Adding More Solar than 160 Watts

[thoer]

Jim, I think I'll just cut a piece of foam or something to use to cover the plug from the panel. It seems there are no perfect fitting for what we want to do.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by J Mac

The suitcase solar panels I've seen have a controller fastened to the back of one of the panels. It shouldn't be too hard to bypass this controller and link up with the 'in house' controller.

I've got my portable panel set up that way. If I lend it to someone that wants to connect it directly to their battery, they plug into the portable's controller. I added a connector from the input to the portable panel's controller that I run to the input of my trailer's built in controller.

As to connectors, although they are not rated for as high a current or wire size as the Anderson connector, SAE connector came with my portable panel. It only produces 10 - 12 amps under full sun, so I stuck with what came with the panel. I purchased an inlet from SolarSeller.com (item E)

[AK snowbiker]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

What is a good waterproof DC power inlet? Most of the ones I see are meant as outlets. I would not want the end of the cord from the portable solar panels to be exposed like on devices that plug in.

Jim, we went through this when we were having our 5th built. If you are getting the U lounge seating (unless the install has changed), the battery box is underneath the rear bench with the solar controller on the passenger side bench. We have the rear exterior hatch option, with the hatch open you have direct access to the solar controller. Might be a easier way to plug in a temporary panel. Scott

Scott, Lori and a dog named Fritz

Fatbikes are fun!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by thoer

Jim, I think I'll just cut a piece of foam or something to use to cover the plug from the panel. It seems there are no perfect fitting for what we want to do.

This might be a way to go. It certainly would work.

Originally Posted by Vermilye

As to connectors, although they are not rated for as high a current or wire size as the Anderson connector, SAE connector came with my portable panel. It only produces 10 - 12 amps under full sun, so I stuck with what came with the panel. I purchased an inlet from SolarSeller.com (item E)

How tough is that one, Jon. Do you think it will hold up good?

I did some searching, and the only thing I could find I really liked, I could not find for sale anywhere. 20A connectors that look quite solid. You can get male/female on either the inlet or cord end. I did email the manufacturer to see if they could provide a reseller, as the only thing I found was a 100 lot minimum order. Anyone wanna do a group buy.

YP-20 Power Connector | Cnlinko

Or a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgpbld2rYVs

[thoer]

Maybe we need to get Reace involved in picking one to be standard since more and more people are looking at this as an option?

[fudge_brownie]

Interesting discussion. I was uncertain just what the solution was that was being proposed from The Twelve Volt Shop, that link did not take me to a product, only their website. Also on the Anderson products, is the suggestion to use what is commonly called their Power Pole line? They make different sizes and connector styles.

I agree with Jim, it would be nice to have a plug in product. Who wants to stoop over and fish out the other end of the cable. I like the Minnkota socket that Eric is considering because, as I look at the picture, it appears you can only use their plug. This prevents someone from inserting an other type of cord in the outlet. Is this correct? At 8 gauge this would be adequate.

Jon's solution is certainly the most elegant, a modification I would do is quickly splice and/or convert to a heavier gauge wire for the run to the controller.

It appears there are more options than two years ago when I had to select an outlet. I found a marine charger inlet, 120 volt that has the male three prong to the outside. Still possible for someone to plug something in, but it would have to be the female end of an extension cord. Unfortunately, you cannot fix stupid when the label says SOLAR ONLY in red letters.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by thoer

John are you confident in the Anderson connection being good for repeated connection/disconnection cycles?

I just happened to set up my auxiliary solar as John David suggested.

ETI installed a wire "porthole" close to the controller. It has a large enough opening for my fingers and the Anderson connector. I picked the 50 Amp connector because it was easy to grasp and because it accepted 8 gauge wires (and maybe 6?). The connectors are silver plated and well designed for repeated connection cycles as the contacts are spring loaded. Note to prospective buyers: You will have to have some experience using a soldering iron if you purchase the 50 Amp connectors. The smaller ones - 45 Amp and on down, require a special crimp tool, about 30 $USD. There are no exposed pins so an Anderson connector can be either inlet or outlet. They are designed so they can not be hooked up with the wrong polarity. You will need to purchase two 50 Amp plugs or 4 of the 45 Amp plugs to make a connection.

As noted, when I don't need the connection, the flexible wires and the flexible "fingers" on the porthole let me push the assembly into the trailer for total weather protection. Taking a guess, perhaps this is what ETI uses for the permanent power cord. There is enough room to pass multiple wires or perhaps even a garden hose.

Anyone needing more info on Anderson Powerpole stuff is welcome to PM me.

I have attached a screen shot of the missing 12VoltShop link. Note, the same products can be purchased in US and Canada, and even on EBay.

--
Alan

[padlin]

What is the power porthole you speak of?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by padlin

What is the power porthole you speak of?

The one they use for the pull out 120V.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by padlin

What is the power porthole you speak of?

This appears to be what ETI installed:
JR Products - 541-2-A; Deluxe Round Electric Cable Hatch

--
Alan

[padlin]

Thanks

[thoer]

One of the things that attracts me to the Minnkota is that like the removable shore power receptacle it shouldn't allow any access route for mice and insects. (Now that I've been won over into the removable cord camp - well at least for now )

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by thoer

(Now that I've been won over into the removable cord camp - well at least for now )

I've had them on two trailers with removable cords and I don't recall ever saying that I wanted to go back to a shove it in the hole cord.

Ron

[thoer]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I've had them on two trailers with removable cords and I don't recall ever saying that I wanted to go back to a shove it in the hole cord.

Ron

Thanks Ron, that's what I keep hearing...

[Porsche Pilot]

If you look at the Samlex website, they have "solar panel branch connectors" that you can use them to hook up their portable panels to the 30 Amp controller even with the 150w fixed option ETI uses. Keep in mind that Escape no longer uses Samlex solar panels for their trailers, they have gone back to GoPower for some reason.

[Vermilye]

One interesting problem that has happened with my added on Solar Blvd 160 watt panel.

I don't quite understand what is going on:

Overnight, running the furnace & doing a bit of reading, I was down by 30 amp hours (via the TriMetric 2025 battery monitor). At 9:00AM, the roof top panels (a 95 watt GoPower & a paralleled 100 Watt matched voltage panel) produce 2 amps of charging current (very low angle winter sun). I plug in the portable 160 watt Solar Blvd panel (a higher voltage panel) into the input of the GoPower controller & the charging current jumps to 10 amps @ 14.6 - 14.7 volts. Everything goes as expected until the GoPower controller decided the battery is full & switched to the float mode (13.6 volts).

At that point the charging current drops to 0 amps or even negative (pulling current out of the batteries) even though there is 355 watts of solar panels connected and the batteries are still down by 10 amp hours according to the TriMetric.

What is even stranger is that if I unplug the portable panel, the GoPower controller jumps the current back to 2-3 amps of charging current, and if I add an additional load such as my computer, it jumps up to 5-6 amps. Plug the portable panel back in & the current out of the GoPower controller drops back to 0.

It seems to be a new development - in the past I've been able to leave the portable panel connected all day; now I have to unplug it when the GoPower controller decides the batteries are full.

Any thoughts?

[padlin]

The manual for the GoPower makes it look like 14.8 is the equalization voltage, and it stays there for 2 hours. Might the higher voltage from the portable be convincing the GoPower it is equalizing and going to float after the 2 hour timeout?

What's the Gopower say the SOC is when the Bogart says -10A?

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by padlin

The manual for the GoPower makes it look like 14.8 is the equalization voltage, and it stays there for 2 hours. ...

Note that the manual also says that equalization only happens once every 28 days.

Vermilye - Did you bypass the controller on the folding panel? Also, I am making an assumption that the open circuit voltage is around 22 v, similar to other 160 watt panels I see with Google. With a light load from a mostly charged battery the panel will produce close to the open circuit voltage. (Remember, the upper limit for input voltage on GoPower is specified at 28 v., but 22 v shouldn't be a problem.)

--
Alan

[padlin]

I'm not saying the controller is initiating an equalize, it sees the high voltage and registers that one is underway starting the 2 hr counter.

[Vermilye]

...What's the Gopower say the SOC is when the Bogart says -10A?...

The GoPower says the batteries are at 100%.

...Vermilye - Did you bypass the controller on the folding panel?...

Yes. I have it set up so I can connect before or after the portable controller.

...Also, I am making an assumption that the open circuit voltage is around 22 v, similar to other 160 watt panels I see with Google. With a light load from a mostly charged battery the panel will produce close to the open circuit voltage. (Remember, the upper limit for input voltage on GoPower is specified at 28 v., but 22 v shouldn't be a problem.)...

Open circuit on the GoPower 95 watt panel is 20.6V, Vmp 17.2. The paralleled 100 watt Windy Nation panel has Vop of 21.6 & Vmp of 17.4. The portable panel has a Voc of 22.1 & a Vmp of 18.0.