Solar Panel Addition

[AustinBoston]

Well so did I , learn a few things.. I was just hoping the moderator did not get bent over more on home stuff than Rv stuff..

It's pretty loose around here.  Even if something is off topic, the thread could get moved to the Campfire topic, where everything but the three G's (God, Guns, Gov't) and "it" are on topic.  Even then, they only cut it off if we go at each other's throats.

Austin

[fleagalbaum]

I bought the same panel as mikehhfx  but I didn't get the charge controller.

In full sun I read 25 volts on the panel and .75 or so amps.

I hooked it up to my battery and it dropped to 13~ or so volts and still .75-79 amps.

Because of the low current, do you think I really need a charge controller.  I can leave it on for a few days and it will never overcharge my battery, no?

[wavery]

I bought the same panel as mikehhfx  but I didn't get the charge controller.

In full sun I read 25 volts on the panel and .75 or so amps.

I hooked it up to my battery and it dropped to 13~ or so volts and still .75-79 amps.

Because of the low current, do you think I really need a charge controller.  I can leave it on for a few days and it will never overcharge my battery, no?

You are correct. You do not need a charge controller for that small panel. The charge controller will actually cost you power to run. At .75A - 1.0A for 6-8 hours a day that's less than 8 amps, you will never over charge the battery unless you leave it, unattended for several days or you put it on a fully charged battery and have "0" draw on the battery. Even if you do, just put a multimeter on it once in a while. If it gets to 14v (which it won't) disconnect it.

The main thing, when using solar panels, is to check the water and make sure that it doesn't get down to the plates. Only use distilled water.

[fleagalbaum]

mine is a maintenance free battery.  I cant add water.

My next set up when this one fails is to get some golf cart ones from the local golf shop.

[wavery]

mine is a maintenance free battery.  I cant add water.

My next set up when this one fails is to get some golf cart ones from the local golf shop.

You can probably still add water. All "maintenance free" means is that the water that evaporates in the battery is (suposedly) circulated back into the battery. It doesn't work 100% though. I haven't seen a battery yet that you couldn't get the tops off of the cells.

Think twice about getting 2x 6v golf cart batteries.

If you are going to go with 2 batteries, I would recommend sticking with 2x 12v batteries. If one goes bad, you just disconnect it and you still have 1 - 12v battery and everything should still work.

With 2x 6v batteries (=12v) If one battery goes bad, you have less than 12v and nothing will work.

[aw738]

Posted by wavery - Yesterday at 10:22 PM
Quote:
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Originally Posted by fleagalbaum
mine is a maintenance free battery. I cant add water.

My next set up when this one fails is to get some golf cart ones from the local golf shop.
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You can probably still add water. All "maintenance free" means is that the water that evaporates in the battery is (suposedly) circulated back into the battery. It doesn't work 100% though. I haven't seen a battery yet that you couldn't get the tops off of the cells.
 

Some maintenance free batteries have the tops glued on. I've seen some tops that have been broken when people have tried to get them off. Most of the AC/Delco batteries are like this even the deep cycle ones.

[wavery]

Some maintenance free batteries have the tops glued on. I've seen some tops that have been broken when people have tried to get them off. Most of the AC/Delco batteries are like this even the deep cycle ones.

Delco makes lousy batteries anyway (IMHO). However, I had a Delco Maintenance Free Marine battery on my PU when I first got it. The battery covers are flush on the top and I did get them off (with a little struggling). The battery water was below the plates and the battery wouldn't hold a charge. A hydrometer quickly revealed 2 cells with low specific gravity. That battery was toast.

I took the 2-year-old battery back to Costco, only to find out that they didn't carry them any more (they had too high failure rate).

When I worked for GM dealerships, we were constantly struggling with battery failures (Delco is a division of GM).

[Nemesis56]

You can probably still add water. All "maintenance free" means is that the water that evaporates in the battery is (suposedly) circulated back into the battery. It doesn't work 100% though. I haven't seen a battery yet that you couldn't get the tops off of the cells.

.

hehehe...We must be kindred spirits.  Same here.  Once you pull off the decals and stickers, there's usually a  place to add water.   Nothing a thin blade screwdriver or a pocket knife can't past.  Besides, if I don't fix it, I usually screw it up so bad nobdy can.

[Nemesis56]

Delco makes lousy batteries anyway (IMHO). However, I had a Delco Maintenance Free Marine battery on my PU when I first got it. The battery covers are flush on the top and I did get them off (with a little struggling). The battery water was below the plates and the battery wouldn't hold a charge. A hydrometer quickly revealed 2 cells with low specific gravity. That battery was toast.

I took the 2-year-old battery back to Costco, only to find out that they didn't carry them any more (they had too high failure rate).

When I worked for GM dealerships, we were constantly struggling with battery failures (Delco is a division of GM).

What division?  I worked for GMC before joining EMD.

[wavery]

What division?  I worked for GMC before joining EMD.

I went to GMI (General Motors Institute) 1973-1975. I was a Factory Service rep for 2 years then I was hired as Service Manager for Felix Chevrolet in downtown Los Angeles. I found out, that's where the $ is. I then went on to become Parts and Service Director for all of the owner's 8 dealerships.

In '84 I decided it was either lose my mind or buy a sailboat and sail around the world. I chose the latter. Sailed around the world from '84-'88 then settled in Hawaii for 6 years (still living on the yacht). I was hired as Service Manager for Mike Salta Pontiac in Honolulu for 6 years, then we left to sail around the world again from '94-'98.

When I got back to California, I was asked by my x-boss to open a AutoNation USA used car mega-store. Then AutoNations pulled the plug on all of the used car mega-stores (nation-wide). I worked my a$$ off getting that store up and running. I vowed to never go back to the auto industry again.

I now manage an apt building in Beverly Hills. I love it. We go camping whenever we want and our cost of living is literally "Zero". I do what I want in the building and get paid a pretty decent wage which we sock away. I make my own hours and my commute is wonderful :p . Our expendable income is about the same as it was when I was making $100K+ per year, only we don't spend it.

Can't wait to go camping next weekend. :sombraro:

[Nemesis56]

Can't wait to go camping next weekend. :sombraro:

I started out working for a Pontiac Dealer in the early 70's.  Swicthed to GMC at the urging of our factory rep in the mid 80's because everybody was terrified of diesels. Left GMC in 1997 to work for EMD locomotive division and never looked back.  I was born to be a railroader.