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Post by smileypete on Nov 15, 2016 18:30:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2016 19:30:10 GMT
You mentioned lights, have you converted to LEDs? They use about 1/8th of the power. And they dont cost an arm and a leg anymore, got mine from china for not a lot.
Just a thought, less power consumption = less money on solar panels
Top Cat
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Post by JohnV on Nov 15, 2016 20:13:17 GMT
I have been changing them gradually as LED versions have become available. The last ones I changed were the fluorescent stips in the engine room. still waiting for 2D equivalents at sensible price. I designed the lighting some 20 years ago when LEDs were rare,crap colour and bloody expensive so the only type that were power saving were 240V fluorescents (low voltage fluorescents were only available in limited styles..... mostly crappy) A new type just coming out at the time were the little GX53 hockey puck lamps in 6 or 10 watt fluorescent versions. I looked at them and thought they were excellent and I was sure they would catch on and become really popular ......... Oh well, it's hard to spot a winner I used them everywhere but it's only recently that LED versions with a decent lumen output have become available. with 20/20 hindsight I should have stuck with low voltage but it seemed the right course at the time and it's much too much hassle to change now.
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Post by peterboat on Nov 28, 2016 8:34:01 GMT
John just found this whilst looking for something else You cant use 2 controllers together on the same bank I know from experience you will end up with in my case boiling batteries yours will just end up knackered!! some types of controller can be linked together why do you think they designed that in? Tracers cant because that is what I had, they will operate against each other and not do good things to your batteries. I now have a Midnite 60 amp MPPT controller, Outbacks are the same high quality either of those would be my choice. I now have 3 panels in series 3 times and then paralleled back to the controller it works ok. Panels however are on the cusp of getting better and much better ones are around the corner As an aside I dont think your battery bank is big enough 750 AH would be better it gives you power for poor solar days
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Post by tonyqj on Nov 28, 2016 9:07:39 GMT
John just found this whilst looking for something else You cant use 2 controllers together on the same bank I know from experience you will end up with in my case boiling batteries yours will just end up knackered!! some types of controller can be linked together why do you think they designed that in? Tracers cant because that is what I had, they will operate against each other and not do good things to your batteries. This makes no sense, Peter. The only way you will 'boil' batteries is by applying a too-high voltage. Paralleling two controllers won't do that. Every boat that has solar has the controller paralleled with the alternator which is fundamentally the same thing, and they don't all suffer boiled batteries.
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Post by peterboat on Nov 28, 2016 9:42:21 GMT
John just found this whilst looking for something else You cant use 2 controllers together on the same bank I know from experience you will end up with in my case boiling batteries yours will just end up knackered!! some types of controller can be linked together why do you think they designed that in? Tracers cant because that is what I had, they will operate against each other and not do good things to your batteries. This makes no sense, Peter. The only way you will 'boil' batteries is by applying a too-high voltage. Paralleling two controllers won't do that. Every boat that has solar has the controller paralleled with the alternator which is fundamentally the same thing, and they don't all suffer boiled batteries. Tony I can assure it happens have a look at the market for MPPT controllers some can be paired and they are wired so one takes control, 2 together causes problems! As for alternators thats easy the alternator turns off long before batteries are fully charged solar will keep on going until the job is done I regularly see the alternator light on but the solar still putting in a few amps and that is on 2 different boats with 4 different controllers. The whispergen is the same when it sees another charge system it pairs itself with it, at 10.5k its very clever, last night it was doing bulk asborb at 15v clearly thought an equalisation was in order, which my Midnite solar controller does as well. I have lived on solar for 12 years I used to work in the ARMY as a Electrician Driver whilst no expert, charging and maintaining batteries was my living along with repairing gennies so I know when batteries are boiling through 2 controllers doing something strange
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Post by smileypete on Nov 28, 2016 12:02:57 GMT
John just found this whilst looking for something else You cant use 2 controllers together on the same bank I know from experience you will end up with in my case boiling batteries yours will just end up knackered!! some types of controller can be linked together why do you think they designed that in? Tracers cant because that is what I had, they will operate against each other and not do good things to your batteries. I now have a Midnite 60 amp MPPT controller, Outbacks are the same high quality either of those would be my choice. I now have 3 panels in series 3 times and then paralleled back to the controller it works ok. Panels however are on the cusp of getting better and much better ones are around the corner As an aside I dont think your battery bank is big enough 750 AH would be better it gives you power for poor solar days Agree with Tony, you should be able to connect 2 completely separate solar systems to a single batt bank (so the controller's outputs are paralleled). DeanS on the other channels was doing exactly that, running 2 separate solar systems, each using an identical Tracer, to a single battery bank. But what you can't do is connect a single solar array to 2 controllers (so the controller's inputs are paralleled), unless the controllers are specifically designed for linking in that way. It's no different from connecting 2 chargers in parallel, should be fine as long as the cables and connections are sound.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2016 12:38:19 GMT
I have two controllers connected to the same battery bank, through seperate panel arrays. All has been fine for a while, but recently one of the controllers has been outputing up to 15.5V. I expect it is a stand alone fault with that controller, and not related to having two connected to the same bank, but I could be wrong.
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Post by smileypete on Nov 28, 2016 13:11:50 GMT
I have two controllers connected to the same battery bank, through seperate panel arrays. All has been fine for a while, but recently one of the controllers has been outputing up to 15.5V. I expect it is a stand alone fault with that controller, and not related to having two connected to the same bank, but I could be wrong. What controllers are they out of interest?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2016 13:20:07 GMT
I have two controllers connected to the same battery bank, through seperate panel arrays. All has been fine for a while, but recently one of the controllers has been outputing up to 15.5V. I expect it is a stand alone fault with that controller, and not related to having two connected to the same bank, but I could be wrong. What controllers are they out of interest? Tracer 2210 RN (This is the one with the high output Voltage) The other is a Taiwanese import PCM 6048 (60A)
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Post by smileypete on Nov 28, 2016 13:34:43 GMT
What controllers are they out of interest? Tracer 2210 RN (This is the one with the high output Voltage) The other is a Taiwanese import PCM 6048 (60A) Is the Tracer in an unheated space? Could be just the timed EQ combined with temperature compensation in winter temperatures. jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/carfaq9.htm#tempIf it EQ's at 14.8V and adds another 0.7V on top due to cold temperature, that gets you to 15.5V give or take.
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Post by peterboat on Nov 28, 2016 13:44:23 GMT
Or it could be doing what mine were doing both Tracers and high voltage cooking the batteries. I did ask the supplier when I bought them he didnt know whether it would be ok so like you I tried it and it wasnt ok. I was thinking of built in redundancy when I did it, mistake as it cost me to buy the right size controller. Since then I have looked at the market more closely and Victron say theirs can be paired and cables are required but others make no mention of pairing.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2016 13:51:52 GMT
Tracer 2210 RN (This is the one with the high output Voltage) The other is a Taiwanese import PCM 6048 (60A) Is the Tracer in an unheated space? Could be just the timed EQ combined with temperature compensation in winter temperatures. jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/carfaq9.htm#tempIf it EQ's at 14.8V and adds another 0.7V on top due to cold temperature, that gets you to 15.5V give or take. It is in the engine room, where the temperature is typically less than 10 degrees C occasionally 5. The reason I think it is faulty, and not operating on a temperature controlled equalisation charge is that the out put voltage is not constant, and cycles from 13.8 upto 15.5 in a short period of time. It would be interesting to see what happens if I warm up the engine room.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2016 13:56:32 GMT
Or it could be doing what mine were doing both Tracers and high voltage cooking the batteries. I did ask the supplier when I bought them he didnt know whether it would be ok so like you I tried it and it wasnt ok. I was thinking of built in redundancy when I did it, mistake as it cost me to buy the right size controller. Since then I have looked at the market more closely and some makers say can be paired but cables are required why would they say that if it wasnt right? I couldn't say If one of my controllers damaged by the other, could be. They can both be independently switched off, so I can measure what each is doing independently. What voltage were your Tracers putting out that caused damage to the batteries,and over what time period?
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Post by smileypete on Nov 28, 2016 14:03:16 GMT
Or it could be doing what mine were doing both Tracers and high voltage cooking the batteries. I did ask the supplier when I bought them he didnt know whether it would be ok so like you I tried it and it wasnt ok. I was thinking of built in redundancy when I did it, mistake as it cost me to buy the right size controller. Since then I have looked at the market more closely and Victron say theirs can be paired and cables are required but others make no mention of pairing. Hard to say without specific details but it may have been that the two separate arrays were accidentally connected together in some way, or some wiring was defective. This is how it's done, see how the two arrays are totally isolated from each other: www.morningstarcorp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Parallel-TSMPPT-System.pngWith two separate systems on one bank, all the controller sees on its output is the battery voltage, and it should be cope fine with the batt voltage changing as a result of an independent charge source.
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