Solar amp hours in real life

[Forest Grump]

Originally Posted by Timon

A battery charger, or recharger, is a device used to put energy into a secondary cell or rechargeable battery by forcing an electric current through it.



A solar charger employs solar energy to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries.



Solar Controller does not completely define what it is or does. The better term in our case is Solar Charger.



By definition a solar charger is a battery charger but a battery charger is not a solar charger.



It's the same as "a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square".

Ditto

[Forest Grump]

This is what the Tristar T45 Solar Controller does:
Morningstar’s TriStar™ is a three-function controller that provides reliable solar battery charging, load control or diversion regulation. It is rated at 45 or 60 amps, both at 12-48 volts, and has an optional meter, remote meter and remote temperature sensor.

Seems to tell me what it does.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

In your case then you need it. In my case I notice my batteries have finished the adsorption phase, are in the float stage and can not take any further charge probably because we use power more wisely, are more energy efficient and the overall design of system is better.

The numbers I used were a simple example. Not MY numbers.

I have not described my system, so I don't understand your " mine is better then yours " comments.

My point was to show others, who don't have or find battery monitors "to complicated", how important they are to battery management.

Another important part of building a solar charging system, is to do an energy audit, so the designer isn't wasting money, over building a system.

Enjoy your day.

[jackfish]

A legend in his own mind. What asinine arguments, but stupid is what stupid does. These know it all blow hards mostly contribute their ego to the discussion. Arguing minutiae and semantics, and cut and paste, doesn't help people.

Forest Grump on ignore...Ahhhhhhh!

[Forest Grump]

Originally Posted by twinboat

The numbers I used were a simple example. Not MY numbers.

I have not described my system, so I don't understand your " mine is better then yours " comments.

My point was to show others, who don't have or find battery monitors "to complicated", how important they are to battery management.

Another important part of building a solar charging system, is to do an energy audit, so the designer isn't wasting money, over building a system.

Enjoy your day.

Do you even have a solar system or are you just being argumentative? Did you install it yourself? Have you ever used a solar system?

[Forest Grump]

Originally Posted by jackfish

A legend in his own mind. What asinine arguments, but stupid is what stupid does. These know it all blow hards mostly contribute their ego to the discussion. Arguing minutiae and semantics, and cut and paste, doesn't help people.

Forest Grump on ignore...Ahhhhhhh!

No I just think it's rather funny that some on here write comments that pretty much are nonsense and when asked a simple question reverse it and answer affirmative. Oh, that's you!

You have a solar system and so do do use your "charger" or a solar controller to charge it? What brand is this "charger"? Did you install it yourself?

[1bigmess]

Hey! *I'm* the pedantic putz around here!

But I'm glad someone else can stand in for me when I'm not paying attention.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

Do you even have a solar system or are you just being argumentative? Did you install it yourself? Have you ever used a solar system?

Yes, actually 2
Yes, both times
Yes.

System 1;
3 piece X 225 watt 36 volt panels, series run to a TS 60 amp MPPT controller, CHARGING an 8 piece, 6 volt GC2, series- parallel 12 volt 800AH battery bank, powering a Xantrex PSW 2000 inverter. Monitored by a Trimetrix 2020. Backed up by a IOTA 55 amp 3 stage charger powered by a Honda EU 2000 and or a 100 amp Delco12S engine driven alternator.
Fulltime, off grid living 5 years. Residential refrigerator, microwave, KVH auto tracking satellite TV with powerd sound bar, Mr. Coffee electric coffee maker, toaster, crock pot, 2 laptops and 1 desktop computer, miscellaneous cordless chargers.

System 2;
3 piece x 100 watt 12 volt..........

Hey, who cares, but me. I know what I got.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

A battery "charger" does one thing none of the others do, it take AC voltage and converts it to DC voltage.

Shall we continue?

Input voltage has nothing to do with defining a charger. There are DC to DC chargers and AC to DC chargers and they are all called chargers.

A Solar charger is a DC to DC charger.
The charger build into an inverter is a AC to DC charger.
The alternator in your car is an AC to DC charger.
The old generator that used to be used in cars was a DC to DC charger.

A Solar charger does have one special ability and that it can pull the optimum power from the solar panel.

[Forest Grump]

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

Hey! *I'm* the pedantic putz around here!

But I'm glad someone else can stand in for me when I'm not paying attention.

Great!

[Forest Grump]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Yes, actually 2
Yes, both times
Yes.

System 1;
3 piece X 225 watt 36 volt panels, series run to a TS 60 amp MPPT controller, CHARGING an 8 piece, 6 volt GC2, series- parallel 12 volt 800AH battery bank, powering a Xantrex PSW 2000 inverter. Monitored by a Trimetrix 2020. Backed up by a IOTA 55 amp 3 stage charger powered by a Honda EU 2000 and or a 100 amp Delco12S engine driven alternator.
Fulltime, off grid living 5 years. Residential refrigerator, microwave, KVH auto tracking satellite TV with powerd sound bar, Mr. Coffee electric coffee maker, toaster, crock pot, 2 laptops and 1 desktop computer, miscellaneous cordless chargers.

System 2;
3 piece x 100 watt 12 volt..........

Hey, who cares, but me. I know what I got.

So why not use the iota as a solar controller?

[Forest Grump]

[QUOTE=Timon;2739115]Input voltage has nothing to do with defining a charger. There are DC to DC chargers and AC to DC chargers and they are all called chargers.



A Solar charger is a DC to DC charger.

The charger build into an inverter is a AC to DC charger.

The alternator in your car is an AC to DC charger.

The old generator that used to be used in cars was a DC to DC charger.

A Solar charger does have one special ability and that it can pull the optimum power from the solar panel.[

"Input voltage has nothing to do with defining a charger". Then you proceed to define 4 chargers via input.

Don't you mean current type, AC vs DC? Those darn adjectives again.

So a 12 amp Solar charger using your phraseology can pull optimum power from a 1200 watt series of 17v panels and that's it?

So what's a good solar charger for my RV? I'm not familiar with any.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

So why not use the iota as a solar controller?

Ok, you have sunk to making doppy comments in the conversation.

I apologise for my attempt at a correction of your condescending comment to jackfish.

I'm sure your attitude will draw in all sorts of people, looking for your help in solar systems.

Enjoy your life in the desert, under ?10 hours of high sun, recharging in 2 hours, the 12% of your battery capacity, that you use each night living under a few LED bulbs.

I'm not impressed. I'm out.

[757driver]

Originally Posted by Forest Grump

In your case then you need it. In my case I notice my batteries have finished the adsorption phase, are in the float stage and can not take any further charge probably because we use power more wisely, are more energy efficient and the overall design of system is better.

Or maybe because you charge your batteries to 14.6v vs. the recommended 14.8v, big difference between the two. Oops, maybe I used the wrong verb or adjective or pronoun here, oh well.