Some time down the line i will be fitting solar panels to the pop top of my van Ive been looking for a sytstem that will manage the split charge and the solar charge to keep both batterys topped up but always leave me with a charged main battery so i can start the engine and drive off I would also like the option to add a small 12 volt wind turbine at a later date Now ive come across this controller which seems to tick all the right boxes However id be interested if anyone knows a cheaper way of doing it? http://www.amperorassociates.co.uk/r-power-resources/z-reference-Power_PI_battery_charger_MPPT.html
After reading through all the info there it seems this is a very clever bit of kit and may well just be worth the money It actually matches the charge to the batterys to optimise the output from the panels
Para, I've been advised not to fit the panels to the roof. Apparently they are more efficient as a free standing set up which can be angled correctly towards the sun. Maybe this doesn't count in the UK but it certainly does down here.
Yeah theres an optimum angle and placement for them dude However you would have to carry them,then set them up and hope someone doesent put the awning in front of them Theres a chance they could get stolen or some fool may reverse over them If there on the roof of the bus then there out of the way and will charge more than them packed away in protective cases inside the bus waiting to be set up
I have one of these on mine and have been very pleased The more you pay for the controller the better it will be but the one in this kit works well enough it even charges the battery if its in the garage with the lights on. I worked on that all through its not at the best angle it is there charging as soon as the suns up and i am less likely to break it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/80W-12V-M...61069672338?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item3cc8f70f92 On the van
So would you say that this kit would be ok not to be permanently fixed to the van? My plan is to get a kit that I can sit in the front window and connect up when I'm parked or the van is sitting in the driveway. Does this one need a permanent wiring to the leisure battery or could I wire it up and just leave the ends tucked somewhere by the dash and then connect it when needed? I've seen quite a few of the 'briefcase' style panels but they are so low watts that I think I'd power the leisure battery more by breathing on it!
If/when fitted to a roof you should ensure there is an air gap between panel and roof as solar panels don't work well when over hot.
In the uk the optimum angle in summer is 60 degrees, facing south-east to south-west. A westy roof might be optimum, but you'd find it difficult to get the right orientation on a camp site so horizontal would be an easy compromise, particularly as I have a devon anyway. I was considering the thin flexy panels, but I didn't know that bit about not letting them get too hot, how hot could they get on a thin fibre glass roof, would the thin flexy ones not get as hot as the thicker ones anyway? The unit in the first post looks good if it does all that it says, it looks like it does some if the similar things that the stirling power battery to battery charger that mikedjames mentioned, but also has input for solar/wind and is a good price for what it is, particularly with the remote display.
Not sure about the flexi ones they're stuck to surfaces (I think). The UK is better for solar than most hot/sunny counties due to are post ion on the globe, something to do with angle of earth. I have one of maplins power stations and move it as the day goes on but I wouldn't recommend it as you can get far better to less or not much more.
I have a tiny one that keeps up with the stereo memory but that's it. It plugs into a fag lighter socket.
Sounds like a decent piece of kit. After emailing the manufacturers of my solar panel controller and getting confirmation of compatibility, I intend to make a split charger system to run in conjunction with my solar panel. One minor point i picked up on in this items literature was: After being installed, the power integrator uses the ignition ON / OFF signal to trigger the switch between the battery-to-battery charger mode, and the solar panel MPPT charging controller mode. Does this mean that if the Leisure battery has run low due to bad weather/wrong angle/act of god, when you turn the ignition on your nicely charged engine battery dumps it's load into the flat leisure battery making starting difficult? If the switch feed came off the alternator warning lamp circuit it wouldn't switch over until the engine was running. Does that make any sense or am I barking up the wrong tree?
I dont think they really meant that, the circuit diagram shows a connection the dash light connection on the alternator so I guess they use that, they'd need to come off the coil to do what they said literally.
Yeah, I was thinking more along the idea of being able to trickle charge the leisure battery when I'm on site somewhere to cope with stereo and the odd phone charge. For example at Glasto I had to run the van each morning for 30 minutes to get things working, if a solar panel can recharge during the day while I'm away from the van so much the better...
Them little dashboard trickle ones aren't worth it, l have a 15 watt panel in front window, its part of a bigger set up which comes out when camped.
I've been looking at a 10W one...So, what 15W one do you have, how easy is it to store, how do you connect it and ultimately, how much charge do you get from it?
You need at least 40w to stand a chance in this country the ratings are max level the main driving force to fitting one is i have a compressed fridge with the panel and a 100ah battery i have gone 5days with ease I fixed my to the roof for the following reasons No problem storing it Less likely to brake it Although not the best angle its working from sun up to sun down i have it connected to the leisure battery if you want it to charge both battery's i would use a controller built for this or put a diode in line to stop the battery's draining each outher The one i have has a frame round it that allows for a 1" air gap .
That's interesting, I'm looking at a compressor fridge which is also another reason for looking at a solar panel. My idea to put it in the front window is that I'd just put it in the window at all times while we are stopped so should give good all day coverage, my only concern is - as you say - the worry of it getting broken when I take it down.
I brought one of these a few years back on the way to the France . http://mobile.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=223250 I have I wired into a oxide 115ah that is just small enough to fit under a T5 drivers seat. I have one of the panels on the dash as a trickle. As I've said above I don't recommend these maplin kits as you can get better for same or less money. Edit I've broken one of my panels, the bike fell over a crack it so now down to 3 15watt panels. Its the risk of breaking them is why I want to up grade to a roof mounted 80 + watt panel and keep the others for extra power like winter camping.
