Hi HiAceHome.

RedArk make a very reliable second battery solenoid, not that cheap but very reliable. RedArk also no make Solar equipment so a dealer may be able to recommend a suitable regulator as well. having 2 different types of batterys may cause some problem with charging but some expert on here will definatly cover that.

HiAceHome wrote:

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Sorry I posted this in the wrong section. I'll try again.....

I am currently setting up my 1998 HiAce. I have 2x 80w solar panels and a 130ampH battery as well as the normal start battery. They are connected via a switch that I turn on when I drive and try to remember to turn off when I stop. To get it started I bought the cheapest regulator not realizing a more expensive one could make a big difference. Needless to say I run out of power.

Ok, so I've gone a bit oversize on the fridge (106 EvaKool) but I'd like to keep it and upgrade the power system. I understand I might have to add another solar panel but what regulator would you recommend? I'd like something with a digital display so I can see the current state and input/usage but want to keep it as simple as possible. Many say they are "programable" but just what might I have to program? I just want it to work.

Also, can anyone recommend an auto switch so that I don't have to remember to turn the battery switch.

 

 

TIA

Leanne

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 Hi there HiAceHome.

I'll try and keep this simple.

First you need to know how much daily power you need.

We first write down 1.5Amps for the fridge power times operating time of 24hrs equals 36Amps per day. An electric fridge cycles on/of depending on temperature (60% off/40% on) that's why a low current figure. (the rear of your fridge may operating current shown)

So we see we need 36Amps per day. (I add 10% to this figure for cable loses ) Lets call it 40Amps.

To work out the capacity of the battery needed multiply the daily power usage by the number of days you want to go without power and divide by 0.8....so

40Ah * 2 days / 0.8 = 100Ah of bat power  power. (the battery capacity is 20% greater than needed as even deep cycle batteries wont last long if fully discharged)

Solar Panels should be sized larger than needed as the sun don't shine all day)

Convert the 40Ah to Watts hour by multiplying by 12V which gives 480Wh. Lets say we have 8 hours of sun so MINIMUM size of panels is 480Wh/8h = 60W Add another 50% for fixed panels or shade giving us 90W.

Solar panels CANNOT be connected directly to batteries as the output is way too high. Use a solar regulator that uses Maximum Point Power Tracking (MPPT) technology and it has in-built multistage battery charging. It should be also placed close to the battery to reduce drop in cables.

Hope this does not confuse too much, but I find it helps if you know a bit about what you want when talking to a sales person. I find Jaycar Electronics very helpful as well as reasonable prices.

Peter

PS. I have done this for a few vans I've owned and seems to work....lol

 

 

 

 

 

Solar & Wind Power equipment and kits:
http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com//index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=e97f6bde00f9d339ddf54848bd8dc9fb

MPPT SOLAR CHARGE CONTROLLER (AU$65):
http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com//product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=832
http://secure.oatleyelectronics.com/files/MPPTnotes.pdf

Hi again.

Below is the site of Jaycar (I have nothing to do with them, just have purchased all my solar from them and found it ok)

 

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3129

 

This is the regulator I used with 2 x 80W panels and found it easy to use and not too bad on the pocket ($149.00)

 

This is a copy of my post on the general forum so please excuse me if I'm repeating information contained in some of the other posts....

quote...

I would ALWAYS recommend installing a proper dual battery system relay such as a Redarc "Smart Start" instead of a normal relay (aka solenoid) or a switch such as you have done to isolate the auxiliary battery from the main battery. Click on http://tinyurl.com/maphul3 for more information.

There are many other brands available. Installing one of these will ensure that your main battery will always get priority changing and not leave you with a flat starting battery. You will not have to remember to switch anything when you pull up.

Re the regulator (aka controller) as suggested, the closer to the battery this is installed the better. A PWM or MPPT regulator (these are regulator types, not brands) would be the better option but a "common or garden" variety would do the job. Regardless of the type I would suggest in this installation you keep it simple rather than go for an "all bells and whistles" regulator that would be more appropriate for a more complex system.

end quote.