Hank the Tanks Dodgy battery and solar system

[Geek]

Not difficult so long as you are aware.

Many people are not aware, unfortunately.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Don't do this though like in their description

 

[Geek]

Does that charge the VB too?

No

 

[barryd]

Does that charge the VB too?

No but Merl says he has a gadget to do that. Just exploring the possibilities. Im not bothered how its done as long as the vehicle battery gets some kind of charge when stationary which of course ours can be for quite some time. So far its worked great. Even in the depths of winter I have noticed the little controller is flashing green meaning both batteries are full.

 

[Nabsim]

If you want more sun in the winter Kev you have to tilt them no other way.I think there are just a couple of us that tilt thd panel I carnt understand why more don't do it as it make a huge difference .

In my case I don't think it's an option for my van. The sanwhich construction and lack of roof access work against it plus the extra weight of any subframe and actuators. If I had a panel van I would have had you on my roof doing it a couple of years ago lol

 

[exwindsurfer]

This is the one I have Barry and I am sure I payed the 184 quid for it lolol

 

[exwindsurfer]

In my case I don't think it's an option for my van. The sanwhich construction and lack of roof access work against it plus the extra weight of any subframe and actuators. If I had a panel van I would have had you on my roof doing it a couple of years ago lol

Lolol

 

[exwindsurfer]

I just put 2 wheel ramps on one side of the van Jeff one under the front wheel and one under the rear and tilt the whole fekkin van over towards the sun.

For some reason my fridge has stopped working though?

Pmsl lol

 

[Nabsim]

The only one I'd put in Barry is a victron .

I have had a Votronic in my van around 6 years now and can't remember when but think around 4 years for the additional Victron. Both mppt, each served by identical solar panel. Votronic lets me have a trickle charge to the starter battery but I have to use the extra 'solar computer' display to see what it's doing where the Victron is bluetooth and app. The harvesting is almost identical between them, within 0.01V.
The Votronic is much smaller physical size to the Victron.

If/when I buy any more solar controllers it will be down to price between Votronic and Victron, I don't believe one is better than the other

 

[exwindsurfer]

Are you sure about that? 30 amps output means it will only cope with 420 watts of output, but I'm pretty sure it will cope with a LOT more than 420 watts of panels. It'd just limit the output to 30 amps when insolation was high. As long as the panel.voltage didn't exceed 100v, which really means you're limited to four 12v panels in series.

Your right but the mppt will only see a max of 420watts and doesn't see the other 180 watts of solar.

 

[Geek]

I have a Voltronic and a Victron. The Victron feels better constructed, but both work very much the same.
The Victron has Bluetooth monitoring, the Voltronic has a trickle charge to the starter battery.
Neither have given any problems, though the Victron did need a disconnect and restart a few months back to get the Bluetooth working again.

 

[Geek]

Your right but the mppt will only see a max of 420watts and doesn't see the other 180 watts of solar.

Sorry. I don't understand what you mean.
The mppt will only produce a max of 30A output, which limits output to 420 watts, but if it requires 700 watts of panels to give 420 watts due to UK weather, that's fine.

 

[Robmac]

You have wired it up incorrect, the high feed goes to as many batteries as you like for hab, the small output goes to the starter batt, i have a city & gills in electronics so i have a good notion what im talking about

Is the city you have called Atlantis Trev?

 

[exwindsurfer]

I do love my Victron stuff ....

View attachment 141056

So we can see lololol

 

[exwindsurfer]

Sorry. I don't understand what you mean.
The mppt will only produce a max of 30A output, which limits output to 420 watts, but if it requires 700 watts of panels to give 420 watts due to UK weather, that's fine.

But I want 595watts of power and the old mppt would max out at 420 or 30amps which is no good me As I can tilt my panels up to about 85 degrees in the winter I can max out at near enough 50amps even In the winter .

 

[Geek]

But I want 595watts of power and the old mppt would max out at 420 or 30amps which is no good me As I can tilt my panels up to about 85 degrees in the winter I can max out at near enough 50amps even In the winter .

If you need that much power, you are a very unusual use case. But you are right, a 30A controller wouldn't do for you. I would hate to have that much faffing around. Better to have a well specified system that works without intervention.

 

[exwindsurfer]

If you need that much power, you are a very unusual use case. But you are right, a 30A controller wouldn't do for you. I would hate to have that much faffing around. Better to have a well specified system that works without intervention.

It work perfectly for me and no faffing about at all

 

[mistericeman]

If you need that much power, you are a very unusual use case. But you are right, a 30A controller wouldn't do for you. I would hate to have that much faffing around. Better to have a well specified system that works without intervention.

I'm the same to be honest .....

I've thought long and hard about our system AND our usage ...

The only time I've found we struggled since I upgraded the standard set up in the moho

Was last November when we (unusually ) decided to stay put for a week on a site without hook up and it was cold enough to need the eberspacher on 24/7

Usually we move on every couple of days and the B2B has done the donkey work that the solar hasn't been able to do ....

To be fair ....I've had my doubts about the ring B2B for some time ...
And hopefully the upgrade to victron AND upgrade to cable sizes will make a useful difference ...

Clambering up to tilt panels/extra complexity of powered tilt was just too much for me personally .

 

[exwindsurfer]

I'm the same to be honest .....

I've thought long and hard about our system AND our usage ...

The only time I've found we struggled since I upgraded the standard set up in the moho

Was last November when we (unusually ) decided to stay put for a week on a site without hook up and it was cold enough to need the eberspacher on 24/7

Usually we move on every couple of days and the B2B has done the donkey work that the solar hasn't been able to do ....

To be fair ....I've had my doubts about the ring B2B for some time ...
And hopefully the upgrade to victron AND upgrade to cable sizes will make a useful difference ...

Clambering up to tilt panels/extra complexity of powered tilt was just too much for me personally .

I don't clamber up I just use my remote so no big deal just press the button and stop it at the optimum angle to get the best solar simple as that.I have never had a battrey to battery charger I use just solar and the alternator I do carry a mains charger but I've never ever used it

 

[mistericeman]

I don't clamber up I just use my remote so no big deal just press the button and stop it at the optimum angle to get the best solar simple as that.I have never had a battrey to battery charger I use just solar and the alternator I do carry a mains charger but I've never ever used it

"Clambering up to tilt panels/extra complexity of powered tilt was just too much for me personally ."

I just didn't want the constraint of having to park at a premium angle to the sun for the odd occasion of it being useful ....

Our 'normal' usage pattern meant the b2b was more useful
All horses for courses etc etc

We have a mains Victron charger BUT only time it ever gets used is depths of winter when moho is parked up for extended periods between trips in winter .