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  1. #1
    Fireside Member
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    My Solar and Solar Stats...

    I recently installed solar on the roof of my 303. I installed 3-160 Solarland Mono Panels with tilting brackets. I then went with individual MC4 cables thru the roof, into a breaker box into 3 12A breakers for each panel. Then thru a 50A breaker to a Morning Star MPPT 40A controller. From there back to the breaker box and thru a 60A breaker and to the batteries with #6 welding cable.

    I purchased all this from Ariz Wind & Sun and they supplied the technical info for this install.

    I also have 4 250A AGM 6v batteries tied to a Magnum 2000w inverter/charger with all the proper fuses, disconects, cables and all.

    So I have my camper parked on my hunting lease where it will be for the next couple of months of boondocking. On a normal day I use the batteries down to 75% or so, somewhere from 80A to 120A if I use the microwave much.

    My problem or question is, with the 480 w of panels I'm only getting 15 to 22 A of charging, mostly around 15A. And with the inverter on (4 A or so) and the TV/Sat on (another 4A), I'm only getting 7 to 10A of charging. Does this sound right?? I had thought I would be getting 35A total or so. I dont get good sun intill 11:00 but it is good for the rest of the day.

    Any ideas or thoughts?? What should I expect with 480 watts of solar??

    Thanks

  2. #2
    King Pin
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    For comparison purposes, when my three 12v flooded batteries are depleted to 60% my 300 watt system will provide 17 amps to the batteries through the mppt controller.

    As the batteries recover, the current flow will drop significantly.

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper
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    There's a lot of variables, but sounds about right. I started with 3 255 watt panels. The most output I saw it of those was 625 watts on my Magnum charge controller. With a static mount, you won't be able to maximize the output, but those are the compromises we make when we put panels on our rv's.

    Sounds like your output is about right. Try turning your inverter off when you don't need AC power.

    Sent from a trailer.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dagwood_55 View Post
    I recently installed solar on the roof of my 303. I installed 3-160 Solarland Mono Panels with tilting brackets. I then went with individual MC4 cables thru the roof, into a breaker box into 3 12A breakers for each panel. Then thru a 50A breaker to a Morning Star MPPT 40A controller. From there back to the breaker box and thru a 60A breaker and to the batteries with #6 welding cable.

    I purchased all this from Ariz Wind & Sun and they supplied the technical info for this install.

    I also have 4 250A AGM 6v batteries tied to a Magnum 2000w inverter/charger with all the proper fuses, disconects, cables and all.

    So I have my camper parked on my hunting lease where it will be for the next couple of months of boondocking. On a normal day I use the batteries down to 75% or so, somewhere from 80A to 120A if I use the microwave much.

    My problem or question is, with the 480 w of panels I'm only getting 15 to 22 A of charging, mostly around 15A. And with the inverter on (4 A or so) and the TV/Sat on (another 4A), I'm only getting 7 to 10A of charging. Does this sound right?? I had thought I would be getting 35A total or so. I dont get good sun intill 11:00 but it is good for the rest of the day.

    Any ideas or thoughts?? What should I expect with 480 watts of solar??

    Thanks
    Solar panels are rated when they are facing directly to the Sun.
    So if they are laying flat or not perfectly angled towards the Sun, then only time you would see high amperage charging would be during the Summer when the Sun is directly above if you are in the Southern states! to get the full power of the panels you would need a sun tracker.
    If you run the genny for a few hours around noon then let the panels top them off... until you face the panels you do not have enough panels to run equipment and charge at the same time!
    Your system is TOP NOTCH!!
    I know some, have got their panels on frames they can sit on the ground so they can angle it towards the Sun. 2 panels perfectly angled to the Sun will out perform 3 and 4 panels laying flat on a roof.
    With your setup even perfectly angled at the Sun at 1 pm you would only get 35 amps for about an hour, and as the Sun moves across the sky the panels will drop in power output. then since you are gonna be there for 2 months the Sun gets lower in the Horizon which will affect the power output again, you will need to re-angle the panels!

    I have a 43' 5th wheel permanently on my 4 Acres in Southern Oregon... when we spend a few weeks at a time up there, we pull the same amount of power out of the batteries(if not more), to re-coup the power and be able to have stuff on during the day, I have 12 120 watt solar powers. Panels are permanent mount angled for the Fall and Spring, so at 1 pm I am putting out 110 amps of power, but by 3 pm it falls to 70 amps, by 4 pm 30 amps then it is downhill from there FAST.

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the replies. I do have tilting brackets on them, which will help more as the shorter days get here. And I do turn the inverter off when I leave camp for a while.

    But with max sun, at high noon, the most amps I've ever gotton is 22. Other times on either side of "max sun", I usuall get 15 amps. I guess I was expecting more form 480 wats on a sunny day.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dagwood_55 View Post
    Thanks for the replies. I do have tilting brackets on them, which will help more as the shorter days get here. And I do turn the inverter off when I leave camp for a while.

    But with max sun, at high noon, the most amps I've ever gotton is 22. Other times on either side of "max sun", I usuall get 15 amps. I guess I was expecting more form 480 wats on a sunny day.
    It can be discouraging to see power output of solar panels.

    Here is a chart of the power output of my panel setup... it starts at Midnight, each block is an hour... you can see between 1400 hours and 1500 hours is the peak for the day.actual peak for the day is 1438 hours.
    I would say again unless the panels are perfectly facing the Sun you will never see the highest amperage of the panels. and being in a locked position you will only see that for about 30 to 45 minutes.
    The 2 drops in power is when a cloud moves across the panels, and darker the cloud the more it drops!

    Now if I had a Sun tracker, I could get that power all day. But those are heavy and hard to be dragging around... but if you have a permanent hunting spot maybe you can put one up, then just attach the panels to it as you come and go.
    Sun tracker is cheaper than buying A LOT of panels to get the same power. I found this out the hard way!!!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Screen Shot 2017-10-04 at 11.09.06 AM.jpg  

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor jbailey's Avatar
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    I have 4 165 W Everbright Solar panels in series routed through a 50 amp breaker to a 50amp MPPT control. I am only seeing about a max of 36 Amps at peak charging for daily cycle. You can also see that due to the flat mounting of the panels I have very steep ramp up and declines in production.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    You can also see that I have gotten a max of 483 Watts out of my panels.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Edit: uploaded last 30 days of solar production instead of 7 and added Watts production graph.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Solar Production.jpg   Solar Production.jpg  
    Ben & Camille
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  8. #8
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    I still think I've got something not quite right. jbailey, your output per panel is 9a at peak, or 36a total. Mine is only 6a per panel at peak for 18a total today at high noon on a clear day.

  9. #9
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    You could disconnect one panel at a time and see if the amperage goes down as you disconnect, maybe one of your breakers are tripped?

    Post some pics of your setup

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by N6ZCM1 View Post
    You could disconnect one panel at a time and see if the amperage goes down as you disconnect, maybe one of your breakers are tripped?

    Post some pics of your setup
    Have to get pics later as my camper is on my lease land.
    Cut off/on each panel breaker and they're all consistent or equal with each other.

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