Newbie signing in. Need a little help

[kegnkiwi]

Good morning,

I recently bought a 120w kit from the big online retailer for a cheap price. When the kit arrived basically none of the components matched and it really was not good. I asked to return it to them and then basically gave me a refund and was told to keep the the kit. Anyway, the panel turned out to be a 80w or so the decal says and p/v 17.25v. The panel came with jumper clips so I've cut these off and soldered in 2.5mm house cable which then runs to a 30am controller. The controller only had dc barrel inputs and outputs so I have to buy the connectors rated at 10amp but the wires on them were really small and I don't think up to the job. Any just for testing i soldered them in and the the controller lite up. I did the same on the output and soldered to further 2.5mm wires. These go down to 4 x 6v leisure batteries (used) as 2 x 12v. So my problem is all i am trying to do is charge the batteries (trojan t105) Currently only 2 x 6v at a time. so if the power goes i can connect a 2000w modified sign wave inverter and have power. This is just a project to fill my time. I am on grid and have no intentions of going off grid any time soon. I am not sure how to use the controller as the instructions are rubish and i have just bought another 30amp controller with screw terminal inputs to take out the dc barrel input from the system.

What i am trying to do is increase the voltage to the batteries to get them to charge. I have had them on for days and they seem to be holding at around 12.3v.

 

[timselectric]

This might be all that your setup is capable of.
Does your charge controller have adjustable voltage settings?
Are you also drawing power out, at the same time?

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Anyway, the panel turned out to be a 80w or so the decal says and p/v 17.25v.

Is that the open circuit voltage on the panel? Any markings on the charge controller to identify what it is? It's likely a PWM controller, but just to make sure. An 80W panel even in ideal circumstances won't give you much...

 

[kegnkiwi]

Here are a couple of photos. This is what arrived and why i was sending it back But i got it for free.

 

[kegnkiwi]

This might be all that your setup is capable of.
Does your charge controller have adjustable voltage settings?
Are you also drawing power out, at the same time?

I'm not taking any power out.

 

[Mattb4]

Do you have a DMM? You really need one if not. What you want to do is to check the output of your panel by measuring voltage while not connected to anything else with panel in full sunlight. It should be around 20-22vDC. You could also do a short circuit current test if you know how that is done. There are several videos on the 'net that can show the process.

Understand that even if your panels (and the wiring connections are all correct) you will not gain much in the way of battery charging. A 80w panel likely will only produce 60w which gives 5a of charge to a 12vDC battery.

 

[kegnkiwi]

Do you have a DMM? You really need one if not. What you want to do is to check the output of your panel by measuring voltage while not connected to anything else with panel in full sunlight. It should be around 20-22vDC. You could also do a short circuit current test if you know how that is done. There are several videos on the 'net that can show the process.

Understand that even if your panels (and the wiring connections are all correct) you will not gain much in the way of battery charging. A 80w panel likely will only produce 60w which gives 5a of charge to a 12vDC battery.

Yes i do have dmm. I will test the panel over the weekend if we ever get any sun here. Its been raining most days ever since i put panel on the garage roof. I take a look about about short cuircuit test. I do remember that when i first powered up the controller without the batteries installed the controller was showing something like 15v and upwards. I only had it on for a moment.

 

[kegnkiwi]

So have got from work tonight and its still gray and cloudy. I have disconnected the dc connector input into the charge controller and it is being fed with 17.6v The batteries are showing as 12.5v from the controller but i have just tested the batteries with a hydrometer and they are showing at about 75% at the moment. Its is a improvement from the last time i tested them so something positive is working i believe.

On these charge controller does anyone know what battery 606 in the display usually means?

 

[RV8R]

120W kit with a 80W panel ?

Glad you got your money back. I am not familiar with this “now” free to you equipment you are messing with, so can’t be of much help.

When I started out 2017 with Solar I bought an all in one kit 100W Coleman kit. It really just taught me not to “cheap out”, but it did get me interested in Solar & Batteries.

Have fun with it !!

 

[Mattb4]

So have got from work tonight and its still gray and cloudy. I have disconnected the dc connector input into the charge controller and it is being fed with 17.6v The batteries are showing as 12.5v from the controller but i have just tested the batteries with a hydrometer and they are showing at about 75% at the moment. Its is a improvement from the last time i tested them so something positive is working i believe.

On these charge controller does anyone know what battery 606 in the display usually means?

If you are getting some charging that is good. Do understand not to connect your PV to the SCC until the battery is connected first, nor disconnect battery before disconnecting PV. Also understand the specifications of the solar panel. Voc, Vmp, Isc and Imp all have specific meanings as it relates to what the panel can produce.

I do not know the significance of Bat 606 display. Unless it is to do with no battery connected but PV is.

 

[kegnkiwi]

The controller seems like a pretty standard controller that i can find on amazon. I think i got the code wrong as i found some type of manual on the internet and it looks like its 601. By changing this setting it just shows a battery but with no charge in it. I was wondering if you need to change this to charge completely dead batteries. The controller is similar but not exactly the same.

RV8R i bought the kit off of the store mentioned above but i think they were just drop shippers. When i sent the picture in the link above they first offered me 20% discount which i refused. They then offered me refund, i asked where the equipment was to be shipped to, they told me to keep it. With regards to the batteries i work for a plant sales company in the service team. When an engineer goes to site companies like to replace their batteries even if one is just dead. We sometimes get some 6v deep cycle batteries that are ok. I get to take those home if i want them. I've currently got 4 here.

 

[Mattb4]

OK, it is not 601 (2,3) it is B 01 for battery type Sealed lead acid, B 02 for Gel and B 03 for FLA. You select the appropriate one in the menu

BTW you would not use your SCC to charge completely dead batteries as it violates the battery must be connected first rule. Dead batteries will not properly power on the SCC.

 

[kegnkiwi]

OK, it is not 601 (2,3) it is B 01 for battery type Sealed lead acid, B 02 for Gel and B 03 for FLA. You select the appropriate one in the menu

BTW you would not use your SCC to charge completely dead batteries as it violates the battery must be connected first rule. Dead batteries will not properly power on the SCC.

Ah well mine has picked up as seal lead acid but they are fla. I will about possibly changing it. I've just been an had a look it i change it to b03 the battery indicator goes blank and the settings in the system go way out. I think i'll leave it as b01.

 

[RV8R]

The controller seems like a pretty standard controller that i can find on amazon. I think i got the code wrong as i found some type of manual on the internet and it looks like its 601. By changing this setting it just shows a battery but with no charge in it. I was wondering if you need to change this to charge completely dead batteries. The controller is similar but not exactly the same.

RV8R i bought the kit off of the store mentioned above but i think they were just drop shippers. When i sent the picture in the link above they first offered me 20% discount which i refused. They then offered me refund, i asked where the equipment was to be shipped to, they told me to keep it. With regards to the batteries i work for a plant sales company in the service team. When an engineer goes to site companies like to replace their batteries even if one is just dead. We sometimes get some 6v deep cycle batteries that are ok. I get to take those home if i want them. I've currently got 4 here.

View attachment 159646

Looks like you are sorting it out ?.

MPPT Controller ( my Victron needs battery voltage plus 5 volts to start ~ 18 volts ,,, your panel probably would not start my Solar charger ). Your multi - meter will tell you lots.

The seller either does not know what they are selling, or are deceptive on purpose. If they don’t know, then they might not know if the panel & charger play nice together. Your “manual” shows a few models ,, which one is yours ?

If your batteries 2 - 6 volts in series are too dead, I do not know if the charger will be able to start. Cool that you get free used 6 volt batteries.

I have been thinking of buying a power supply with user adjustable volts / amps as a test bench & supervised bench charger. Mostly to mess around with the odd battery. Not sure what product is good for that use, but that might be something that will also interest you ,,, if the sun is not cooperating with your 80W panel. Could also revive a dead battery as many automatic battery charger/conditioners can’t read a low volt battery & revive. Usually if a battery has been abused or old they are not able to breath new life into them.

 

[SamDeleted]

Here are a couple of photos. This is what arrived and why i was sending it back But i got it for free.

That's not bad kit considering you got it for free !

 

[SamDeleted]

6v deep cycle batteries

Out of interest are they sealed gel/AGM batteries, or are they flooded lead acid ?

 

[kegnkiwi]

Out of interest are they sealed gel/AGM batteries, or are they flooded lead acid ?

Flooded wet batteries Trojan t105 X 2 and 2 x us batt 2200. I'm only charging 2 x at the moment but when they are topped up I'll connect them all together.

 

[kegnkiwi]

Looks like you are sorting it out ?.

MPPT Controller ( my Victron needs battery voltage plus 5 volts to start ~ 18 volts ,,, your panel probably would not start my Solar charger ). Your multi - meter will tell you lots.

The seller either does not know what they are selling, or are deceptive on purpose. If they don’t know, then they might not know if the panel & charger play nice together. Your “manual” shows a few models ,, which one is yours ?

If your batteries 2 - 6 volts in series are too dead, I do not know if the charger will be able to start. Cool that you get free used 6 volt batteries.

I have been thinking of buying a power supply with user adjustable volts / amps as a test bench & supervised bench charger. Mostly to mess around with the odd battery. Not sure what product is good for that use, but that might be something that will also interest you ,,, if the sun is not cooperating with your 80W panel. Could also revive a dead battery as many automatic battery charger/conditioners can’t read a low volt battery & revive. Usually if a battery has been abused or old they are not able to breath new life into them.

I've actually already got a bench power supply I've got a 10amp kaiweets. My last set of batteries just got two low and and even putting 8amp in I could not recover them. The batteries I have not are not flat they were about 25% but they are recovering.

 

[SamDeleted]

Flooded wet batteries Trojan t105 X 2 and 2 x us batt 2200. I'm only charging 2 x at the moment but when they are topped up I'll connect them all together.

Should serve you well so long as you look after them correctly