Solar Kit
Just received my kit. 2 100w panels with a 30a pwm controller. Hoping it will recharge my 2 GC2's. I am alone in the trailer and power use is min. Any thoughts?
Forum Discussion
Do a search here for "screwy 31" . It's a long read, but the Readers Digest condensed version is that when you are working with limited amp capacity from solar panels on stubborn to charge car battery shaped deep cycle batteries, you want to bump up the voltage slightly for charging purposes, to keep the charge controller in bulk mode longer, to effectively charge the battery the last few percentage points to get as close as possible to 100% state of charge before power production drops off with lower angle of sun, while still covering for amp losses as the CO detector, lights and refrig draw continue to suck amps off the top. A 5.5 Amp charge rate still has a draw coming off, making it effectively 4.5 to 4.75 amps per hour going into the battery if you have parasitic normal operation losses running 24.7 with the battery connected.
Bumping the voltage on a lead acid battery in a group 24, 27, 29, 31, or T-1275 battery, due to construction and engineering constraints, when solar charge rate is at c-10 or less, up to something in the range of 15.0V to 15.3 V, in essence, allows more amps to be pressed into the battery before the charge controller dumps back to float mode and 13.6V. It is a way to get the specific gravity back to where it truly belongs, moreso on a daily basis.
Check your specific gravity, that tells all about state of charge of a battery. Everything else is guess work. Specific gravity per cell never lies. 1.275 or better.
Bumping the voltage on a lead acid battery in a group 24, 27, 29, 31, or T-1275 battery, due to construction and engineering constraints, when solar charge rate is at c-10 or less, up to something in the range of 15.0V to 15.3 V, in essence, allows more amps to be pressed into the battery before the charge controller dumps back to float mode and 13.6V. It is a way to get the specific gravity back to where it truly belongs, moreso on a daily basis.
Check your specific gravity, that tells all about state of charge of a battery. Everything else is guess work. Specific gravity per cell never lies. 1.275 or better.
