hi ive been having lots of solar problems with my system and i want someone that knows what they are doing to check it out in Darwin , Palmerston to be precis if any one has someone that I could contact I would be very thankful
Guess its a 12v system. I enjoy electronics as a hobby.
Sounds like you have an intermittent system. Keep in mind if you have this it can increase resistance to the flow of electrons...and this generates heat at that point. This can cause a fire. All good systems should be correctly fused or safety overload switched...check fuses. Any short in an proper operating system should blow a fuse. You can get large current fuses.
Perhaps your regulators are overloaded. Some shut down if this is the case.
Hey...The first thing I would do is disconnect the batteries from the circuit but don't let the leads touch anything. Check the voltage coming into the regulator from the solar panels. If no good, disconnect the solar panels from the regulators. Check voltage again. If still no good from the solar panels (should be around 18v for a 12v system) that's your problem. If Ok reconnect the solar system to the regulators. Check the output side of the regulators. Should be around 12v to 15v if Ok.
You need to check the Amps here on the output of the regulator if you know how. This needs a current meter. If this is down you will get batteries not charged to capacities.
Battery cells do short out also. If you have around 10 volts one cell is dead. Check battery voltage when disconnected. Remember no sparks near the batteries as the gas is explosive.
Make sure its daytime and sunshine with or without cloud when checking with a voltmeter.
Solar systems are relatively simple. I have made a 12 amp and 50 amp regulators. Both work well on a weekender. Most regulators dissipate excess power as heat that's why they have large heat exchange fins, but heat is electronic parts worst enemy. My regulators dissipate excess power as light so no heat issues.
Another tip not related to the fault above. Batteries always sulfate up. This kills batteries more than anything else. That is sulfate coming from the battery solution coating the lead plates with a white substance. You can see it if you look into the cells at night with a small torch. You can even see a white substance with a new battery. You can buy desufators that simply just clip onto the battery and draws around 50mA. But the bought ones turn off at around 12.6 volts and are filled with expoxy and cannot be repaired. I make my own and are sold by word of mouth. You will never see any desulfator sold at a battery re-seller....wonder why ? The ones I use, use a mosfet that sends pulses into the battery disrupting Ions and returns the sulfates on the lead plates back to solution. Its not new technology, its been around for years. Colin VK5HT.
