Battery flat despite 80 solar panel (1 Viewer)

Mar 11, 2011
10
0
Swansea
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15,615
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5
Was I naive to expect my solar panel - it's 120 watt - to maintain my engine battery through the winter?

It was spent when I tried it after a 3 month lay up and now, with only 5,000 miles on the clock I am biting the bullet to get it tested and find out if it is destined for the knackers yard. :Doh:
 

happypre65

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Nov 12, 2010
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solar panel

Hi,i have a solar panel and for a long time now it has been a godsend and with no problems at all,i should get it checked out,good investment,regards harvey,:thumb:
 

656

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If your Solar Panel charges your hab battery, you would need a Link Removed to charge your engine battery when the hab battery is fully charged!

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freelanderuk

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Sep 24, 2009
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how i it connected to the starter battery , my 100watt is connected to my leisure battery and then i have a battery master which diverts the excess power to the starter battery , never had a flat starter while fitted
 

slobadoberbob

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use a battery master my self

I use a battery master myself.. good item for the money.. keeps the engine battery topped up.

Bob
 

Techno

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Battery master is designed for those who dont have solar.

You want a CSB2
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slobadoberbob

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the battery master takes power from the hab

Battery master is designed for those who dont have solar.

You want a CSB2
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Unless the wiring for the solar allows for the habitation and engine chassis which I doubt many have as they have say two tab batteries and one engine then the engine will not get enough power... a solar panel would have to be mega to keep 3 batteries topped up.

The battery master takes off excess power from the tab batteries to the engine at a very low rate.. just using the excess..

While I am on EHU the Sterling Pro-Combi Charge and inverter charges the tab batteries (2 x 100 amps) and then tops of the 85 amp hour engine battery... I cannot see why a solar cannot use it?

Eddie (VanBitz)?????? whats the answer please


Bob
 

Techno

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Eddies battery master does not take off excess charge from the hab battery. It is not designed to work like that at all.
What it does is transfer charge (1 amp max) from hab to cab whenever it senses that the cab is half a volt lower than the hab.

The CSB2 transfers excess solar charge to the cab once the hab reaches 13.6 volts and then sends up to 4 amps to the cab until the hab drops to 12.6 volts
 

JeanLuc

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Since you have posted this in the Hymer forum, I presume you have a Hymer. Provided your solar panel is connected to a Schaudt LRS1218 solar regulator (or its predecessor, the LRS1214) which in turn, is connected to the Electrobloc with the supplied cables, the starter battery will be charged. Leisure batteries take priority then the starter battery is float charged.
If you have an alternative (non-Schaudt) regulator*, then the starter battery will not be charged and you will need some alternative device as suggested by earlier posters. Or swap your regulator.
If you have a Schaudt regulator and the starter battery is not being charged, then either you have a fault, or possibly the starter battery fly lead between LRS1218 and EBL has become disconnected (I pulled mine out to do some work and forgot to plug it back in again).

*With some EBLs it is possible to use an alternative dual battery regulator such as the Morningstar SunSaver Duo.
 
Apr 29, 2012
312
287
Holmfirth
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20,777
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1990 Gulfstream RV
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30yrs
If there is no drain on the battery, then it takes little power to keep it topped up. I have a seperate 20w solar panel connected to the engine battery, and manages more than fine to keep it good thru winter, as it takes about 6 months for a good battery to go completely flat on its own, when it then starts to sulphate on the plates, leading to it being useless for further charging. On many motorhomes, the engine battery and charging system are only connected together thru a relay on the ignition, so your solar charger is connected to your leisure batteries, but not your engine battery without the engine running. A split charge relay could be fitted to charge the engine battery and the liesure batteries, but power would not be taken back from from the engine battery, leaving it ready for when you want it. The battery master does just this, but with electronic control.
 

Geo

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I thought i knew what i was doing and ive lost the will to live with the plethera of differing answers
Allow me to answer in novice english:ROFLMAO:
No you were not naive to expect your solar panel to charge your engine battery, it will do so with little effort, if it has been set up to do so, it my not be,:Doh:
I recommend having the system checked out first, repaired if broke or altered to do what you quite rightly expected it to do
Geo

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slobadoberbob

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and???

I thought i knew what i was doing and ive lost the will to live with the plethera of differing answers
Allow me to answer in novice english:ROFLMAO:
No you were not naive to expect your solar panel to charge your engine battery, it will do so with little effort, if it has been set up to do so, it my not be,:Doh:
I recommend having the system checked out first, repaired if broke or altered to do what you quite rightly expected it to do
Geo

and???

Bob:Blush:
 

chrisgreen

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Jul 26, 2009
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it might be an idea to wait till venus passes the sun before checking voltage output on your solar panel,as this is the main cause of low output on solar panel's at the moment but should be all over in about 8 days,but you would need to do all testing before december as we have planet x on its way,which will result in the end of the world around the 21st dec, so good luck:thumb:
 

1948

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Dec 3, 2009
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JeanLuc
how can I tell that the solar regulator mounted in front of the electroblok is a Schaudt solar regulator
Can you post a picture of yours
thanks
 

JeanLuc

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JeanLuc
how can I tell that the solar regulator mounted in front of the electroblok is a Schaudt solar regulator
Can you post a picture of yours
thanks

Images in the following links (mine was fitted by Stephen at Aire & Sun). Apologies - in my earlier post I added a superfluous 'S' in the designation - the regulator is an LR1218

http://www.aireandsun.co.uk/index.php?item=73

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pappajohn

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Eddies battery master does not take off excess charge from the hab battery. It is not designed to work like that at all.
What it does is transfer charge (1 amp max) from hab to cab whenever it senses that the cab is half a volt lower than the hab.

The CSB2 transfers excess solar charge to the cab once the hab reaches 13.6 volts and then sends up to 4 amps to the cab until the hab drops to 12.6 volts
But will only work if both engine AND leisure batteries are chassis earthed !

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JockandRita

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Since May 05 (Ex Tuggers).
Eddies battery master does not take off excess charge from the hab battery. It is not designed to work like that at all.
What it does is transfer charge (1 amp max) from hab to cab whenever it senses that the cab is half a volt lower than the hab.

The CSB2 transfers excess solar charge to the cab once the hab reaches 13.6 volts and then sends up to 4 amps to the cab until the hab drops to 12.6 volts
And that is the route I went down too, having found out (the hard way), that whoever fitted the first solar panel, did not go through the Electroblok for starter battery charging. That was about 4 years ago, and we have not suffered a flat starter battery since. Great when in storage, or not on hook up.
And when there isn't enough sunlight to recharge from both panels, ie during winter usage, that's where the Sterling B2B comes into it's own, when hook up isn't available.

Fortunately, both battery banks are chassis earthed.

Cheers,

Jock.
 

Kayold

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Oct 23, 2011
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The CSB2 transfers excess solar charge to the cab once the hab reaches 13.6 volts and then sends up to 4 amps to the cab until the hab drops to 12.6 volts

Is there any danger of overcharging the cab bat this way?

Thanks
 

pappajohn

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it might be an idea to wait till venus passes the sun before checking voltage output on your solar panel,as this is the main cause of low output on solar panel's at the moment but should be all over in about 8 days,but you would need to do all testing before december as we have planet x on its way,which will result in the end of the world around the 21st dec, so good luck:thumb:
Bugger....no point buying Christmas presents early then

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JJ

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Cripes...

I might have just made a bit of a boo boo... :Eeek:

This very day I removed the plain white box, solar charge Control Unit from my ancient Hymer 660 and replaced it with a Steca 1515.

The white box (Solarladeregler) only had a red light which rarely seemed to work and gave no info as to the amperage being deliverd by the two (old) panels.

As I had this spare steca charger I thought I would fit that instead.

Inside the original white box were connections to Batt 1... Batt 2... and module.

I know the previous owner fitted an extra leisure battery so I (seemingly stupidly) assumed that Batt 2 referred to the extra leisure battery.

I just joined batt 1 and 2 positive together and connected to the Steca batt + terminal and then the same with batt 1 and 2 earth in to the Steca Batt - terminal. (The Steca 1515 only has a single pair of battery terminals.

As far as I can tell, now I have read this thread, I might have connected my hab battery in parallel to my cab battery... not good!

I have been for a drive to the supermarket and nothing has blown up...

Better get back into the Hymer and do some checking tomorrow...

Any advice from you brainy ones out there?

JJ :Cool:
 
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pappajohn

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Cripes...

I might have just made a bit of a boo boo... :Eeek:

This very day I removed the plain white box, solar charge Control Unit from my ancient Hymer 660 and replaced it with a Steca 1515.

The white box (Solarladeregler) only had a red light which rarely seemed to work and gave no info as to the amperage being deliverd by the two (old) panels.

As I had this spare steca charger I thought I would fit that instead.

Inside the original white box were connections to Batt 1... Batt 2... and module.

I know the previous owner fitted an extra leisure battery so I (seemingly stupidly) assumed that Batt 2 referred to the extra leisure battery.

I just joined batt 1 and 2 positive together and connected to the Steca batt + terminal and then the same with batt 1 and 2 earth in to the Steca Batt - terminal. (The Steca 1515 only has a single pair of battery terminals.

As far as I can tell, now I have read this thread, I might have connected my hab battery in parallel to my cab battery... not good!

I have been for a drive to the supermarket and nothing has blown up...

Better get back into the Hymer and do some checking tomorrow...

Any advice from you brainy ones out there?

JJ :Cool:
if the white box was wired correctly you have indeed connected both hab and cab batteries together. :Doh:

bat 1 and bat 2 are two independent batteries (or banks)...you'll need one of the battery to battery gizmo's
 

Techno

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Is there any danger of overcharging the cab bat this way?

Thanks

No Kay
When the leisure battery is sensed to be full at 13.6 volts the CSB2 will go into stanby mode and the green light will come on. This indicates it is ready to give from 0.1 to 4 amps to the starter battery. If the starter was flat it would get the full 4 amps (Solar permitting)or (hookup) if it is already at a healthy voltage it will get nothing.
 
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Kayold

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Thanks T
I'm ok on 240v but never played with vehicle 12v! While you are about I noticed you said in a previous thread to avoid Wellsee type 'mppt' controllers, may I ask why? I have seen online claims that they are fake but others say they work better than PWM, I did have a similar looking type and on checking the gubbings it was in fact a wellsee sold by another company. I intend using the controller you recommmend but was going to use the other until the new one arrives. Do the overseas sellers have a different interpretation on what mppt is? Any views much appreciated.

Regards
 

Techno

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Some googling of wellsee mppt regulators will find lots of negative reports.
I don't have personal experience.
But I do of the one I recommend and everyone so far who took it have not been disappointed . A recent one was delivered faulty but he received complete new internals with instructions on how to swap them and he's happy now.
If you do buy don't just buy it now they generally accept £75

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Last edited:
Apr 27, 2008
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Interestingly, my Rapido will charge the vehicle battery on solar once the leisure batteries are fully charged without any extra bits. This is just something Rapidos do even though I haven't seen it documented in any of their manuals, other Rapido owners have also mentioned that this happens, just lucky for us I suppose.:Smile:
 
Apr 27, 2008
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Interestingly, my Rapido will charge the vehicle battery on solar once the leisure batteries are fully charged without any extra bits. This is just something Rapidos do even though I haven't seen it documented in any of their manuals (it does the same on mains hookup), other Rapido owners have also mentioned that this happens, just lucky for us I suppose.:Smile:

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