Reading AMPS from a solar panel
I have a 12v - 120W solar panel on my TC. This is controlled by a Morningstar Sunsaver 20 into a single group 27 wet cell battery. I have a Trimetric 2025RV battery monitor installed. As far as ...
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When there is more than one charger on, they do amps based on their relative voltage spreads compared with the battery voltage. The converter at 13.8v and the battery at 13.8 or more from being on the 14+ voltage charger, will not have any spread to make amps, so the higher voltage charger does it all.
If both are above batt voltage but one is lower, it will do fewer amps than the higher one of the total and the lower one will taper its amps first as its spread shrinks.
The batt can only accept so many amps, so if one charger can do it all, there is no point in having more. eg, if the battery acceptance is 20 amps and you put two 30a chargers on, each will do 10a. Yank one charger and its amps will jump from 10 to 20.
With the higher voltage charger removed, the battery voltage has to fall back (takes time) to below the lower voltage converter's for the converter to have any spread again so it can make amps.
EDIT-scrub the following, since the converter will do it never mind its charger portion. needs some other way to have a load on the battery not supplied by the converter part. Hmmm. A small inverter clamped to the battery bank with a couple 120v lamps plugged into it?
something.
To see if the converter can make its 6 amps, just plug in so the converter is on, and turn on two lights (-6a) and the Trimetric should show a net near zero. Or to be more clear, turn on three lights and now the Tri should show -3a with the converter doing +6 (derived, not showing).
If both are above batt voltage but one is lower, it will do fewer amps than the higher one of the total and the lower one will taper its amps first as its spread shrinks.
The batt can only accept so many amps, so if one charger can do it all, there is no point in having more. eg, if the battery acceptance is 20 amps and you put two 30a chargers on, each will do 10a. Yank one charger and its amps will jump from 10 to 20.
With the higher voltage charger removed, the battery voltage has to fall back (takes time) to below the lower voltage converter's for the converter to have any spread again so it can make amps.
EDIT-scrub the following, since the converter will do it never mind its charger portion. needs some other way to have a load on the battery not supplied by the converter part. Hmmm. A small inverter clamped to the battery bank with a couple 120v lamps plugged into it?
something.
To see if the converter can make its 6 amps, just plug in so the converter is on, and turn on two lights (-6a) and the Trimetric should show a net near zero. Or to be more clear, turn on three lights and now the Tri should show -3a with the converter doing +6 (derived, not showing).
