New Years Surprise, Burnt Solar Wiring
yesterday solar yeild was low..for a sunny day Today about noon i open the bay to check the watt meter NO amps no voltage, display on the 2000e showed ZERO's grabbed the Fluke and read 20.00vdc...
Forum Discussion
The controller terminals are typical and the wires look ok to me based on how the battery wires are done and attached
. I always have trouble keeping the positive and neg wires apart at those little terminals being so close together with tiny strands escaping the wire and going next door, but Mr Wiz is doing way better than that by having proper lugs etc..
Which leaves the neg panel wire coming loose in its terminal somehow (stripped screw?) with heat melting the plastic barrier between it and the pos terminal lug next door.
The controller might still be ok. If not, ISTR Mr Wiz says it sometimes clips his amps at the 25a limit, so he could use a 30.
Another way is to use two 20s ( Eco-worthy MPPT at $102 each is one choice) and split his array. I would use the (or two) $35 PWM Solar30 instead of MPPT where Mr Wiz has those roof panels that must get very hot, where heat reduces MPPT amps so much.
If it is hot enough there now, it would be a good chance to see if the PWM gets as many or more amps in than the MPPT did before deciding.
ISTR Mr Wiz was thinking of swapping out some of his roof panels if a good deal came along that would give him higher amps for the same real estate. Two controllers would provide for that if it happens.
If you have two different kinds of batteries you can have one solar set on each with different charging profiles to suit. My T-1275s and the GC2 6s did not do well on the one solar set, where the T-1275s wanted more and that made the 6s get overcharged each day. Be the same with AGMs and Wets I imagine.
I have the same problem of the controller program dropping to Float when I want it to stay at the higher absorption voltage longer. Luckily the float voltage is also adjustable so I just set it as high as the absorption voltage, but Mr Wiz can't do that with his spare controller.
The Solar30 has only one adjustable voltage but once the batts get to that it stays there till dark, no dropping to float. If you are in storage and want a float voltage, you just set it for that instead of a higher number as when camping.
The Eco-W has two adjustable settings but the Float high limit is 14.4, so you can't set it to the same as your higher limit Vabs if desired. Even so, I find the 6s like 14.8 and then 14.4 the rest of the day, so it works out. The T-1275s wanted more of that 14.8 good stuff each day though. The Solar30 was more suited to look after them.
. I always have trouble keeping the positive and neg wires apart at those little terminals being so close together with tiny strands escaping the wire and going next door, but Mr Wiz is doing way better than that by having proper lugs etc..
Which leaves the neg panel wire coming loose in its terminal somehow (stripped screw?) with heat melting the plastic barrier between it and the pos terminal lug next door.
The controller might still be ok. If not, ISTR Mr Wiz says it sometimes clips his amps at the 25a limit, so he could use a 30.
Another way is to use two 20s ( Eco-worthy MPPT at $102 each is one choice) and split his array. I would use the (or two) $35 PWM Solar30 instead of MPPT where Mr Wiz has those roof panels that must get very hot, where heat reduces MPPT amps so much.
If it is hot enough there now, it would be a good chance to see if the PWM gets as many or more amps in than the MPPT did before deciding.
ISTR Mr Wiz was thinking of swapping out some of his roof panels if a good deal came along that would give him higher amps for the same real estate. Two controllers would provide for that if it happens.
If you have two different kinds of batteries you can have one solar set on each with different charging profiles to suit. My T-1275s and the GC2 6s did not do well on the one solar set, where the T-1275s wanted more and that made the 6s get overcharged each day. Be the same with AGMs and Wets I imagine.
I have the same problem of the controller program dropping to Float when I want it to stay at the higher absorption voltage longer. Luckily the float voltage is also adjustable so I just set it as high as the absorption voltage, but Mr Wiz can't do that with his spare controller.
The Solar30 has only one adjustable voltage but once the batts get to that it stays there till dark, no dropping to float. If you are in storage and want a float voltage, you just set it for that instead of a higher number as when camping.
The Eco-W has two adjustable settings but the Float high limit is 14.4, so you can't set it to the same as your higher limit Vabs if desired. Even so, I find the 6s like 14.8 and then 14.4 the rest of the day, so it works out. The T-1275s wanted more of that 14.8 good stuff each day though. The Solar30 was more suited to look after them.
