โAug-08-2018 12:49 PM
โAug-15-2018 10:53 AM
pianotuna wrote:
two words
Voltage Drop
โAug-14-2018 12:10 PM
LipschitzWrath wrote:
Kinda getting off-topic but I never understood this. Even at 12V, 400W = 33A. 10AWG is capable of that, and 8AWG, like I have, is rated to 40A. In reality, panel voltages are higher, which translates to less current, which only improves this.
I guess what I am driving at is I don't understand why people are running 4AWG cable to their panels when they have a 400W array.
Are they just doing it to minimze resistance?
โAug-14-2018 11:38 AM
LipschitzWrath wrote:BFL13 wrote:
You want the 500a shunt not the 100a so when you get the 2000w inverter that is coming next ๐ you can pull over a 100a and have no issues.
Some places sell the Tri with everything, and some sell the items separately. If you use the 500a shunt as your buss/junction, be aware the bolts in the shunt are quite short and can only hold a few ring lugs stacked at a time, so you might still want the buss/junction to have more places to put ring lugs.
The solar controller that goes with the Tri has a shunt too ISTR and it gets convoluted for sharing shunts and all that. Was a thread about this recently. You are probably ok with the controller you have.
#8 to the roof should be fine, but you will be able to tell once you are out in the sun and check the controller's display for "expected amps"
Why on earth does the SC-2030 need a shunt? If connected to the TM-2030, why can't that information be shared? Seems stupid to have two shunts.
โAug-14-2018 11:34 AM
BFL13 wrote:
You want the 500a shunt not the 100a so when you get the 2000w inverter that is coming next ๐ you can pull over a 100a and have no issues.
Some places sell the Tri with everything, and some sell the items separately. If you use the 500a shunt as your buss/junction, be aware the bolts in the shunt are quite short and can only hold a few ring lugs stacked at a time, so you might still want the buss/junction to have more places to put ring lugs.
The solar controller that goes with the Tri has a shunt too ISTR and it gets convoluted for sharing shunts and all that. Was a thread about this recently. You are probably ok with the controller you have.
#8 to the roof should be fine, but you will be able to tell once you are out in the sun and check the controller's display for "expected amps"
โAug-14-2018 11:15 AM
โAug-14-2018 10:54 AM
Almot wrote:
Somehow I missed this:The good news is the solar kit I bought is easily scalable to 400 watts without any other modifications
Yes, if you route the cable from panels to controller beefy enough for 400W. Especially with PWM controllers.
โAug-14-2018 10:51 AM
The good news is the solar kit I bought is easily scalable to 400 watts without any other modifications
โAug-14-2018 10:45 AM
Almot wrote:
They are very legit and a popular place to go, if you ask anybody on this forum. Voicemail can be full, yes. Availability of panels in solar stores can be a problem these days, due to tariffs.
โAug-14-2018 10:25 AM
LipschitzWrath wrote:
Except that place {Solar Blvd} is not legit at all.
With 400W on tap and our camping lifestyle, we'd probably never have to run the generators except when we want to use 110V appliances (mainly the blender) or the AC.
A Trimetric {battery monitor} is certainly on the list
โAug-14-2018 09:54 AM
BFL13 wrote:
The controller should go where the converter is if possible, up near the batteries. Controller to battery and converter to battery in parallel to the same battery posts. Or you can run the controller wires over to the converter's output terminals, which then share the wires going to the battery.
You don't need to see the controller display from inside unless you are "easily entertained", and you can get some of that solar info from your Trimetric display inside anyway.
If you get a battery monitor like Trimetric with the 500a shunt, now all your negs go to that instead of to the battery including the solar's and converter's, and the previous frame to battery neg wire.
This can affect the length of the various neg wires and how you do your neg buss bar if any. So make the decision to go with a Trimetric (or Victron) before you get too far along.
โAug-13-2018 11:17 AM
pianotuna wrote:
BFL13,
The OEM converter for my RV is at least 15 feet from the battery bank. So my controller is no where near the converter. I ended up with a run of about 4 feet to the bank.
โAug-13-2018 10:58 AM
โAug-13-2018 10:49 AM
โAug-13-2018 09:48 AM
โAug-10-2018 01:12 PM
allen8106 wrote:
I've actually done an energy audit of my 5ver using a battery monitor and my refrigerator pulls .5 amps, radio in the off condition pulls .2 amps, LP Detector is so small it read zero.