Solar Panel Charge Waveform

DarkSkySeeker wrote:

Son of Norway wrote:
OK, I have noticed the same thing with my analog meter. Can you explain to me how the waveform on the oscilloscope shows why the analog meter won't work? (I have three kids who are engineers, so obviously the apples sometimes DO fall far from the tree.)

When the charge is applied in 10-20ms pulses, an analog meter can not respond - at least mine - which is a mechanical needle in a housing. By the time the needle wants to rise as the voltage rises and current flows, the voltage drops and the current stops. The needle can't respond.

It should be responding to the average current; it's effectively a mechanical low-pass filter or integrator. My conclusion would be that the net current is quite low, basically zero, which stands to reason if the controller is having to limit the power from the panel.

Lwiddis wrote:
When would a solar controller not be regulating power?

The idea is to not let the voltage at the battery go above the high set point. Once the voltage (at the controller) gets that high, the controller starts controlling. PWM is one way to do the controlling.

When would a solar controller not be regulating power?

What about at times when the controllers is not regulating power?

pigman1 wrote:
What controller? Size, Brand, model, rating of panel and size, brand, rating, age of batteries? Battery charge state?

Click

15Ah battery recovered from one of those combination light/radio/powersource handheld accessories.

Son of Norway wrote:
OK, I have noticed the same thing with my analog meter. Can you explain to me how the waveform on the oscilloscope shows why the analog meter won't work? (I have three kids who are engineers, so obviously the apples sometimes DO fall far from the tree.)

When the charge is applied in 10-20ms pulses, an analog meter can not respond - at least mine - which is a mechanical needle in a housing. By the time the needle wants to rise as the voltage rises and current flows, the voltage drops and the current stops. The needle can't respond.

OK, I have noticed the same thing with my analog meter. Can you explain to me how the waveform on the oscilloscope shows why the analog meter won't work? (I have three kids who are engineers, so obviously the apples sometimes DO fall far from the tree.)

What controller? Size, Brand, model, rating of panel and size, brand, rating, age of batteries? Battery charge state?