Solar Cynergy Panels
I'm looking at these panels which seem to be a really good deal at $144 a piece. http://www.solarblvd.com/p2711/Two-Solar-Cynergy-140-Watt-12-Volt-Solar-Panels-with-Y-Connector/product_info.html Bu...
Forum Discussion
I ran a 30 amp PWM controller off of Ebay, that was $33.00 shipped. It was powered by a 120 Watt 6.6A/h mono crystalline portable folding solar panel under rainy skies last week near West Yellowstone.
PWM 30 amp charge controller. Adjustable charge voltage.
Peak, it will produce about 6.6 amps at 15.0V, even though unit shows 15.2V, it gives 15.0V through a 5 foot run of 10 gauge wire, at the battery. Under rain and heavy cloud cover, mid day, the panels were still producing 2.8 to 3.5 amps out put.
You want to know what your output is, get and run one of these in line. or run two of them, one for input line from charge controller to battery, and one from battery to Load.
watt meter amp meter, instant and cumulative.
I have run across charge controllers in PWM that really spend 2/3 to 3/4 of their time putting out half to 2/3's the amps the solar panel is capable of pushing into the battery, thereby really dragging out your charging times on the battery when using solar power. This sucks if you get cloudy days by mid morning to afternoon, during peak charging amp rate times.
The controller above does not slack on the amps when doing PWM charging. It is pretty darn efficient, it may pulse and drop the voltage down a bit, but doesn't drop the amps much... and amps combined with high voltage, are what efficiently get your batteries up to a full charge again.
This 30 amp unit, in my experience, has trumped all other chinese charge controllers I've used, both in adjustability, and in actual logged ampere output. It takes both at relatively high levels to get your batteries charged up fully. If you only charge to 90% of battery capacity, then doing 50% to 90% recharge cycles means you are wasting 20% of your cycle capacity, compared to charging 50 to 100%. In reality, you are then using 60 to 100% on your battery capacity, instead of 50 -90%, and keeping your battery in better health, always keeping it at a higher charge level, with less potential for sulphation of the plates in the battery.
Getting your batteries 98, 99 or 100% charged, daily, is better for their longevity, than only getting them to 90% state of charge with 14.4V setting on a PWM charge controller, which with wiring, will have even less V at the battery terminal... which is really the measurement that matters the most... V while charging, at the battery. Losses along the way don't count towards charging your battery 100%.
PWM 30 amp charge controller. Adjustable charge voltage.
Peak, it will produce about 6.6 amps at 15.0V, even though unit shows 15.2V, it gives 15.0V through a 5 foot run of 10 gauge wire, at the battery. Under rain and heavy cloud cover, mid day, the panels were still producing 2.8 to 3.5 amps out put.
You want to know what your output is, get and run one of these in line. or run two of them, one for input line from charge controller to battery, and one from battery to Load.
watt meter amp meter, instant and cumulative.
I have run across charge controllers in PWM that really spend 2/3 to 3/4 of their time putting out half to 2/3's the amps the solar panel is capable of pushing into the battery, thereby really dragging out your charging times on the battery when using solar power. This sucks if you get cloudy days by mid morning to afternoon, during peak charging amp rate times.
The controller above does not slack on the amps when doing PWM charging. It is pretty darn efficient, it may pulse and drop the voltage down a bit, but doesn't drop the amps much... and amps combined with high voltage, are what efficiently get your batteries up to a full charge again.
This 30 amp unit, in my experience, has trumped all other chinese charge controllers I've used, both in adjustability, and in actual logged ampere output. It takes both at relatively high levels to get your batteries charged up fully. If you only charge to 90% of battery capacity, then doing 50% to 90% recharge cycles means you are wasting 20% of your cycle capacity, compared to charging 50 to 100%. In reality, you are then using 60 to 100% on your battery capacity, instead of 50 -90%, and keeping your battery in better health, always keeping it at a higher charge level, with less potential for sulphation of the plates in the battery.
Getting your batteries 98, 99 or 100% charged, daily, is better for their longevity, than only getting them to 90% state of charge with 14.4V setting on a PWM charge controller, which with wiring, will have even less V at the battery terminal... which is really the measurement that matters the most... V while charging, at the battery. Losses along the way don't count towards charging your battery 100%.