We are hoping to purchase another panel to fit to our system.  Is there anyone on the forum who  knows anything about solar?

Hi Wendy and welcome to the forum, what is it that you wish to know about adding to solar!! usually adding another panel is a simple affair, they are plug and play compliant providing your system is up to the extra input. what have you got now and what do you want to do!!

Goodness that was quick!  Thanks Dave and hello from Wendy and Ray
I have never used a forum before so please excuse if I repeat stuff I shouldn't
We have a Sunsaver Duo Solar controller SSD-25     CTEK Multi SX15000  and a Mototmate Smart Battery charger

At present we have 2 x 100 amp batteries 

There are 2 x 64watt Unisolars on roof

no worries Wendy, I'm at work so the puteys running and it is a pleasant foray away from the paper work however I dont think you would have a problem placing another panel on to the Sunsaver Duo Solar controller SSD-25 control system, I have had a look at the data for this model and, to me, it should be a simple matter of mounting the panel, running the wires (follow the ones that are currently in position) and wiring it straight in to the centre socket where the other two are presently, the switch controller will automatically charge both batteries as usual, except now you have more power available, or should I say the recovery of the battery's will be faster due to more input I dont understand why you have two types of "240v powered" battery chargers, the ctek multi and the motomate, only one should be necessary it may also be prudent to upgrade your battery's to a higher capacity and think about having two in house batteries that could be totally "stand alone"

We have been living off batteries for the last 10 days and it is finally time to go into a park to recharge. The last couple of nights the water pump has been gradually getting louder and seems to be struggling, I'm hoping it is because the batteries are getting a little low. Everything else is fine.
We have 2 100AH house batteries and 2 80W panels fitted.
I know this doesn't answer your question but thought it might be useful info

all information is usefull Gary, what you are doing is of great interest to us and how you are coping with the extreme pressure of travelling is of interest to us as well what must be remembered (on a more serious side) and I dont want to bog you down with a lot of info so I'll keep it simple, the stated output of any solar panel can only be relied on to produce a peak of no more than 90% (at best) of stated output, and that is in full sun at midday in the desert on a cloudless day, it will produce only fractions of that ammount over differing parts of the day an 80 watt panel may produce 35 watts varying up till lunch and then peak at 70 watts and then decline to it's 35 watt after lunch, given its relation to the sun, this also relies on the strength of the sun as well as so called "solar hours" which vary state to state and season to season as well as cleanliness of the panels themselves a good metering device should be installed to just see what your panels are doing at any given time and then an average reading should be taken to calculate your "true" input in relation to power arriving at the batterys over a given time span, of say a week, only then can you definitively state that my panels give me x ammount of energy and calculate your usage after that

Davo,  how do you monito the panels,  (not very bright when it comes to these things)   m,any thanks gitsho

its a simple matter of a little power moniter placed in the system, just a simple volt or amp metre I recommend two, one before the batterys (actual output of the panel/panels) and one monitering the batteries performance (source output) these little meters are readily available through any vehicle parts sales outlet, repco, autobarn, supercheap auto, ebay and they are inexpensive they can be placed anywhere in the wires as they are a "flow through" meter in other words they dont interfere with the current flow and it goes straight through, simple red/black wiring solar panels and batteries are a simple, inexpensive and very effective way of powering our lifestyle, people have a very silly way of over complicating the explanations of these systems, why I dont know, trying to big note themselves I guess, me I try to keep my explanations very simple and understandable to everyone you see I have a hidden agenda as well, I LIKE HELPING PEOPLE bright, not bright who gives a rats backside, what I dont know you probably do and what we dont know somebody else does, put us all together and we know everything, now dont tell me you are not bright, you are part of a whole

gitsho wrote:

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Davo,  how do you monito the panels,  (not very bright when it comes to these things)   m,any thanks gitsho

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Hi Allan.
I use a Pro-star 30 monitor that tells me:-

1 How many volts in batteries
2 How many amps going into batteries from panels.
3 How many amps being used.

If you go onto my website 1st page 8th photo you will see the monitor I use, hope this can help.
Cheers Frank.

 

that is of course the correct but expensive option frank, a pair of $5 meters does the same!!! mine has never let me down