# fitting a 2nd solar panel



## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

been trawling thru all the solar panel threads, and can't find the answer to this.....so.....

please can anyone give us a step by step guide to fitting a solar panel, as we've just bought this one 

100 WATT FOLDING PORTABLE SOLAR PANEL FREE CHARGE CONTR on eBay (end time 12-Oct-10 13:44:13 BST)

it came without any instructions or info, and whenever i try and find out how on the net, i just get conflicting advice

i don't want it to be free-standing, i want it to go on the roof, to work alongside another 40 watt panel up there

do we wire both panels together, then run both sets of cables down to the batteries? for some reason they've attached the regulator to the back of the solar panel, so god knows how you're supposed to check its levels every day when its on the roof! will buy another seperate regulator if need to, and obviously the rails for it to be seated on

really not in the least bit electronically minded, unless i'm given step by step instructions lol!

so pleeese...anyone any advice, or who can take a few mins out and write out an idiot guide for me from start to finish?? as it looks like i'll be doing most of the work as hubby currently has a broken leg and won't be much help!!


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

hi. i use one reg for three solar panels. 80wt each. ..start at the first one red positive ,black neg.(or colour of your choice. )then go positve to positive on second panel then down to reg .same with the negatives go from one to the other then down to the reg. i have my reg on permanent view. then positive from reg outlet to battery .same with negative. most regs show a pic of panel thats in .then a pic of battery thats out. some also have a further outlet of pos/neg .i dont use them as i also use a large inverter so just take my power from the batteries . the batteries are wired positive to positive .negatives the same. hope that helps. its just a contiuation of the same cable .only one cable then enters the vehicle.
that is not much solar to power your items you talked about the other day. think hard what you really are doing. this winter i shall have 6x80wt on the roof .
may not be the cheapest option but if no ehu ever used it will give me enough if not more than i need . i dont think yourbank of solar is anywhere near man enough for your requirements .but you have to start somewhere. try it ,i think you will be getting more soon, cheers alan.


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## maingate (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi there,

vwalan is correct in what he says about the connections.

What bothers me is that you seem to have bought a folding panel. To my way of thinking, these are meant to be free standing. I suppose you can fix it on the roof but make sure both sections are securely fastened and it cannot flip shut when travelling.

Is there not a regulator fitted to the 40 watt panel? At that size, it should really have a regulator. Smaller ones do not need them.

If you need to buy a regulator and you want to fit another solar panel in the future, you will need a regulator of at least 10 amps for 240 watts (bigger would be better though).

I have an 80 watt wind turbine and the instructions say I can add a solar panel of up to 100 watts in line with it. This is with the 7.5 amp regulator supplied and recommended by the same company.

Everybody to their own but this is what can happen when buying off ebay. Sometimes it is worth paying a bit more and not getting this hassle of trying to get it to work. It is fine if you have the expertise to do the work yourself.


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

Thanks alan......looks like we'll be getting another panel as well then!

so....what kind of cabling do i want to be buying? 

do i cut seperate pieces to connect positive to positive and negative to negative, then run just the two cables thru the roof to the battery bank...one to the pos terminal and one to the negative?

also, where's a good place to get the brackets to put the panels on? do i need aluminium ones? i know they need to be attached with sikaflex 512...i read that somewhere

is it easy enough to attach the regulator to the cables before running them to the battery and how is that wired up?

sorry for all the questions, but i need an idiot proof guide to do this lol!!


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

thanks maingate...where's the flippin thanks button lol!

we got the folding one as we thought it would work better if we were able to prop it up when we were stationary to gain more power, but yes, we're gonna lay it flat and make sure its properly secure

nope, dnt think there's a reg on the 40 watt panel...havent seen one...it was on the camper when we bought it, but i know we definitely need one

just know that we cant rely on the one thats fitted to the solar panel we've just bought, so have to get another one


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## Byronic (Sep 16, 2010)

that is not much solar to power your items you talked about the other day. think hard what you really are doing. this winter i shall have 6x80wt on the roof .
may not be the cheapest option but if no ehu ever used it will give me enough if not more than i need . i dont think yourbank of solar is anywhere near man enough for your requirements .but you have to start somewhere. try it ,i think you will be getting more soon, cheers alan.[/QUOTE]

I may be wrong vwalan but your power requirements are a little different from most eg running a compressor fridge,washing machine?. I managed last winter in Spain with only 120W solar power running the TV and hardrive recorder plus the usual lighting pump etc. with fridge on gas. 
I would say the ops 140W to be reasonable if used for "conventional" requirements.























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## Byronic (Sep 16, 2010)

that is not much solar to power your items you talked about the other day. think hard what you really are doing. this winter i shall have 6x80wt on the roof .
may not be the cheapest option but if no ehu ever used it will give me enough if not more than i need . i dont think yourbank of solar is anywhere near man enough for your requirements .but you have to start somewhere. try it ,i think you will be getting more soon, cheers alan.[/QUOTE]

I may be wrong vwalan but your power requirements are a little different from most eg running a compressor fridge,washing machine?. I managed last winter in Spain with only 120W solar power running the TV and hardrive recorder plus the usual lighting pump etc. with fridge on gas. 
I would say the ops 140W to be reasonable if used for "conventional" requirements.
Having said that I wouldn't mind your 6x80W, have you got enough battery capacity for the sunny days?























f


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

hi, look back and you will see op was talking about alsorts of use of power..doesnt matter on sunny days just dump the power . .washing machine is once in a while and the sun powers it easy. its the dark days i,m catering for. but yes i may have gone over board but can you have too many?i have no telly .there is also the use here at home .the use of them cuts down my leccy bill quite good. cant waste it when at home .fridge freezer both run off solar when its sunny. next year will be even better. i have 700 amp battery bank. could increase it but will wait and see. cheers alan.


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

main thing we're wanting the solar power for is to possibly run a small table top freezer thru an inverter....it'll also be used for maybe watching tv now and then and using a slo cooker....the small freezer will be the main thing tho


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

hi .go to a good electical contractor type shop. explain what you are doing get the equivalent to say cooker cable but not in stiff copper wire get multi strand . they should be able to sell you a glandnut to suit. or take the panel with you get the thickest you can fit two ends into the conectors or use a connector block.all must be made water tight. there are some 30 amp regs on the internet with pulse width modulation regulating. may get some myself as they seem a good price .should do your stuff easy and leave room for another one later. i bolt the angle to my roof but sikaflex works .i then poprivet the panel to the angle . i only buy panels with a good wide surround so it makes tis easy. i put three across the roof front to back .the angle is at the front and back ,then i hope no branches can hook underneath. i will have two banks of panels. with their own reg. but feeding one bank of batteries. hope that helps.


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

i would forget a slow cooker . better to get a pressure cooker and cook on the gas. but try it you can change on route.i have gone from using very little leccy to having loads available . still like the gas lights though . always light them reather than using leccy. much nicer light. cheers alan.


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## Byronic (Sep 16, 2010)

Can,t see the ops comments about his solar power usage.
You obviously put your solar panels to more use than most people would.
Even with solar panels dropping in price and mains electricity rising in cost, pay back still takes quite a few years. Solar panels are still best bought for convenience rather than efficiency,(unless the government gives you a grant that is).
However if you've already have the panels for a particular usage then you might as well find other uses.


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

thank you so much alan....i'm so glad you're on here to help  thanks for everything xx


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

byronic try loking at the other thread ..using ehu through an inverter . its been going on for awhile shame op doesntlive closer i could be of more use then. .plus there are a source of cheap bp panels here . at least there was and still should be. the other thing that can take alot of power is a laptop. i dont have one so not a problem. soon be quiet on here hee hee. cheers alan.


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## Byronic (Sep 16, 2010)

I don't get enough time to go through other threads, so I'll take your word for it.
I'm surprised you don't take a laptop with you, can while away a bit of time when the rain's lashing down.
I take laptop and netbook, to be honest it's only worth taking netbook as it only consumes 10W can also be used as a spare TV with USB tuner.
I tend to use WiFi connections in lieu of 3g Hspda dongle, 3g is very expensive overseas, althyough on another forum I see someone extolling the virtues of an Irish Vodafone sim/dongle set up which costs 99 Euro cents for 50Mb.
Dutch Bert sells a good WiFi antennae signal extender.I'm always trying to find internet connection options,might buy Spanish 3g sim this year.


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## bevdrew (Sep 16, 2010)

We bought our solar panels from this ebay seller, 80W panel for £160 + Free P&P:
Brand New PV 80 watts Solar Panel (80w) on eBay (end time 24-Sep-10 11:10:12 BST)

Excellent service, packeged well & no problems at all. See he's also selling an 80W panel and regulator for £190


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

bevdrew....how do i get to read your blog thingy about you fitting your solar panels? i can't find it anywhere!


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## bevdrew (Sep 16, 2010)

happy campers said:


> bevdrew....how do i get to read your blog thingy about you fitting your solar panels? i can't find it anywhere!


 
That's because I removed it months ago - still not got around to finishing it. How did you know we'd done a blog?

Bev


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

i read that you'd done one on an older post i found about fitting solar panels   just thought it would have been helpful cos i was looking for a step by step guide how to go about it, being not very technically minded......and female!!


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## bevdrew (Sep 16, 2010)

Nothing wrong with being female - I did all the research, reading up on method etc, sourcing of parts etc. and he got on the roof, stuck things down, screwed things together, wired things up and hey - fully functioning solar panels!!!

I can email you the (unfinished) blog, with pics,  if you want - just pm me your email address and I'll see what I've still got on me PC.

Bev


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

thanks bev....but i cant pm you at the mo till i become a full member i dnt think  can i just put it on here, or isnt it advisable?


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## Neckender (Sep 16, 2010)

Here is a simple diagram of fitting a solar panel, to add a second you just connect it to the other same as the 2 batteries are wired, hope this helps.

John.


http://


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## maingate (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi trikerman,

Slightly off topic but maybe you can help.

My brother-in-law (a tugger) has bought a used solar panel and regulator. The problem is that the panel is 24 volts and 64 watts (its a huge American made one). The regulator is similar to the one in your diagram except it is the Sunlight 20 (amps). There are 2 diodes fixed between terminal 1 (on the left hand side) and terminal 3. These connections are solar + and battery + terminals. When this is done, does it make a 12 volt regulator work with a 24 volt solar panel?

If anyone else can help with this, I would be very grateful.

Thanks.


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## AndyC (Sep 16, 2010)

maingate said:


> Hi trikerman,
> 
> Slightly off topic but maybe you can help.
> 
> ...


I can't imagine why diodes would be fitted between solar+ and battery+ on the regulator. Does it have a 12v output?

What is the actual voltage quoted on the back of the panel? If it really is for a 24v system I would expect it to be somewhere around 40v, a panel made for 12v would be around 20v.

AndyC


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## Neckender (Sep 16, 2010)

maingate said:


> Hi trikerman,
> 
> Slightly off topic but maybe you can help.
> 
> ...




Sorry maingate i can't help you, as I got the diagram of the net, and I fitted a 12 volt 100amp to my van. with 10amp controller.

John.


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## maingate (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi Andy,

I believe the output on the back of the panel says 24 volts, so you could be right. I have only had a quick glance at it as he was on his way to a rally this afternoon.

He bought it off a bloke at the Dorset Steam Fair and got no details from him. I have already sourced an Operators Manual off tinternet for him.

When I get a chance, I will set up the panel and check the DC volts for him. I have some electrical knowledge but not in this department.

Thanks for the info.


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

hi ,its something to do with the connectors on the back i think .wire it one way it gives 24 wire it another it gives 12. a mate bought a panel in maroc that was 12 or 24 a few years ago . does get confusing . cant really help more will try andfind out for you. but he may not remember what he did. cheers alan.


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## maingate (Sep 16, 2010)

Good man Alan,

I pm`ed you about it but I forgot that you live so far south that you have a siesta in the afternoon.


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## vwalan (Sep 16, 2010)

sorry never looked at the top. must be old age. 
rang my mate bob. he said his had two connector boxes on the back of the panel one for 24 one for 12v. cant tell you more . i bet when you look at it and do a bit of testing it all comes right. have a play with a multi meter thats the way. 
i went shopping earlier .off to the south west bongo bash this weekend. all bongonauts should be there. may even sing a song or do a few harmonica tunes . helps pull the birds . just have to mind their white sticks later on . . could be missed on here .ha has. cheers alan.


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## happy campers (Sep 16, 2010)

thanks for the diagram, trikerman....should be able to sort it now with all your help guys x


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