Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 17:12:31 -0800
Reply-To: Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Solar panel question
In-Reply-To: <70556095-AB9A-4764-9FD0-BDCA16D0919C@VICKERSDESIGN.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Well, there's a lot to look at on them two pages!
First glance:
The less expensive one is apparently targeted at third-world installations
where just having a working controller at a reasonable price is better
than having none. Whether you consider yourself third-world or not is your
decision, my guess is that that the less-expensive one will get you "on
the air" just fine. Get a fancier controller when your wallet feels oddly
fat. Or buy yourself some good ale.
The more expensive one provides for remote temp sensing (you bolt a
thermal sensor to one of the lugs of your battery and the controller uses
this information to better charge the battery), and some more bells and
whistles, such as (quote):
* Added a third battery type selection (gel, sealed, flooded)
* Added a "float" stage to the battery charging algorithm
* Expanded the to [sic] account for depth of discharge history
(end quote)
As well as a bunch of other nice but not essential features, like a meter.
And it handles 15A while the third-world ones top out at 10A.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
On 3/7/2008 4:41 PM Jeffrey Vickers wrote:
> Thanks, Mike. I thought they could be wired parallel but best to check
> with the shade-tree experts (pun intended).
>
> Here's a Morningstar 10A PVM controller for $51:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yoh6y6
>
> It seems to have all the requisite bells and whistles of your average
> PVM controller. Not sure what a the $100 version does better:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yqrpjl
>
>
> ---thoughts?
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> On Mar 7, 2008, at 4:22 PM, Mike Elliott wrote:
>
>> YES -- solar panels can be wired in parallel. They'd have to connect
>> together when they get to your controller, anyway, so no reason not
>> to connect them together out where they are.
>>
>> I don't know of any good sub-$100 solar controllers, maybe someone
>> else does? Here's one place to look: http://store.altenergystore.com/Charge-Controllers/Solar-Charge-Controllers/Pwm-Type-Solar-Charge-Contollers/c477/
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/7/2008 4:02 PM Jeffrey Vickers wrote:
>>
>>> I'm getting two 53 watt panels for my Syncro Westy and I'm wondering
>>> if they can be wired in parallel so that I only need one set of leads
>>> running back to the van from the panels.
>>> Also---can anyone recommend a good PVM solar charge controller that's
>>> under $100 bucks?
>>> Thanks.
>>> Jeff / San Anselmo
>
>