Forum Discussion
45 Replies
- Huge?
2. WIRE SIZES: My complaints about wire size started out in 2000, when every solar guy on the planet thought #10 was big. Stop taking this to mean that bigger is always better. It is NOT. Learn about how wires are sized for the amps they carry (the amps your solar panels actually produce, not the rating of the controller or the wires) and voltage drop is directly proportional to the amps and the length of the wire. You might Google ampacity chart or wire sizing. When people brag to me that they ran #2 for one or two panels I just want to scream. That is pure and simple waste.
let's not forget the drop in peak voltage due to panel heating, starting with 17v poly Vmp! I note NOTC Vmp of 16 for a 17.7 Vmp panel. It does get hot in places. - Mex
The only reason I would be that deep in a rain forest would be to take pictures of the native bugs. Solar can't do it all of the time but it wouldn't hurt the big bank to get off it's lazy plates and do something for once, generator too.
There are some nice bugs down your way though. :) MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
For me? Solar?
Well I can always dream.
Image a house and rig in an environment like this...
That is close to what our camp sites look like in the Smokies.
That is why solar is only good for maintaining our battery at home in sunny TX.
Dickgrizzzman wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
I have read it cover to cover carefully.
Victron does a Peukert calculation. The one he recommends does not. My personal favorite would be a smartgauge, which is better than either of the above if the information presented is correct. I don't use an amp-hour counter. Now that I live in the AGM world I probably should acquire one.
Have you bothered to read Ralph Hiesey's reasons on why he dosen't use the Perkert calculation or the use of temp compensation? Also take a look at the price difference in the smart guage and the trimetric. How accurate do you wish to be? And at what cost? Just some food for thought.
http://www.bogartengineering.com/sites/default/files/docs/PeukertsComments.pdf- That's one nice thing about the Lifelines. Take them up to absorb voltage until the acceptance rate drops to a certain point and they are done. I can run conditioning charges if the capacity is off somehow but I'm not doing it all the time for tiny increases and shorter life.
Cover the roof, fill the battery bank and live with it. - I would sooner spend the money on more battery capacity or more solar that actually provide power vs a monitor.
When my battery is low my simple voltmeter indicates just fine. pianotuna wrote:
I have read it cover to cover carefully.
Victron does a Peukert calculation. The one he recommends does not. My personal favorite would be a smartgauge, which is better than either of the above if the information presented is correct. I don't use an amp-hour counter. Now that I live in the AGM world I probably should acquire one.
Have you bothered to read Ralph Hiesey's reasons on why he dosen't use the Perkert calculation or the use of temp compensation? Also take a look at the price difference in the smart guage and the trimetric. How accurate do you wish to be? And at what cost? Just some food for thought.hbski wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
Hi,
His bias against all charge controllers except for Morningstar. There are other reliable units. Outback makes quite wonderful stuff. And there are some Chinese knock offs that are essentially identical to the Morningstar MPPT units at 1/4 the price.
I've not read that blog cover to cover, but I have read a lot of it and never seen him bash anything other than the Midnite stuff he's personally had problems with. Also he has actually said on the blog not to ask him about controller X or Y because he can't evaluate without having used one.pianotuna wrote:
His bias that the trimetric is the 'only' amp hour counter that is perfect. Victron makes one that is cheaper and better.
I can't comment on which one of you is more accurate on this since I've not used either one, but I can say that obviously you are biased to your choice as well.pianotuna wrote:
His recommendation for HUGE cables with PWM controllers. Once you have cable that will carry the number of amps safely then there is no need to go larger. MPPT is a different matter and size is important
Working with small voltage differences 1 to 3 volts difference from battery voltage to charge voltage will rob you of a lot of potential power at small voltage losses since the losses are based on the line voltage.....on his charging puzzle page he indicates 3% drop or less from the roof......that doesn't equate to "HUGE" cables.
I too find him cranky and opinionated, but he also provides some good info. He definitely has a bias for Bogart and Tristar, but admittedly says he has not tried many others and recommends what HE knows will work from experience. He also alludes here and there about his frustration with folks asking him to evaluate this or that and asking questions without reading what he has already posted......generally understandable positions.
What I got out of it was some good info and perspective. I personally don't subscribe to all of his opinions and bias, but it was a good read all the same and I found nothing that was listed as fact that was "dead wrong"
Well said. I agree 100%pianotuna wrote:
Hi,
His bias against all charge controllers except for Morningstar. There are other reliable units. Outback makes quite wonderful stuff. And there are some Chinese knock offs that are essentially identical to the Morningstar MPPT units at 1/4 the price.
I've not read that blog cover to cover, but I have read a lot of it and never seen him bash anything other than the Midnite stuff he's personally had problems with. Also he has actually said on the blog not to ask him about controller X or Y because he can't evaluate without having used one.pianotuna wrote:
His bias that the trimetric is the 'only' amp hour counter that is perfect. Victron makes one that is cheaper and better.
I can't comment on which one of you is more accurate on this since I've not used either one, but I can say that obviously you are biased to your choice as well.pianotuna wrote:
His recommendation for HUGE cables with PWM controllers. Once you have cable that will carry the number of amps safely then there is no need to go larger. MPPT is a different matter and size is important
Working with small voltage differences 1 to 3 volts difference from battery voltage to charge voltage will rob you of a lot of potential power at small voltage losses since the losses are based on the line voltage.....on his charging puzzle page he indicates 3% drop or less from the roof......that doesn't equate to "HUGE" cables.
I too find him cranky and opinionated, but he also provides some good info. He definitely has a bias for Bogart and Tristar, but admittedly says he has not tried many others and recommends what HE knows will work from experience. He also alludes here and there about his frustration with folks asking him to evaluate this or that and asking questions without reading what he has already posted......generally understandable positions.
What I got out of it was some good info and perspective. I personally don't subscribe to all of his opinions and bias, but it was a good read all the same and I found nothing that was listed as fact that was "dead wrong"
