I got some solar panels from my daughter when they upgraded. These are 255w, 36v, 7a panels about 7 years old. They were going to pitch them so I took them. My first attempt at solar was to install an automatic gate at my farm. I bought a Mighty Mule single gate opener (571, I think). I connected one solar panel to a Renogy ROVER LI 40 AMP MPPT SOLAR CHARGE CONTROLLER. I output that to a 12v deep cycle flooded battery and connect the load to the controller. It is all wired together with 10awg strained wire.
Everything works well when the sun is out. However, when I get out to the farm in the morning before the sun is up, I have to push the clicker between 3 and 12 times to get the gate to open. The opener beeps when I push the clicker but for the first several times the gate doesn’t move. Then it finally opens.
The controller is set to use the battery whenever necessary, i.e., absence of sunlight. Everything seems to check out. The solar panel voltage is to spec. The controller says the battery is 100%. Btw: I have connected two other solar panels to a 24v system that runs a little heater for a while at night.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. —Mike Maloney, Cateechee SC
Everything works well when the sun is out. However, when I get out to the farm in the morning before the sun is up, I have to push the clicker between 3 and 12 times to get the gate to open. The opener beeps when I push the clicker but for the first several times the gate doesn’t move. Then it finally opens.
The controller is set to use the battery whenever necessary, i.e., absence of sunlight. Everything seems to check out. The solar panel voltage is to spec. The controller says the battery is 100%. Btw: I have connected two other solar panels to a 24v system that runs a little heater for a while at night.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. —Mike Maloney, Cateechee SC