" I think the ability to be able to equalize full batteries using only solar (rather than say genset) and the right procedure is a significant dividing line."
But that leaves hidden how to ever get to full.
I can get to about 98.5% SOC before 5pm on a good day. No time to get to full left even if sunset were at 2300 and no load.
I have a standing 0.3 to 0.8a load and we also need to eat! I don't know of any way to get to full and equalize while still camping without taking a set of batts off line so there is no load on them at all. THEN you need enough time in the day with the sun out.
It is very low amps stuff but takes a lot of time to get to full, so it is not a question of having tons of solar but to have time at no-load.
Of course you also need enough solar to get to full, even if it takes two days on the batts that are off line. The actual equalizing only takes a couple hours once you are full and now have good sun (next day)
I am unclear how you can ever get to full and do an equalize with any load whatsoever on the batts no matter how much solar you have-- brain has seized up :(
PT--
"With a bank such as mena's at 740 amp-hours that would leave him with lots of power. If the bank is just a pair of golf cart batteries, more watts are needed to get back the amps used in a day."
Lost me there. A smaller bank would get lower in SOC but accept more of a charging rate (amps /bank size in AH) for faster charging--but need more solar for those higher amps. Big bank at higher SOC range = lower charging rate--but is that at lower amps? Might be more amps (bigger solar needed)--depends on the bank size and actual SOC and voltage. Also if lower amps more likely to run out of time to replace the AH.
