Trikeman's solar installation photo diary

Is there an online set of instructions for your regulator? I'm not convinced it is operating correctly.
 
Looking at the controller it is the 30amp Tracer - here is a link, nearly at the bottom of the page is a manual for the controller.

Broken Link Removed

Hope it helps.

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
The one I have is the MPPT_Tracer4210_40A__Solar_Charge_Controller_With_MT-5_Meter

Here's a link: [Broken Link Removed]
 
Last edited:
I can't see anything unusual with this :thumb:
Some regulators have two charging options one based on voltage feedback and the second based on SOC
With some for the SOC to be reliable all load must be connected to the regulator load terminals.
Not the case with yours so ignore.

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Latest Update.

Hi All,,,,,,,,, Its all done,,,,,YAYyyyyyyyeeeee.:BigGrin:

Finally completed now we have the break in the weather. Panels on, all connected up and running like a dream.

Here are some shots of the controller now finished and the remote control panel showing how things are going. Sunny but a little overcast.

Solar panel output. Initially it was 63.2v but settled down to this.



Here is the output to the battery bank - batteries are charged as it is though.



And here is the finished MPPT controller all wired up - 20a fuses both ends of battery cables and on all pos and negs,,,,,,, just in case.:thumb:



Impressions - excellent and really enjoyed doing it, just wish I had the weather to have done it all together, but hey ho its done now.:BigGrin:

Again, many thanks to Vlad the Impaler and Andy Techno100 for all the advice and guidance.
:thumb:

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
Nice job :thumb:
I've spent all day today putting up shelves :BigGrin: Must go see what my panels are doing now we have this strange yellow disc in sky. :Rofl1::Rofl1:

Mike
 
Oops-good job I looked-batteries at 85% and nothing coming from solar panels :cry:
Too late to start looking now,cos we off out soon.Will have look in morn-last time this happened I had to get 2 new panels cos the contact terminal boxes had corroded away.

To be honest,beyond checking the output of the panels with multi-meter I'm not really up to speed with fault finding. :Doh:

Mike.

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I know, most of you are going to think - MAD,,,,,, BORING, GEEK even.:Laughing:

However, I have found a new interest - Solar and all its intricacies.

I was up at dark-o-clock this morning after draining as much as I could from the leisure batteries, put everything on that ran on 12v last night.

Anyway, grabbed a coffee this morning and sat in the MoHo watching the solar remote screen. As it slowly became light, and by no means the sun rise, I saw the little green light flicker on and the scale start to rise a little, it was charging with just the sky starting to light up which I was amazed by. As the sun started to rise and cast itself across one of the two, in series panels, the charge rate really started to pick up. To cut a longish story short, once both panels were being kissed by the rays the panel output was up to 38v and charge rate was 13.4v 6.1A - by 10.30 batteries fully charged and the charge rate stagnated at 14.3v 0.4A - panel outputs now 44.8v.

Now time for a bit of fun, I thought - I switched all 12v systems on and watched what happened to the charge rates. After a while the battery icon dropped a bar and the charge volts stayed at 14.3v but the amps went up to 6.3A where this was sustained, turned on the expelairs and heater blowers and the amps went up to 8.6A, again voltage stayed at 14.3v. Left it like this for a while and all stayed where it should. Knocked off everything and watched the voltage remain constant, but slowly the amps dropped from 8.6A to its 'pre-switch on' state and has remained at 0.4A since. Panel voltage at midday at 48.8.:Smile:

I am really impressed by this system - I can see me up on the roof of the house next........
:Laughing:

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
I wanted to do that but my partner Angie wouldn't let me ;)

As I have a similar installation to yours, this is very interesting to read, thanks for the dedication :)

I was out in the Burstner early this morning and, as usual, spent sometime cycling through the menus.

Very impressed too.

Quick question - do you connect the regulated output from the unit directly to the battery?
 
StitchUp said:
I wanted to do that but my partner Angie wouldn't let me ;)

As I have a similar installation to yours, this is very interesting to read, thanks for the dedication :)

I was out in the Burstner early this morning and, as usual, spent sometime cycling through the menus.

Very impressed too.

Quick question - do you connect the regulated output from the unit directly to the battery?
Click to expand...

Hi Stitchup,
my regulated output is connected directly to the leisure battery bank which are parallel wired - so still 12v. However, in between the controller and the batteries are fuse boxes, one can be seen just below the controller, and another just inside the battery box protecting both 'ends' of the cables should something go wrong in between.

Hope this helps.

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
Latest Update.

A 'Trikemans solar install update'. :thumb:

Well, we just got back from several days away completely off grid - we wanted to test the solar system but have the reassurance of a EHU should we need it.
The rules we had was - there was no rules...... Use everything, all the time, TV, DVD's (except when the matches were on):Smile: all lights on in the evening, outside light, pumps going, showers, toilet flushes etc etc etc.

I am VERY impressed to say the least, do you know - this thing even charges from the moon,,,,,, seriously. Every morning was different weather wise. First morning after - VERY FOGGY, couldn't see the end of our awning:Laughing: but still this system had recharged the 'damage' we hit into the batteries the night before by mid morning AND still we were using the normal things of life. Next day cloudy, still recharged by mid morning (bearing in mind we were still watching the TV, showers, loo flushing and now the heater blowers going full shunt - SWMBO is a freezer) and still pumping the amps in, 43v at the panels and up to 6.1amps. Then full sunlight on gorgeous mornings, batteries full by 9.00am - the sun is still low too.

Yes the system is new, yes the panels are clean and yes the batteries are recent, but just by the couple of weeks of testing I would have no hesitation in going anywhere, for any length of time.

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
Solar

Hi

I have exactly the same solar system as yours and I am very impressed I have just added a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter and I can use a 700 watt kettle to boil the water which takes approx 10 minutes then as I drink my cup of tea I watch in amazement as the batteries are recharged fully in 1/2 an hour or so do you think I am a bit sad:BigGrin:

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Denbo said:
Hi

I have exactly the same solar system as yours and I am very impressed I have just added a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter and I can use a 700 watt kettle to boil the water which takes approx 10 minutes then as I drink my cup of tea I watch in amazement as the batteries are recharged fully in 1/2 an hour or so do you think I am a bit sad:BigGrin:
Click to expand...

Sad, No, you've just joined a club - and all for free!

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
Hi trikeman did you get all your bits from the same place could we have a list please as would like to do the same :thumb:
 
Hi Jamwitt.

Right, here goes.
I used 2 x 12v 100watt solar panels, 4 panel spoiler mounts, 1 x 20 amp MPPT controller all from Sunstore.
http://www.sunstore.co.uk/Motorhome-Solar-Kits/
Bought the four way fusebox, 2 way fusebox, 6mm solar cable, twin port cable gland, terminals and Sikaflex activator from eBay.
I bought three Sikaflex's 512's from Go Outdoors, they were the cheapest I could find - £10.00 each.
You could get it all from Sunstore, but they don't use Sikaflex - they use another make..... Just a bit bias towards Sikaflex, the guys at Sunstore are very helpful.
:thumb:

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
Thanks for the info trikeman really nice job you have made my mind up to do it:thumb:
 
Good luck with your installation - there is a wealth of help on here when you start getting into the job, especially if you feel stuck. It's great when you put that last fuse in ,,,,,,,, and everything bursts into life.

You will never regret it, it's the best thing we have done. We don't think about it now, just jump in the van and off to go as everything is charged and when we are away we find we can go anywhere as we are now TOTALLY self sufficient.
:thumb:

Don't forget the photos as things progress.

Trikeman. :Wink:

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Trikeman Will my vanbitze battery master be o.k with the solar
 
Without using petrol this is my most recent source
Broken Link Removed
 
Techno100 said:
Without using petrol this is my most recent source
Broken Link Removed
Click to expand...

That is a good price Andy, they were all hovering around £13-£14 when I was looking.
I have seen this up to £17.00 too.:Eek!:

Regards,

Trikeman. :Wink:
 
I have a job to do soon for a member, fortunately I have a pair of very good panels in reserve otherwise I'd be snookered.
 

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