Solar Panel Help -- Fixed!!

FrankO · 07-28-2007, 02:07 PM

My Solar panel worked great on our first and only trip to RMNP in late May. Since then it has been stored and I added a cover in early June. About a month ago I cut a hole through the cover for the Solar Panel to maintain a charge on my Coach Batteries. I Velcroed the cutout to the edges of the MH around the Solar Panel. All went as planned but the Solar Panel has not come to life and the batteries were low today when we visited the storage yard. So my question to you all, is the cord that comes out of the Solar Panel plugged in or hard wired? That is the only thing that I can think of that may be causing this problem. I may have accidently hit the cord and unplugged it. I get no indication on the Solar LED Indicator and no charge at the batteries.
Any ideas of what I should check?
BTW -- I have the standard 10 watt charger that is an option from Winnie.
Thanks for your help -- Frank

FrankO · 07-28-2007, 02:07 PM

My Solar panel worked great on our first and only trip to RMNP in late May. Since then it has been stored and I added a cover in early June. About a month ago I cut a hole through the cover for the Solar Panel to maintain a charge on my Coach Batteries. I Velcroed the cutout to the edges of the MH around the Solar Panel. All went as planned but the Solar Panel has not come to life and the batteries were low today when we visited the storage yard. So my question to you all, is the cord that comes out of the Solar Panel plugged in or hard wired? That is the only thing that I can think of that may be causing this problem. I may have accidently hit the cord and unplugged it. I get no indication on the Solar LED Indicator and no charge at the batteries.
Any ideas of what I should check?
BTW -- I have the standard 10 watt charger that is an option from Winnie.
Thanks for your help -- Frank

dstinch · 07-28-2007, 05:18 PM

i'm sorry to say but the little solar will not keep the house batts charged! why they put them on i don't know! you need to keep it pluged in or go with big solar pannels like i did. 2 125 watt pannels with charge controller. Don

FrankO · 07-28-2007, 06:27 PM

Don,
Mine did do a good job during our weekend boondock as I had the batteries up to full charge before the sunset each of the 2 days we were out. The problem that I am trying to understand/fix is why am I not seeing any indication of a charge at the Solar LED Indicator or at my batteries after dutting a hole in my cover? Did I loosen a connection at the Solar Panel itself?
Frank

"007" · 07-28-2007, 06:38 PM

I hope you didn't cut the wire.

My panel is direct wired had others with plug and never had a dead chassis battery with one.

John_Canfield · 07-29-2007, 02:09 AM

Ours has a circuit breaker for the solar panel in the electrical bay. If you can find yours, pull a lead off and measure the voltage. With no load and sun, I suspect your panel will put out 15-18 volts (or something higher that 14 volts.)

FrankO · 07-29-2007, 06:16 AM

John,
Thanks for the suggestion, I know where the panel is under the entrance step. I just need to figure out how to get at the terminals, probably from the back side by crawling under the steps and finding the correct leads.
BTW -- How do the "button" circuit breakers work? I have never had any experience with them. Do the little buttons pop out when a circuit is blown and then is it a matter of simply pushing the button back in to reset the breaker?
Thanks -- Frank

Moder2 · 07-29-2007, 10:50 AM

Franko,

Yes, The breakers just pop out...

Take a multimeter, messure the voltage up at the pannel.

If you have power there, Pull your One Place out, you will see a small corner on the circuit board that has your level meters on it. Look for "SO IN" "SO OUT" and "GND". GND is ground, measure volts between GND and both SO IN and SO OUT. In full sun, you should have about 15 or so volts to the SO IN, but SO OUT will have 13.6. If your good there, check the wiring to the batts.

My board went out, The circuit is just a couple recitfires and an LED, I replaced them with radio shack compnents and all is well now.

John

FrankO · 07-29-2007, 02:50 PM

Thanks for the info Moder2. I will be taking the cover off in a couple of weeks and bringing the MH home for a cleaning and prep for the next trip. At that time will go into the panel and look in more depth as to what the issue. Your advice gives me more insight inot where the controller is and how to measure for a defective component.
Thanks -- Frank

FrankO · 08-21-2007, 02:47 PM

Thanks to Moder2 for his detailed instructions as to where to find the controller and how the board works. Turned out that the board was functioning as designed and I was getting a charge from the Solar Panel. The LED had burnt out so I went to the local Radio Shack and picked up two packages of Red LEDs so I am prepared for future LED burn outs (I was in Scouting). This forum is great and will save it's readers time, energy, frustration and money. The LEDs were $1.25 for a package of 2. Can't imagine what a dealer would have charged for this same fix.
Thanks a TON!! - Frank