Am I on the right track?

[AzRoute66]

Is it possible to just put a diode on the positive side to prevent any back flow of da juice?

Very old school. Called a blocking diode, and that is indeed what you would do if you didn't have a charge controller between the panel and the battery. Probably the first diode application for the first panel was a blocking diode. The downside is the forward voltage drop over the diode, which is why you don't want one.

To check the chinesium CC should I check voltage on the panel side after dark?

You could, but if you found a voltage that would not be proof positive that there was any significant current - open circuit voltage on a length of wire can be a tricky thing. You have your energy meter set up to monitor discharge, which is how you would install it to monitor load and detect naughty loads. So, monitor the load. Remove YOUR load at night and your meter should show zero amps. If it does not, you MIGHT be back bleeding through the controller, pull the positive panel wire off the controller. If it is still reading amps, pull the positive battery wire off the controller. If it is still reading amps you have a bad wiring job. Now, if you have an ammeter, nothing wrong with plugging that between the panel and controller, or between the controller and battery at night. Oh wait - that is where your energy meter is, look at it...

[RiP-HS-]

Currently, I only have one energy meter. I did just order another along with some step down voltage regulators and some pretty sweet lights with motion sensors and a wide spread of light. They have small solar panels on them but I'm going to take them apart and wire the regulators to use the 24v bank to power them. It'll be at least next week before I get them as I'm shipping to my mom and will have her fedex them to me. The energy meter is showing with zero load 25.4v 0a and 0w and the sun is down. I have one small led light hooked to the out on the CC, with it running, it reads 25.37v .31a and 7.8w.

I did get three different voltage regulators 2 types variable and one straight up 24v to 12v so that'll give me a few more options.

[RiP-HS-]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KY...ie=UTF8&psc=1# lights, these, I plan to bypass the internal battery and wire them off of the 24v bank using the step down voltage regulator.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01DZ...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 voltage regulator, I got 3 of these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JU...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and 2 of these

I had a thought, should I run the 24v down to about 50% tonight to see how the panels do at charging it up tomorrow?

[AzRoute66]

I would have been shocked if the 30A charge controller 'leaked' as it is a reputable brand. I am a little surprised that you don't see any overhead consumption from it on the energy meter, but that is probably expected from an $18 meter/100 A shunt combo. We also know that your LED light is in the vicinity of 7.8 watts. Just do that same night time 'no load' test on the 12 V system at some point, perhaps when you get the next meter from Mom.

Somehow Mom and Fedex can accomplish what the original shipper cannot? Things must be kinda confusing over there... Either that, or I really don't understand what all is implied with being a US territory instead of state.

[RiP-HS-]

Trying to get in touch with someone from Amazon to arrange fedex on one item, much less several is a real pain. It's best to 2 day ship to her and have her fedex overnight to us we have an account so it's just her time to go drop it off.

I had posted another post with a couple of links in it which may have got kicked out, but I asked a question in it.

I'm in the process of draining the 24v bank down to 24.5 volts to see how well the panels charge back up, is that a reasonable thing to do?

[AzRoute66]

I'm in the process of draining the 24v bank down to 24.5 volts to see how well the panels charge back up, is that a reasonable thing to do?

Sure, I'd check that the reliable forecast for the next day was sunny and clear. I would hate to start off a four day cloudy spell that way. Make sure you practice with your hydro at the bottom.

[RiP-HS-]

Well the 24v did OK today. Got home and it was 25.6v. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the hydrometer, I bought a new one when I was up there but it's lost in the shuffle. Last night at 2235 I had the voltage to 24.82 under load and 24.94v no load. I was even able to use the miter saw this evening. I have to replace the conduit and weatherhead before our local power company starts coming around here to pull meters on damaged poles and such.

I had read on another post last night that someone was down here working and that power to 50% of the island is restored, I don't see it. The company I work at has a monthly power bill of 25k or so and we are about .1 (probably less) mile from the power plant. We are still on generator, I'd think with our monthly bill being that high and as close as we are that they'd have us up by now.

Have a great night, I can't wait for my other goodies to get here.

[RiP-HS-]

Hello Again,

Intresting thing. This morning before I left for work, I checked batteries and noticed the energy meter flashing. The battery voltage was 26.4. How do I know that the CC isn't overcharging the bank? Just to be safe I disconnected the CC via the reset-able fuse. I'm about to reread the manual to see if I missed something. Is there a magic voltage to not charge over?

Thanks Again!

[jflorey2]

Intresting thing. This morning before I left for work, I checked batteries and noticed the energy meter flashing. The battery voltage was 26.4. How do I know that the CC isn't overcharging the bank?

Voltage. If the voltage stays below the max voltage for the battery (between about 28 and 30 volts, depending on battery spec) you aren't overcharging.

[RiP-HS-]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll have to call 'The Battery Source' to see if I can get a spec sheet for the batteries, their website is crap.

[jflorey2]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll have to call 'The Battery Source' to see if I can get a spec sheet for the batteries, their website is crap.

What is the battery part #? Is it flooded, AGM or gel?

[AzRoute66]

[...] I checked batteries and noticed the energy meter flashing. The battery voltage was 26.4. How do I know that the CC isn't overcharging the bank? Just to be safe I disconnected the CC via the reset-able fuse. [...]

Go plug your charge controller back in. The Energy Meter has an undervoltage alarm and overvoltage alarm. The alarm indication is a flashing backlight. They only mean something if you have set them up to do that. Press the reset button for over five seconds, it will cycle through three modes: one to reset the kWh counter, one to set the alarm setpoints, and one to choose which shunt you are using. Read the manual on these, but the manual is not very clear, just pressing the button and playing with it is fairly intuitive though. If you don't get the hang of it let me know.

[RiP-HS-]

That is the batteries. The guy told me it is the same as the Trojan 105.

I did drain them down a little tonight and I did turn the panels back on. I did go through the menus when I first installed it. And I recall seeing the upper and lower for the alarm. I'm not really a morning person and it kinda freaked me out.

So it depends on the specs of the battery as to what the limits are for min. and max. as each battery is different? Or is it the difference between AGM, flooded lead acid, etc?

Thanks you both for your replies!

[AzRoute66]

If you don't want to use the alarms, set them where they won't be reached, 6v and 99V or something. If you do want to use them, perhaps set the high alarm at 30 so it is reminding you that you are equalizing, and the low alarm to something that corresponds to something you want the wife to do if the batteries are getting low. [Insert wife joke here...].

[Carv]

No problem AZroute66, feel free to post up the pictures, I'm happy share if it helps someone else.
( The black wire striped with red, goes to a DC fuse panel, I should have ran it off the other terminal before the first but my inverter load is small enough it'll still work)

Rip-hs, here is my thread, it covers from close to no knowledge to what you see in detail with a few side tracks but it might help you get your system figured out.

https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum/off-grid-solar/12v-solar-for-rv-or-camping-etc/349707-advice-on-rv-set-up-wiring

Also I used a tri-metric 2250 with a 500A/mV shunt.

http://www.bogartengineering.com/products/trimetrics/