Low Amps from New Solar Install

I disconnected from shore power a few days ago and we slept in the fiver last night with my CPAP, water pump and furnace as it went down into the low 30s. This morning at 8, I showed 3.5 amps as the sun was just hitting the panels over the trees. By 9 it was up to 5 amps and 5.5 amps at 10 as clouds and tree shade started to cover the panels, so it looks like all is good. Thanks everyone for your help.

jrnymn7 wrote:
"They can float overnight."

Not quite yet, but soon!

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Right up there with "I can sleep when I'm dead."

"They can float overnight."

Not quite yet, but soon!

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OOOPS, thinking in 430Ah bank terms again, i'll edit it.

jrnymn7 wrote:
sorry, Amp hour capacity... it's 225.

Those puppies should accept about 25a at 14.6v at 90%soc, and likely about 10-12a at 95%soc. What this means is, they will accept all the amps those 200w of solar can produce very deep into the charge, before amps taper. Therefore, it will only be the last 3-5%soc that will see the 'cease charging' voltage. BFL has had good success at 14.4v on his 6's, and I know Mex has suggested lowering voltage to that, at the end of charging. So maybe try 14.4v instead of 13.8. So 14.6 - 14.8v bulk, then 14.4v abs/float.

My 90% SOC marker is 5 amps per 110AH at 14.5v It is not perfectly accurate of course.

I set my Eco-Worthy to Vabs of 14.8v but as soon as it gets the batteries there the darn thing switches out of Bulk (MPPT) to Float (in PWM mode) The highest I can set Float is 14.5 and I see the Trimetric showing 14.4 so what ever the voltage really is, that is where it stays till it gets dark.

As it happens the 6s do seem to like that regime. I wanted to leave them at 14.8 till dark but not required to keep them from needing frequent overcharging.

I would not like to drop to 13.8 on solar while camping. Got to get as much done as possible in the mid-14s in daylight hours. They can float overnight.

sorry, Amp hour capacity... it's 225.

Those puppies should accept about 12-13a at 14.6v at 90%soc, and likely about 5-6a at 95%soc. What this means is, they will accept all the amps those 200w of solar can produce very deep into the charge, before amps taper. Therefore, it will only be the last 3-8%soc that will see the 'cease charging' voltage. BFL has had good success at 14.4v on his 6's, and I know Mex has suggested lowering voltage to that, at the end of charging. So maybe try 14.4v instead of 13.8. So 14.6 - 14.8v bulk, then 14.4v abs/float.

jrnymn7 wrote:
Ski, what batteries do you have, including their C/20 rate?

A pair if Trojan T105s and 225AH.

Ski, what batteries do you have, including their C/20 rate?

Should be fine in the sun.

Unplugged from shore power yesterday evening and the Solar30 still showed 13.7 for the battery and .2 amps from the panels at 4:00pm. It was raining and overcast so I didn't expect much, but I went inside and turned on all the lights. I pulled up a chair and watched as the battery reading went down to 13.0. I checked the panel output once and it had gone to .6. When I checked a few minutes later, the panel output had hit 1.0 amps in the rain. I am a happy camper!
I went ahead and set the "cease charging" down to 13.4 volts.