nice system I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of batteries you used are they reg. or or deep cycle gel and what size they are and can you buy them at wal-mart and what kind of inverter you used is it a 12 volt I asking you this because i'm thinking about setting myself up a system and I like the look of yours
You said "was not for sure it the panels could keep up the batteries". The charge controller only feeds the batteries (one way) when they need it then stops charging them.
I agree with DavesTreeFarm, hook same-age batteries up at the same time
DC power drops the farther it travels. Bigger wire (smaller gauge #) = longer distance, less drop. You not very far from your battery so your 12 gauge should work fine.
Give us an update when you get the second set on.
why wait till you get more panels. you can still hook up the third battery. the more batteries you hook up, the more reserve power you have to use when the sun goes down. just make sure you don't go over the total required volts and amps of the inverter and you'll be alright.
Good job Lamar - I like how you made your pole mounted panel stand - very ingenious. Keep up the good work and hope you get lot's of sunshine. You might want to make sure you solar charger positive goes to the positive of the battery on one end and the negative to the negative of the battery at the other end - that way as you add batteries, all the batteries will charge evenly. Best of luck.
The paper with it says it will shut down when it reaches 14.5v. I got a battery minder that says the same thing. I guess it's ok to get it to that level.
i haven't had any problems out of it, but i use a combiner box from skippy3340 you can check his video out on how to make it. standard household 12 gauge wire, i hope that helps.
the main reason why you should not extend the leads, is b/c the farther the 12v watts travel the more amp you loss you have. So if you take a amp meter reading at the panels, than another at the end of the line, you will see how many amps you have lost. Your volts will still be the same, just fewer AMPS. And the amps are what charge your batteries. Hi from sunny FL
THE CLOSER TO A PANEL THE BATTERIES ARE THE QUICK/DEEPER THEY CHARGE? and then run the appliance cable from there...? volts travel better and also farther from amps? i know so little can someone out there learn me how to know this electrical mumbo jumbo? i will share what u help me learn ! !
I'll put it to you the way it was originally explained to me. Think of electricity like water. The gauge of the wire is the pipe size. The larger the pipe the more water flow(amps) that can move in the pipe, without overheating the wiring. Voltage is like the pressure behind the dam, pushing on the water(amps) inside the the pipe. As the water(amps) move away from the dam(panels), it looses water pressure (amps) due to friction(resistance). 24v panels loose 1/4 the amps as 12v panels. More force
The problem is not voltage drop. That's what I thought would happen. But what you loose is amps. About every 10 ft. you loose about 0.15 amps or so, depending on the gauge of your wiring.
Hey lamar, I would go ahead and hook up that 3rd battery now. Its not a good idea to mix batteries that are used with one thats new. I hear 6 months max difference is the cutoff. Also, if you do that, you will not need to discharge your battery bank as much during each cycle and thus it will make your batteries last longer. Thanks for the vid.
ok thanks davestreefarm,i was going to do that but i was not for sure it the panels could keep up the batteries,i will see if they can thank again for your comment.
I agree with Dave on hooking up the additional battery. I have a question though, if you have too many batteries, is it overkill? I mean if you had 45w worth of panels, you wouldn't need more than 1 battery? If you used all 3 batteries, wouldn't it take a year and a day to recharge off 45w of panels?
well i did for a little while. im building on a living room on my house and its going to be only solar.when i add on bigger panels i want need a bigger charge controller
I did not use the controller that came with mine for long either. I got a more sophisticated controller that can handle 30 amps, it has a digital display that tells me how many amps i have coming in from the panels and also the charge voltage. And when i'm using it at night i can monitor the battery voltage so i don't drain the batteries too much.
i think mine is 16 amps 12volt up to 290 watts of solar panels /48amps 24volts up to 480watts of panels . mine does the same as your .i love solar it is kool how it works .
Yes, i love solar too, i keep tinkering with mine, checking stuff and making small upgrades, and most of all using power from it for my laptop/ modem/desk lamp that is connected to it 24/7.
How do you convert 24v to 12v I have a 24v Air marine wind generator i got it cheep at west marine Discount shelf and have been reluctant to hook it up to my bank of three 12v batteries!
Hello, It seems my harbor freights controler kinda over charges sometimes to like 14.5 is that a cause for concern? I dont want to mess my new batteries up!! St pete fla?
Batteries can be "equalized" at 14.5 volts. But you only do this if you have more than 1 battery. I the battery bank voltage can be higher/lower in the "center" batteries. To insure that the voltage is the same about once every 60-90 days, you should equalize or overcharge the battery bank. Hi, from sunny FL
Hey mrbuki77, do you know any thing about if you can hook up a 24v windmill up to your rouge charger, you stated that it can handle 24v pannels? If so where can I get one!! THANKS, CZAR
I wasn't sure, so I sent the question to the tech support for the 3024. They said that it is not designed for windmills. The unit goes to sleep when the watts drop, and it waits for 5 minutes before looking for power. Rogue said that they would consider making a unit designed for wind turbines, as it sounds like a good project. Tech support is not aware of any units for wind that can do a 24v to 12v setup.
I think you may be able to change the windmill to a 12v, but you would need the wiring specs to see if that is possible. I'm not a wind guy or electrician. I just learn as I go. Let me know if you find a solution. Later from sunny FL
Nice small setup there bro, similar to mine too. Easy to upgrade from there, just add panels and batteries over time. Be careful of having the batteries enclosed in the same place as the inverter. Batteries give off gasses that are explosive, and the inverter might get hot during heavy use, also there might be a spark while you are working on the system. I would separate them soon.
hey, thanks for the comment.does it matter if they are gel batteriers or not ?i thought it was only acid batteries. but i will get it out thanks alot .i liked your vid as well .thanks lamar tosh
No, it does not matter, flooded wet/acid cells are cheaper and last a little longer, but have to be maintained. Gel cells are zero maintenance, and a little more expensive.
That's a great set up. I want to do something like that for my small shop. Would you recommend something like what you built to power up a couple of lights and maybe run a couple of power tools?
Sorry if this comment shows up twice, Thank you for the comment, yes my set up would be perfect for your shop to run lights and a few tools, I'm not sure what all tools my set up will run, but it will run my skill saw, jig saw, and drill. My panels cost 230.00, charge controller was 89.00, inverter was 59.00, my batteries were free, but you can get them for around 80.00. I hope this helps, Ask me anything, I will try to help. Thanks. Lamar Tosh
hey thanks for the comment,but i have one question , i went and looked and it dont show how much shipping is so let me no how much shipping will cost ? just let me know.
nice system I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of batteries you used are they reg. or or deep cycle gel and what size they are and can you buy them at wal-mart and what kind of inverter you used is it a 12 volt I asking you this because i'm thinking about setting myself up a system and I like the look of yours
vw621 4 months ago
COOL
hp11208 4 months ago
put a vent in next too the baterie in the cabinet, just a safe precaution...
veufcliquot 6 months ago
Nice setup brother
You said "was not for sure it the panels could keep up the batteries". The charge controller only feeds the batteries (one way) when they need it then stops charging them.
I agree with DavesTreeFarm, hook same-age batteries up at the same time
DC power drops the farther it travels. Bigger wire (smaller gauge #) = longer distance, less drop. You not very far from your battery so your 12 gauge should work fine.
Give us an update when you get the second set on.
yzerman1997 8 months ago
nice video i have a cuestion how can i ron a air aconditioner with solar panel what do i need for that ?
elcomandante31able 8 months ago
Nice setup sir... Its like I always say... Lets all learn from each other... Joe Tactical
joezbackwith2gatz 10 months ago
why wait till you get more panels. you can still hook up the third battery. the more batteries you hook up, the more reserve power you have to use when the sun goes down. just make sure you don't go over the total required volts and amps of the inverter and you'll be alright.
packagewarren 1 year ago
Very nice buddy...IM waiting on Harbor freight to pu that system back on sale 159.00 was the last sale price, but I was broke as a hant..
Thats a nice set up you have! Thumbs UP video.
WORRO01 1 year ago
Good job Lamar - I like how you made your pole mounted panel stand - very ingenious. Keep up the good work and hope you get lot's of sunshine. You might want to make sure you solar charger positive goes to the positive of the battery on one end and the negative to the negative of the battery at the other end - that way as you add batteries, all the batteries will charge evenly. Best of luck.
econewpower 1 year ago
your not using your charge controler. i use mine for my suburban for the 2 lights that come with it. it works great for camping.
stonevrscx 2 years ago
yes it should be fine
lamartosh 2 years ago
The paper with it says it will shut down when it reaches 14.5v. I got a battery minder that says the same thing. I guess it's ok to get it to that level.
MSGDREWRY 2 years ago
I called Harbor Tech. Support and they said not to extend the leads on the panels. I see you did. How did you do it and have you had any problems?
dvillarreal2 2 years ago
i haven't had any problems out of it, but i use a combiner box from skippy3340 you can check his video out on how to make it. standard household 12 gauge wire, i hope that helps.
-thanks.
lamartosh 2 years ago
the main reason why you should not extend the leads, is b/c the farther the 12v watts travel the more amp you loss you have. So if you take a amp meter reading at the panels, than another at the end of the line, you will see how many amps you have lost. Your volts will still be the same, just fewer AMPS. And the amps are what charge your batteries. Hi from sunny FL
mrbuki77 2 years ago
SO ACCORDING TO YOUR COMMENT
xxx777aaa 2 years ago
THE CLOSER TO A PANEL THE BATTERIES ARE THE QUICK/DEEPER THEY CHARGE? and then run the appliance cable from there...? volts travel better and also farther from amps? i know so little can someone out there learn me how to know this electrical mumbo jumbo? i will share what u help me learn ! !
xxx777aaa 2 years ago
I'll put it to you the way it was originally explained to me. Think of electricity like water. The gauge of the wire is the pipe size. The larger the pipe the more water flow(amps) that can move in the pipe, without overheating the wiring. Voltage is like the pressure behind the dam, pushing on the water(amps) inside the the pipe. As the water(amps) move away from the dam(panels), it looses water pressure (amps) due to friction(resistance). 24v panels loose 1/4 the amps as 12v panels. More force
mrbuki77 2 years ago
The problem is not voltage drop. That's what I thought would happen. But what you loose is amps. About every 10 ft. you loose about 0.15 amps or so, depending on the gauge of your wiring.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
Hey lamar, I would go ahead and hook up that 3rd battery now. Its not a good idea to mix batteries that are used with one thats new. I hear 6 months max difference is the cutoff. Also, if you do that, you will not need to discharge your battery bank as much during each cycle and thus it will make your batteries last longer. Thanks for the vid.
DavesTreeFarm 2 years ago
ok thanks davestreefarm,i was going to do that but i was not for sure it the panels could keep up the batteries,i will see if they can thank again for your comment.
lamartosh 2 years ago
@DavesTreeFarm
I agree with Dave on hooking up the additional battery. I have a question though, if you have too many batteries, is it overkill? I mean if you had 45w worth of panels, you wouldn't need more than 1 battery? If you used all 3 batteries, wouldn't it take a year and a day to recharge off 45w of panels?
seanm1973 11 months ago
I have the same setup. why didn't you use the controler that came with it?
tpm4life 2 years ago
well i did for a little while. im building on a living room on my house and its going to be only solar.when i add on bigger panels i want need a bigger charge controller
lamartosh 2 years ago
I did not use the controller that came with mine for long either. I got a more sophisticated controller that can handle 30 amps, it has a digital display that tells me how many amps i have coming in from the panels and also the charge voltage. And when i'm using it at night i can monitor the battery voltage so i don't drain the batteries too much.
Lanny615 2 years ago
i think mine is 16 amps 12volt up to 290 watts of solar panels /48amps 24volts up to 480watts of panels . mine does the same as your .i love solar it is kool how it works .
lamartosh 2 years ago
Yes, i love solar too, i keep tinkering with mine, checking stuff and making small upgrades, and most of all using power from it for my laptop/ modem/desk lamp that is connected to it 24/7.
Lanny615 2 years ago
How do you convert 24v to 12v I have a 24v Air marine wind generator i got it cheep at west marine Discount shelf and have been reluctant to hook it up to my bank of three 12v batteries!
czarsolarhydrowind 2 years ago
hry im not sure.sorry .but you can ask lanny615 he might know.
lamartosh 2 years ago
Hello, It seems my harbor freights controler kinda over charges sometimes to like 14.5 is that a cause for concern? I dont want to mess my new batteries up!! St pete fla?
czarsolarhydrowind 2 years ago
Batteries can be "equalized" at 14.5 volts. But you only do this if you have more than 1 battery. I the battery bank voltage can be higher/lower in the "center" batteries. To insure that the voltage is the same about once every 60-90 days, you should equalize or overcharge the battery bank. Hi, from sunny FL
mrbuki77 2 years ago
Hey mrbuki77, do you know any thing about if you can hook up a 24v windmill up to your rouge charger, you stated that it can handle 24v pannels? If so where can I get one!! THANKS, CZAR
czarsolarhydrowind 2 years ago
I wasn't sure, so I sent the question to the tech support for the 3024. They said that it is not designed for windmills. The unit goes to sleep when the watts drop, and it waits for 5 minutes before looking for power. Rogue said that they would consider making a unit designed for wind turbines, as it sounds like a good project. Tech support is not aware of any units for wind that can do a 24v to 12v setup.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
I think you may be able to change the windmill to a 12v, but you would need the wiring specs to see if that is possible. I'm not a wind guy or electrician. I just learn as I go. Let me know if you find a solution. Later from sunny FL
mrbuki77 2 years ago
thankyou some way i'll solve the problem
czarsolarhydrowind 2 years ago
Nice small setup there bro, similar to mine too. Easy to upgrade from there, just add panels and batteries over time. Be careful of having the batteries enclosed in the same place as the inverter. Batteries give off gasses that are explosive, and the inverter might get hot during heavy use, also there might be a spark while you are working on the system. I would separate them soon.
Lanny615 2 years ago
hey, thanks for the comment.does it matter if they are gel batteriers or not ?i thought it was only acid batteries. but i will get it out thanks alot .i liked your vid as well .thanks lamar tosh
lamartosh 2 years ago
No, it does not matter, flooded wet/acid cells are cheaper and last a little longer, but have to be maintained. Gel cells are zero maintenance, and a little more expensive.
Lanny615 2 years ago
ok thanks i will take it out
lamartosh 2 years ago
That's a great set up. I want to do something like that for my small shop. Would you recommend something like what you built to power up a couple of lights and maybe run a couple of power tools?
cozzso 2 years ago
Sorry if this comment shows up twice, Thank you for the comment, yes my set up would be perfect for your shop to run lights and a few tools, I'm not sure what all tools my set up will run, but it will run my skill saw, jig saw, and drill. My panels cost 230.00, charge controller was 89.00, inverter was 59.00, my batteries were free, but you can get them for around 80.00. I hope this helps, Ask me anything, I will try to help. Thanks. Lamar Tosh
lamartosh 2 years ago
hey thanks for the comment,but i have one question , i went and looked and it dont show how much shipping is so let me no how much shipping will cost ? just let me know.
lamartosh 2 years ago
I got four 20w panels. Approx. 80 watts. I got my solar panels from my friends website.
Check out: solar-deals*DOT*com
SolarXpert 2 years ago
thanks ,its not hard to do .if you need to know anything just ask ?i learned everthing for people on youtube....everyone is great and very helpful.
lamartosh 2 years ago
Very cool. I'd like to get something like that started. Nice work.
LokCreollin 2 years ago
Hey, nice start. You can expand that system very easily. Nice neat installation. Welcome to the solar club dude!
skippy3840 2 years ago