Solar float mode: Necessary?
As a practical matter, is float mode necessary with solar charging? As an alternative, the controller would simply stop charging when the battery was full. The next day the process would repeat. ...
Forum Discussion
When I was living in my RV, and had a E-meter that counts the number of amp hours going out of the battery and back in, I could tell my energy use each hour, day, and when it was full again.
So say I was at -90 amp hours at the end of the day, and it started recharging with solar. Around 2 pm, the battery would be full, but I might still be consuming 5 amp hours for small loads. If the solar just 'stopped' until the next day, then I might be using up say 20 amp hours while it is still sunny out, and that would all come from the battery, not the solar panels that are sitting there 'shut off'.
By running at 13.4 volts once the battery is full, it loweres the amount of water boiled off (should it had been allowed to run above 14 volts) and prevents the battery from getting to warm. But it still allows all energy being consumed while the sun is still out to be solar powered, not drawing from the battery while there is still plenty of sunlight hitting the panels.
Anyway it is nice that the solar controller does not stop completely once the battery reaches 13.3 volts, but it will cycle back on if you are drawing some power from the battery.
Have fun camping!
Fred.
So say I was at -90 amp hours at the end of the day, and it started recharging with solar. Around 2 pm, the battery would be full, but I might still be consuming 5 amp hours for small loads. If the solar just 'stopped' until the next day, then I might be using up say 20 amp hours while it is still sunny out, and that would all come from the battery, not the solar panels that are sitting there 'shut off'.
By running at 13.4 volts once the battery is full, it loweres the amount of water boiled off (should it had been allowed to run above 14 volts) and prevents the battery from getting to warm. But it still allows all energy being consumed while the sun is still out to be solar powered, not drawing from the battery while there is still plenty of sunlight hitting the panels.
Anyway it is nice that the solar controller does not stop completely once the battery reaches 13.3 volts, but it will cycle back on if you are drawing some power from the battery.
Have fun camping!
Fred.
