MojoRisen
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Post by MojoRisen on Sept 15, 2016 14:15:41 GMT -8
I have purchased the Progressive Dynamics 4045 distribution panel. I plan on using solar to replenish my battery.
Can I hook up my solar panel, which does have a controller included, directly to my PD panel for handling my recharging through it's recharging controller?
Or do I just hookup directly to the batteries.
Zamping said I can hook their panel to the PD panel, and the PD controller would handle the power provided to recharge the batteries and all my dc power needs inside the trailer. Zamping provides a side wall mount that has the 6 gauge wiring for the hookup, battery intended, but in my case power to the PD 4045 panel.
I need to contact PD about where the positive and negative wires go on their panel from the side amount.
Has anyone got input about this or experienced this issue?
Thanks!
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Sept 15, 2016 18:20:03 GMT -8
Very good question and I'm not going to answer it for you. I have Zamp solar panels, too. I have always connected them directly to my battery with my inverter connected too and never had a problem but I have not used them since I have a converter/charger connected to my battery. I never really thought about it, I had just planned on connecting them to my battery.
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gary350
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We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
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Post by gary350 on Oct 8, 2016 13:38:49 GMT -8
Lead acid car batteries are self controlling, you do not need to buy a controller. I have 135 watts of solar panels connected directly to a car battery. I never connect the DC to AC inverter to the battery until I am ready to use it. We live in the East 1/2 of the USA we camp where there are trees the solar panels are worthless in shade. Now i leave the solar panels at home and make sure the battery is charged before we go camping. With the invention of battery LED lights we do not use the car battery for lights. I have a Coleman stove so I don't need the battery to cook. I have an old 1960 coffee pot do not need electricity for coffee either. We don't need electricity for anything so now the battery stays home too. We don't need electricity for 25 degree weather either we have 14 quilts and blankets on the bed we stay warm as toast.
If you camp where there is SUN use the solar panels.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Oct 24, 2016 8:34:00 GMT -8
I'm late, but maybe this will help anyway. According to the manual (pdf link near bottom of page: www.progressivedyn.com/all_in_one_pd4000.html), there are no 12v inputs, only outputs. And it doesn't mention solar at all. I would think of it and solar as two completely separate charging systems, to be used separately. So if your panel already has a controller, hook it right to the battery. If it doesn't, get a controller, and hook that right to the battery. You can only go without a controller if you're using very little solar, without damaging your battery. The formula I found was Battery AH * 2% * Vmp = Panel Wattage, where Vmp is the voltage at which the panel produces its maximum power (should be on panel label). If its a "12v" panel it's probably around 16-18v. So for a typical 90AH Group 27 battery, the max solar you should use with no controller is 90 x .02 x 18 = 32.4 watts. But I'd use a controller anyway. The system also needs some sort of blocking diode to prevent the solar panel from draining the battery during the night. A controller will have one, and some panels have them, but you need to know. You can probably run both solar and converter at the same time without damaging anything, but they will push against each other, and probably lessen efficiency. You don't mention what kind of battery you have, but wet batteries can only be kept at about 90% charged by most converters while in use, due to the less-than-optimum voltages. To get them fully charged the converter's got to be on for a long time after you get home. Good luck! |
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