::sigh::
Please use the chant I've come to love:
"Owa' tobo' Biyam" (repeat 3x)
THANK YOU for your help. I've been doing the functional testing all wrong, getting myself all worked up over it, & even had Northern send me a new charge control unit (at no cost, I might add) because the initial one was "defective" (I'll be sending it back, w/my thanks, when it arrives).
We're in the middle of some lousy weather here (read "cloudy/stormy skies"), so I can't tell much, except when I utilized the methods you guys suggested, the readings were entirely different, & more positive.
I just wish someone in the "technical" department at the manufacturer and/or distributor had given me this insight & avoided the entire nuisance.
Kudos to you gents, & thanks for actually ANSWERING my questions.
I'll try to be a little smarter next time, really.
"Owa' tobo' Biyam"