Looking To Add Solar Down The Road

Eco-W not as cheap as I'd like but nearly $20 off ordering it off site.

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100 ft MC4 cable

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JiminDenver wrote:
Ya just got to love Ebay on the Holidays. :)

New Eco-w plus 100 ft of 10 AWG MC4 wire on its way.

Link?

Ya just got to love Ebay on the Holidays. :)

New Eco-w plus 100 ft of 10 AWG MC4 wire on its way.

In all of the discussions about the various gear we use as well my other hobbies, the biggest thing I have learned is there is no perfect or best of anything. Only what is best for a certain situation. It's nice to get a number of options understanding how they benefit the users and then figure out what will work best for you in your situation.

BFL

Thank you for that. I never got to test that when I had two Eco-w's as I shorted one out rushing one day. I've bid on a few but stop when they hit $80. Most are ending closer to what it cost just to order off the site.

Hi Niner,

2 volt cells are far more perfect than six volt jars. Only I can't afford the modifications required to house them in my class C.

RoyB wrote:
I'm glad I am still in design mode here for SOLAR PANELs hehe... May have to do what I did when changing over to LED LIGHTS everywhere - Just buy one and after you get the one that one doing all you want it to do them buy the other needed 20.

I wasn't even thinking about the higher DC charging voltages for the T105 or the T1275. I will have that problem even with my on-board converter/charger it appears.

May force my thinking into COSTCO/SAMs CLUB GC2 batteries - I might be able to afford them better anyway...

I am also wanting to replace my original GP24 Interstate batteries soon as they are just now starting to fall off on performance since being installed in the late 2008 time frame. Was really thinking about two battery groups of two each Trojan T-1275 to give me 300AHs of capacity at each location. The weight of these forces me into having two on the trailer tongue and two in the back of truck bed. Having tow different uses for batteries this fits my scheme rather well. Then I could add the two battery banks together when camping off the power grids and get up to 600AHs of capacity. The T-1275s don't come cheap for me...

This whole new for me setup may work better just using two banks of good ole cheaper GC2 COSTCO/SAMs CLUB 6V golf cart batteries.

Presently I do just fine using my three 12V 85Ah Interstates giving me 255AHs capacity so dropping that back to 220Ahs from two 6VDC batteries in series probably would fit my scheme of things with some changes to what we usually do when camping. I still would have the capability switching the two battery 220Ah banks together giving me a 440AHs capacity when camping where it really matters anyway.

Thanks for insight on how the T105s and T1275 need to be re-charged... I just assumed the 14.4 mode was all I needed for them. My on-board PD9260C Converter/Charger may indeed not support those two batteries like I was planning on doing. Maybe it will be just needing 4 hours to recharge verses needing 3 hours ??? I can live with that using the PD9260C being run by my 2KW Generator.

Thought I had it all nailed down hehe
Roy Ken

With what I've learned here, and what I've learned on my own... the Solar 30 PWM is adjustable enough in voltage that if you are on a budget, it seems to be the way to go. I'd order 2 of them at $34 each, and if one fails, and you are in a pinch, you have a back up unit, just in case. Not that we've observed failures yet.
200 to 300 watts of 12v solar panel and one Solar 30, PWM set to 14.8V on fat wire with a short run from the controller to your GC-2s should with enough sunshine for 3 or 4 hours daily, cover you... you are talking about 12 to 18 amps there, approximately, per hour. When you run the voltage higher, the batteries start into taper charge mode much later, under the sun with solar panels. This gets you much closer to fully topped off before the sun gets low.

If you start with fat wire off the roof, that will handle 25-30 amps off the roof, from the get go, you can start with 2 or 3 panels on the roof, see where you are at, and if need be, tie in another panel or two or three until your energy needs are met... at about $100 a panel, at a time, if you have the real estate up there... otherwise, other options like trailer hitch and bracket and aiming it 3 x a day at the sun like RJfishing does, will increase your yield too.

If the T-1275s are free, it's another story, Mine are going on 2.5 years old. They require baby sitting. But if you are going to have to pay out of pocket, don't even screw with them, go visit Costco or Sam's club and get the heaviest GC2's you can find... 66 #'ers, and weigh them each. You'll have far less headaches recharging with the GC2's. They've been perfected in design and function. The rest of the 12V versions are compromises.

I am using the MPPT Eco-W on the 230w in parallel with the PWM Solar30 on the 130w, both controllers on the one battery bank of four 6s. No problems. They add their amps.

It is just another case of using more than one charger at a time. I try to use the same voltage settings so they don't get where one drops out as battery voltage rises. works with both at 14.8 but then the Ec0-W drops to float at 14.4 while the Solar 30 is still at 14.8.

At that point I should drop the Solar30 to 14.4 too, but I am getting tired of all that. It is easier if both controllers are the same model, so you don't have to fiddle. Last year for a time I had two identical LandStar 20 ampers and they worked as one.

I see no reason why two Eco-Ws would not work together when each has the same settings. You could run two big panels. Unfortunately with the 42v input limit of the Eco-W you can't run 12s in series (such as two 115s instead of a 230) with that controller, so you would want say two Solar30s instead and go PWM. Or get the Tracer, but AFAIK it goes to 14.4 tops. ???

A friend has had good luck with a Tracer MPPT Charge Controller. They have them from 10 to 40 amps. He is a full timer living off grid all winter on BLM land.

BFL

I don't know what a brand name PWM controller with all the bells and whistles cost but going with one on MPPT will really push up the cost vs PWM. The TS-MPPT-45 will run me at least $500 once I add a display, etc. to run the Bosch panels. Makes me wish I knew the Eco-W would play well in parallel.

I still think a big advantage to PWM is the ability to use different sized panels in a single system or add a panel down the road without the hassle of matching up the voltages.

Roy, my used T-1275s were free. They cost too much new when you can get good 6s for under $100 where you are.

Good point on how to maintain deep cycle batts with a converter that only does 14.4. You have seen the charging recommendations by the various battery makers on those that all say to get them up to 15ish for a full recharge.

However lots of people seem to be getting several years from theirs with 14.4 so who knows? If you get five years instead of ten you don't lose much money, so it just isn't that important really.

If you only get two years it is likely from other reasons not looking after them than having only 14.4. Anyway you can get 15v from any cheapo manual charger and with some solar controllers. It is worth the extra money to get the Solar30 for $34 instead of an RJ special for $17. The RJ one will do 14.4 and no adjustments, but it is a good controller as such. I have one of each so can confirm that.
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Jim, I am going to take the two T-1275s home and put them on a float for the rest of the summer season. It is nice to have a big bank of 6 batts in winter but no need till then. I will leave the 130 flat on the roof in its tray and hooked up and ignore it for whatever it does and keep the 230 in its contraption on the ground as now to do the main work. Late August and September when the weather gets spotty here again I can get more use from the 130 like in April-May as was. (unless I sell it !)

On the old MPPT/PWM thing, it is about even money here. The 230 was $270 and Eco-W was $108 so $378.

12v panels can be found for about $1.50/w so two 115s would be $345 and the Solar30 is $34 so that is $379

You do better on the price of 24v panels in the States though.