Solar install. Advice please

[MrsM]

Our 2008 inverter (Multicell Power Master SL Series Combi Pure Sine wave Inverter/UPS Battery Charger) has a built in solar regulator and it works extremely well. You will need to source the correct input fittings. We are out cruising and I can't remember where we sourced ours from. The range for our 3000SL-12 is 17-25V and 30A so you will need to make sure your panels fall within this. From the manual: "The in-built regulator is a shunt regulator with a maximum input current if 30A for all SL series products the operating voltage of solar modules to be connected must match the actual operating voltage of the Power Master SL series and never exceed the max rated value."

I know our inverter won't last forever but it has been fantastic so far and we will be sorry when we have to replace it. Best of luck. M

Edited June 27, 2022 by MrsM
Overlapped with The Biscuits

[David J Smith]

12 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Morning David and congratulations on buying your first boat. Is your boat a Polish built Amber boat by any chance? I believe we have the same combi inverter. It is branded Multicell. The company is still in existence but are no longer doing these inverters. Ours was also fitted new in 2008. Will dig out my manual and post pix from phone.

Hi. Yes We think its an Amber boat. Did'nt know the were made in poland, Which i think is good. As they are known around the world for the quality of ship and boat building. Please send a picture. Then I will find on of Tickedy Boo. Thanks for your kind words in your message. Nice to get one with a compliment. rather than replies berating my question..............................

Dave

[Tony Brooks]

Just now, David john Smith said:

Aha. Is that from a manual of my inverter? As I think i've seen that. And thats exactly where the two blanked off wires are coming from.

Dave

 

I just googled the first two groups of characters from the image you posted, missing out the last string of numbers that I think is the serial number so I can't be 1005 sure it is for your inverter, but if the panel looks the same it probably is.

20 minutes ago, David john Smith said:

Aha. Is that from a manual of my inverter? As I think i've seen that. And thats exactly where the two blanked off wires are coming from.

Dave

 

NO, the blanked wires should be connected to A, B is for the solar input.

[David J Smith]

5 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Our 2008 inverter (Multicell Power Master SL Series Combi Pure Sine wave Inverter/UPS Battery Charger) has a built in solar regulator and it works extremely well. You will need to source the correct input fittings. We are out cruising and I can't remember where we sourced ours from. The range for our 3000SL-12 is 17-25V and 30A so you will need to make sure your panels fall within this. From the manual: "The in-built regulator is a shunt regulator with a maximum input current if 30A for all SL series products the operating voltage of solar modules to be connected must match the actual operating voltage of the Power Master SL series and never exceed the max rated value."

I know our inverter won't last forever but it has been fantastic so far and we will be sorry when we have to replace it. Best of luck. M

Wow, What service. You sound like you know what you are talking about. I hope the other posters read what you have said/

Dave

[Tony Brooks]

If what Mrs M says is correct then you will forgo up to about 30% of the solar charge. To maximize the solar charge fit a  separate MPPT controller and ignore the inverter. Unconventional, but you could wire the MPPT controller output to those thick  wires.

[MrsM]

1 minute ago, David john Smith said:

Wow, What service. You sound like you know what you are talking about. I hope the other posters read what you have said/

Dave

I really don't! 😄 I recognised the inverter from your pictures and dug out my manual. The other posters are the experts in all matters boat and you should absolutely take their advice. We fitted out panels last year so it's fresh in my mind. Amber boats were definitely built in Poland and are very solid, if rather unattractive. Ours has a 12mm baseplate. Our surveyor especially praised the quality of the welding on our boat. By coincidence we passed 2 others yesterday on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire. The main issue they all seem to have is unstable paint. Ours looks an absolute shocker but we are booked in for a repaint in September at last, so I'll no longer have to feel embarrassed by it! 😄  Otherwise it's a fantastic first boat and we absolutely adore it. 

[LadyG]

40 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

If what Mrs M says is correct then you will forgo up to about 30% of the solar charge. To maximize the solar charge fit a  separate MPPT controller and ignore the inverter. Unconventional, but you could wire the MPPT controller output to those thick  wires.

I am under the impression that flexible, stick on type solar panels are less efficient than standard frames, particularly in very hot weather, so if OP is going to use the all in one, and lose 30% input, should he get his power audit sorted first, I just bought two panels that would fit and a controller that matched, so no expert by any means, but I'd be concerned that these panels are not going to give a lot of input, with respect to bang for buck.

Plus as a liveaboard I want three to five day autonomy and free electricity from mid March to September.

There is no doubt that the flexible panels look better, but they don't have  such a long term guarantee, I'm one of these people that expect stuff to last pretty much forever!

As ever, @Tony BrooksBrooksBrooksBrooBrooksBBrooksBrooksBrooks has offered good advice, and I am assuming that fitting a new controller would give you redundancy if the existing one expires.

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by LadyG

[MrsM]

We are currently using 2 X 175W panels and they are keeping our batteries nicely topped up. We tend to only stop for a day here and there so are getting most of our charging through the engine. David, my o'half is working at the moment and has more detailed knowledge about our setup, but if you want to pm me we can chat later?

[PeterF]

CAUTION

 

You state that your are using the same panels as Foxes Afloat. They used 120W mia sole CIGS panels. A quick google and I can not find details for 160W panels but I have found info for 110 to 140W and they have a Voc voltage of 37 to 40 V which is above the rating of your inverter. If you truly have the same panels you will burn the solar controller part of the inverter out and you definitely need a stand alone controller. Please please check the Voc specification of your panels to verify this. If it is below 25V, preferably 22V because when cold the voltage is higher and they usually quote Voc at 20 or 25deg then you will be OK, if it is higher than say 22V get a standalone controller.

Edited June 27, 2022 by PeterF
Spelling

[David J Smith]

8 hours ago, MrsM said:

I really don't! 😄 I recognised the inverter from your pictures and dug out my manual. The other posters are the experts in all matters boat and you should absolutely take their advice. We fitted out panels last year so it's fresh in my mind. Amber boats were definitely built in Poland and are very solid, if rather unattractive. Ours has a 12mm baseplate. Our surveyor especially praised the quality of the welding on our boat. By coincidence we passed 2 others yesterday on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire. The main issue they all seem to have is unstable paint. Ours looks an absolute shocker but we are booked in for a repaint in September at last, so I'll no longer have to feel embarrassed by it! 😄  Otherwise it's a fantastic first boat and we absolutely adore it. 

Thanks for all your help and interest. We too have paint issues. Like large areas of crazing.we had a one foot diameter area blister up on the roof. I was seriously worried by the rusty stains comeing from the area. Because the blister has come away. I slid a chisel under it. And it came away in one piece the size of a large frying pan lid. We were very surprised to see it was a huge dent,  How the heck did that happen??? with lots of scratches in the steel.

I guess that was to key the one inch thick car body filler they had put in. No holes. just a dent. I re ground the metal back to shiny stuff. treated it with rustoleum.I don't like fertan( spelling).Then went and bought a half gallon tin of P38. It took me all day, building up the layers bit by bit. I used most of that half gallon. Now its all painted. And nice and flat. Now all i have to do is wait for the two male contributers to say "You don't wanna do it like that. You should have done it like this". And so on, and so on........................... I did it the way I've been filling dents for the last fifty years. none of that is aimed at you MrsM.

Dave.

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by David john Smith
bad grammer

[Puffling]

I'm sure you're a likeable enough chap in real life, but your bad attitude points are ticking up like a taxi meter. Let's see...

1 advice please is in your topic heading. When advice is offered you criticise the respondent;

2 Foxes Afloat. Not very widely respected on this forum, especially on technical matters, though there are numerous other good reasons;

3 taunting those who replied earlier to tell you your dent filling method isn't going to work ( it isn't, by the way) because you have been doing it fifty years on cars.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Puffling

[LadyG]

4 hours ago, Puffling said:

I'm sure you're a likeable enough chap in real life, but your bad attitude points are ticking up like a taxi meter. Let's see...

1 advice please is in your topic heading. When advice is offered you criticise the respondent;

2 Foxes Afloat. Not very widely respected on this forum, especially on technical matters, though there are numerous other good reasons;

3 taunting those who replied earlier to tell you your dent filling method isn't going to work ( it isn't, by the way) because you have been doing it fifty years on cars.

Strange post really., Just use the ignore button if he annoys you.

Edited June 27, 2022 by LadyG

[ditchcrawler]

On 27/06/2022 at 23:06, LadyG said:

Strange post really., Just use the ignore button if he annoys you.

But very true

[TheBiscuits]

On 27/06/2022 at 23:06, LadyG said:

2 Foxes Afloat. Not very widely respected on this forum, especially on technical matters, though there are numerous other good reasons;

 

Only from those who have met them in person.  Their video fan boys and fan girls who haven't ever met them defend them to the hilt ...

 

Meh. That was supposed to be a quote from @Puffling but my phone broke it!

 

On 27/06/2022 at 19:29, Puffling said:

Edited July 7, 2022 by TheBiscuits
Stupid mobile phone