Fitting solar at Techenders

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by scrooge95, Mar 17, 2018.

  1. Going to follow the perimeter of France, hopefully doing 50 miles a day for 3 months. Can't carry the laptop etc for blogging unfortunately.
     
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  2. Thanks - already crossed swords with a sodding pothole and still got the sore ribs to show for it! See you at Techenders on the Friday.
     
  3. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

  4. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

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  5. Razzyh

    Razzyh Supporter

  6. Iv just got another 120 watt panel so will got at techenders allso I think (220watts I should have then )


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  7. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    Woooo. Loads of power!
    Hopefully also if I’ve not got an appropriate tool or two, you might have them.
    Is it a relatively easy job now Si as you’ve got one there already? Just add a junction to the existing wiring and glue it all in place?
     
  8. theBusmonkey

    theBusmonkey Sponsor

    Yep, so long as he's got a charge controller that handles 20 amps potential he's good to go.
    ( I mention this @scrooge95 coz if you get a 20 amp one now, you won't have the expense of buying another controller if you do decide to add another panel in the future...)
    A couple of MC4 branch connectors to bring both +'s and both -'s from each panel together, and on into the cables that run to the controller...
    Cables spec'd so there's no volt drop over the run (4mm should be fine)...
    Fuses rated for the cable runs...
    Glue it on and....

    No more hook-up for @1973daisey yay :thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
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  9. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    @scrooge95 you are a top swotter! You make the rest of us (me particularly) look lackadaisical:)
     
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  10. theBusmonkey

    theBusmonkey Sponsor

    Rather topically we've just had a solar related conversation.
    Mrs Monkey and I have decided to stay put in the aire we arrived at yesterday as Montville is a lovely little town.
    Anyway it's a bit overcast but the 100w panel is still pulling about 1.5a.
    Not a lot but we've got the fridge running, a pure sine wave inverter for the lap top, 3 mobile devices charging, a torch on charge, plus the blue tooth speaker and the iPod:eek:
    Terminal voltage is currently 12.9 but that will drop as the solar charge going into the battery wouldn't cope with that draw all day
    It's a 140 amp leisure battery though so I guess we can always top it up when we travel south tomorrow:cheers:
    IMG_0410.JPG

    Lazy day, she deserves it :)
    IMG_0413.JPG
     
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  11. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    Look at you with all your travellery petrol cans! Where's Montville? :)
     
  12. theBusmonkey

    theBusmonkey Sponsor

    Montville is just north of Rouen in Normandy.
    We got off the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry yesterday pm so just wanted a close stop.
    One gas can, 2 black water cans and the red one has got 10l of 20.50 in it for service oil changes lol.
    As you may recall, yes I was a Boy Scout;) x
     
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  13. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    Ha ha , not sure about that, but thanks!
    I've got to keep motivated towards this as Clem is away being welded at the moment, and so there might not be much time between him returning to my driveway, slinging some bedding in the back, and heading for Victoria Farm!
     
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  14. Merlin Cat

    Merlin Cat Moderator

    Have you been here Mr Bus Monkey? We stopped at a camp site here on our way back from Spain last year. Our pitch was right on the river :). I know you don't really do camp sites but the village is nice :) . It's probably near you right now!! X

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_Gaillard
     
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  15. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    So as a bit of an aside, but all vaguely connected.....

    Are all leisure batteries born equal when it comes to the (hopeful) trickle charging of a solar panel?

    My leisure battery died a slow death over the course of last summer and through the winter,
    - possibly a drain on it although I can't think what: there's a zig panel that switches LED lights / pump for the tap / fridge ignition, all of which are off unless being used; plus there's the VSR from the starter battery; and the propex (again, turned off unless in use). So I can't see what would be draining it.
    - possibly buggered it when directly connecting a borrowed freestanding solar panel in the dark at a campsite, and foolishly thought that the panel fuse would be on the positive side. Wrong. Blew the fuse, but maybe wrecked the battery?
    - or maybe it just slowly died of natural causes.

    Either way, it's done for. Not a hope of getting it to hold a charge, so I've (temporarily) resorted to my old original one that came with the van and still seems to be capable of retaining 12.4V. It'll be fine to get the solar hooked up to at Techenders (I think), but as and when I get a newer better one, what should I look for with a view to it being constantly connected to the solar? Is there anything special? Should I disconnect it when not in use in the winter or is it just fine with any old leisure battery to keep it connected 365 days of the year?
    Ta.
     
  16. Have you got a ctek charger? If you have you could try a recondition cycle on it, it won't make anything any worse. If you haven't I can bring one.
    See you at Eddie's
    :)A.
     
  17. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    Ah no I haven’t got a ctek, just a bog standard trickle charger.... to be honest the battery is dead, c’est la vie, most likely my fault.... but if I do buy another I just wondered if any were better or worse for a solar set up, or if they’re all just basically the same and good for the job.

    See you at TE
     
  18. I think I'm just a tight git and can't throw anything away until I've tried to fix far too many times. Humph old git.:)
    A
     
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  19. scrooge95

    scrooge95 Moderator and piggy bank keeper

    Ha ha, no I think you are just sensible! I’m the same, but nothing I’ve tried will get it to hold any charge at all. I’m intrigued about a recondition mode on a ctek though. It’s vaguely on my list to acquire one, but a way down it. I think the charger I have is supposedly ‘smart’ (according to the friend who bought it for me) but I always think ‘smart’ is a word very open to interpretation..... and probably coming from the person who opted to connect up a solar panel in the dark, rather than wait until the morning when it might actually do something, I’m really not the best judge of ‘smart’!!!
     
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  20. If you have room bring it down we can but try
    :)A
     

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