Forum Discussion
Harvey51
Sep 22, 2016Explorer
Congrats, RKenzel. I admire you for starting with two good sized panels. I only have one 100 watt but it is perfectly adequate for our needs in summer. I haven't plugged in for two years now. No TV, no microwave. we are fortunate in having a comfortable summer climate so no air conditioning needed.
I have a more than adequate $25 battery monitor, which always shows the % of full charge. Ebay
Mike-s, I am curious how you can tell if the batteries are fully charged with a voltmeter? It seems to me the voltage stays over 12.6 volts for many hours after a little charging so you can't know the state of charge until at least 8 hours after you want to know. With solar, it's always over 12.6 volts unless I disconnect the panels for 12 hours.
I have a more than adequate $25 battery monitor, which always shows the % of full charge. Ebay
Mike-s, I am curious how you can tell if the batteries are fully charged with a voltmeter? It seems to me the voltage stays over 12.6 volts for many hours after a little charging so you can't know the state of charge until at least 8 hours after you want to know. With solar, it's always over 12.6 volts unless I disconnect the panels for 12 hours.
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