Solar Kit

64thunderbolt, I am in the same situation as you in wanting to supplement power to my house batteries and minimize generator use. Still looking and waiting til after taxes. but your system looks great. Unfortunately I don't have room for 2 panels and was thinking about a suitcase model like the Renogy 100W with their NEW 10amp controller. It has good reviews. I did notice that it only has a 15foot cable to the battery with I believe Anderson SB50 connectors. I know they keep the length down to minimize loss. You mentioned that you were making your own cables. Can I ask what gauge, length, connectors and from where?

BFL13 wrote:
Your connection sequence is batteries to controller then array to controller. So you don't want to disconnect from batts with the array still on the controller. Covering the panel would be a good way to switch off solar. I put a switch on one of the wires from the panel close to the controller but my controller is easy to get at for that.

Useful if you are disconnecting the batteries for various reasons, you can turn off the solar first on the array side. Also with the array wire "open" you can measure Isc and Voc if you like.

Thanks for the instructions. Would it fry the controller if the sequence were reversed? I hooked it up in that fashion as the instructions said, batt first then panels. Just curious.

Your connection sequence is batteries to controller then array to controller. So you don't want to disconnect from batts with the array still on the controller. Covering the panel would be a good way to switch off solar. I put a switch on one of the wires from the panel close to the controller but my controller is easy to get at for that.

Useful if you are disconnecting the batteries for various reasons, you can turn off the solar first on the array side. Also with the array wire "open" you can measure Isc and Voc if you like.

BFL13 wrote:
You don't have to run the batts down. Just put a load on them higher than what the solar could do and then connect solar and note the difference.

I don't have a switch. Can I just take the grd wire off the batt??
Or would it be better to just cover the panels?

red31 wrote:
Isc = 5.92
Irradiation on a flat panel local solar noon ~ 800 (feb, AZ)
http://www.nrel.gov/midc/ua_oasis/

Panel output in amps, 2 x 6 (Isc) x .8 = 9.6A

Likely better when new.

Don't know what all that means but they are new.

Isc = 5.92
Irradiation on a flat panel local solar noon ~ 800 (feb, AZ)
http://www.nrel.gov/midc/ua_oasis/

Panel output in amps, 2 x 6 (Isc) x .8 = 9.6A

Likely better when new.

You don't have to run the batts down. Just put a load on them higher than what the solar could do and then connect solar and note the difference.

NinerBikes wrote:
Maybe get us volts and amps tommorrow at 10 or 11 AM when the batteries are a bit lower state of charge. Want to see what kind of amps 200 watts is putting out.

I could run them down overnight. I had thought of that just to see what these things will do as I don't know a lot about solar. They claim 5.62a each panel. This morning about 11/11:30 I saw 10a don't remember the v though. I will post pics tomorrow.

Maybe get us volts and amps tommorrow at 10 or 11 AM when the batteries are a bit lower state of charge. Want to see what kind of amps 200 watts is putting out.

these were taken with low light this evening one panel partially shaded. The first one is of the controller which I used #8 wire from controller to batteries due to a long run.