Solar Charger and Panels

[Frederick L. Simson]

I am modifying my battery installation to include the ability to connect Solar Panels for recharging. My Fiber Stream has it's battery box accessable from the front of the trailer through a vented hatch door.




A previous owner added a cord hatch to the access door.
What could this be for?

I think I found a use for it...

[Frederick L. Simson]

I bought a Solar Charge Controller on eBay and installed it to the inside of the access door.



Battery (Red/Black block)
Now I can feed the Solar Panels' wires through the little hatch in the larger access door and connect them to the charge controller next to it and close the door.

Edit Note*
I corrected the errors in my wiring and replaced the photograph and wiring diagram.
Thank you, Gina!

[Frederick L. Simson]

While I was at it, I made the Battery Wires long enough to set the battery on the ground while it is connected to make servicing easier.

[Chester Taje]

I like that hatch idea.

[Gina D.]

Fred, are you running your car charge line into the controller?

If so, you will damage the controller. It can not handle that type of current.

Never plug anything into the input of a solar charge controller but a solar panel.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Fred, are you running your car charge line into the controller?

If so, you will damage the controller. It can not handle that type of current.

Never plug anything into the input of a solar charge controller but a solar panel.

OK. I will change that.

[Gina D.]

from the owners manual from one of my units, but I have seen the same for others

OTHER CHARGING SOURCES: Do not use the ASC to regulate a power source other
than a photovoltaic panel, such as a hydro or wind generator/alternator or an AC battery
charger. To do so could result in damage to the ASC and/or the generating equipment
because the ASC regulates charging by short circuiting the input. Connect other
charging sources directly to the battery.
The ASC and array can remain connected to a battery that is being charged by an
additional source, (alternator, battery charger, etc.) without damage to the controller or
solar panels.

This also explains how the unit cuts off. Would hate to see what happens when your alternator or battery has a dead short underway.

[Brian B-P]

My solar panel charge controller doesn't short the input like Gina's (it just opens a relay) so it wouldn't be a problem in that respect, but I agree that connecting the power from the tow vehicle on the output/battery side of the controller rather than the input/panel side would be a good idea anyway - the tow vehicle does its own regulation.

Slick setup, Frederick!

[Pete Dumbleton]

Yep, the battery should be the common point for all charging arrangements that I know of (Converter, battery charger, battery maintainer, generator, tow vehicle, solar and hamster in a wheel).

[Frederick L. Simson]

I purchased the solar panels from Harbor Freight.

[Frederick L. Simson]

It comes with a rather large charge controller that I am not going to use in the trailer, since I have already installed one inside the battery compartment of the Fiber Stream.

I did buy 2 extra items:

72" x 1.5" Aluminum Piano Hinge
12' of 3/4" diameter Yellow Heat Shrink Tube.

I cut the Piano Hinge into two 3' pieces.

I had to carefully drill offset screw holes in both the hinge and the edge of the Panels' aluminum frame so not to damage the glass part of the panel. I attached the 3 panels together, with the hinges facing opposite directions. Then I bundled the wires together into 1 cable with the heat shrink.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Now the panels stow compactly. I show them folded, along with the collapsed angled mounting frame:




My next project will be to build a carrying case, or box, to store them in.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I open the panels and assemble the frame:

[Frederick L. Simson]

... and lay the panels into the frame. There are pins in the frame that fit into receiving holes in the back of the panels.

[Frederick L. Simson]

And then I connect the panels to the charge controller.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Now I close the battery box, and Wa-La!

[Gina D.]

Looks good!

[Lizbeth]

OMG Fred it's a thing of beauty! You'll have to let us know how those panels work. I've looked at them several times but didn't have the spare change. They seemed like a great deal but like you I thought the controller was heavy and big and the included lites were "interesting".

How much do the panels by themselves weigh?

[Frederick L. Simson]

How much do the panels by themselves weigh?

30 pounds together; 10 pounds each How did you know I'd weigh them?

[Darren C]

Does anyone use (READ : do I need) a fuse and/or ground for a 12V solar system? It feeds a 100Ah deep cycle marine battery.

Also, while I'm on the subject, how do I check the ground on my 120V plug-in?