Renogy battery monitor

[JeremyG]

I bought a renogy battery monitor (someone here suggested).
It wasn't difficult to set up using a YouTube video tutorial.
There's a set up option where I have to input the
CAP AH
FULL V
ZERO V
Power off V

My EAsun mttp is set to 15v max and 10.5 shut off.
I'm guessing I set this monitor to the same.
But also, how do I know the CAP AH?
I've got 9x 12c batteries.

2x moto master
3x pro point
4x trojan j305h-ac

They're all plugged in parallel. Black to black to black, red to red to red.

So, the battery bank is mix matched of different batteries.

Am I supposed to look at the AH on each battery and add 'em ALL up?

Like, if all the batteries are 100 amp hours x 9 batteries, does that mean 900 amp hours?
Do I input 900 in the CAP AH part of the battery monitor menu?

Thank you for your time and patience with a guy just starting to learn about solar stuff.

 

[Crowz]

I bought a renogy battery monitor (someone here suggested).
It wasn't difficult to set up using a YouTube video tutorial.
There's a set up option where I have to input the
CAP AH
FULL V
ZERO V
Power off V

My EAsun mttp is set to 15v max and 10.5 shut off.
I'm guessing I set this monitor to the same.
But also, how do I know the CAP AH?
I've got 9x 12c batteries.

2x moto master
3x pro point
4x trojan j305h-ac

They're all plugged in parallel. Black to black to black, red to red to red.

So, the battery bank is mix matched of different batteries.

Am I supposed to look at the AH on each battery and add 'em ALL up?

Like, if all the batteries are 100 amp hours x 9 batteries, does that mean 900 amp hours?
Do I input 900 in the CAP AH part of the battery monitor menu?

Thank you for your time and patience with a guy just starting to learn about solar stuff.

Every battery wired in parallel is added up ah wise.

So 2 100ah batteries would be 200ah and 9 100ah batteries in parallel would be 900ah.

 

[JeremyG]

Ok...so I DO have to add up all 9 batteries, and when I have the grand sum, I input that number into the monitor.

EDIT;

There are 2x MOTOMASTER NAUTILUS Group Size 31 Deep Cycle Battery
They both say 100amp hours.

There are 3x pro point deep cycle battery

Then there are 8x J305HG-AC 6V
(But these are plugged in together in series, in 2's so the 8x 6v are actually 4x 12v).
The amp hours on them is confusing (photo attached).

So, 5x batteries (moto master+ pro point at 100 amp hours is 500amp hours).
I don't know how to figure out the amp hours for the j305HG batteries.

Any feedback on that please?

 

[Crowz]

This fits the norm.
20-Hr Rate / 360 Ah to 10-Hr Rate / 331 Ah

Id go with 331 if it was me to have some room.

 

[JeremyG]

My batteries are in the basement.
(Post #3 for details).

The remote plugs into the inverter via a telephone cable.
We have it plugged into our kitchen wall (I know it doesn't look nice, I haven't made time to clean it up).

On a typical morning, it's usually in the high or mid 11's.
By mid day (on a sunny day), it'll climb up to 12-13.
By the end of the day, I'll fall back down to the 11's again.

The 2x moto master batteries are 100ah each.
The 3x pro point batteries are also 100ah each.
I don't understand how to translate the 4x J305HG-AC batteries...so I thought I'd set them as 100ah too.

So, that should be 900ah for all 9x 12v batteries.

They're connected in parallel.

I set the CAP AH in the renogy battery monitor to 900ah.
It's displaying at 11%.

Do I have to leave everything unplugged from the solar set up for some amount of days to let it charge up to 100%?

Or am I doing something wrong?

EDIT:
I should also clarify, on a good, sunny day, I can have my kitchen refrigerator running on solar for 12 hours and my washing machine do a load or two.

I was hoping to do more than charge my phone overnight with the amount of batteries I have.
But...by bed time, the remote shows 11.x

I added a photo of the back of the panel.
There are 3x panels on my front porch.
2x panels on my roof.
They meet each other at the inverter.

 

[mikefitz]

are 8x J305HG-AC 6V

Since capacity is usually calculated at the 20 hour rate, the eight 6v batteries in a 12v bank give a capacity of 4 x 360 = 1440 Ah.
The other two size 31 gives you 200 Ah.
The 3 Pro point, 300Ah
Total in theory , 1940 amp hours.

The real amp hours may be lower depending on battery condition. Having a large number of batteries In parallel of differing types, its possible they are not being charged correctly.

By mid day (on a sunny day), it'll climb up to 12-13

To charge correctly the battery volts needs to reach over 14.6 volts and remain in absorption for two hours minimum . It's possible you have too much battery storage for your charge power.

If the 5 panels, each 230 watts, produce at the rated power, that's 80 amps with a 12v system, actual will be less.
Your batteries dropping to 11 volts are discharged, assuming 5 sun hours a day at the ( unlikely) 80 amps , that's 400 Ah per day.
With 1940 Ah of battery it will take 5 days assuming ideal solar conditions and ideal batteries and no other loads. In real life perhaps twice that.
With an odd assortment of different batteries , age and condition unknown, there could be issues with the battery bank. Suggest you identify which batteries are usable and operate with a smaller battery bank that can be charged within a day.

Note with the Renogy monitor it syncs to 100% SOC when the battery volts reach 'FULL V', so this needs to be set slightly lower than the absorbtion, boost, voltage set in your charger, example, if the charger absorbtion volts is 14.6 volts , set FULL V to 14.4 volts.

 

[JeremyG]

mikefitz

Somehow, I understood all that.
I'll do as you recommend.
I won't plug anything into the solar for 5 days.
I'll let it charge for 5 days and see that the inverter remote screen displays 14.5.
I'll adjust the CAP AH on the monitor to 1940.

Thank you for your feedback and being gentle on beginner at this solar stuff.

 

[Crowz]

Once you know all of the batteries are full you can set it to full in the menu. It will work with that from then on and keep it right. At least thats how mine has worked.

 

[JeremyG]

Thank you Crowz, though short and simple, that makes complete sense.

I'll restrain myself and let them charge.
Thankfully, the days in south Ontario are just starting to get consistently sunny again.