Recent content by ericbakuladavis

Eric Bretscher wrote that such a table can be generated with interpolation. On the page linked below, there's a heading "Charge Termination Condition" under which an explanation and a table are given: https://nordkyndesign.com/charging-marine-lithium-battery-banks/

Hi @Smokin ... That's an interesting theory as to why the battery seemed stuck at 13.6. I may try to measure this. How does the following plan sound? 1. Disconnect the charge controller wires from the battery 2. With the charge controller on, measure the voltage across them where they would...

Thanks @mikefitz ... The article by Eric Bretscher was largely over my head, but I learned some things from it anyhow. I actually have no idea how my charge controller decides when to stop charging. At this point, I'm trying to figure that out through observation. I believe this. I'm now...

Hi @mikefitz - Thanks for sharing this. Is there a formula for calculating the current that indicates full charge for a given voltage limit?

I have two 200W panels for a total of 400W. I'll edit the original post for clarity. OK! This is interesting. I'll have to watch out for this falling current. It seems that if I see the current fall as the battery voltage approaches the limit I have set in the charge controller, it means the...

It's probably doing 20 - 25 amps for at least 3 hrs a day I would imagine. I've only been there to see it stay at 13.6V for 10 min or so. When I saw the voltage seemingly stay constant, I got concerned and shut off the panels. I think the battery monitor is reading correctly so I believe you've...

Hi All I'm a newbie and hoping to better understand my LifePO4 battery and charge controller. System Basics: 400W PV Array (Two 200W 12V panels wired in series) 60A MakeSkyBlue MPPT charger 200AH 12V LiFePO4 Battery Inverter + Trailer Loads System Details...

Yes. I believe gnubie linked to a thread with that video 5 posts up.

Your thoughts on standards and brands are appreciated. However I am more interested in the concept of non-polarized breakers in general. Can using non-polarized breakers eliminate the dangers and complexities of polarized breakers (such as those considered by @Hedges above)? I didn't read the...

What about using non-polarized circuit breakers like this one? Is it non polarized because it doesn't have an arc chute (a.k.a. arc extinguisher, snuffer comb, etc.)? Is it important to have an arc chute? I read somewhere that the arc chute is designed to minimize damage to contacts, but that...

Hmm... The Amazon page for my battery indicates it has 8 cells, not 4... Does that change any of your recommendations, @Hedges?

Nice! I'm thinking I could keep the amps in that range by using 1 panel. Seems possible. I'll do some research into the battery... Battery manual has its own chart. Interesting... Might need to think about getting a different charge controller. But first, I'll try lowering the "highest...

A big Thank You, @Hedges, for digging deep to help me It looks like I can set the "highest charging voltage" (D02). Right now it's at 14.5. Charge controller manual says Overcharge Protection Voltage - 12V Bat: 15V Battery manual recommended charge controller settings says Over Voltage...

Hi Folks I'm a solar newbie and recently setup my 1st system. I have been monitoring my battery's state of charge (using resting voltage at first, and later, a battery monitor). I manually shut off the solar panels when my battery gets close to full because I am not confident that the charge...

Interesting idea. Thanks for sharing that. Gotcha. Thanks. I'm afraid the hot negative scenario you described is a bit beyond me as I believe I am lacking in some basic electrical understanding. But disconnecting 2 wires instead of 1 for safety makes sense intuitively. Anyhow, I appreciate...