Solar question....

Q&A: Stuff to make your trips and camping more comfortable.
User avatar
offroadbiker
Moderator
Posts: 2841
Joined: 25 Jul 2012 08:36
Full Name: Dirk de Clerk
Nickname: ORB
Home Town: Krugersdorp
Current 4x4: Patrol GQ 4.2 ST
Home Language: Afrikaans/English
Location: Krugersdorp
Has thanked: 186 times
Been thanked: 261 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by offroadbiker »

NoPressure wrote: 11 Sep 2019 10:18 I am no expert, but the 1+1 panel is a relatively easy fix.

Put 2 x BH plugs on top of one another. Wire them in parallel with one another - and with one pos. and neg. wire going to your ctek.
Thus, use one plug permanently with rtt solar panel and then when the portable one is setup - plug it into the open BH plug.

I can try and make a drawing of this mental picture of mine?
The only mental in my life is mentally insane :doh: but I think I get the "picture"
Dirk
1996 Nissan Patrol 4.2 ST
Andre_gtr
Full Member
Full Member
Posts: 27
Joined: 20 Oct 2017 15:41
Full Name: Andre Jacobus Strydom
Nickname: Spiedkop
Home Town: utrecht
Current 4x4: ford ranger 3.0
Home Language: Afrikaans
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by Andre_gtr »

I use a mc4 dual connector when running 2x 100w panels on my d250s
download.jpg
download.jpg (6.98 KiB) Viewed 6167 times
User avatar
offroadbiker
Moderator
Posts: 2841
Joined: 25 Jul 2012 08:36
Full Name: Dirk de Clerk
Nickname: ORB
Home Town: Krugersdorp
Current 4x4: Patrol GQ 4.2 ST
Home Language: Afrikaans/English
Location: Krugersdorp
Has thanked: 186 times
Been thanked: 261 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by offroadbiker »

Dirk
1996 Nissan Patrol 4.2 ST
NoPressure
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 201
Joined: 12 Nov 2018 21:39
Full Name: Ruan
Nickname: Ruan
Home Town: Swakopmund
Current 4x4: 2017 Ford Ranger 3.2 D/C 4x4 Auto
2000 Nissan Patrol 4.5 GRX M/T
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 58 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by NoPressure »

Those connectors, though very quick and handy, don't last long when they vibrate and shake over corrugated roads. I have lost two sets like that.

The setup illustrated is also perfect for panels that are either both fixed, or both loose - as the connections demand the panels to be connected to one another permanently. Your plan is to keep them separate most of the time, but connected some of the time?

A quick drawing (no - it wasn't my 3 year old, I'm just in a rush :thumbup: ). The BH plugs have a hole in the middle to adjoin them easy.
Attachments
15682107634981053120700405962841.jpg
15682107634981053120700405962841.jpg (2.52 MiB) Viewed 6141 times
User avatar
offroadbiker
Moderator
Posts: 2841
Joined: 25 Jul 2012 08:36
Full Name: Dirk de Clerk
Nickname: ORB
Home Town: Krugersdorp
Current 4x4: Patrol GQ 4.2 ST
Home Language: Afrikaans/English
Location: Krugersdorp
Has thanked: 186 times
Been thanked: 261 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by offroadbiker »

So I decided on my setup - the way I want it.

Anthony's problem to make it work :rolling:

Current:

C-tek "something" that looks after batteries via 220V when parked in garage.
C-tek 250S currently installed in rear of vehicle(behind back seats) with a Brad Harrison plug accesable through Gull wing.
1x solar pannel currently stored under roofrack - can only be used when standing still and connected to C-tek via 10m extention.

Future:

Install seperate MPPT controler next to C-tek.
Wire up aditional Brad Harrison in Gull wing.
Install 2nd solar pannel on Hard shell rooftop tent - panel to be removable.

Batteries will be charged as follows:
1. When the vehicle is parked - via C-tek smart charger.
2. When vehicle is in use - via the Alternator and C-tek 250S.
3. When vehicle is stationary but not at camp - via solar pannel on rooftop and MPPT.
4. When vehicle is stationary at camp- via both solar pannels connetted parralel and C-tek 250S.

I "think" this would be the optimal use I can get out of the equipment.

For this I only need to buy 1x solar pannel and get Anthony to install it.

As for having 2x different pannels - as long as both is less than 23V, connecting them in parralel I will have ?V = to the smallest V output of the 2 pannels.

Looking at getting a panel from 4x4 direct. 100W / 120W / 150W - space/size available on rooftop will determine which one, they are all 18V
Dirk
1996 Nissan Patrol 4.2 ST
User avatar
Tinus lotz
Moderator
Posts: 7579
Joined: 29 Aug 2010 13:07
Full Name: Tinus lotz
Nickname: Tinus lotz
Home Town: Centurion
Current 4x4: Nissan patrol 4.8 GRX 2005

Toyota 2.7 legend 35 LWB 4X4
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 800 times
Been thanked: 549 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by Tinus lotz »

Put 2 panels in parralel then volage stay the same but current x2
User avatar
offroadbiker
Moderator
Posts: 2841
Joined: 25 Jul 2012 08:36
Full Name: Dirk de Clerk
Nickname: ORB
Home Town: Krugersdorp
Current 4x4: Patrol GQ 4.2 ST
Home Language: Afrikaans/English
Location: Krugersdorp
Has thanked: 186 times
Been thanked: 261 times

Re: Solar question....

Post by offroadbiker »

Tinus lotz wrote: 17 Sep 2019 07:11 Put 2 panels in parralel then volage stay the same but current x2
Yep, that is part of the "camp" setup :salute:
Dirk
1996 Nissan Patrol 4.2 ST
Post Reply

Return to “19. Overlanding/Camping Equipment”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests