Equip for Your Scenario
Up to lately with a 5er, camping in provincial parks in the winter off-grid, under the trees with no solar possible, and a two-hour time limit on generators 9-11am and 6-8pm (that one in the dark) usi...
Forum Discussion
BFL13 wrote:
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I get the 25 amps at 13.8v showing on the Trimetric from alternator charging (some of that could be from solar), but if the solar controller is set for 14.8 and only getting 4 amps, do you still get the alternator's amps? The house battery bank is at 12.3 say.
I want to test for when the batts get to 13.8 on the way to 14.8, you should lose the alternator's amps and just have the solar's amps. Then I would test for dialling down the solar to 13.8 and see if you keep getting lots of amps. IMO you should since now you are in absorption at 13.8v so amps will taper, but still be fairly high.
Anyway, there are lots of things to test and measure with the Class C, so all is not lost. :)
Yes, new toys are definitely more fun.
I've set my Meanwell to slightly below the Solar charger's absorb set point @25C. So, they both pump in amps until then, but eventually the Meanwell drops out. I've seen the Inverter/Meanwell drop to 0 watts, than back up to ~100W, then back and forth a bit until finally the batteries+solar can hold their V above the Meanwell's cutoff.
I then let the more sophisticated Solar Charger handle the final charging. The Meanwell is just a stupid power supply.
Also the Meanwell's cutoff V is not temperature compensated like the Solar Charger's absorb set point. So at cold temps, the Meanwell cuts out earlier than I would like.
Replacing the Meanwell with a more intelligent, temp compensated battery charger (like the Promariner Pronautic) would allow the truck to contribute more to trailer's battery charging.
