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Solar doing its job

Because of my cancer "stuff" we are not able to go anywhere for awhile.
So Last year I put 100A of solar on the roof of the coach controlled by a battery charge monitor. I ONLY wanted enough solar to keep the coach battery charged.
I unplugged the coach from the house, turned the salesman switch to "OFF", removed the battery cable from the negative post on the engine battery. I have gone out several times and the coach battery stays charged at 13.4 volts according to the battery charge monitor.
Very happy with the performance of the solar setup doing exactly what I wanted it to do.
We purchased the entire package from Harbor Freight for $149 minus 20%. I know, I know, there are some of you who poo poo HF. But it does what we want--for the money. We don't have the room up top or the $$ to put some exotic system up there, or even need the bigger system. So poor old coach and old owner are happy with what we have. Not wishing for anything like a home frig or 10,000 volts. We don't need it or want it.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #1 –
Quote from: nitehawk –
I have gone out several times and the coach battery stays charged at 13.4 volts according to the battery charge monitor.
I love Harbor Freight stores.  I can never drive by without stopping to browse...and never leave without buying some little gadget.

What are you doing to keep the the start batteries topped off?
1993 U280 SE 40' WTBI, Build: 4359
C8.3 300hp, 6-Speed, Exhaust Brake
960 watts on the roof (6 x 160)
Sorento (or BOLT) on a Kar Kaddy SS
"Nature abhors a vacuum"

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie –
I love Harbor Freight stores.  I can never drive by without stopping to browse...and never leave without buying some little gadget.
What are you doing to keep the the start batteries topped off?
Yes, can't pass one up. Quality gets better all the time. I joined their "club." It paid for itself the day I bought it.

Nighthawk, I just made a double male jumper from one lighter plug to the other on the dash. Keeps both sets charged. House is AGM but they both stay at a little over 13V.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #3 –
Our start battery is a brand new 1000CCA truck/tractor battery. The "old" one was one I screwed up by joining it to a battery that turned out to be dead. I took the "old" 1000CCA battery back to Fleet Farm where they honored the seven year warranty. There was six years left so they traded even up. Great place to do business.
I figure the battery would stay charged--just like it was on the shelf at the store. I do plan on periodically hooking up my charger about once a month just to keep the charge up.
If necessary I could just hook up the start battery and then use the BOOST toggle switch to start the engine if I needed to get going in a hurry.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #4 –
My charge controller lacks a few bells and whistles, as it was probably installed in 89 (it just a diode and that's it) and is kaput.  I am getting some voltage reading, but the 89 panels look pretty sorry with cracks, fog etc. Bob told me they were 155 watts IRC.  Any suggestions for a low budget control with maybe just an amp meter for now? Probably put new panel on this winter.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #5 –
32 Watts each back then
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #6 –
HF battery charge controller is about $35 and can be less if you have 20% discount coupon.
It shows (with pushing the button) current charge level of battery, solar panel output, and any output to any devices wired in to the solar panel thru the controller.
Ours has worked flawlessly since we got it last year.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #7 –
Measure the size of your solar panel and calculate how many share inches it is. Old panels are about 11 or 12 square inches per watt.  Old panels may not produce as many watts as they are rated at. To determine how many watts your panel is producing, connect a 12v light bulb across the plus and negative wires of the panel and measure both voltage and current. Volts X amps give watts.
I always do this before buying a used panel and have found some bad panels.
Wyatt
96 U320 40 WTFE, build 4943
84 Toyota Supra towd
2015 Jeep Wrangler towd
Victoria, BC, Canada

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Old phart phred –
My charge controller lacks a few bells and whistles, as it was probably installed in 89 (it just a diode and that's it) and is kaput.  I am getting some voltage reading, but the 89 panels look pretty sorry with cracks, fog etc. Bob told me they were 155 watts IRC.  Any suggestions for a low budget control with maybe just an amp meter for now? Probably put new panel on this winter.
Check this page at Amazon but read the reviews carefully as some sellers stuff the reviews like Yelp: Amazon.com: solar controller 12v

Pierce
As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #9 –
The HQST 30 Amp for $28.99 is identical to the one we got from HF but I paid more--  sob, whimper, cry :'(  >:(  :(  :'(
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #10 –
The bad thing about high tech electrical stuff is a month after you buy it, it's obsolete and half the  price SOBx2.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #11 –
PT Barnum once said a sucker is born every minute, and then he would roll out the bandwagon. Appears to still work!
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #12 –
Quote from: nitehawk –
The HQST 30 Amp for $28.99 is identical to the one we got from HF but I paid more--  sob, whimper, cry :'(  >:(  :(  :'(
But if you buy from HF and do pay a little more, if something goes wrong, you can take it back, even to another store. Brick and mortar stores do have an advantage sometimes.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)
 

Re: Solar doing its job

Reply #13 –
"But if you buy from HF and do pay a little more, if something goes wrong, you can take it back, even to another store"
quote by Pierce

just tried to take back  vacuum pump gun, new lady manager said No receipt (for date of purchase) & purchased more than 90 days.....NO RETURN
Went to floor manager ( who used to accept most anything )  He just frown and shrugged and glanced to the office 

1993 U300, 6v92
build 4366
USAF retired, Flight Engineer, C124, C130
 ATP, A & E.  & ex AI