Upgrading Harbor Freight 45W kits...

[lundis]

Hello everyone!  My first post. Looking for help.

We bought a few (3-4) of those 45W Harbor Freight kits that have been mentioned amply here already.

We also bought 4 Walmart Exide brand Deep Cycle 115AH 12V batteries - wired them in parallel for 12V @ 460AH.

Trying to make something usable out of this while adding/expanding. Currently, we have 4 of the 15W panels wired into the included solar controller - on the backside we have 3 of the 12V 115AH batteries wired in parallel. Unsure of what this controller supports for incoming solar watts/amps. Additionally, I hardwired +10ft of 16 gauge wire from the controller out to the solar panels (so we could get the controlled inside with the batteries).

Unscientifically speaking, I don't think we are getting energy into the batteries like we should - it's been about a week of totally clear mid 70's weather.  I unwired the parallel batteries and tested each one with my Schumacher SC-6000A 12V battery charger. Each showed via the charger at 75% charge. 75% charge is exactly where we started with the batteries about a week ago.  Our load is small - 1 5W compact florescent bulb, 2 15 LED lamps and a 6V radio all running about 8 hours a night.

Is it possible that this included controller doesn't support charging parallel batteries or perhaps not such sized batteries (115AH each)? Can I charge the parallel linked batteries with the Schumacher without unwiring each and doing charge separately?

We want to get a better solar charge controller- looking at the Xantrex C60 - opinions? Adding 250W of better solar panels soon and a wind turbine at 600W peak.  Need something that will remain large enough to grow into.  We are concerned with powering mostly 12V or less stuff - this kit has 12V, 9V, 6V, 3V plugs on controller which we like - how do we wires stuff to a new controller like the Xantrex?

All opinions welcomed!

[ghurd]

Thats quite a bit of battery. Not enough panel.

It must be working, or the loads would have lowered the battery state of charge.

Sounds like the panels are just keeping up.

C60 is nice, but a lot more than you need yet.

Maybe for the near future, consider a SunSaver-10 and use the $120 saved for more panels?  I thought those panels were available in a 3 pack with just a crappy little controller for about $180 on sale.  That would double the output for 'about' the same cost.

Might be a good idea to charge the batteries up all the way (battery charger) and see how it goes from there.

G-

[coldspot]

"+10ft of 16 gauge wire"

I'm thinking that you need some much larger wire size

maybe you should think "Jumper Cable" when getting new wire.

That would also allow room for growth.

10 gauge or 8

Just my

$0.02

[fred480v]

there is a 16 amp controler on e-bay with about 12 hrs. left. it can be mounted outside. this controler is made in the usa & is top of the line for a 16 amp unit check it out   fred480v

[Phssthpok]

If I remember correctly those HF charge controllers are good for up to 7 amps. That means you could run 6 of the 15watt HF panels on ONE of the HF CC's without worrying about over powering the CC.

I concur with the previous comment about 'too much battery, not enough panel'. As stated, your panels are probbably JUST keeping up with demand.....add in a few more of the HF 15 wattters and you should be able to see a climb in charge state. Be warned however, that once the clear weather goes away you will probbably face a declining charge state.

[tecker]

Forget about the controller , take a 14 volt zener and connect to a 12 volt sounder and get the wattage maxed out ,The controller can take a higher voltage  and will dog down the panels at low voltage you might series parallel to get the voltage up to the highest voltage the controller can receive as input  stacking  the operating voltage for the controller to swipe off the top and the increase you need for your load The internal regulation is set up to work on a wide range of power configurations and will change potential into amperage.

[tecker]

Another point is the low charge setup never mixes the electrolight well and the acid stays seperated and sulfate crystals form . I have 10 amorphous panels that I use to condition batteries cycling in a " Battery Minder "  The Battery minder works well with two series 5pair sets the I have two banks of 600 ah set to auto switch .I'm gone most of the day except on the weekend .  

[Roamer195]

Here's a way to instantly "upgrade" the panel performance.

So far, this method has worked very well with a 700ah bank of "deep cycle" trolling batteries from walmart, using 3 of those same PV kits wired in parallel.

You only need the lower half of this pulsing circuit. The upper transistor/optocoupler isn't necessary. Just connect your panel output directly to the big capacitor to keep it charged up.

http://www.otherpower.com/images/scimages/48/Jerry_charger.jpg

Don't expect the battery voltage, while charging, to behave the same as a steady current charger. Just check to see what the peak voltage is when you hear them bubbling. Regardless of the bubbling, you shouldn't see any internal heating since your 140 watt panels are less than the C/20 charging rate. My IR thermometer has shown me no increase in battery electrolyte (or battery casing) temperature as long as I'm below the C/20 rate.

You should also adjust the 555 so that the pulse only lasts long enough to completely discharge the capacitor down to battery voltage. The adjust the frequency so that the capacitor has just enough time to get a full charge from the panels before each discharge pulse.

Here are some older message links about this.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/3/29/225631/629

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/2/12/23130/7578

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/2/20/161659/574

[ghurd]

How many panels are connected? 3 or 12?

Before, it sounded like 3. Now it sounds like 12. That's just me.

With 4 panels and a guess at those loads, it should about break even.

With 12 panels, there is a problem somewhere.

Maybe a bad connection, the controller, small wire (#16)...

But somethings not right.

Can you measure the charging current at noon on a good day?  Each panel should put close to an amp into low batteries.

G-

[tecker]

 Not a plug for this unit Frankly these units have to be matched to the load .But the reading and pics are realitive to maintaining A ready power source .http://www.vdcelectronics.com/desulphation.htm

[ZooT]

Folks are selling those controllers on ebay and listing them as a 4amp controller which sounds about right considering that the box my 45W kit came in has

"maximum current 3000mA " printed on the colorful sales labeling on the box.