Inherited some solar

[truckcab79]

Proper deck fitting is what I’ll use for the install of my long term solution, though more likely a horizontal entry to keep it low profile.  Any advantage to the one shown?  Not seen that type before.

Edited October 10, 2023 by truckcab79

[magnetman]

A horizontal would be better. 

 

I saw one once made of brass or stainless but I don't know what actual fitting it was. Looked really good. 

 

Did you have something in mind? 

 

 

another approach would be to keep the existing panel and buy a second 100w panel then route them to a fully waterproof controller like this 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253702338705

 

£30 and it is 20a 12v or 24v, IP67 rated so can go in the engine bay or even outside.

These ones also have a load output which is programmable (one button and a LED red seven segment display with a number) so you can run auto night lighting for x hours or dawn to dusk which is a nice feature to have. 

 

If you get into large panels they are usually 36v nominal and need MPPT controllers to get to the boat 12v circuit which adds a lot of expense. 

 

Very good though !

 

Depends what you need but I would not rule out a second 100w panel and a pwm controller if sticking with lead acid batteries. 

 

 

 

 

that would usually cover the electrical needs unless you are doing something unusual like running a brothel on the boat where people like getting extra hot with fan heaters and steam baths. 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by magnetman

[jonathanA]

i used something like this 

 

https://www.roadpro.co.uk/product/06f-cable-entry-boxes/2-hole-waterproof-cable-box-6-12mm-gland-c548201

 

fixed using stainless steel machine screws and neoprene tape to seal to deck.  

 

cables thru the deck and then was able to run the cables behind my lining to the rear of the boat to victron Blue solar MPPT controller (which I highly recommend )

 

ETA - as pointed out by @magnetman (thanks) I meant the smart solar with blue tooth capability not the blue solar which confusingly doesn't have blue tooth capability built in. (but you can add a dongle) 

Edited October 10, 2023 by jonathanA
clarify smart solar not blue solar.

[magnetman]

Victron MPPT are good. I've got 4 of them. Worth noting that the SmartSolar version has bluetooth and a phone app with all the data on it whereas the BlueSolar version doesn't. 

 

Good kit. 

 

 

The bluetooth logo is printed on the front. Its just I know someone who bought the BlueSolar version assuming it had bluetooth. 

 

 

[truckcab79]

I did a calculation on bimble Solar of my needs and probably massively over-stated them in reality and it put me at needing 645w if I recall.  On that basis I was looking at their bundles.  They do a couple with 2 ‘small panels’ that give 590w I think.  First step will be to measure up the roof to see what actually fits.  Another job for this weekend.  
 

I kind of need to buy loads of stuff up front just to know what I need to plan space for when I’m fitting out.  Apart from it being a small boat there’s also quite a lot of restriction in so far as I have loads of windows and therefore very little potential storage space on the walls.  
 

And only a minor thing but I want to order kitchen units before end of October as I have a Howdens account and prices are cut until end of October and I’ve got a load of credit sat with them. Might as well use it.  

50 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Victron MPPT are good. I've got 4 of them. Worth noting that the SmartSolar version has bluetooth and a phone app with all the data on it whereas the BlueSolar version doesn't. 

 

Good kit. 

 

 

The bluetooth logo is printed on the front. Its just I know someone who bought the BlueSolar version assuming it had bluetooth. 

 

 

 

Yep. I asked earlier if there were alternatives to Victron and whilst there clearly are it seems to make sense to go with them for quality and cross-compatibility. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by truckcab79

[Jess--]

Only jumped through quickly so may have missed it....

But if it hasn't already been said

 

connect the battery to the controller before connecting the solar panel

some controllers have issues if the panel is connected first (wrong voltage selection or releasing the magic smoke)

[truckcab79]

1 hour ago, Jess-- said:

Only jumped through quickly so may have missed it....

But if it hasn't already been said

 

connect the battery to the controller before connecting the solar panel

some controllers have issues if the panel is connected first (wrong voltage selection or releasing the magic smoke)

 

Thank you. I think it has but the more reminders of that sort of thing the better until I’m familiar with it. 
 

I always thought the magic smoke was a Land Rover thing.  I’m sure at one point some joker was even selling jars of Lucas replacement smoke if yours had escaped.   😂

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, truckcab79 said:

 

Thank you. I think it has but the more reminders of that sort of thing the better until I’m familiar with it. 
 

I always thought the magic smoke was a Land Rover thing.  I’m sure at one point some joker was even selling jars of Lucas replacement smoke if yours had escaped.   😂

 

Yes there was a great demand for it - I may still have some old bottles ............................

 

 

[gatekrash]

You just reminded me that the headlights on my old S2 Landy went pop a couple of weeks ago and I bodged the fuse holder with a panel pin which I found rolling around loose on the dash so I could get home on more than just sidelights.  Now fixed today with a new fuse holder, which had mysteriously melted instead of blowing the fuse.

 

Good old Lucas, prince of darkness 🔥 

[truckcab79]

1 hour ago, gatekrash said:

You just reminded me that the headlights on my old S2 Landy went pop a couple of weeks ago and I bodged the fuse holder with a panel pin which I found rolling around loose on the dash so I could get home on more than just sidelights.  Now fixed today with a new fuse holder, which had mysteriously melted instead of blowing the fuse.

 

Good old Lucas, prince of darkness 🔥 

 

You made a mistake there. The accepted correct replacement for a missing fuse is a .22   😂

 

 

 

 

 

My other toy.  

Edited October 11, 2023 by truckcab79

[Alan de Enfield]

10 hours ago, gatekrash said:

Good old Lucas, prince of darkness

 

 

• Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Land Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night? They all look the same. " - "He replied, "It does not matter which one you use, nothing happens !"
• The Lucas motto: "Get home before dark."
• Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
• Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
• Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
• The three position Lucas switch - Dim, Flicker and Off.
• The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
• Lucas is an acronym for Loose Unsoldered Connections and Splices
• Lucas systems actually uses AC current; it just has a random frequency.
• "I have had a Lucas pacemaker for years and have never had any trou..."
• If Lucas made guns, wars would not start.
• A friend of mine told everybody he never had any electric problems with his Lucas equipment. Today he lives in the countryside, in a large manor with lots of friendly servants around him an an occasional ice cold shower...
• Back in the 70's, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.
• Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators
• Alexander Graham Bell invented the Telephone.Thomas Edison invented the Light Bulb. Joseph Lucas invented the Short Circuit.
• Recommended procedure before taking on a repair of Lucas equipment: Check the position of the stars,kill a chicken and walk three times clockwise around your car chanting:" Oh mighty Prince of Darkness protect your unworthy servant.."

[Ken X]

I still mourn the passing of the tin foil encased KitKat. Handy for wrapping round a blown fuse and a snack at the same time. 🙂

[gatekrash]

22 hours ago, truckcab79 said:

 

You made a mistake there. The accepted correct replacement for a missing fuse is a .22   😂

 

 

 

 

 

My other toy.  

Too much plastic on yours 😜

 

[Mike Hurley]

That looks far to clean, should be covered in mud and dents.😄

[truckcab79]

Well it seems to work. 👍

 

 

4mm cables and connectors are all new. Out of laziness (and this is a temporary job) I left the controller to battery cables as they were as they are one of the few things that the Marina didn’t cut off when they were fixing the engine, but all seems fine. 
 

Quick question - I have a two battery leisure bank (will be 3 when I get round to moving the starter battery out the way. )
 

Should the positive and negative from the solar controller go to opposite ends of the bank or does it make no difference?

 

They’re currently fitted to the same battery.  
 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, truckcab79 said:

Well it seems to work. 👍

 

 

4mm cables and connectors are all new. Out of laziness (and this is a temporary job) I left the controller to battery cables as they were as they are one of the few things that the Marina didn’t cut off when they were fixing the engine, but all seems fine. 
 

Quick question - I have a two battery leisure bank (will be 3 when I get round to moving the starter battery out the way. )
 

Should the positive and negative from the solar controller go to opposite ends of the bank or does it make no difference?

 

They’re currently fitted to the same battery.  
 

 

To be pedantic, connections should be on opposite corners but if cables are a decent gauge it makes little odds. The idea is to have the same cable resistance to each battery as near as possible.

[truckcab79]

On 09/10/2023 at 15:27, BEngo said:

Put the panel in the sun.  With a digital  multimeter set to a DC range greater than 22V  measure the voltage across the two wires coming out.  If the multimeter shows a - voltage swop the leads over.  The multimeter should now show a + voltage.  The lead with the red multimeter lead on it is the panel positive wire and goes to the +terminal on the controller.  The other lead goes to the -terminal and is the panel negative lead.

 

Solar panel cables are usually 4 square millimeters in cross section and  connected up with MC4 connectors.  The connectors and the crimping tool are widely available on the internet for not much money. 12V Planet or Sunshine Solar might be a good start.  There are many others.

N

 

Top advice this which I referred back to today when I reconnected it all. Worked a treat.  In hindsight I’d imagine it’s best practice to install the MC4 connectors so that they can’t be mixed up  (ie a male and female on the panel, not two males as I’ve done - which obviously I didn’t do - but something I’ll bear in mind for when I do my ‘proper’ installation. 

[magnetman]

Also never cut a pre-crimped MC4 connector off the wire. If the solar panels (when you get new ones) come with MC4 already fitted then buy a suitable single length with a male and a female already crimped on and cut that in half. Then push these through any sealed fittings and wire the bare ends to the controller.

 

That way you can disconnect the panel later without having to undo the often rather annoying screw connections on the controller or interfere with the grommet. 

 

Controller should be a separate setup which is connected to the panels by MC4 outdoors. Much better like that. 

 

MC4 is durable outdoor rated for rooftops so always keep these. If the panel has long wires just coil and cable tie. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by magnetman

[truckcab79]

Was also surprised that the MC4 crimps seems so ‘light’. I scrapped the first one assuming that it needed a crimp on the end nearest the insulation and one further up, but they seem to rely on just the two little tabs.  Any crimping further up and it damages the bits that lock it into the plastic housing.  

[magnetman]

I've never done these crimps with a tool always bought cables already assembled and not had any problems. 

 

 

[truckcab79]

12 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I've never done these crimps with a tool always bought cables already assembled and not had any problems. 

 

 

Yea. They’re fine.  Easy to do and secure but I’m used to crimps that have one on the wire and one on the insulation.  These seem to be a flimsier design.  Work fine though and all secure.  

[Jen-in-Wellies]

35 minutes ago, truckcab79 said:

Was also surprised that the MC4 crimps seems so ‘light’. I scrapped the first one assuming that it needed a crimp on the end nearest the insulation and one further up, but they seem to rely on just the two little tabs.  Any crimping further up and it damages the bits that lock it into the plastic housing.  

They rely on the waterproofing gland to take any axial load on the cable insulation, rather than a second crimp. I've found a big difference in quality of MC4's. Some cheapo Ebay and Amazon vendors connectors have been very poor metal that won't crimp properly. A UK vendor with a reputation to keep is better. 12VoltPlanet have been good, as an example.

[truckcab79]

Cheers. These were Amazon but from a ‘proper’ supplier judging by the name. Quality seemed very good. Just surprised by the method. Thought I’d done something wrong but any attempt to crimp higher up just damages the little lugs that lock the terminal into the housing. All good though.  👍

[David Mack]

On 15/10/2023 at 15:17, truckcab79 said:

Should the positive and negative from the solar controller go to opposite ends of the bank or does it make no difference?

Gibbo's Method 2 is the best balance between the theoretical best case and sensible practicality. The website is getting a bit long in the tooth these days, but the basics don't change.

http://smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html