Cab battery from solar panel (1 Viewer)

[colmorangie]

I am considering fitting a solar panel to my Old Hymer tramp which has a Elktroblock EBL 99 fitted.
My question is if I wire the solar panel to the EBL 99 rather than directly to leisure battery through a regulator will it also top my vehicle battery?

Thanks in anticipation

 

[iceclimber]

Hi, it can. But only if you get the Schaudt solar reg or an equivalent solar reg that has the additional connections to the EBL99.
Else connecting a normal solar reg to the EBL99 will only 'pass through' the current and charge the leisure batteries.

 

[Stealaway]

Forget the complication of involving the Electroblock, simply fit one of these.
It will automatically charge both batteries. You can also buy on with out the amp meter.

Broken Link Removed

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[JeanLuc]

You just need a twin battery regulator then plug the leisure battery output into block 6 on the EBL and connect the starter battery +ve output to the +ve starter battery terminal on the back of the EBL 99. That will charge both battery sets and you will see the solar charging current on the Hymer's control panel. The Schaudt LR1218 regulator will do the job and it comes with the required wiring link. Other twin battery regulators will also work but you will have to make up your own cable and plug for block 6.

 

[tonyidle]

You can connect the output of a standard solar regulator to the EBL99 and it will charge both batteries. There is nothing special about the Schaudt regulator other than it is of good quality and made by Schaudt and expensive. Any other decent regulator is fine. To obtain the benefits of the EBL99 charging both batteries you need to connect the solar regulator output to EBL99 Block 6 terminal 3.

 

[Lenny HB]

You can use a single output regulator with a solar split charge relay and wire then to the Elektroblock that is what I do.

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[Stealaway]

Only a limited amount of solar I think and why bother?

 

[Lenny HB]

Only a limited amount of solar I think and why bother?

???

 

[colmorangie]

If I take the +ve to block 6 terminal 3 from a regulator do I need to have a relay in the system? ( I take it the -ve can just go to any earth)
Also how does the ebl99 share the charge ?
Thanks so far Gents learning lots

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[Lenny HB]

If I take the +ve to block 6 terminal 3 from a regulator do I need to have a relay in the system? ( I take it the -ve can just go to any earth)
Also how does the ebl99 share the charge ?
Thanks so far Gents learning lots

EBL 99 is just a straight through connect via a fuse to the batteries it just makes the wiring much easier.

 

[JJ]

Only a limited amount of solar I think and why bother?

Not always sunny in your world then?


JJ

 

[Stealaway]

It seems there is a limit on the size of solar panels you can control with an Electroblock. So why involve it. If you damage it its hundreds to repair or replace - £29.00 for a new stand alone and one failing doesn't shut it all down.

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[Lenny HB]

It seems there is a limit on the size of solar panels you can control with an Electroblock. So why involve it. If you damage it its hundreds to repair or replace - £29.00 for a new stand alone and one failing doesn't shut it all down.

The EBL 99 is just a straight pass through so how could you damage it? Only limit is a 15amp fuse and on EBL's with a straight pass through it is OK to increase this to 20a.

 

[adrianlzt]

Hi,

I have found this thread looking for a solution with an electroblok, in this case an EBL251A, and a increase of solar power.
I bought my motorhome with a 120W solar panel installed and a 10A PWM regulator.
Then I have added a second 170W solar panel and changed the regulator to a 25A MPPT (Antarion, although, the original maker is https://www.olyssolar.com/product_Info-3-23.html).

Yesterday I found the regulator complaining that battery was to low (a led indicator). Quickly I found the culprit was the 20A fuse for the solar panel in the electroblok.

Quick solution, change the 20A to 25A.
Having a total peak power of 290W, it should not go over 25A.

Ideally (290W in the solar panels), at 14.4V (I have lead acid batteries), current should be 20.14A.
But that power should be impossible to reach, so I guess my problem is early on that curve, when the voltage is less than 14.4V and the current could be a little higher.
Maybe the temperature is playing a role here, increasing the current.

So I guess that increasing that fuse could works but is risky, maybe I end with a burned electroblock.

The next logical option I guess is connecting directly the MPPT to the leisure batteries and the starter one.
But I have a doubt with that connection, what happens when the electroblock is connected to 230V?
Is there no problem having the solar regulator and the electroblock trying to charge the batteries?

Same doubt with the alternator. In fact I don't know if the alternator is connected to the electroblock and it handles the battery charge or the alternator is connected directly to the batteries.

Thanks!

 

[Lenny HB]

The solar connections on the Elektroblock are just straight through connections to the battery. Standard fuse is normally 15 amp, what really limits the current is the pins in the connector are only rated at 15 amps. I increased the fuse in mine to 20amps, I wouldn't go above that. I have 300 Watts of solar in theory could deliver 21 amps but highly unlikely unless in Africa in June.

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[autorouter]

f I take the +ve to block 6 terminal 3 from a regulator do I need to have a relay in the system? ( I take it the -ve can just go to any earth)
Also how does the ebl99 share the charge ?

The problem is the limited current-carrying capacity of the EBL pins - best to keep to 15 amps or less, as Lenny HB says.

There is a way round this limit. You'll notice that some of the fuses for the 'Reserve' circuits are 25A. This is possible because two pins are used, to share the current. Unfortunately the Reserve circuits don't go to where you want the solar power to go.

However the Aux Charger input (Block 7, Pin 1 negative, Pin 2 Positive) does go to the right place, through the 20A Aux Charger fuse. So parallelling Block 7 Pin 3 with Block 6 Pin 2 will give you enough capacity. Obviously you should parallel the negatives also (Block 7 pin 2 with Block 6 pin 1).

Aux Charger connector is labelled is 'Zusatz Ladegerat' in German on the EBL. The connectors are MnL (Mate'N'Lok) connectors with separate crimp pins, available from places like Altec or 12VoltPlanet.

The wiring diagram of each EBL is available on the Schaudt website. It's a bit of a pain to download - the site is in German, you request a download and they send you a link in an email for you to download it. English versions of the manual are available for most EBLs, including the EBL 99.

 

[adrianlzt]

The solar connections on the Elektroblock are just straight through connections to the battery. Standard fuse is normally 15 amp, what really limits the current is the pins in the connector are only rated at 15 amps. I increased the fuse in mine to 20amps, I wouldn't go above that. I have 300 Watts of solar in theory could deliver 21 amps but highly unlikely unless in Africa in June.

My Electroblock version have a 20A fuse for the solar regulator:

I found strange to have broke the fuse with 290W, so maybe was just "bad luck" and maybe the new one will last forever.

 

[adrianlzt]

So, connecting the solar regulator directly to batteries, would not have any bad interaction while 230v charger or alternator are charging?

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[adrianlzt]

Response from Schaudt, if your regulator provides more current that the one supported by the fuse, connect the regulator directly to the batteries