Critique proposed solar battery upgrade
Currently have a Jayco hybrid (Jayfeather 26L) but moving to a Denali 5th wheel in the spring (2012 DE324LBS). Currently have 4 Trojan T125’s with 600 watts of solar, with a Kisae 2000 watt pure sine...
Forum Discussion
Mex wrote, "I use two ammeters. Or you can use a single and manifold the main cable away from the battery post with the shunt or pickup between the manifold and post. Either way will display actual amperage going into the battery."
That is how it works between solar controller and Trimetric too. Two ammeters really.
The controller amps is what the solar is supplying and the Tri shows what the battery is getting. Subtract Tri from solar and that is your load but only when it is all inside the solar amount. The charger always does loads first then battery, solar or converter same thing. Once loads equal solar intake, the battery gets nothing. Over that and the battery has to chip in too. With no loads, the battery gets it all up to what the battery will accept.
Mr Wiz has meters all over the place AFAIK, so he can tell what amps are going where. I am still working on how that might play in my truck camper set-up with its AGMs, but I know Mr Wiz is right. You do have to be sure there is no way for any RV load to by-pass the Tri shunt on the way to the battery.
Mex, an example of sales vs engineering is the Chev truck sales brochure, where they say the truck can handle an enormous trailer, but the combined weight rating set by the engineers means a normal truck can only handle a much lighter trailer. In very small print, the sales brochure says they used a "base truck" with one driver in it. Apparently they make that base truck out of balsa wood just for this sales claim. (I don't know why they say just one driver. They must mean that DW is a back seat driver so normally you would have two drivers? ) Anyway your pal, Herb, is still out there. :)
That is how it works between solar controller and Trimetric too. Two ammeters really.
The controller amps is what the solar is supplying and the Tri shows what the battery is getting. Subtract Tri from solar and that is your load but only when it is all inside the solar amount. The charger always does loads first then battery, solar or converter same thing. Once loads equal solar intake, the battery gets nothing. Over that and the battery has to chip in too. With no loads, the battery gets it all up to what the battery will accept.
Mr Wiz has meters all over the place AFAIK, so he can tell what amps are going where. I am still working on how that might play in my truck camper set-up with its AGMs, but I know Mr Wiz is right. You do have to be sure there is no way for any RV load to by-pass the Tri shunt on the way to the battery.
Mex, an example of sales vs engineering is the Chev truck sales brochure, where they say the truck can handle an enormous trailer, but the combined weight rating set by the engineers means a normal truck can only handle a much lighter trailer. In very small print, the sales brochure says they used a "base truck" with one driver in it. Apparently they make that base truck out of balsa wood just for this sales claim. (I don't know why they say just one driver. They must mean that DW is a back seat driver so normally you would have two drivers? ) Anyway your pal, Herb, is still out there. :)
