Solar connection to electronic system

[jako999]

Hi all in the past I’ve ran a cable directly to the leisure battery from the solar controller and another from the dual of the controller the the vehicle battery, simply because the solar controller was close to the batteries. I had the cable pre installed by Niesmann in our new Arto and basically its been wired that the end of the cable comes out with all the electronics in the garage. This is great but I need to know where to connect to the leisure battery and where to connect to the vehicle battery? I’ve been trying to meter things out but ther is way to many positive 12volt terminals, I think there is only the one large black negative but this would mean the batteries are all linked? Looking at the pictures the blue box appears to have the connections but the cables are so thick I don’t think I’ll be able to add any thing there is a 6amp spade connection with a picture of the vehicle battery which is fine if it feeds back to the vehicle, the picture of the 3 studs are all 12 v positive and the small blue bridge is positive.
Im sure although this is a Niesmann Bischoff it’s going to have the same electrics as other vans, any advice would be welcomed it’s got to be easy but there are never any wiring diagrams.

Thanks

 

[autorouter]

I see you have a CBE system, with a CBE mains switchboard, a CB516 mains charger, and a DS470 12V Distribution Board.

You should be able to tell which battery is which by measuring the exact voltages. The starter and leisure batteries will probably have slightly different voltages, different enough for you to be able to tell the difference.

Next to the DS470 Distribution Board is a blue box with two big stud terminals. This looks like a shunt resistor. The single thick red wire goes directly to the leisure battery. The other stud is for connecting any other power cable to the leisure battery.

That other stud is where you should connect the solar controller output. Except that it needs a fuse. So you could add another fuseholder and fuse, similar to the ones to the left of the blue box. So, controller leisure battery output to fuse, then fuse to stud. There is probably space on that stud if you are careful.

Note that it is important to connect to the stud on the right, that has several connections already. Not the one on the left with only one wire connected. If you connect to the wrong one then the solar amps won't be measured by the shunt resistor.

Then you want a starter battery connection. I would guess that the 3-terminal busbar under the blue box is the starter battery connection. So that's where you can connect the solar controller starter battery trickle charge feed. Again you need to add a fuse, similar to the ones on the left.

As you say, in a motorhome all the battery and alternator negatives are connected together,and also connected to the main chassis. I can't see an obvious place to connect a negative wire. One possibility is, if you remove the cover of the DS470 there is a big negative stud marked 'GND', next to the two main battery studs and the output stud (B1,OUT and B2).

In case you were wondering, that Schaudt WA 121545 Booster is a DC-DC charger, that takes power from the alternator to charge the leisure battery when the engine is running. It is connected to the starter battery, because the alternator is connected to the starter battery which is also charged when the engine is running. On here a DC-DC charger is usually called a Battery-to-Battery (B2B) charger.

 

[Stealaway]

By 'eck.
How much money have you spent to charge some batteries?
What's it all do?

 

[autorouter]

Next to the DS470 Distribution Board is a blue box with two big stud terminals. This looks like a shunt resistor.

I might have got that wrong, it could be a battery protection isolator. Can't see the label on it. That doesn't change the wiring though.

 

[jongood]

interesting that Votronic say to connect the regulator to the batteries before connecting the panels but N+b seem to be doing jt the other way round. might be a good idea to disconnect and terminate the + before connecting the panels.

I also think the cables look a bit undersize for a 350w reg.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

I see you have a CBE system, with a CBE mains switchboard, a CB516 mains charger, and a DS470 12V Distribution Board.

You should be able to tell which battery is which by measuring the exact voltages. The starter and leisure batteries will probably have slightly different voltages, different enough for you to be able to tell the difference.

Next to the DS470 Distribution Board is a blue box with two big stud terminals. This looks like a shunt resistor. The single thick red wire goes directly to the leisure battery. The other stud is for connecting any other power cable to the leisure battery.

That other stud is where you should connect the solar controller output. Except that it needs a fuse. So you could add another fuseholder and fuse, similar to the ones to the left of the blue box. So, controller leisure battery output to fuse, then fuse to stud. There is probably space on that stud if you are careful.

Note that it is important to connect to the stud on the right, that has several connections already. Not the one on the left with only one wire connected. If you connect to the wrong one then the solar amps won't be measured by the shunt resistor.

Then you want a starter battery connection. I would guess that the 3-terminal busbar under the blue box is the starter battery connection. So that's where you can connect the solar controller starter battery trickle charge feed. Again you need to add a fuse, similar to the ones on the left.

As you say, in a motorhome all the battery and alternator negatives are connected together,and also connected to the main chassis. I can't see an obvious place to connect a negative wire. One possibility is, if you remove the cover of the DS470 there is a big negative stud marked 'GND', next to the two main battery studs and the output stud (B1,OUT and B2).

In case you were wondering, that Schaudt WA 121545 Booster is a DC-DC charger, that takes power from the alternator to charge the leisure battery when the engine is running. It is connected to the starter battery, because the alternator is connected to the starter battery which is also charged when the engine is running. On here a DC-DC charger is usually called a Battery-to-Battery (B2B) charger.

As you say there is a CBE DS470 my limited experience with this system tells me that there will be battery B1 B2 and ground studs within the box below all the fuses, would there be a reason to not connect to these points as I believe it will then utilise the built in battery capacity readings.

 

[autorouter]

As you say there is a CBE DS470 my limited experience with this system tells me that there will be battery B1 B2 and ground studs within the box below all the fuses, would there be a reason to not connect to these points as I believe it will then utilise the built in battery capacity readings.

The B1 and B2 studs are a good alternative for connecting the solar. I think the B2B looks like it's connected direct to the blue box (isolator/shunt/whatever) so that won't be accounted for in the battery capacity readings by the DS470 anyway.

 

[jako999]

interesting that Votronic say to connect the regulator to the batteries before connecting the panels but N+b seem to be doing jt the other way round. might be a good idea to disconnect and terminate the + before connecting the panels.

I also think the cables look a bit undersize for a 350w reg.

The votronic bit is mine, it’s rated at 350 if I ever need it but at the moment it’s only going to be connected to 260w. If I had Niesmann install the solar at a totally rip off price when I know how cheap this stuff is, their system is 300w. So the cable is probably heavier then it looks.
Thanks

 

[funflair]

The votronic bit is mine, it’s rated at 350 if I ever need it but at the moment it’s only going to be connected to 260w. If I had Niesmann install the solar at a totally rip off price when I know how cheap this stuff is, their system is 300w. So the cable is probably heavier then it looks.
Thanks

What Jon is saying also is that the panels should be connected to the Votronic after it is connected to the battery, you might have a fuse to do the job.

 

[jako999]

Thanks all
I’ll have another look over the next few days. I’m still not supposed to do a lot after my bypass operation so I’m having to wait for my daughter to help, it will be fun getting the panels on the roof.
we are going away in a couple of weeks hopefully but it mostly on hook up to help me out so if it doesn’t get done it’s no big deal.
Im just getting frustrated now there are that many things I want to do and can’t.
Thanks again.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jako999]

Sorry probably a silly question?
I have metered things out and as stated B2 and the earth are direct links to the leisure battery and there is a direct link to the vehicle batter.
The question is DC voltage and amperage can only travel one way at a time, therefore volt and amperage will be coming from the batteries to the controller all the time just to run it let alone the rest of the van. So how does the solar go down the cable to the batteries against what’s coming up it?
I know I’m probably being really stupid and thick
Thanks

 

[jongood]

Sorry probably a silly question?
I have metered things out and as stated B2 and the earth are direct links to the leisure battery and there is a direct link to the vehicle batter.
The question is DC voltage and amperage can only travel one way at a time, therefore volt and amperage will be coming from the batteries to the controller all the time just to run it let alone the rest of the van. So how does the solar go down the cable to the batteries against what’s coming up it?
I know I’m probably being really stupid and thick
Thanks

There are 2 pairs that go in the 4 larger terminals of your solar regulator, the pair you have in the lower 2 terminals of your reg should go to the solar panels and then you need a pair from the upper pair to go tothe battery, making sure to connect the battery ones first and going the correct side of the shunt with the earths. Havent you got a wiring diagram?

 

[jako999]

Yes I understand all that thanks.
The bit I don’t understand how it works? The power will be continuous taken from the leisure battery to the MH fuse board that people have said to connect solar controller output to because the van systems will be on and all the things we use in them. That means that those cables from the leisure battery are in use with a voltage flowing one way all the time, with a DC system ie 12v power can only flow one way so how does the charge power get back to the battery as it’s trying to flow against what’s flowing out of the battery.

 

[funflair]

If the control panel is connected and powered from the same connection point as the solar and the the third leg to the battery then if no power comes from the solar the power has to flow from the battery, if there is just enough power coming from solar then it would have a higher potential than the batteries so the solar would feed the control panel but there would be nothing spare to go to the batteries, finally if the solar is putting out plenty of power and the control panel is not using it all the potential ie voltage would be higher than the battery voltage so the excess that the control panel doesn't use will go to the batteries.

Sorry what was the question?

 

[cmcardle75]

Yes I understand all that thanks.
The bit I don’t understand how it works? The power will be continuous taken from the leisure battery to the MH fuse board that people have said to connect solar controller output to because the van systems will be on and all the things we use in them. That means that those cables from the leisure battery are in use with a voltage flowing one way all the time, with a DC system ie 12v power can only flow one way so how does the charge power get back to the battery as it’s trying to flow against what’s flowing out of the battery.

You are mistaken that DC power can only flow one way. A cable to a battery can either take current from the battery to a load, or to the battery from a charger. If you are loading and charging at the same time, the cable will simply carry the difference in current in which ever direction is required.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jako999]

I get it It’s not that the solar is trying to charge the battery it’s actually feeding in MH if there’s not enough solar it will use the battery as well where as if there is to much solar and the MH doesn’t need it all then it will charge the battery

 

[Captain Birdseye]

I see you have a CBE system, with a CBE mains switchboard, a CB516 mains charger, and a DS470 12V Distribution Board.

You should be able to tell which battery is which by measuring the exact voltages. The starter and leisure batteries will probably have slightly different voltages, different enough for you to be able to tell the difference.

Next to the DS470 Distribution Board is a blue box with two big stud terminals. This looks like a shunt resistor. The single thick red wire goes directly to the leisure battery. The other stud is for connecting any other power cable to the leisure battery.

That other stud is where you should connect the solar controller output. Except that it needs a fuse. So you could add another fuseholder and fuse, similar to the ones to the left of the blue box. So, controller leisure battery output to fuse, then fuse to stud. There is probably space on that stud if you are careful.

Note that it is important to connect to the stud on the right, that has several connections already. Not the one on the left with only one wire connected. If you connect to the wrong one then the solar amps won't be measured by the shunt resistor.

Then you want a starter battery connection. I would guess that the 3-terminal busbar under the blue box is the starter battery connection. So that's where you can connect the solar controller starter battery trickle charge feed. Again you need to add a fuse, similar to the ones on the left.

As you say, in a motorhome all the battery and alternator negatives are connected together,and also connected to the main chassis. I can't see an obvious place to connect a negative wire. One possibility is, if you remove the cover of the DS470 there is a big negative stud marked 'GND', next to the two main battery studs and the output stud (B1,OUT and B2).

In case you were wondering, that Schaudt WA 121545 Booster is a DC-DC charger, that takes power from the alternator to charge the leisure battery when the engine is running. It is connected to the starter battery, because the alternator is connected to the starter battery which is also charged when the engine is running. On here a DC-DC charger is usually called a Battery-to-Battery (B2B) charger.

Thanks for the helpful information