OK I'm working on my solar parts list for my Arctic Fox 25y. So far this is what I have:Renology 100 W panel polycrystalline X 4Trojan T105 6V Battery X 2Blue Sea Systems 300 Amp m-Series Battery Switches Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 SolarRENOGY 5 Pair MC4Signstek MC3 MC4 Solar Crimping ToolBattery temp?I've already bought the 6V batteries and have them temporarily installed while I'm waiting for the battery boxes to get here.I plan to install the 4 100W panels and I also have one of those suitcase portable 100 panels (actually 2 50W I think) that I'd like to add. I checked the output of that panel and it was 11.5 at 5 PM so I assume it is 12V in full sun. Since the panels are different types and the roof will probably get varying amounts of shade I assume series is not a good idea.I thought about a Morningstar controller but the Victron will handle 100V and I'll probably be paralleling 5 panels. There are some comments that seem to say that you need 2 Morningstars so there would be any cost saving and the Victron is MPPT.Oddly the Victron 30a and the 50a are the same price on Amazon right now.What else am I going to need, a battery temp probe? The Victron uses a app to connect to Android phone I think so I won't need a remote monitor?

Your portable should have put out way more than 11.5 volts unless it was totally in a real dark shady area.My 12v 100 watt panels are still registering 18v at dusk.

“so I assume it is 12V in full sun.” It isn’t and it shouldn’t be 12 volts. If it was a 12 volt panel it wouldn’t push anything into the batteries. Panels should produce 17 volts+.What did your energy survey times 1.5 indicate was needed?Am not confident you know much about RV solar.

if ya parallel the panels ya don't need the high voltage controller!!!in parallel the the amps are additive the voltage stays the same, due to summer heat locally, I'd do series pairs.

red31 wrote:if ya parallel the panels ya don't need the high voltage controller!!!in parallel the the amps are additive the voltage stays the same, due to summer heat locally, I'd do series pairs.Oh yeah so maybe 50a would not be enough. I didn't think I could do series/parallel with different panel types in the system.

your 4 x 5A panels in parallel is only 20A, that is not near 50A4 in series that's 5A @ 70v! 2 pairs of 2 is 36v @ 5A each pair or 36v @ 10A combined.hook the portable directly to the battery as designed, when needed.

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Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Oct 18, 2018
Your portable should have put out way more than 11.5 volts unless it was totally in a real dark shady area.
My 12v 100 watt panels are still registering 18v at dusk.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Oct 18, 2018
“so I assume it is 12V in full sun.” It isn’t and it shouldn’t be 12 volts. If it was a 12 volt panel it wouldn’t push anything into the batteries. Panels should produce 17 volts+.

What did your energy survey times 1.5 indicate was needed?

Am not confident you know much about RV solar.
red31
Explorer
Oct 18, 2018
if ya parallel the panels ya don't need the high voltage controller!!!

in parallel the the amps are additive the voltage stays the same, due to summer heat locally, I'd do series pairs.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2018
red31 wrote:
if ya parallel the panels ya don't need the high voltage controller!!!

in parallel the the amps are additive the voltage stays the same, due to summer heat locally, I'd do series pairs.

Oh yeah so maybe 50a would not be enough. I didn't think I could do series/parallel with different panel types in the system.
red31
Explorer
Oct 19, 2018
your 4 x 5A panels in parallel is only 20A, that is not near 50A
4 in series that's 5A @ 70v! 2 pairs of 2 is 36v @ 5A each pair or 36v @ 10A combined.

hook the portable directly to the battery as designed, when needed.
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2018
^ That portable is not going to do much at 11.5 volts.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2018
Boon Docker wrote:
^ That portable is not going to do much at 11.5 volts.

The sun was heading down I'll check it in the afternoon tomorrow.
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2018
agesilaus wrote:
Boon Docker wrote:
^ That portable is not going to do much at 11.5 volts.

The sun was heading down I'll check it in the afternoon tomorrow.

Good idea, you don't want a defective panel hindering the rest of the system.
It looks like the temp compensation is internal on that controller, so no need for a battery temp probe.
Spridle
Explorer
Oct 19, 2018
Here is some stuff I used:

Bogart Engineering
Trimetric TM-2030-RV Battery Voltage Monitor & Solar Charger Kit

Breaker box to control input and output of the solar controller

DC breakers for the input and output. I used a 20 from the panels and a 30 to the batteries.

Renogy MC4 Y Branch Connectors

I fused the panels on the roof

Came thru the roof into a cabinet.

Battery fuse block

Fuses for batteries

Good luck
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Oct 19, 2018
These circuit breakers are excellent for isolating the panels from the controller. You can put one inline just before the input to controller.

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