Multimeter?

[MrPG]

Is this good enough for most requirements on a van?
https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-dc-digital-multimeter-600v/793rt
I’m new to this and trying to learn so please keep it simple

Thanks

Paul

 

[MrPG]

I'd have thought the votronic controller would have stopped flashing with the 0.202 amps charge.

Leave the main solar off tonight and try 60w panel again tomorrow, angle the panel up at the sun for maximum current flow and the controller flash should stop.

Richard n Ann Thanks for the reply.
I know this sounds stupid but how do I turn it off? I could pull the fuse?

I made sure the 60w was angled to the sun with no shadows.

I can try this and any further suggestions on Monday now as we’re off to Abbey Wood for the weekend and I won’t get away with playing with the van this weekend.

Paul

 

[Richard n Ann]

Richard n Ann Thanks for the reply.
I know this sounds stupid but how do I turn it off? I could pull the fuse?

I made sure the 60w was angled to the sun with no shadows.

I can try this and any further suggestions on Monday now as we’re off to Abbey Wood for the weekend and I won’t get away with playing with the van this weekend.

Paul

No don't pull the fuse because it will still be connected to the solar, you're supposed to disconnect the solar panel from the controller, sometimes people fit an inline fuse or mini breaker, but you can just take one wire out of the controller if there isn't one.

Oh also switch the mains charger off if that's on as well

 

[fishplug]

SOC was 95%.
But if the roof panel is pulling that 1.5A goes in first as the higher value?
But when I covered the roof panel the MPP still flashed?

SOC readings can be a bit of a guess so it might be at or around 100% but be showing 95%. My old NASA unit would show 105% when fully charged....

I would disconnect the panel from it and run the battery down by a good 20% or so just to rule that out.

If you start to see proper charging figures then that's all it was. A fully charged battery which reports slightly off.

 

[MrPG]

Picked this back up today and feeling a bit frustrated with it. Learning though so that’s a positive!

Roof panel very poorly aligned to the sun and showing 1.6A SOC 85% 13.3V

Covered up the roof panel and its dedicated Votronic controller indicated it thought it was night.

Plugged in the directional panel checked current and it was showing 0.024A and again the MPP light flashes like it’s night time. Played around with getting a better line of sight and angle. Left it for an hour.
Still nothing.

Feels a bit of a cop out but I’ve emailed RoadPro who installed it with all the info and photos. There first question was can they have a picture of the dip switches.
(Had to find out what they are and what they do!)

I know the 60W panel isn’t very powerful but my intention was to get two more of these to make a directional array.

I should be seeing something?

Anyway, I wait to hear back from them.

Paul

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[Richard n Ann]

Picked this back up today and feeling a bit frustrated with it. Learning though so that’s a positive!

Roof panel very poorly aligned to the sun and showing 1.6A SOC 85% 13.3V

Covered up the roof panel and its dedicated Votronic controller indicated it thought it was night.

Plugged in the directional panel checked current and it was showing 0.024A and again the MPP light flashes like it’s night time. Played around with getting a better line of sight and angle. Left it for an hour.
Still nothing.

Feels a bit of a cop out but I’ve emailed RoadPro who installed it with all the info and photos. There first question was can they have a picture of the dip switches.
(Had to find out what they are and what they do!)

I know the 60W panel isn’t very powerful but my intention was to get two more of these to make a directional array.

I should be seeing something?

Anyway, I wait to hear back from them.

Paul

The thing is, if your battery is fully charged no panel will charge it at more than a few milliamps.

The 60w panel should charge the battery at at least 2 amps (in sunshine) if the battery is low enough to take a charge. What are the voltages into and out of the solar controller?

 

[MrPG]

The thing is, if your battery is fully charged no panel will charge it at more than a few milliamps.

The 60w panel should charge the battery at at least 2 amps if the battery is low enough to take a charge. What are the voltages into and out of the solar controller?

What do you think would be low enough?
SOC this morning was 85%. I’ve left the compressor fridge on and the Truma on this evening to take more out of it.

 

[Richard n Ann]

What do you think would be low enough?
SOC this morning was 85%. I’ve left the compressor fridge on and the Truma on this evening to take more out of it.

Oh it should start charging at that
Sounds to me like the solar panel isn't giving enough voltage out same as at night.
I had one once, in fact I've still got it in the shed, it's 40w and it won't give any output unless it's in full sunshine .

 

[MrPG]

Oh it should start charging at that
Sounds to me like the solar panel isn't giving enough voltage out same as at night.
I had one once, in fact I've still got it in the shed, it's 40w and it won't give any output unless it's in full sunshine .

I thought it should as the roof panel poorly positioned to the low sun was putting 1.6A back in.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I thought it should as the roof panel poorly positioned to the low sun was putting 1.6A back in.

Measure the voltage on the panel wires at the controller input. It needs to be high enough to charge the battery, usually 18+ volts

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[MrPG]

Heard back from RoadPro this morning who fitted both my lithium set up and the additional regulator for the plug in directional.

They seem to think I need a temperature sensor fitting to see if that fixes the issue and are putting one in the post.

I only live 15mins away from them and have asked if I can come in for a check but they seem reluctant. They have stopped fitting now and only retail so that may be the reason.

Paul

 

[StillGoing]

What do you think would be low enough?
SOC this morning was 85%. I’ve left the compressor fridge on and the Truma on this evening to take more out of it.

How are you measuring the SOC? Do you have a shunt?

 

[MrPG]

How are you measuring the SOC? Do you have a shunt?

The NDS display panel.

 

[StillGoing]

The NDS display panel.

I’m not familiar with the NDS display panel.

In my motorhome, currently the shunt reported SOC and the BMS reported SOC differers by about 40%! That’s because I haven’t used my motorhome for several weeks and I’m running things that only use a low current. My BMS is unable to measure low currents so becomes very inaccurate over many weeks when there isn’t much sun to provide a decent current to the batteries. If I put the mains charger on for 24 hours, the shunt and BMS get back in step.