Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #25 – October 05, 2017, 05:11:02 pm Quote from: traveler1291925 - October 05, 2017, 04:47:32 pmGood news, the fuse up top was blown; bad news, the controller still shows zero charging current:What's left besides the controller being bad? Am I missing something? Is there another fuse hiding somewhere?There should be no other fuses.I would assume, at this point, the controller is also burned out. Your LD has a very old controller, the Heliotrope controller isn't produced or wanted anymore since it isn't a PWM controller.Here is inexpensive controller that I have installed before.Go Power GPM-30For better installations, I like the Sky Blue 3000iAmazon.com: 12V/30A 400W MPPT Solar Boost 3000i Solar Charge Controller...For sealing the panel's feet, almost any polyurethane will be fine, along with Dicor roof sealant.Larry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #26 – October 05, 2017, 05:33:58 pm I have the Blue Sky 3000i and like it very much; it's full-featured (enough for my uses, anyway!), reliable, offers clear readouts, and can be programmed. Blue Sky Energy Inc. | Solar Boost 3000iAn additional suggestion is to consider installing a multi-stage converter, if you don't already have one. See the Progressive Dynamics website. 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #27 – October 05, 2017, 07:18:08 pm "bad news, the controller still shows zero charging current"I'd call that a blessing in disguise. ;-) Go with the Blue Sky controller Larry recommended. You'll get more power without having to install more panels. 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #28 – October 06, 2017, 02:40:07 am Hi Lance. As far as the Trojan dealer that did this...Putting batteries in backwards even for a few milliseconds can destroy lots of electronics. They should be on the hook for a new controller. Someone used to working on boats, should be able to work on a Lazy Daze. The controller reads the voltage across a shunt resistor to measure current flow. Possibly just the shunt is bad. A resistor at about .01 ohms, usually in the grounded side of the panels power leads. The panels nominal voltage is 12vdc each, so they are hooked in parallel. I would suspect that both panels, each have a fuse and that both would be blown. Be unplugged, no generator, and slightly discharged batteries with some lights on, and then you could try hooking the PV (photovoltaic) leads directly to the batteries (+ to +), (ground to ground) and use the RV-30S to read the voltage on the batteries and see if the voltage starts going up (batteries charging. (yes to sunlight) If you have a meter that can read current in the 10 amp range you could put that in series to to see if you get a reasonable charging current. If you do, then a new controller should fix the problem. Repairing it would be a waste of time, maybe you could get a used but good one somewhere but newer controllers are far superior now. Trojan should pay for this. RonB 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #29 – October 06, 2017, 12:26:18 pm Quote from: traveler1291925 - October 05, 2017, 04:47:32 pmWhat's left besides the controller being bad? Am I missing something? Is there another fuse hiding somewhere?-LanceIf you have an ammeter capable of 10A or more in your DVM, switch and connect to that mode, and with sun on the panels, connect the leads from the panels across the ammeter. This will short the panels, and give you their current 'short-circuit current' output. If this is done near noon, with no shadowing and shade, it will be the maximum current you can expect from the panels this time of year. Shorting the panels indefinitely will not damage them, and is why fusing is considered irrelevant. Also, as they are diodes by nature, reverse voltage will rarely affect them either.If you read no current, the panels have been damaged, even if they have a voltage output measurement. If the reading is good, replace the charge controller.Steve 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #30 – October 06, 2017, 12:57:46 pm For all the folks who think that fuses are needed between the panel(s) and the controller, remember that fuses are used to protect the wiring from more current than it can safely handle. Since a 100 W solar panel will normally produce no more than 6 Amps, a fuse would normally only be needed if the cable to the controller was not capable of safely carrying 6 amps. This would be 18 or 20 AWG wire. Even 2 100 watt panels (12 Amps max) it would be 14 AWG. Since almost no one wires their panels with such small gauge wire (12 or 10 AWG seems to be pretty standard) fuses do little good, but since every connection has losses, can do harm, as we try our best to limit losses between the panel and controller. On the other hand, a fuse IS required between the controller and the battery and should be located as close as possible to the battery as current from the battery would certainly be larger than any wire size we would be using there. So, limit losses, forget about those panel fuses, I have no idea why LD ever put them in there.Rich...Birch Bay, WA....former 2000 MB now small Bullet Crossfire trailer
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #31 – October 07, 2017, 04:09:44 pm Thanks for the tip to read short circuit current to confirm that the panels are still good. They are! Full 5 amps in the sun and easily lit a 12 V light bulb. I was ready for good news. I plan to reuse the same (BP 85 watt) panels but replace the damaged Heliotrope with a new Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i. I was told the the exiting over-temp sensor is not compatible with the Solar Boost 3000i, which raises wiring questions.Do you have to run all new wire? If so, I will be quite challenged finding a route for the new wire. Can you splice new connectors and sensors to the existing wiring?Thanks, Lance (all this helpful info is great!)
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #32 – October 07, 2017, 05:01:15 pm Quote from: traveler1291925 - October 07, 2017, 04:09:44 pmI was told the the exiting over-temp sensor is not compatible with the Solar Boost 3000i, which raises wiring questions.Do you have to run all new wire? If so, I will be quite challenged finding a route for the new wire. Can you splice new connectors and sensors to the existing wiring?I believe the temperature sensors are thermistors, the wire is just a connection, so yes, the you should be able to be spliced the new sensor into the old wiring. after removing the old sensor.I would solder the splices.Larry 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #33 – October 26, 2017, 11:45:21 pm PROGRESS UPDATE: I've taken up the old panels, replaced the fuse, and reinstalled the panels...with adaptations. I retained the use of a fuse on the roof but made it much more accessible. And I adapted the panel mounts. Now you can access the fuse by removing 6 screws on a junction box from AMSOLAR called a "combiner box. If ever the panels need to be taken up again they can be removed by unbolting 6 bolts, without disturbing the feet where they attach to the roof. No more cutting through sealant. The bad news is today I removed the Heliotrope controller from the wall to install the new BLUE SKY SB 3000i MPPT controller and it doesn't fit the original cutout in the wall. Rationale for keeping the fuse: I agree a fuse isn't necessary to protect the panels from a normal short circuit but, since it did blow in my case, it apparently serves a protective purpose in the catastrophic event that someone every installs the house batteries backwards again. I my case, when Batteries Exchange installed new Trojan T-105's backwards, several fuses protected the RV equipment. The main DC 30amp fuse in the fuse panel blew protecting the converter system, the fuse between the house batteries and the truck engine system blew protecting the Ford stuff under the hood, and of course, the solar panel fuse blew. The only piece of equipment the didn't make it was the solar charging controller. The last hurdle, how to make the Blue Sky 3000i fit. PHOTOS: On Google Drive - SOLAR PANEL PROJECT 2 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #34 – October 27, 2017, 03:03:19 am Quote from: traveler1291925 - October 26, 2017, 11:45:21 pmThe bad news is today I removed the Heliotrope controller from the wall to install the new BLUE SKY SB 3000i MPPT controller and it doesn't fit the original cutout in the wall.The last hurdle, how to make the Blue Sky 3000i fit.Check this photo to see how I solved this problem, using the old controller's face plate.Sky Blue 3000i | Top of original opening needs to be raised … | FlickrSky Blue 3000i solar controller | FlickrBlue Sky makes a cover plate for your application, to cover the area of wood that needs to be removed.Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000iLarry 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #35 – October 27, 2017, 09:00:19 am The 3000i in my 2003 TK (no space behind the controller as it backs on to the refrigerator) was installed before the face plate was available, so AM Solar crafted a mitered-corner 'box' from 1/4" X 1 1/2" birch. The box is subtle, blends in well, and doesn't look at all like a kludge to compensate for not having a face plate. 2 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #36 – December 27, 2017, 11:25:15 am Quote from: Steve - September 28, 2017, 05:57:03 pmIf this is a LD with factory panels, the build may includes fuses in the junction box (es) on the roof. If this is the case, and the fuses are blown, you can safely bypass them. They are not needed. SteveHey guys, I've read this a few places, and agree based on the self limiting aspect of a solar panel, but I had a question about the controller with regard to this. Not sure if all say this, but the 3000i manual says to connect the PV leads only after the battery leads, and goes as far as to say if disconnecting the battery, to disconnect the panel leads prior to doing so... Does anyone actually do this, or know what blue sky is concerned about? I figured at the least a fuse might be good as a switch, but I don't really see a convenient place to put one in the midbath...
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #37 – January 13, 2018, 07:10:40 pm Just a grab from the manual regarding the above post...
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #38 – January 14, 2018, 10:20:40 am Yes, I disconnect the PV's before disconnecting the batteries. I have a 10- way marine fuse block next to the charge controller and fuses on the roof. The 10-way fuse block is wired to provide a main fuse and 4 auxiliary loads including the charge controller and 5 fuse switches for PV connections to the charge controller. Then I pull the PV fuses before pulling the charge controller fuse and/or the main buss fuses.
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #39 – January 14, 2018, 11:40:52 am Thanks. Mainly I've been trying to think of a good place in the midbath for a switch upstream of the controller, and how bad I really need one. Being that the leads go right from the roof the the interior of the cabinet, it doesn't seem like there is a good place for an accessible switch. I've just been using towels on the panels for now when I have to temp disconnect the batteries... 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #40 – January 14, 2018, 03:27:15 pm Mc nugget,Would an in line 30 amp ATI fuse holder in the upper Cabinet do the trick?
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #41 – February 20, 2018, 09:40:11 pm UPDATE -- ALL DONE: Several of you helped us work through the solar panel problem we had. We had to take a long break in the middle of the project for family needs, and just got back to it. Now everything is wrapped up and done. The panels work great, and everything checks out a-okay. We love the new controller (Blue Sky Solar Boost 3000i). AM Solar in Oregon is a great resource if you're having any solar issues. They sent me everything I needed to successfully fix the problem and improve the set-up.1. There is now an access point to get to the solar panel fuse without having to remove the panels. AM Solar has a great solution for making the fuse accessible--a junction box that they call a "combiner box" that holds the panel wiring and the fuse. Lift its lid and everything you need is right there.2. The new Blue Sky controller is mounted in the same hole that the original controller was in. I had to peel back the Naugahyde to widen the cutout and re-glue it before screwing in the new controller but it looks fine, like it came that way.3. AM SOLAR had all the right sealants for replacing the panels on the roof so the feet are sealed well. (I didn't have to disturb the factory penetration allowing the wiring from the panels down into the coach, only had to worry about the panel feet.)4. The new over-temp heat sensor is an improvement. The old one was mounted on the back wall of the battery compartment. The new one is mounted directly on the battery.5. The new controller looks like it will keep the batteries charged fine when the RV is in storage as long as the sun can get to the panels. The plus side of having to go through all this is that now we have a much better solar panel setup. It all started when we put new batteries in because we were getting the Lazy Daze ready to sell, and as these things often go, it was more involved than we expected.Thanks to all you experts out there that provided such helpful information and support to get Barb and I through this.-Lance and Barb 2 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #42 – July 31, 2023, 03:05:56 pm Late, I know. But here are some photos of the finished project: Solar Project Final Photos 1 Likes
Re: SOLAR PANELS NOT CHARGING Reply #43 – August 01, 2023, 01:43:41 am Quote from: Lance E - July 31, 2023, 03:05:56 pmLate, I know. But here are some photos of the finished project: Solar Project Final PhotosI like the mounting method using what i assume are hanger screws. Wish I had known about this a few decades ago.Being able to quickly remove and replace the panels is a nice feature.Zinc Plated Steel Hanger Bolts 5/16"-18 Machine Thread With Lag Screw...Larry 1 Likes
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