been using them for several years now and still going strong. If you need any other help or opinions, feel free to ask. |
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