Lr1218 for an eb100 question (1 Viewer)

Oct 5, 2012
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Going to buy the specified schaut lr1218 solar unit for my ebl100. I have a dealer fitted second hab battery in my system I am assuming in parallel so does anyone know if this will affect the installation. I am assuming that both batteries will keep charging till full and the lr1218 can manage this as a standard fitting ???
TIA
 
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MR. FUSION
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Thanks for the reply, I ordered one, now just need to decide on flexi vs rigid panels and man up to drill a hole through my roof o_O

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Xabia

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I'm no expert but aren't rigid panels supposed to be much more efficient than flexible ones?

I too was a bit apprehensive about drilling through the roof but found that I could go through the roof above the Tectower and feed the cables down the back of the fridge through the cupboard under the side seat and then into the underfloor locker where the Electroblok is housed, this is in a Hymer B544SL. It turned out to be a lot easier than I had imagined. Good luck with your installation.
 

Minxy

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Thanks for the reply, I ordered one, now just need to decide on flexi vs rigid panels and woman up to drill a hole through my roof o_O
Just corrected the phrase for you ... :D

I put a flexible panel on the top of our PVC when we got it last year ... as we have a PVC I didn't have the advantage of straight sides/roof as you do with a coachbuilt so getting the hole through the roof in the right place took a lot of measuring, measuring and measuring again! Thankfully I got it through on the inside exactly where I wanted it! Phew!!!! :rolleyes:

I also did a bit of research on panels before I put the flexi one on - as they are made to be used by the boating fraternity who walk on them they have to be quite strong. There was talk of them being less efficient due to not having an air flow underneath, but as they are designed NOT to have one it shouldn't make any difference - so the output should be the same regardless of whether they're flexi or rigid.
 
Sep 10, 2012
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Fair amount of previous posts on what u are proposing.
There is a max battery bank size that can be charged which u need to check in the eblemanual.
There is an output to charge the vehicle battery on the lr1218 but no connection within the elb.

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Dec 12, 2010
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Thanks for the reply, I ordered one, now just need to decide on flexi vs rigid panels and man up to drill a hole through my roof o_O


My flexi panel, fitted about 14 months ago has just failed. There was mention on here of failures, just after I'd glued it in place unfortunately. It's a 150 watt unit that cost around £199, I'll get onto the supplier shortly and see what they're prepared to do about it :(
 
Jul 29, 2013
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Apparently the LRM1218 is better as it gets the max possible out of your solar panel I have not got one so can't vouch for it but there are loads of threads about regulators and panels if you use the search facility.(y)(y)(y)(y)
 

Minxy

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Apparently the LRM1218 is better as it gets the max possible out of your solar panel I have not got one so can't vouch for it but there are loads of threads about regulators and panels if you use the search facility.(y)(y)(y)(y)
True, but the LRM1218 is a lot more expensive than the LR1218.

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Minxy

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My flexi panel, fitted about 14 months ago has just failed. There was mention on here of failures, just after I'd glued it in place unfortunately. It's a 150 watt unit that cost around £199, I'll get onto the supplier shortly and see what they're prepared to do about it :(
Who/where did you get it from? What make is it?
 

Lenny HB

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If you have Gel batteries the LR1218 is fine if, you have AGM batteries I would fit a LRM1218 or another regulator that has an AGM setting.

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Minxy

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Jock, I've just re-read your first post about it - how had you fixed it for the previous 14 months of use?
 
Dec 12, 2010
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Jock, I've just re-read your first post about it - how had you fixed it for the previous 14 months of use?

I fastened it to the roof with a polyurethane adhesive (Tigerseal), glued it completely around it's edge with a few blobs underneath the panel so it didn't vibrate against the roof. Ironically, about the same time I found out about the failing Biard panels, someone on here posted a link to fixing brackets specifically designed for mounting flexible panels which would have proved usefull.
I will get another flexible panel one way or another and may even simply bond it on top of the existing one, although I'm tempted to try the "cheese wire" removal technique with a length of mig wire. Would like to know why the panel has failed though, when I checked it with my multi meter, it was barely putting out 1.6 volts instead of around 20 volts.
 
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I fastened it to the roof with a polyurethane adhesive (Tigerseal), glued it completely around it's edge with a few blobs underneath the panel so it didn't vibrate against the roof. Ironically, about the same time I found out about the failing Biard panels, someone on here posted a link to fixing brackets specifically designed for mounting flexible panels which would have proved usefull.
I will get another flexible panel one way or another and may even simply bond it on top of the existing one, although I'm tempted to try the "cheese wire" removal technique with a length of mig wire. Would like to know why the panel has failed though, when I checked it with my multi meter, it was barely putting out 1.6 volts instead of around 20 volts.
Yep if I fit a flexible panel I will definitely use that fixing kit. Baird seems to be the name mentioned on most of these failing flexi panels.

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MR. FUSION
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If you have Gel batteries the LR1218 is fine if, you have AGM batteries I would fit a LRM1218 or another regulator that has an AGM setting.
Since mine is an early 2015 I am pretty sure I will have gel, but will check first, thanks for the info.
 
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MR. FUSION
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I have a two hab batteries setup and when I installed a solar panel I just plugged the LR1218 into the Elektroblok and everything worked perfectly. That was two years ago and the van hasn't needed to put on EHU since.
The manufacturers say up to 200 A battery power is OK
 
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MR. FUSION
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If you have Gel batteries the LR1218 is fine if, you have AGM batteries I would fit a LRM1218 or another regulator that has an AGM setting.
You might be right but I am given to understand the EBL 100 does not support AGM's either and that's what is fitted to my van?

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MR. FUSION
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Yep mine died after18 months.
What do you think then get the LR1218 and plan to get decent gel batteries later on or get the Proper the LRM1218 AGM module, now meaning sending the LR1218 back and finding a AGM module. I think what people are saying is the non modified AGM EBL100's are not outputting enough voltage for the AGM battery, so since I used mine a lot they probably are not great.
 

SandraL

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The ebl100 has a socket for the dc input of a second mains charger. If you plug one in suitable for agm cells they will be correctly charged. But you would need to unplug the mains lead to the ebl to stop the internal mains charger, this would stop mains charging of vehicle battery. If you think solar will be enough to keep vehicle battery up all will be well. If at later date you make the change to gel battery then either unplug 2nd charger or change its settings to gel. The usual reason for the 2 nd charger is to recharge large battery bank in reasonable time. Not an ideal situation but you are starting from where you are, not where you want to be.

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Jul 29, 2013
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Well I have just checked my EBL 29 and on the manual it does say that it supports Gel and AGM but I read somewhere that it doesn't I have a büttner regulator that is connected through the EBL and that is switched to AGM as well have had two banner AGM batteries since getting van in June last year and no problems yet ( touch wood my head) am thinking of fitting an extra panel but need to upgrade the regulator Büttner do an MPPT regulator now at around same price as a Schaudt.
 

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