Thought it would be fun to monitor the solar output as the sun came up. Interesting how the panels perform during sunrise. Has anyone else done this?Sun up on the solar panelshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGuaO0euIEs

Hi,Thanks for posting your results.

Ha ha! Funny how we measure happiness with an LCD screen that goes from .47 to .48 to .49 to .50 to .51 to .52... And then I get so excited that it got to 15.8 I make a video about it?!? I know what you mean.Still, it's my first real experience with solar energy. Now I don't have to worry if the batteries are going to be dead every time I take the trailer out of storage. Those slowly increasing numbers are peace of mind.Now I just have to figure out how to keep the snow off of it.

tj548 wrote:RoyB wrote:Thats about as exciting as watching grass grow hehe...That reminds me - I need to fill up my gas can so I can mow maybe tomorrow... Its been a wet paste few days here...Roy KenHa ha! Funny how we measure happiness with an LCD screen that goes from .47 to .48 to .49 to .50 to .51 to .52... And then I get so excited that it got to 15.8 I make a video about it?!? I know what you mean.Still, it's my first real experience with solar energy. Now I don't have to worry if the batteries are going to be dead every time I take the trailer out of storage. Those slowly increasing numbers are peace of mind.Now I just have to figure out how to keep the snow off of it.The only happier thing is watching the module and controller values on a laptop,lol.For winter snow and better solar production, make some struts so that you can tilt the modules.

adding SOLAR is on my list for sure... It just makes good sense to be able to tap the sun for a battery recharge during the daylight hours when you are camping off the power grid.We fight the generator run time restrictions just about everywhere we go on the East side of the US and having solar panels sure would be silent running for sure...Got to keep the battery banks recharged with something... I suspect I too would get excited seeing the "FREE" sun power re-charge my batteries. Since I really require my batteries to always be charged at their 90% charge state before I start using them each evening I would watch my gauges like a hawk until I got the good feeling as is well. Just getting some trickle charge here and there for a couple of hours during the day would eventually do some harm to the batteries I suspect especially if I use the right away. I would want to have at least 10-20AMPS of solar power available so that the battery banks would re-charge in as few hours as it takes during the daylight hours. The ultimate goal would be to get the battery banks to their 90% charge state so that their full performance will be available for that day/night run off of the batteries.When I short change myself on charging I don't get the battery performance right away. Then When I short change myself again the next charge period I get even less performance. Eventually I start doing damage to my batteries. My success is to always start out each day/night with a good 90% charge state on my battery bank. I am going to shoot for a 240WATT solar panel system when I finally get to install solar panels just for these reasons... I will want to see my 14.4VDC or slightly more coming from the solar power panel smart mode charger with a good 20AMPS of current available to recharge my battery bank within three hours or close to that time as it takes. Hopefully 20AMPS being available will re-charge at least two of my batteries at a time in around three to four hours. I almost bet I still have to run my generator to top them off before my real heavy battery drain that starts around 8PM each night to make it through the night and still have 12.0VDC showing on the batteries by 8AM the next morning..My RT14 is very similar to this roof layout and I am hoping I can add a 120WATT Solar Panel on each side of the Fanstatic fan in the front part of the roof and it also appears I may be able to add a third 120WATT Solar Panel just behind the Air Conditioner across the rear of the roof.When I am parked at home it can takes several days to re-charge and won't bother any operations...Just my observationsRoy Ken

I added my solar this year too. Got it up and running this summer. 235W panel along with my 2 6V. I was gone all summer thought without the rv. Now that I'm home, I get a kick out of going out and watching it "sun up". More than anything else is the independence it brings me.

Sun coming up on solar panels | Good Sam Community

westend
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
tj548 wrote:
RoyB wrote:
Thats about as exciting as watching grass grow hehe...

That reminds me - I need to fill up my gas can so I can mow maybe tomorrow... Its been a wet paste few days here...

Roy Ken

Ha ha! Funny how we measure happiness with an LCD screen that goes from .47 to .48 to .49 to .50 to .51 to .52... And then I get so excited that it got to 15.8 I make a video about it?!? I know what you mean.

Still, it's my first real experience with solar energy. Now I don't have to worry if the batteries are going to be dead every time I take the trailer out of storage. Those slowly increasing numbers are peace of mind.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep the snow off of it.
The only happier thing is watching the module and controller values on a laptop,lol.

For winter snow and better solar production, make some struts so that you can tilt the modules.
tj548
Explorer
Aug 17, 2013
Ha ha! Funny how we measure happiness with an LCD screen that goes from .47 to .48 to .49 to .50 to .51 to .52... And then I get so excited that it got to 15.8 I make a video about it?!? I know what you mean.

Still, it's my first real experience with solar energy. Now I don't have to worry if the batteries are going to be dead every time I take the trailer out of storage. Those slowly increasing numbers are peace of mind.

Now I just have to figure out how to keep the snow off of it.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Aug 17, 2013
Hi,

Thanks for posting your results.

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