seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

notsobright
notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
Ive finally got my system to where I think it should be for extended camping adventure but would like some input from the experts.

heres a list of what I have:

two Kyocera KC130TM 130 Watt
http://store.solar-electric.com/kykc130wasop.html

two Kyocera KC40T 43 Watt
http://store.solar-electric.com/kc-40.html

one Morningstar 25a controller w/remote meter
http://www.morningstarcorp.com/en/sun-saver-duo

one Lifeline GPL-4DA 200ah AGM battery
http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rvflyerprint.php?id=5

one MK 8A27 100ah AGM Marine Battery
http://www.apexbattery.com/mk-8a27-agm-marine-battery-group-27-marine-batteries.html

one Optima redtop 34/78 AGM starting/engine battery
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/redtop/specs.php

one MorningStar Sure Sine 300 inverter
http://www.morningstarcorp.com/en/sure-sine

one Duracell 1500 MSW inverter (mnf by Xantrex)
http://www.duracellpower.com/power-inverters/recreation-inverters/inverter-1500.aspx


I have all four PVs mounted flat on the RV roof and wired parrallel. then into the SSD controller with one of the outputs going into a HD marine Battery selector switch http://bluesea.com/category/1/products/11003 at the Battery terminal connector then into the Lifeline GPL-4DA

the other output from the SSD controller I have switched to go to either the other side of the battery selector connected directly to the MK 8A27 or to the Optima starting battery or an optional 3rd output that I have made so that I can plug in another loose/external battery to charge.

so I have made it to where I can charge four seprate batteries but only two at a time


also,from the battery selector output I branch off into a 100a breaker then into the fusebox http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/products/5025

and also branch off to this isolator
http://www.powerstream.com/battery-isolator.htm
that goes to the Optima staring/engine battery so that enables me to charge the deep cycle AGMs from the altenator if need be and also to jump start the starting battery if it fails to start the engine on its own. Ive also installed a battery switch that must be turned on for this isolator circuit to function and it stays off unless I need to charge the house batteries or jumpstart the starting battery.

Both inverters get DC from the main battery selector. the SureSine Ive wired to standard GFCI outlets inside and outside the RV and the MSW has outlets onboard.

I think Ive got a pretty nice and probably unique set-up here but I havnt had it on any major extended adventures yet allthough I am really looking forward to that soon.

I think Im all set here, what do y'all think about my set up? is there anything I should change or upgrade?

I keep the controller set to charge 90/10% but it has 50/50% dip switch and is infinately adjustable thru the PC link.

Ive left out the wiring and fusing specifica but Im pretty certain I have everyting covered in that regard because burning down my rig has been my biggest concern throughout the install so I have double and tripple checked everything to make sure I have what is needed to stay safe.


future plans I have are to mabey change my manual switching to automatic so that battery selection can be done while Im not arround but Ive got to figure out what kind of voltage sensing realys are out there that can cope with the charge controllers different phases. might not be possible but if it is Im sure someone here has done this allready.

anyway thanks for any all input on this and previous because many of you were invaluable to me in getting this system where it is!

Comments

  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Sounds good! Nice setup.

    My only issue with the SSD is that it is designed to charge multiple batteries, but can only connect one remote temp sensor. It can use its on-board temp sensor, or the remote...but it really should have two connections for remotes.

    But that's just a small nit to pick and I doubt it's any big deal.
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I agree. morningstar said it was because the controller has its own temp sensor and was meant to be mounted near one of the batteries.. well not in my case or probably most cases but its still the only controller that does what it does.

    I use the remote temp sensor on the 200ah batt. both house batteries are near each other so the air temps are close to the same. I wonder how critical that temp differential is anyway?


    so does my panel to battery ratio seem close to optimal? LOL Im not smart enough to figure those types of things yet. I understand with the split charge controller it might be a bit more tricky to figure but lets say Im only using the 200ah batt. with 100% from the controller? or visversa with 100% going to the 100ah. just curious..

    also is there any problem with running the outputs from the charge controller to the Batery selector switch terminals instead of directly to the battery terminals? they still go there through the Battery cables connected to the selector switch so my guess is no problem but thats an uneducated guess. its a short run cable (5') if that means anything.


    thanks
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Why the mix of batteries? Why the two inverters? As a rule of thumb, charging current ideally should be ~10% of ah capacity.

    Tony
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I started off with the 100ah but soon found it wasnt enough then I added the larger one so now the first battery is a back-up for the most part.

    two inverters because I wanted a pure sine wave inverter to not risk damaging any electronic equipment used and most of the things I have that would be at risk are small loads.

    the larger inverter is a modified sine wave that I added to have just in case I find I need more power than the 300w will provide. I dont have a specific use for it but I know if I ever need to run any power tools or small air conditioner the 300w wouldnt be enough.

    at the time I bought the pure sine wave I couldnt find one in the 1500w+ range that was affordable enough to justify the cost for me but shorty after that purchase I found one that would have fit the bill but I had allready installed the 300.

    icarus wrote: »
    As a rule of thumb, charging current ideally should be ~10% of ah capacity.

    Tony

    that helps, theoretically I need slightly more PV then but Ive run out of room, both onboard and in budget. If I add more later, it would have to be a loose panel to be mounted only when stationary.

    Im still very much a novice with PV and have made some mistakes but so far it has been a fun project that has pretty much become a new hobby for me.

    I have a small cargo trailer that I plan to "solorize" at some point so I could use some of the extra equipment on it but Ive stretched my budget as far as I can for now.

    thanks
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    A couple of quick thoughts,, I'm short on time today.

    You shouldn't mix battery types/sizes in any battery array. Second, using a MSW inverter that is significantly bigger than the average load, will result in the inverter running very inefficiently.

    I would suggest that before you buy ANYTHING ELSE you do a bunch of reading. The first thing you should do for here on is define the loads. Almost all decisions fall from there. More money is spent on "ready, fire, aim" from newbies, than should be. Here is a couple of places to start to read:

    http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Lifespan%20of%20Batterieshttp://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Lifespan%20of%20Batteries


    Tony
  • hillbilly
    hillbilly Solar Expert Posts: 334 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    icarus wrote: »
    Why the mix of batteries? Why the two inverters? As a rule of thumb, charging current ideally should be ~10% of ah capacity.

    Tony

    Regarding that 10% rule of thumb, that's a great amount of charging capability that is beyond what many of us live with. I'd say in particular if you're talking about an RV set up where you'll have frequent opportunities to utilize other charging sources, then it is not needed to have quite that much PV. I'd say that your PV array of 346Watts should be ok, depending on your loads of course.
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    icarus wrote: »
    A couple of quick thoughts,, I'm short on time today.

    obviously you are. LOL I dont have a battery "array". these are all independant of each other.
    icarus wrote: »
    Second, using a MSW inverter that is significantly bigger than the average load, will result in the inverter running very inefficiently.

    LOL
    icarus wrote: »
    I would suggest that before you buy ANYTHING ELSE you do a bunch of reading.


    I would suggest the same before "ready, fire, aim" posting ;-)

    just givin ya a hard time.. we all get rushed from time to time in this day and age.

    but thanks anyway for the suggestions.

    hillbilly wrote: »
    Regarding that 10% rule of thumb, that's a great amount of charging capability that is beyond what many of us live with. I'd say in particular if you're talking about an RV set up where you'll have frequent opportunities to utilize other charging sources, then it is not needed to have quite that much PV. I'd say that your PV array of 346Watts should be ok, depending on your loads of course.

    my RV is a Van and I only use it at primative camp sites, ussually a week sometimes longer. I cant rely on alternative charging methods other than the small altenator untill I get a generator but thats after the winch in priority. primative campsites is an understatement.


    thanks for all the input so far guys!
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Should have been battery bank not array.

    As for Ready, Fire, Aim, it speaks for itself,

    Tony
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    icarus wrote: »
    As a rule of thumb, charging current ideally should be ~10% of ah capacity.

    Tony

    hillbilly,
    somewhat in tony's defense i think what tony was trying to say was that 10% is a good figure for both charging and discharging that most batteries will be happy with. i don't know about it being a rule of thumb as i wouldn't have quite used those words to describe it. 10% is not allot unless you are measuring it in the cost of the solar equipment to maintain it, but is far more preferred as a charge rate over say the 5% rate that many in solar are going with.
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    icarus wrote: »
    Should have been battery bank not array.

    but is it a "bank" of batteries if they are not directly connected?
    icarus wrote: »
    As for Ready, Fire, Aim, it speaks for itself

    how so? I'd like to understand if you have the time and care to explain.

    of course standard procedure is to define your loads but that doesnt work here because I really dont have any loads that I cant live without. it certainly makes life easier so in this case since I have limited space for panels I filled it all.

    I could probably add more on top of these and have them fold and/or slide out when stationary. tripple stacked! LOL now THAT would be awsome.. you can never have too much PV, no? and they could double as a nice (very expensive) awning too.

    looking forward to aimlessly upgrading when I can.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,422 admin
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I think Tony, like many of us (most of us?) here are cheapskates at heart. We don't want to see folks go down a road that many of us have already taken a time or two ourselves.

    Planning the loads to design a system that is the "right size". Many of the people here have panels that cost >$10 per watt back in the old days... It really hurt then to oversize a system.

    And making sure the battery bank is well taken care of (charge above 90% state of charge, don't let sit for more than a day or so below 75% state of charge, try to avoid going below 50% very often and cut the loads and/or start the genset). If you can justify, a Battery Monitor is a pretty nice piece of equipment (sort of like the gauge for a gas tank). Battery Voltage is not very accurate gauge of battery state of charge unless they have sat for ~3+ hours with no load/no charge. Hydrometers can be a pain, and with sealed batteries (AGM, Gel, VRLA)--you can't use a hydrometer.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Once again, it seems I have offended and if so,, my apologies.

    My comment about "Ready, Fire, Aim" I thought would be self explanatory.

    In so many endeavors (not just solar) people (including me!) get a bee in their bonnet about something, and without doing enough research, they begin to accumulate the accouterment to go forward. This all to often leaves one with a hodgepodge of stuff that doesn't always work well together, which in turn usually leads to buying other stuff to fill in the wholes, which in turn leads to other things that don't play well together. The net result is often a Camel so to speak, costing far more money, and far more aggravation then if one were to sit back in the beginning and consider the "best" options.

    My own example is a pretty good one. I started with a simple car battery and one 64 watt panel, and simple PWM controller. I used it a reading light, and the radio, then I up graded the batteries to 2 T-105s. Without the benefit of the web (and this site) I bought a bigger 15 amp controller, (#2) and that followed by another panel. By now the batteries were too small, and not knowing I shouldn't, I bought two more and paralleled them together. Now the panels were to small, so I bought 2 55 watt Siemens, oh and now the controller was too small, and I had discovered what MPPT controllers were all about, so I bought the Bluesky controller. So now ten years later, I have bought a new set of T 105s, and because my loads have grown (because they always do!) I now have bought another 250 watts of panels (yet to be installed) bringing the total to ~450 forcing me to up grade the controller once again! (I bought a Rogue MPPT in no small measure because I think it a quality unit AND I want to support Marc in his endeavor). I may, in two years wish that I had bought an MX 60 a couple of years ago, or perhaps an 80, but who knows...

    The same can be held with inverters. I started with a couple of MSW inverters until I bought the Suresine. I have almost no regrets there as I never have such large 120 vac loads. The increase in loading on my system has come not from more loads so much (but there is some of that) but more that the loads run for longer. For example the modem and laptops may be on during the day, just because we can.

    Battery chargers,, I started with a good automotive charger, only to discover that it didn't put out very well on floating neutral generator power, so I bought a Xantrex TC 40, only to discover that it wouldn't run on the Honda EU 1000, so I sold the 40 and got a TC20, so three chargers later I have one that works well. Althought the TC 40 would run fine on 2 Eu 1000s, which I have!


    The same goes for fuses, breaker boxes etc. I started with old fashioned screw in fuses and fuse holders, plus a series of in line automotive fuses, all tied together with tape and wire nuts! Then a dc breaker box, until I discovered that the breakers were not rated for dc, to be replaced with a dc rated breaker box and breakers. My great advantage was by the time we built our new house two years ago, I had the benefit of many years cobbing the system together, AND more importantly I had the benefit of this site ant is vast cumulative experience!

    So the bottom line is, my system was still pretty cheap, as most of the stuff, (PV/wire/breakers/charge controllers/batteries) have come used over the years. That said, if I could have read 10 years ago what one really needed to do to run ~.6kwh/day I would have been way ahead.

    The purpose of this forum is to allow those with less experience to benefit from those with more. I certainly don't consider myself an EXPERT in the field of Pv or RE,(Like Bill of Crewzer or others) but I do have some vast real world experience that hopefully others can use. As I have so often said, too many people "READY, FIRE AIM". and if they can use a bit of my experience to avoid one or two pitfalls along the way then the forum is a success.

    Now to the real offensive comment from Bill about being a cheapskate at heart! I resemble that remark! Talk to my wife about that, when I come home from Sally Anne with an armload of work shirts! On the other hand when it comes to buying new toys (PV/controllers/generators/chainsaws/boats/outboards etc) I can ready fire aim with the best of them!

    Tony
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I think we should put "Ready, Fire! Aim." in the glossary. :D
  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    I think we should put "Ready, Fire! Aim." in the glossary. :D


    I really enjoyed Tony's post (just above 'Coot's). I, too, would've benefitted greatly from this forum if I'd have found it back in the late seventies (or even the early eighties!).

    Over the years I've used at least 8 different generators. I currently have three inverters online (not counting our RV), 4 charge controllers (ditto), and have extra inverters in the garage that did well but got replaced for efficiency.

    "Ready, Fire, Aim" does actually work. No, it's not the most efficient plan. But RE is evolving and I try to evolve too. I'll attach a pic of my solar array: six different purchases years apart starting in the mid-eighties. My benchmark has been simple: if a generator runs less, it's a good thing. The solution to make a generator run less -- add panels.

    On hindsight, the only thing I MAY have done differently would have been to have a 24V or 48V battery bank. But that wasn't an option when I started.

    So notsobright, I've shared with you. Now please share with me: where's the best boondock camping?? Let's focus on the important stuff!


    Phil
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    marc,
    i think i'll forgo the rfa in the glossary, well at least for now.

    phil,
    you would've been hard pressed to find any forums back in the 70s or 80s. i believe this one was in late 2002 or early 2003 as i forget. i was one of the first here and had to quit and rejoin later due to a combination of os problems and a dialup connection in conjunction to the new forum having glitches at the time. crewzer and brock were also among the first here who are still active.
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Ready, fire, aim does indeed work, don't get me wrong, ( as a practitioner myself demonstrates). My point is, if we can save others a bit of aggravation that we ourselves had to learn the hard way, that would be great.

    And by the way, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    T
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    you've got that dead to rights tony as we have made many of those mistakes.:cry::cry:
    others should take heed not to try to repeat them.;)
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    battery monitor! this sunsaver remote meter is allright but I had no idea the battery monitors collect/display so much data. I could learn alot more about "how it all works" with one of those.

    the Xantrex LinkLite looks like it might be a reasonable unit for my needs. my "wants" list just got longer.. I really like the round guage styling it has but Id have to rearrange my instrument panel to make room for it, Im not sure I could squeeze it in actually but if not indash I'd find somewhere for it. thanks (again) BB, I knew there was something missing!


    Ready, Fire, Aim is kinda self explanitory but I kinda need to know how I fit that catagory. no offense here, I like to be made aware of my mistakes so I can learn from them. obviously the define your loads part Im aware of but I tried to explain my reasoning there. if theres otherways anyone notices then I'd really like to know those too. thats why I posted.

    to be honest I have a hard time learning just by reading but once I get my hands on something I find it much easier to understand. Im just a R.F.A. kinda guy LOL

    attempting to do what I have allready accomplished with this system in a pre internet era would have surely been less productive for me. I can understand how tough it would have been.

    sadly its not a poular thing in the SE. I have not seen any panels anywhere arround here except for the ones used in/on yard lights, gate openers and some traffic control utility poles. I havent noticed a single home or business anywhere arround here with panels on the roof or elsewhere.

    as for the purpose of the forum, its working! not only that but ~75% of my equipment purchases were from NAWS. not only because of the great deals but I felt compelled to support a company that has provided such a great resource for the average novice intrested in PV. I know I wouldnt have made it this far without this forums help. and I lurked arround here absorbing and also the other similair forums too but I joined here mainly because I noticed a real value in the combined wisdom and genuinely helpful nature that others seem to lack.

    I gotta mention also that Ive found NAWS customer service is among the best to be found anywhere too. quite uncommon these days so I'll continue to support them as much as I can.

    PhilS, thats quite an array thanks for posting the pic. let me guess, the ones on the left are the oldest panels? if not then the holy look make them appear old for some reason.

    my favorite camping spots have been all along the Blue Ridge and Great Smokeys. I just love it but its hard to get lots of sun anywhere in the area, theres just lots and lots of trees LOL I plan to start venturing out west though its become hard for me to get lost anymore arround here and it may seem odd to most people but I like getting lost. for some reason more and more Ive been wanting to explore the desserts out west. and no, the fact I have solar panels now has nothing to do with it LOL


    cant say thanks enough guys! Thanks!
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I second the battery monitor idea. The Tri-metric gives tons of valuable information that allow one to use/charge the battery bank(s) efficiently without damage.

    As for your case of "Ready, fire, aim". My real observation is that everything should flow from the expected loads. IMHO, if you don't have some pretty good idea of what loads are likely to be (best guesses at least) then everything else that follows is suspect. For example, if you design a system around an expected 1kwh/day load, and it turns out that in the real world you only use 500wh/day you will have built a much more expensive system than you need, AND it won't be used very efficiently.

    On the other hand, if you design for 1kwh/day, but you end up using 2 kwh/day would have a system that you were constantly in danger of over drawing your batteries and or not being able to keep them charged (sort of the same thing), all leading to short lived batteries.

    So perhaps the best piece of advice I can come up with (not just for you, but for all newbies) is sit down, ideally with a Kill-a-watt but at the very least a pencil and paper, and figure out how long you are likely to run the radio or tv. How long are you going to burn a toaster or micro wave? Etc, etc, etc. Take that number, add in some reserve for the inevitable load growth that ALWAYS happens, and start from there.

    Tony
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Ive read lots of other praises for the Trimetric monitor here too but my mounting space is limited is why the Xantrex units are attractive, they wouldnt look out of place indash either like the others.

    can anyone here help me reverse engineer my current system Ive listed? I have no idea where its limits are or where to start to figure them.

    Im anxously awaiting a killawatt meter thats been back ordered for a couple of weeks now.


    anyone think I should turn off the PV charge when the RV is parked for extended periods or just let the controller take care of it? Im getting a resting voltage of 13.1 overnight after several days of no loads, should I be concerned?
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    I wouldn't disconnect the Pv assuming you have a good charge controller. Is your 13.1 vdc take at rest, with no loads, AND no charge current, after sitting several hours? Have you checked the water in the batteries? I would make sure that my DVM is properly calibrated, and that your charge controller float voltage is set properly. I think you mentioned that you have a sunsaver 15 amp controller, which is a simple on/off controller if memory serves. Also I don't think that the controller has any temperature compensation, so if your batteries are warm, they may be getting too much charge.

    Tony
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Ready.. Fire... Aim.. POST LOL

    man Icarus, I even listed all the equipment involved. thats what Im getting just before sunrise. 13.1v

    thats cool, sometimes I just expect too much. even on technical related forums.

    for some reason ussually when I ask more than one question most of them are overlooked. I should know better by now...

    but if I start new topics for every question I feel like a spammer for some reason.

    I dont care too much for being the center of attention either but its kinda tough to learn things without asking questions though. at least in my case anyway.

    oh well. I do apreciate the input. sorry for all my ignorance, hope Im not bothering anyone. Im just trying to make sure its right. also lots of conflicting info out there on proper battery volatges.


    think I'll just keep the system turned off most of the time to be on the safe side at least untill I get a monitor that has data aquisition capability.
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    First, I wouldn't get too upset when we ask for further information or clarification. I wanted to be clear that there was no charge current on the system. Also pardon the occasional miss read of a post. Way more than once I (and others I might add) miss critical issues as they are posted. Sometimes due to careless reading, others due to having it just drop through the cracks.

    Second, I always say, the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked! Asking more than one question is fine as long as it is generally within the original topic. Don't apologize for any perceived ignorance or and you are certainly not bothering anyone. That's what the forum exists for everyone to learn.

    As a suggestion, if you list your hardware in the signature line then we can refer to what you have at each post, rather than having to either remember, or go back to the beginning. For example I couldn't remember what you had for a charge controller, hence the note "if you have a GOOD charge controller".

    Back to the question at hand. As I said before, I wouldn't worry about the 13.1 vdc at rest over night. Batteries have a "surface charge" that is demonstrably higher than the real state of charge. The only way to really get a handle on battery condition is a combination of at rest voltage AND specific gravity,,, not to mention practice. Once again I can't remember what your batteries are, and I would have to go back a to the original post to find out, but assuming they are flooded batteries, a GOOD hydrometer will be your best friend.

    Good luck with your progress, but please don't take umbrage at the response(s) All of us here are here to expand and promote knowledge. Speaking for myself, I am no expert on anything, just a person who has been fairly well educated at the school of hard knocks. The advice I may give is worth exactly what you pay for it.

    Tony
  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    Ready.. Fire... Aim.. POST LOL

    for some reason ussually when I ask more than one question most of them are overlooked. I should know better by now...

    but if I start new topics for every question I feel like a spammer for some reason.

    If you ask more than one question in a post, I'm sure I'm not the only one that would only answer the question I felt qualified/experienced to do so.

    And sometimes I would assume a question isn't really a question, i.e. "let me guess, the ones on the left are the oldest panels? if not then the holy look make them appear old for some reason." Yeppers.... those are the oldest panels... Siemens, and those 3 panels and controller were almost three thousand dollars at the time. I spent the same amount on the farthest 6 panels & controller but got two and a half times the wattage.

    Please don't limit your questions. I read almost every thread here and learn from many but I don't contribute to them all.

    Phil
  • notsobright
    notsobright Solar Expert Posts: 247 ✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Im not getting upset Icarus but mabey it apears that way.. Im not the best at writing/posting anyway.

    I'll try to fill out the signature soon now that I think I have my system near completion. I allways leave that stuff out. and your advice is sometimes worth more than you think, other times its useless so I guess it all works out ;-)

    its hard to imagine that PV is not more popular especially when I read post from some of you who have been successfully off the grid since the 70's!

    I wont quit asking questions Phil I'll just try to work more on presenting them I guess.


    I hope that backorder comes in soon...
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system

    Pv (especially of grid) is not more popular because it it very expensive. Keep asking the questions and I'm sure we will keep trying to confuse you with the answers. LOL

    Tony
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: seeking NAWS Forums expert evaluation on my RV system
    I agree. morningstar said it was because the controller has its own temp sensor and was meant to be mounted near one of the batteries.. well not in my case or probably most cases but its still the only controller that does what it does.

    I use the remote temp sensor on the 200ah batt. both house batteries are near each other so the air temps are close to the same. I wonder how critical that temp differential is anyway?

    Not much in your installation...

    From the manual:

    "Remote Temperature Sensor (Model: RTS)
    The RTS measures battery temperature for accurate temperature compensation. Use when the ambient battery temperature differs from the ambient controller temperature by +/- 5 degrees C or more."


    To me, the temp difference would be critical if you were using the SSD to charge say a house battery inside the vehicle (warm) and the engine battery under the hood (cold) - which it seems to me is one of the primary design goals of that unit.

    In that case, which do you put the remote sensor on? I think it's an either/or situation where the internal sensor is used if there is no remote sensor. So if you monitor the external battery, then you risk overheating the internal battery. If you monitor the internal, then the external might not get hot enough.

    I'm sure Morningstar tech support could answer those questions though.