Search results

Set up your solar panels in two strings of 500 watts each in a 5s2p configuration, that's 64 volts (12.8x5), and two 40amp Mppt controllers in parallel. If you calculate your amperage, you now have 7.8 amps instead of 83. You can run that with a suitable 20 amp extension cord. The MPPTs will...

Good questions, all, and I'm interested in the answers because I plan to have my Victron charging off my 2nd alternator while driving with the solar panels on the roof charging via the MPPT controllers simultaneously during the day if I use the overhead 15,000 BTU A\C. Everyone I've queried so...

I'm old, retired, and on a budget; buy what you can afford that works for you; there's no shame in that. Ingenuity is cobbling together something cool out of bits and pieces on a limited budget and being satisfied with the results. :cool:

I thought this might interest some; Perovskite solar cells might revolutionize collecting our energy from our power plant in the sky. Now, of course, nobody has any idea as yet when they will be commercially available, but I'm going to guess that we're going to be hearing more about them within...

You can't fight human nature, and when you try, it fails because it is what it is; live with it or go crazy.

Good one!

A fury tree rodent with a cute fluffy tail, and no matter how hard one tries to keep them out of his (or hers) bird feeder, they always win.

Never apologize; it defeats one's sincerity. If someone gets upset, it is what it is.

I bought Chins 12-volt 200ah batteries for $600 each, and the 100ah batteries were $315 on Amazon. We have a Chins rep running a thread on the forums; here's the link: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/chins-battery-introduction.26787/ Will, who created this board, did a teardown of the 100ah...

I'd re-phrase your question in the BMS Forum Section:

Do the 2p8s and get a 200 amp BMS. This way, all you need is one BMS. What are you trying to power with a 6kW inverter? You're going to need a lot more battery. I have 24.8v @ 400ah and have a Giandel 24.8v 4kW inverter; divide that out, and you get 162 amps wide open.

LoL, good answer, short and to the point. :cool:

Good answers. A tip from an old engineer, a rule of thumb is 1.7 hp per 1kW of power when sizing generators to a specific load. Therefore a one hp pump requires approximately .7 kW to operate.

It's doable, but not sure the ends justify the means. Your belt runs the alt, h2o pump, and power steering pump. You can run an electric h2o pump, but that's an issue unless you want to do away with power steering. A good way to test your actual load on the battery is to hook up a shunt on the...

Why?

From what I understand, the higher the resistance, the longer the precharge time. I'm just trying to avoid sparks when hooking the inverter to the battery bank.

What's the best resistor for pre-charging my inverter when connecting it to the battery bank; 400ah at 24VDC, 100ohms, or bigger?

I assume those are 12-volt fridges? They should have the amp/wattage draw on a label somewhere or in the manual under specifications. I looked into 12-volt fridges, and most use very little current. Being top loaders, you save from not having all of the cold air dump out when you open a door...

Hey, when I replace my vents, I do the same thing; it lasts where lap sealant doesn't. Also, when I pulled the J-Rails off the roof to the sidewall joint, I went back with the 4-inch tape folded over the seam and then replaced the J-Rail over it.

I wish OP would clarify the 320ah figure; that's a lot of amps/hour; dang, what are we running, a sawmill? @Soggy Man Jokin, of course. Alternator charging while driving with solar during daylight hours work well for me because I like to travel. I'm only limited by how much money I have for...

@Dzl And, I've seen 2200 watt inverter generators on Amazon for $499 when all else fails. Necessity is the mother of invention. :cool:

All of that being said, and from the information provided, here's my $.02's worth. He's going to be driving most of the time. Sounds like a job for an alternator-driven charging system. When stopped for some sleep, and a 120AC socket available, a good high amperage 12-volt DC charger (Aims)...

Well, 400ah is a reasonably large battery bank for a van. Edit: Maybe instead of 350ah, you meant 350wh, which equates to around 30 amps, which sounds more right.

@eXodus LoL, Eternabond Tape, the Duct tape of the RV world. Only a fellow RV'er would notice that.

You might want to make that clear, I simply answered a question, and it was on topic. What's your problem? No reason to be rude.

Glad I read this one; I'm looking at a DC to DC for my RV.

With solar, alternator, and a battery charger, they come in 24-volt too. They make 12to 24-volt DC to DC charges for alternator charging. Victron has a good one 12 or 24-volt self-sensing. Buck converters are cheap. I go with adjustable, and yes, you can run slides. I've seen bucks at 90 amps...

Anyone in business right now knows how hard it is to hire people, and the real problem is finding those with skills and work ethic. For this reason, have patience as long as they're trying. Just saying.

Unless you're mounting a solar panel on your dog or cat, I would think it off-topic. I tried, but my cat didn't go for it; go figure.

Some folks like an automatic transmission, and some folks like a stick shift.

@eXodus I made terrains for computer gaming maps using satellite photographs by converting them into 3-D grey scale height maps. I raised boys, so I was a gamer/game modder and more so the latter. I used Autodesk 3D Studio Max, now 3DS Max, as I already used Autodesk AutoCAD as an engineer. I...

Can you adjust for wind speed direction and pavement type?

@Prefersdirt I'm with you. I live in Texas, Houston to be exact, and yeah, that was a rude awaking, and on Valentines' too. I was in the hood, a poor section, and we were without power for five and a half days; it was below freezing and snowing for two. I could get around in my WJ Jeep if I...

Now, that's interesting. And yeah, the first ones will be expensive, but if they catch on then, competition and innovation will bring prices down. You could make your own by buying the flexible panels and attaching them to your awning to where the panels and associated wiring rolled up with it...

My question has been answered, as I wanted to know what type of Sprinter the OP had. I work on RVs as a side income because my SSI retirement income doesn't cut it some months. I know the differences. I was trying to visualize his battery box.