Solar charging maintaining help
Hi all, Ive got some questions. Ive been reading ALOT of posts and trying to gather knowledge of what other rvers are doing and using. I have calculated my useage while boondocking and have decided to...
Forum Discussion
Almot wrote:Searching_Ut wrote:
For actual charging of the batteries, the best solar charger I've seen to date is the Bogart SC2030 coupled with a Trimetric 2030 to control it.
For 12V panels in parallel and if you need a battery monitor. 12V in parallel in itself isn't always the best layout though.
Unfortunately, the bogart charge controller only works with 12 volt panels. Capability wise however it is more like a high end charger you use while bench checking batteries for high end systems using voltage, current and temp to determine state of charge when hydrometer reading isn't an option. Most Solar chargers have to make assumptions on a batteries current acceptance rate based on voltage and time since readings of current at the battery aren't available to the charger.
As for series or Parallel, on an RV where it is highly likely you'll have some of your panels shaded to some extent during part of the day, parallel is my preference. If you have panels with bypass diodes, and can keep your voltage reasonable it's also a good option, and depending on the distances of your wire runs, and how much current your moving it might be preferable. When it comes to voltage, under 60vdc I don't really have any concerns but as you start getting above that in something like an RV that doesn't have a good earth ground, your risks start going up rather quickly as the voltage climbs. Should your rig become hot with AC power you'll probably feel it but find it just an annoyance. Same 120 volts or so in DC voltage is much more likely to have negative consequences.
