lets see if i got everything.going to install my solar panel friday night.

[adamant]

i picked up some great info from you guys and this board....thank you..

ups is dropping off the panel friday morning and i am installing the unit on the cabin that night if i have daylight or saturday.i can't wait! i know the odds are aginst me due to the fact of my location.the leaves are dropping around my site so i should have more direct sun light.

  http://community.webshots.com/user/adamant117

i have my morningstar controler,gps to angle the panel,some aluminium angle for brackets,some 12 ga. wire,inline fuse ...ect...ect...

once i get the panel up and wired up ,what are some tests i can do with the unit using my multi meter?

ant

[ghurd]

First.

REMEMBER NOT TO PUT THE AMMETER ACROSS THE PV INPUT OF THE CONTROLLER! Or anywhere else on the controller.

Too expensive to blow up the first day. And I felt like yelling

2. nd. Remember not to let the wires from the PV short while any are connected to the controller. Don't over-strip the wires and careful with the screwdriver.(see yelling, same result)
   
3. rd. The controller will not make sparks with the battery clamps, or have an 'output voltage'. The battery voltage turns it on. This is good if it is near gasoline, or maybe, batteries?
   
   

What I do.

I like to have a low battery (under 12.5v), test the voltage of the battery, and check the PV current (meter between the battery positive and positive clamp. The negative clamp needs to be connected to the battery negative). Then I like to connect the battery to the system, and connect the volt meter to the battery and watch the voltage rise. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

A regular meter has tiny little lead wires, and this can effect the current. Your output is probably higher than measured.

Sometimes the controller will act goofy for the first few minutes, until it gets everything figured out.

If you test Vbattery at sundown, then Vbattery at sun up, the sun up will be lower than it was at sundown. This is normal, and it is not draining out at night (it's called surface charge). The morning voltage is more accurate for battery condition.

(fancy meter only- Test the Hz, if its more than say 20Hz (usually goes straight from 0 to 360Hz), the battery is over 85%.

Test the duty cycle, if it's under 20% the battery is over about 95% full.)

Hope I helped somehow.

G-

[tecker]

  As reality sets in and the new wears off you 'll find it takes too long to recharge from a night's usage more batteries and consevation come to mind .So your back to the generator for a while . Begin now to measure how much you can get from the panel by letting the batteries( or battery ) discharge and of coarse recharge from dawn to dusk.

 You might bypass the charge controller to take some real time measurments .

[ghurd]

Monday morning now. How'd it go?

[adamant]

IT WENT WELL...if you go to my user info you see my pictures.

as i was working on the panel on my outside bench under the trees it was reading 18.5 volts.

i installed it on the roof and it was reading 12.87 v.

not that impressive but it is something.

i ran the battery down to 12.11v by 11pm and by 12 pm the next day is was 12.53 with some use of the 12 volt system that day.

what do you guys think about that data above?

ant

[ghurd]

I'm not suprised.

(how windy was it in all those trees? kind of an LOL.)

Solar usually comes out better than the numbers usually given.

Noon voltage isn't the best gauge of the SOC. (surface charge) Whatever- still great! And goes up as the day goes on.

I can't find any pics under user info. Dying to see them.

G-

PS- See 10A ammeter under your older post

[adamant]

g

if you go to :user info

then click on : view adamants file

then you will see the links..

let me know..

ant

[ghurd]

Looks nice and neat.

I hope it went smooth.

Hear that? Thats the sound of the generator NOT running.

Is this in NY? (don't remember) I think the angle on the panel is a little flat, unless its down by NYC and going to be used mostly in the summer. Pretty sure upstate should be around 45'?  Shouldn't make a whole lot of differance for a weekend use place.

G-