Solo panel connections (1 Viewer)

May 2, 2014
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I have just bought a Adria vision 707 SG 2007 and want to fit solar panel that I bought with regulator. Can I connect it directly to the electrobloc, and dose the electrobloc recognise when the engine alternator is charging and switch the solar panel off and back on again when not running
 
Aug 25, 2009
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Just done this on my Vision. You will find the wires already pre fitted from under the wardrobe to the side of the electroblock. The electoblock is under a removeable panel in the floor. You will need to buy a Schaudt Solar Controller LRS 1218 (available from Ebay). This has all the connections with it to connect into the Electroblock.

With this done the current will now show in the digital display above the door.
However if you press the left hand upper and lower buttons together on the LCD display this will enable you to access the engineers menu. The code for Adria is 1418. In this menu enable solar.
With this done the display will now tell you exactly what current is going into the van or habitation batterys plus other geeky stuff.:roflmto:

If you just use the regulator you bought and bypass the electroblock then you could well get power shutdown even when you have full batterys. As the electroblock works out power consumed versus power in and shuts the batterys down at a certain level. The only way the electroblock can gauge power in is to use the dedicated controller through the electroblock.
Hope this helps as it took me much research to do mine. Getting the engineer code was like pulling teeth as each manufacturer uses a different code.
 
Last edited:

Techno

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I have just bought a Adria vision 707 SG 2007 and want to fit solar panel that I bought with regulator. Can I connect it directly to the electrobloc, and dose the electrobloc recognise when the engine alternator is charging and switch the solar panel off and back on again when not running

Depends which electroblok you have, what model is it?

Best price just now despite being Brownhills Broken Link Removed

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camcondor

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Jul 27, 2007
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Recently completed solar installation on my Vision 707SG 2007 that we have owned from new- it needs an LR1218 regulator added to the EBL under the floor near the door, and if fitting more than 80W, or a battery bank over 180aH, you really do need the additional auxiliary regulator for the EBL as well - check out Atlantic's website, he is an Electroblok specialist with a lot of really good info about the Schaudt stuff -if you phone him he is helpful as well. You also need to know how to get into the software to "tell" the Electroblok about your solar panel addition, as this feature is off by factory default - if you need details just shout, will post them up as I have written them down for future reference!

Its brilliant for keeping the batteries, leisure and vehicle topped up fully. Do not, under ANY circumstances, though, give way to the urge to fit a cheaper separate solar regulator, display etc and feed it in to the system, as the Schaudt will not be able to sense this correctly and you will knacker the EBL.

Nice to see another Vision owner, there are not that many around.
 
Last edited:

camcondor

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Jul 27, 2007
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Just done this on my Vision. You will find the wires already pre fitted from under the wardrobe to the side of the electroblock. The electoblock is under a removeable panel in the floor. You will need to buy a Schaudt Solar Controller LRS 1218 (available from Ebay). This has all the connections with it to connect into the Electroblock.

With this done the current will now show in the digital display above the door.
However if you press the left hand upper and lower buttons together on the LCD display this will enable you to access the engineers menu. The code for Adria is 1418. In this menu enable solar.
With this done the display will now tell you exactly what current is going into the van or habitation batterys plus other geeky stuff.:roflmto:

If you just use the regulator you bought and bypass the electroblock then you could well get power shutdown even when you have full batterys. As the electroblock works out power consumed versus power in and shuts the batterys down at a certain level. The only way the electroblock can gauge power in is to use the dedicated controller through the electroblock.
Hope this helps as it took me much research to do mine. Getting the engineer code was like pulling teeth as each manufacturer uses a different code.

I agree - there are a few engineers codes used at the factory, not in any of the manuals :Eeek: The solar option is off by default.

In addition to the LR1218, they do recommend the auxiliary that plugs into the EBL as well, so that the EBL charge rate does not exceed its capacity, if you have a battery bank over I think 170/180 aH or solar panels in excess of 80W -good articles on Atlantic /A & L motorhomes website.

If you have an EBL, do not under ANY circumstances attempt to feed in solar power from a separate solar regulator as this will totally confuse the EBL and it could be damaged or the charging mechanism will just shut off and the solar power will not work -a lot of so-called motorhome dealers and workshops have no idea of how EBL installations should be done and will try to palm you off with the separate controller idea, steer well clear and go to someone who knows what they are doing and are very familiar with Schaudt EBLs or be sure to read up all the info on Atlantic/A &L 's site if you are doing it yourself.

The EBL solar system if correctly installed, will deliver correct power to charge leisure and vehicle batteries and will sense when to shut off.

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DP+JAY

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Depends which electroblok you have, what model is it?

Best price just now despite being Brownhills Broken Link Removed

Picked mine up on monday on way back from Peterborough, now working properly and charging front and rear batteries to 14.2v.
 
Aug 6, 2013
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I've just done this with an EBL99 on a Hymer. You can use any solar regulator you choose and it will have no effect on the correct operation of the EBL. I wanted to use a MPPT regulator so the "correct" one would have been of no use anyway.

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JeanLuc

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I've just done this with an EBL99 on a Hymer. You can use any solar regulator you choose and it will have no effect on the correct operation of the EBL. I wanted to use a MPPT regulator so the "correct" one would have been of no use anyway.

This is true for an EBL 99 or 100. Later EBL models need the LR1218 to work properly.
 
Aug 6, 2013
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That clarifies things: I'd heard it said about the 99/100 & when I investigated the circuit drawing it was obvious any could be used so I assumed others would be the same. Having said that it is likely that, even with the later versions, a MPPT regulator feeding the leisure battery direct would be worth losing the extras provided by the EBL. Connection wouldn't affect the EBL in that it would still see the battery voltage and my limited experience so far suggests MPPT regulators do what it says on the tin.
 

JeanLuc

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That clarifies things: I'd heard it said about the 99/100 & when I investigated the circuit drawing it was obvious any could be used so I assumed others would be the same. Having said that it is likely that, even with the later versions, a MPPT regulator feeding the leisure battery direct would be worth losing the extras provided by the EBL. Connection wouldn't affect the EBL in that it would still see the battery voltage and my limited experience so far suggests MPPT regulators do what it says on the tin.

According to Schaudt, A&N who sell and repair EBLs in the UK, and a recent report by Dave Newell, using any regulator other than the LR1218 can cause problems on newer EBLs - even when fitted direct to the batteries.
This is worth reading - also their page on Solar - see menu at the top of the website.
http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/schaudt-elektroblock.php

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Aug 25, 2009
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Aug 6, 2013
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Absoluteley correct::bigsmile:

Some of that doesn't make total sense. This section in particular:

"A battery charger/Alternator (dependent on technology) will work out it's charging program based upon the voltage it 'senses' on the line from the battery. If it sees 9V it will throw out a big charge, if it sees 13V it knows the battery is fully charged and will only trickle charge it.
If a Solar Panel is putting out 13v then the Mains/Alternator charger sees the 13v and switches off, even if the real battery voltage is 9v
For example, If you deplete your Leisure batteries overnight to 11.0V, then drive off early morning, the Solar panel will already be applying a charge of 13.5V to the Leisure battery. When the Alternator starts to spin, it's sensing circuit will see a voltage of 13.5 volts at the battery and think that the Leisure battery is already fully charged. It will therefore back down the current it is supplying to almost nothing. You arrive at your destination some hundred miles later with a battery bank that has only had a trickle charge."​
If the battery is discharged as suggested then the EBL will see battery terminal voltage. If that voltage has been raised by any means (EBL, auxiliary charger, alternator, solar charger, whatever) then the EBL will reduce its output. The solar charger can only lift the battery terminal voltage if it has charged the battery by some amount. The EBL would do the same.​
Other than that paragraph the message is, quite correctly, that circumventing an already smart charger (the EBL) is rather pointless. Solar has moved on with the availability of MPPT controllers but what I did learn from A & N is that similar functionality is now built into the EBL add-on solar charger. I didn't notice that last time I read their information. Incidentally I have dealt with the company (bought a new fridge output connector shell & some pins for my EBL) and found them extremely helpful.​
 
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camcondor

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According to Schaudt, A&N who sell and repair EBLs in the UK, and a recent report by Dave Newell, using any regulator other than the LR1218 can cause problems on newer EBLs - even when fitted direct to the batteries.
This is worth reading - also their page on Solar - see menu at the top of the website.
http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/schaudt-elektroblock.php


Perfectly correct. Absolutely NOT recommended to use a separate solar regulator with the newer EBLs, MPPT or not! The LR1218 makes a pretty efficient system, despite being not as advanced as MPPT and in my opinion its far better to have it all working as it should and not have other non-recommended systems cobbled into it. :Eeek: both the manufacturers themselves and the local guys who are EBL experts are very clear that using separate solar regulators with the newer EBLs will lead to problems.

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Aug 6, 2013
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Perfectly correct. Absolutely NOT recommended to use a separate solar regulator with the newer EBLs, MPPT or not! The LR1218 makes a pretty efficient system, despite being not as advanced as MPPT and in my opinion its far better to have it all working as it should and not have other non-recommended systems cobbled into it. :Eeek: both the manufacturers themselves and the local guys who are EBL experts are very clear that using separate solar regulators with the newer EBLs will lead to problems.

Can't disagree - but I'd still like an explanation as to why. And I never cobble anything :Smile:

G7GOC
 

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