Please kick the tires!

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Hi -

Having decided I need a charger after all, I slapped together a quickie diagram of what I plan to put in my small Class C motor home.

The only question I have relates to tying the charger and solar charge controller positive outputs together as shown. Is this the right way to do it?

Any other comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
-john
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #2
    Re: Please kick the tires!

    Naturally, I realized that the fuses at the charger and controller need to be bigger and perhaps separate (2 10A for each battery feed).

    Toddlers can be distracting...
    · Share on Twitter
  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Please kick the tires!

    No - you have the charger connecting both batteries together, but you have two different batteries.

    You are essentially tying the dual outputs of the controller together.
    · Share on Twitter
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Please kick the tires!

    On the other hand, the Xantrex TC series (at least the tc-20-40 series) can charge multiple battery banks (of similar kind flooded/ sealed etc), but they can only regulate for one.

    This is a copy of a reply from Xantrex regarding different battery banks with a tc-20-40.

    Tony,
    The banks do not need to be the same size, but they should be the same battery type. It will charge all (3) banks at the same voltage, but direct the current at different levels according to the need of the batteries. So theoretically, if you had one bank that was rarely discharged, it could tend to be overcharged by being held at a bulk/absorb voltage too long. The XC series has the ability to charge (3) seperate banks of different battery types, and it has the ability to have each bank at a different stage (bulk/absorb/float):
    http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/180/p/1/pt/7/product.asp


    Tony
    · Share on Twitter
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #5
    Re: Please kick the tires!
    Windsun wrote: »
    No - you have the charger connecting both batteries together, but you have two different batteries.

    You are essentially tying the dual outputs of the controller together.

    I must have misunderstood the TC10TB manual. On p. 4 (features), it says:

    "Ability to fully monitor and charge two separate batteries. The most discharged battery receives the highest charging current."

    On p. 8, it shows the two DC outputs connected to two different batteries.

    Am I missing something?

    Thanks!
    · Share on Twitter
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Please kick the tires!

    See my previous post,

    Tony
    · Share on Twitter
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #7
    Re: Please kick the tires!
    icarus wrote: »
    See my previous post,

    Tony

    I read but did not process (toddlers again). Now I got it, thanks!

    It would be nice if Xantrex made that a little clearer in their docs. There's not much point in having "independent" outputs if they only vary in current. It's no great loss anyway if I can't use the second output from the TC10 since the SSD would keep the start battery topped off.

    So, version 2.0:
    · Share on Twitter

Categories