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Post Info TOPIC: connecting an extra solar panel to deep cycle battery
goldenyears


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Hi all I have a question for a mate of mine ...

He has a jayco motorhome with a 150 watt solar panel on the roof running through his dc dc then connected to  his 135A battery .

He also wants to connect his portable solar battery to same battery when stopped .... His other panel etc has a regulator etc and he would connect it then  to the terminals .

 

will it be ok to do this ?     I told him that he should put a fuse between the battery and regulator .

His second solar panel would just be connected with alligator clips and only used when stopped .

I couldn't give him a definite answer ....    maybe someone can help ?

Think he has visions of his battery blowing up  !!!!



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goldenyears


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Having read a few responses from this forum seems would be better to run the extra panel if possible to the original regulator ! rather than have 2 .

yes his other panel runs through solar connection on the redarc .



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Peter_n_Margaret


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Need a lot more information to give a useful answer...
And I don't understand this "a 150 watt solar panel on the roof running through his dc dc".

Cheers,
Peter

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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
dragonfly1


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The portable solar probably has its own regulator so you could connect straight to the battery or else by pass the regulator and connect to your solar controller 

Dragonfly1 



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C Geyer
goldenyears


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Hi peter .. yes he has panel on the roof running through his  REDARC 25A DC/DC BATTERY CHARGER AND SOLAR REGULATOR . ALL PART OF THE ONE UNIT .



-- Edited by goldenyears on Sunday 22nd of July 2018 11:07:37 AM

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goldenyears


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The next generation in DC to DC charging technology,The REDARC BCDC1225D In-vehicle Battery Charger feature new and exciting features over previous models that make it one of the most advanced dual battery chargers currently on the market. Designed to keep your auxiliary battery charged whilst driving or with portable solar panels when youre parked, the system charges your auxiliary battery to their optimum levels, using multi-stage DC DC charging.



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Peter_n_Margaret


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What are the specifications of the 2 panels? If they have similar voltage there will be an advantage to using the RedArc for both. If they are different, you may need to use 2 regulators, but for best results the charge configurations should be similar and the closer to the battery they both are, the better.
I am not a fan of portable panels with controllers attached because of the voltage drop between the controller and the battery.
All connections to the battery should be fused close to the battery.

Cheers,
Peter

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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
goldenyears


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yes peter both his panels are 150 watt I think ..

He was hoping that he didn't have to join with his dc charger and just clip on the terminals for easier access and convenience when stopped ...

Down side of having one on the roof when looking for a bit of shade not as effective .. so he wants to use his portable that has a long cable whilst parked in the shade .. makes sense I guess.



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Peter_n_Margaret


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goldenyears wrote:

yes peter both his panels are 150 watt I think ..

 Wattage is unimportant in this question - it is voltage that is important.

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
Aus-Kiwi


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Another parallel wire to batteryor reg . Existing wire is possibly too small for both solar . I often connect portable solar up to Anderson plugs on rear of RV .

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goldenyears


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peter you seem to have all the answers !  150 watt panel .. I suppose 15volts   ... does that help?  I make no claim to be savvy in this subject ? on here for a bit of help mate !



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Kebbin


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There will be a sticker on the back of the solar panel with all the details , no need to guess.

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goldenyears


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Thanks kebbin .    his panel is an ultralight panel .........  there are 3 panels that are equal to one main stream one thickness  very very slim .. and no sticker on panel .

 

He has a panel from kick ass solar  ...  payed big bucks for something that's weighs about 8kg ...  and takes up less space than a normal panel ..

I don't know what your  average 150 watt panel puts out in volts ?  just looked on the net says 15... 17 volts ?



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Peter_n_Margaret


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don't know what your average 150 watt panel puts out in volts ? just looked on the net says 15... 17 volts ?

They could be anything from 15 to over 20V.

You need to read it from the specs on the back of both panels. Waste of time guessing.

 

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
goldenyears


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voltage 19.2    

max current 7.5 A

 

I got the details from solar website as no stickers on these panels or regulator ... he had the book but cant find it ... 

 

https://www.australiandirect.com.au/Solar-Panels/Ultralight-Solar-Panels



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Jaahn


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Hi smile

There are several options of panels to choose from on that site ???? 

Just to state that no large solar panel should be connected direct to a battery. It must be connected through a regulator/controller/charger of some sort, to prevent the battery being overcharged and stuffed. Putting it bluntly disbelief  

Something else to consider when connecting these lightweight panels in parallel with another panel, is they can have a short life due to their poor ability to withstand unbalanced voltages from the other panel and may burn out. I have no direct experience here but you can fit a diode in the wiring to prevent this if one is not already fitted. It would be a disaster to pay lots of money for an overpriced panel and blow it up.hmm

Jaahn 

PS don't you love this BS on these bargain sites;   $498.00    RRP $1,123.20   SAVE 56%!

I save another 70% buying a 150W ordinary panel somewhere else !! Bit blunt again no



-- Edited by Jaahn on Sunday 22nd of July 2018 05:58:10 PM

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Peter_n_Margaret


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Need that information for BOTH panels to see how good a match they are.
Cheers,
Peter

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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
goldenyears


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Yes panels can be a bit pricey ... he has the ultralight 150 watt  not sure I would pay that much ... but these particular panels suit the needs of people with limited space without lugging around 14kg panels ... few people I know have these panels and swear by them ! very well made not like most of the rubbish on ebay . very strong canvas .

 

Yes well aware that a regulator needs to be used .

Thanks for that jaan

 



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goldenyears


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UPDATE ON CONNECTING A PORTABLE PANEL DIRECT TO BATTERY WITH REGULATOR ... COMBINED WITH ONE ON THE ROOF .. no problems here no effect on the redarc management system,,  bottomline is as long as it has a regulator can never overcharge battery no matter what the setup . instead of 200 watt now 350..



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