diy solar

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  • Post in thread: 400A DC Breakers

    When I follow the link, it isn't completely clear if it is really rated for DC use ( by the markings on the breaker ) or if the seller is being optimistic about using it with DC. Is there more info anywhere?
  • Post in thread: Off-grid solar and ham radio noise

    Easy test them - pick up one of those Genesuns - use it with one of your 200 watt panels and see if the problem goes away.
  • Post in thread: Renogy Wanderer 10a not charging Lifepo4 properly. Alternatives?

    Yes - well to put it into perspective, I help people with van electrical systems. So for that application it is loads such as led lights, fan, USB cell phone charging, and often a DC refrigerator. For a vehicle type application, what we would use a 25 watt panel for is to keep a trickle charge...
  • Post in thread: Do most builders/users not use inverter precharge?

    More often than you think. I have built up a customer van with dual 2 000 watt inverters. V 3000 size are common. My oldest son built a food trailer with dual 5000s
  • Post in thread: Utility trailer all in one?

    The 24 volt options are indeed limited, but I did find some 120 vac versions on the warn web site.
  • Post in thread: Running Class A RV Leveling Jacks With A 24v Solar Battery Bank

    Everything in life is a trade off. This can be mostly solved by using a healthy 120 vac to 12 volt charger and letting it run a few minutes prior t o starting. A relay can be added to power the charger when needed. A charger is current limited so a much more reliable approach than connecting...
  • Post in thread: Inverter charger for 30 amp RV travel trailer

    My preference is to use separate inverters and chargers vs combo units. The reason is that when you plug in, not all outlets are wired correctly. Especially camp sites have large loads being added / disconnected ( such as those 50 amp x 240 vac RVs ) and surges / brown outs can happen. A...
  • Post in thread: Shallow well pump soft start.

    Good point. In the past, motors that were designed for 1 continuous motor speed depended on the fan that is attached to cool the motor. Depending on the exact motor design (don't know the details) some motors would run warmer at low rpms / lower frequencies. Some motors are designed for...
  • Post in thread: Need help with a 36v system for trolling motor

    If you find it super difficult to build up a 36 volt system, there are 24 and 48 volt trolling motors.
  • Post in thread: Looking for 48V Battery Charger

    This is the biggest 48 volt, 3 phase charger that I know of. It might be possible to have them build it for EU voltages, as they build to order. Many fork trucks and golf carts are 48 volt, so that might be a way to search. https://www.chargingchargers.com/quick-charge/qs.php or this smaller...
  • Post in thread: Cargo truck 24V 2200W Victron Build

    Just doing a quick scan, some possible things to double check. - Since you are using 6 awg for some areas, it might make sense to just turn the 8 awg into 6 awg for consistency. - Can your battery pack charge continuously at 2 kW from solar + other chargers that might be running at the same...
  • Post in thread: Looking for 48V Battery Charger

    I have systems in the field with 2 of them in parallel, but not that many. :)
  • Post in thread: removing hard water spots

    Try hot full strength vinegar. Same thing that I use to clean my coffee pot.
  • Post in thread: Victron MPPT over panelling

    In case it is useful, the bogart SC 2030 self limits to 30 amps, so you can over panel if you want to. For better or worse, it is a pwm type, so it will turn on earlier in with a lower panel voltage, but is not as good when the panel voltage is high. It is limited to 12 / 24 volt systems...
  • Post in thread: Power station build - choosing battery

    Yes, but look at how much you are learning just by doing the research - it is a lot. The renogy rovers are an exceptionally poor mppt charge controller. The reason is that they have very high standby power draw - even at night, and the real world operation does not match the manual very well...
  • Post in thread: Desperately seeking Suzanne... but will accept guidance on installation

    I would like to suggest that you add some panels that face the sun at 6 pm, in spite of the non standard nature of it. It is common for homes to be using a lot of power late in the afternoon / early evening and ideally you will want your battery pack as full as possible to run all night. In...
  • Post in thread: I am making a huge surplus in solar and not even into spring properly yet. What can I use it up on living in van full time?

    Sounds like an excellent suggestion. In that climate, a dehumidifier would be a great add on.
  • Post in thread: 12v or 24v battery

    There is nothing wrong with building every component yourself, but if you want to build something that is mobile rated that you can use this summer, my suggestion is to try to buy as many components off the shelf as possible that are actually designed for mobile / marine use. All of this stuff...
  • Post in thread: Two Power Routes from Tow Vehicle

    Suppose that you wanted to move ~ 1 kW from the truck to the trailer. That is roughly 100 amps @12 volts or 10 amps @ 120 vac. Moving 100 amps from the front of a truck to the back of a trailer using 12 volts - even with a DC - DC charger isn't so easy. Moving 10 amps @ 120 vac that far is a...
  • Post in thread: Inverter going off and back on

    Yes - there isn't any downside. Longer term, you will want a way to separate each battery from the system, either with a fuse or breaker. One reason is for safety - as your set up is perfectly capable of evaporating those wires and that can be exciting. The other less obvious reason is that...
  • Post in thread: Looking for 48V Battery Charger

    Yes, well they are continuous duty types. There is a 60 amp version for 1/2 of that price. Some of it depends on if you care where it is made or not.
  • Post in thread: Midnight introducing Rosie the Inverter and Barcelona & Hawks Bay SCC

    It is a great company. The only real challenge that I have ever had with their products have been related to the wire path bends and some challenging mounting concepts on the Kid. It will be good to see them actually bring these products to market.
  • Post in thread: I Can't Afford So-Called "Tier 1" Equipment. What's Good at Tier 2?

    Perhaps start by focusing on taking a few critical or modest / common loads largely off grid or hybridized. For example the refrigerator, furnace, internet, computers, TV, maybe a couple of lights. Set it up so that they are powered - to the extent possible - off grid / 24 / 7 by your system...
  • Post in thread: Large load off grid Marine System

    A couple of things. The manuals indicate that you can fine tune the settings - in real life you cannot, esp for LiFe. They have very high standby power draw - nearly as much as an inverter. This happens 24 hrs / day, so on an overcast day and all night long, they are burning up power. They...
  • Post in thread: 12 or 24 for pool?

    A pump motor is an inductive load, so I can't think of any interesting inverters that can do what you want for under $1500.
  • Post in thread: Ripple in Double Conversion UPS

    A voltage sag under load does not necessarily mean that the SOC has changed significantly. Batteries are electrochemical systems. These reactions are fairly fast, but not infinite. Every chemical reaction is dependent on diffusion of the reactant to the reaction site, kinetics (speed of the...
  • Post in thread: Van Electrical system

    48 volt is a good place for stationary applications as there is a lot of infrastructure and components available. For mobile, 24 volt is usually a better choice unless you have a lot of experience. The electrical infrastructure for mobile is also mostly available in 24 volt and is less...
  • Post in thread: A warning about Pecron!

    It is the most accurate on the market AFAIK. The algorithm that it uses is a lot more sophisticated than most of the others out there. I replaced all of their fiddly wires with somewhat heavier duty ones, as most of my stuff is mobile. Also I run the power to the fuse block vs the in line...
  • Post in thread: Socially negative impacts of solar

    How would it be handled if someone nearby wanted to add a similar solar project ? .
  • Post in thread: Small test fixture

    Still a work in progress. Photo on the left - The solar panel is for now, sitting in the driveway and a wire running into the garage for power. Second photo taken on top of the work bench: - on one side of the board is the 1100 watt inverter. ( not yet wired ) - There are 2 breakers for the...
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