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Old 12-08-2017, 11:45 AM   #1
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lensun 100W panel with controller

I have been reading with great interest all the posts regarding portable panels, ports and controllers. I had the zamp port installed in my 17B without realizing that there would be an issue with the controller on the panel. I can connect directly to the batteries, negative on one and positive on the other, right? The alligator clips that come with the panel are not very "beefy" so I am thinking the connection may not be the best. I am curious - can I also bypass the controller on the panel by connecting the two wires coming from the panel to the controller directly to the wires with the plug that goes into the zamp port?
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Old 12-08-2017, 11:52 AM   #2
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Yes, I;ve done that in the past. Just make sure you have the + and - correct.
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Old 12-08-2017, 12:06 PM   #3
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Thanks Bob... that's what I was thinking but I am not exactly an electrical wizard! Another question on the zamp port. I have read that zamp wires their port with opposite polarity. I did my research and found an adapter for non-zamp panels like mine. Should correct the issue with my lensun - to be determined.

Another question - when I plug in the portable panel, how will the go power controller read? Is it the combined incoming charging amps from both the roof panel and the portable panel or just the panel or
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Old 12-08-2017, 05:31 PM   #4
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Another question - when I plug in the portable panel, how will the go power controller read? Is it the combined incoming charging amps from both the roof panel and the portable panel or just the panel or
The Go-Power solar controller has no idea what current is flowing anywhere except through it. If you connect another panel (with or without its own controller) directly to the battery - bypassing the Go Power - then the Go Power will not show the current coming from that other panel. The voltage which it shows will be the battery voltage, whatever the reason for that battery voltage.

If you want to see the charge current from multiple panels with their own connections to the battery (and presumably their own controllers), you would need to add a monitor with a current-measuring shunt, such as the Trimetric and Victron units which some owners have added to Escapes; then that monitor shows the net result of all the charging sources (solar or otherwise) and anything using power from the battery. These monitors are not available as a factory option on an Escape, although some owners have had the factory install some of the wiring for them, because that's easier before the walls are finished.
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Old 12-08-2017, 07:45 PM   #5
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Thanks Brian - that really helps me to get a handle on this! What if I bypass the controller on my panel and connect the panel via the zamp port which is connected to the go power controller - will the incoming amps reading be a combination of both the roof and portable panel?


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The Go-Power solar controller has no idea what current is flowing anywhere except through it. If you connect another panel (with or without its own controller) directly to the battery - bypassing the Go Power - then the Go Power will not show the current coming from that other panel. The voltage which it shows will be the battery voltage, whatever the reason for that battery voltage.

If you want to see the charge current from multiple panels with their own connections to the battery (and presumably their own controllers), you would need to add a monitor with a current-measuring shunt, such as the Trimetric and Victron units which some owners have added to Escapes; then that monitor shows the net result of all the charging sources (solar or otherwise) and anything using power from the battery. These monitors are not available as a factory option on an Escape, although some owners have had the factory install some of the wiring for them, because that's easier before the walls are finished.
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Old 12-08-2017, 08:04 PM   #6
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Thanks Brian - that really helps me to get a handle on this! What if I bypass the controller on my panel and connect the panel via the zamp port which is connected to the go power controller - will the incoming amps reading be a combination of both the roof and portable panel?

Yes. Be sure to check where Escape wired the Zamp connector - they have done it both ways...
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Old 12-09-2017, 12:05 AM   #7
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What if I bypass the controller on my panel and connect the panel via the zamp port which is connected to the go power controller - will the incoming amps reading be a combination of both the roof and portable panel?
Yes, since that way the roof and portable panels are connected in parallel, so their combined current goes through (and is controlled and measured by) the Go Power controller.
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Old 12-09-2017, 02:02 PM   #8
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Success

I bypassed the panel controller and it works great. Thanks all for your help! 👍
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