New Solar Setup - What am I missing?
Put in 4 new 6v Interstate batteries and added another 100 watt panel and a controller. Getting ready for some light dry camping. Background - I have no info on the original solar panel. I knew it ...
Forum Discussion
Both panels are wired into the controller. That 16.9v is what's being displayed on the controller with no load. Normally, I would say "Ok, that's just the voltage at the controller and it doesn't go anywhere". However, 2 things make me believe that somehow the 12v DC side of the coach (what I'm calling the DC bus) is seeing this voltage.
1. The steps won't extend without putting a load on the DC side to pull down the voltage.
2. If I just jump up on the coach and turn on the Xantrex inverter, the controller display shows the voltage is maxed out 15.5 and blinking yellow and I get a fault light. The inverter doesn't supply AC.
I observed this behavior during last winter's trip with the old panel. Plugged in, charging, on a sunny day the voltage went to 14.5. Brett Wolfe alerted me to some problem so I measured the voltage at the batteries and it was 13.4. I even checked the DVM against another for make sure it wasn't lying.
I'm pretty sure something is wired wrong, but the likely suspect (the old solar panel) has had the old wiring disconnected and wired into the new controller. I can spend another $250 on a new panel, but if it's money I don't need to spend, I'd rather not. The old panel is obviously working.
I really don't want to pay the RV shop "techs" $140/hour to troubleshoot this. I might as well fill the coach with $100 bills when I drive it in there.
1. The steps won't extend without putting a load on the DC side to pull down the voltage.
2. If I just jump up on the coach and turn on the Xantrex inverter, the controller display shows the voltage is maxed out 15.5 and blinking yellow and I get a fault light. The inverter doesn't supply AC.
I observed this behavior during last winter's trip with the old panel. Plugged in, charging, on a sunny day the voltage went to 14.5. Brett Wolfe alerted me to some problem so I measured the voltage at the batteries and it was 13.4. I even checked the DVM against another for make sure it wasn't lying.
I'm pretty sure something is wired wrong, but the likely suspect (the old solar panel) has had the old wiring disconnected and wired into the new controller. I can spend another $250 on a new panel, but if it's money I don't need to spend, I'd rather not. The old panel is obviously working.
I really don't want to pay the RV shop "techs" $140/hour to troubleshoot this. I might as well fill the coach with $100 bills when I drive it in there.
