Couple ov things here. 1) It's not a good idea to parallel diodes to increase current capacity. They will not share it evenly, whichever one has a lower characteristic voltage will take the lions share are possibly be overloaded.
2) There *will* be diodes already in a charge controller, but one useful thing to do if you are hooking up multiple panels in series is to put a *reversed biased* diode across each one. i.e. cathode goes to +ve. This stops shaded panels from being back driven.
@xanataph Would there still be a risk of overloading if the need for only one to begin with is present? Thank you for your comments. I am learning so much from people who know alot more about this than I do. I only made this video because when I made my panels I had no idea what to do next. Also, I just purchased more cells and it came with these boxes and what appear to be three diodes in them already. I may be bugging you when the time comes. Thanks again.
Easiest way ov course is to get a diode that can handle the full current ov the panel or array. But if that's not possible (or convenient) you can put small value resistors, say 0.5ohm or so in series with each diode. That will cause them to share the current more evenly. Just make sure your resistors are big enough to handle the current.
Some panels nowadays already have the diodes installed for the purpose ov doing what I mentioned in (2) about in my original comment.
why does my solar system ,13.8 all day and at night it drops down to 12 .6 my ? is if my battery bank is fully charged then why does it drop down to 12.6 every night thanks
@joe18370 You are doing great 12.6 is fully charged. That is what you want. Batteries will settle after sitting without a charge going into them. Have no fear. My voltage goes up to 14.5 during the day and settles back to 12.66. That is perfect. As with a car alternator, they charge near 15 volts. When the car is shut off the battery settles at 12.66
The diodes are only needed if you are connecting the solar panels/cells DIRECTLY to a battery.
To prevent electrical feedback once the battery is charged.
If you have a good charge controller between your panels and batteries, you do not need to attach diodes to the panels. The charge controller will stop anything going back to the panels and of course, will also stop the panels from boiling your batteries.
@SovakaKindred Thanks for the heads up. I do have a very good charge controller. I was still under the impression you needed them. Good to know. Thanks.
@bearhamo I use several different controllers and they are all good quality but the instructions for my Rutland charger says to fit diodes. Best to study the instructions,but dont worry about voltage drop,that will only happen with zener diodes which are designed to regulate voltage. Good video and a great little project.
A diode prevents back flow from the battery into the panel to help prevent a slight load that drains it overnight. Yes it does produce 1/4 volt drop per diode which is why I assume more than 1 is used in parallel with each other like ladder rungs. Also using a simple three pin 7814 (14 volt voltage regulator) will help limit the overvoltage should a bright sunny day threaten to overcharge the battery. They are rated at 1 amp and work best when used with a heat sink to dissipate heat.
@rhooie Best talk to someone at Radio Shack about that one. I believe the voltage would go right back out of the batteries when voltage drops below charge or I would not have been advised by someone much smarter than myself to install them.....and. When you buy bulk solar cells, they come with diodes specifically for this purpose. Let me know if you learn otherwise.
negitive, the folks at radioshack cant tell a component from a cell phone anymore, your better off trying to get a correct answer from a mule then the folks at radio shack
@bearhamo The diodes that come with your bulk buy pack of cells are surely for bypass purposes. To prevent reverse biasing if something creates a shadow on some of your cells. (Bird, leaf, windblown plastic bags, etc.) Otherwise the current from the unshadowed cells heats up the shadowed cells and damages them.
@rhooie The voltage drop at 12vdc is very minimal,about 250mv. Not enough to be an issue. You are right,charge controllers are full of diodes but some still insist that you use blocking diodes while others say they are not needed.
I don't know anything about Diodes. Is there a certain direction that they must flow or be set up to work properly? Is there an arrow or something that show this? Can I put them in any which way and they will still work ? Thanks, I appreciate the Pic/Video.
@INAGODAVIDA Hi, With diodes you want the striped end put in just like in the video. It would be on the end the direction of power would be traveling. Hope this helps.
@thamesuser Charge controllers simply turn off power to the batteries so they do not overcharge. Diodes prevent back-feeding power when produced voltage drops below battery charge level.
@bearhamo oh i see,,so whats the main purpose of this two diodes project?i thought is should be the one to regulates the panels out put since it pass through a diodes,,?
@ghoku14 The diodes simply allow the electricity produced to travel to the batteries. They simply prevent power from going back into the panels and going to waste when the power produced is less than 12.6 volt.
@ghoku14 a blocking diode simply doesnt let electricty flow backwards, every battery charger in the world has one or when it was done charging, the battery would start charging the charger.
@ghoku14 no not a blocking diode. a charge controller would stop it from overcharging. the blocking diode simply stops the battery from charging the solar array. Its bad to feed electricity into the array, thus you use a blocking diode so it only charges the battery not vice versa :-)
this is why I'm skipping the batterys and using capacitors to store the energy a short time before dumping it into the grid. I either use it or get credited for whatever gets dumped into the grid
@Me102288 yup electrical engineering student here and i had to do a project on powering a small apt with panels and yeah that was by far the best choice for cost effectivity whatever you are not using you get credited for what you use during night... but at night we were figuring out another power source... still on it
@ghoku14 no you dont, inverters can feed it dirrectly into the mains in your house, which if isnt userd by you go's to the grid and spions your meter backwards.. making the electric companys FORCED to credit your account. save yourself the money, learn how to build a simple grid tie inverter :-\
hi again bearhamo i look and look over again on photo i got it on 2 diode ,you use 1 or 2 diode in terminal block, is this wiring work only solar pannel only , i try on solar charge controller to 12v xantrax 1200 watts power pack so at night the power not flow backward ,wasteing the power but the solar charge controller not be able to charge the power pack battery
Why do all American DIY people seem to buy all of their materials? Its always 'Only $5 for this and $10 that' etc. Are you seriously telling me you cannot salvage an electronic enclosure and electronic parts from the mountains of eWaste in every urban environment?
@PhilipMitchellGraham That is a pretty stereotypical statement. I have salvaged many things I have done here, sorry I did not salvage the diodes. Honestly, I would not know where to start or what the right parts are.
this is absolutely the best and most specific video on the tube for preparing for solar panels. thank you so much for taking the time to do this. it's very helpful.
@brianjoreski Thanks for the kind words. There are many useful videos on youtube. I unfortunately am taking my panels down one at a time due to condensation issues from the method I used to build them (earthforenergy) I think it was. I am disassembling them and building them onto the glass and sealing them with resin so they do not go bad. If you can learn from others mistakes, I highly recommend it. Thanks again for the kind words.
@edraq58 You could but it will do no good whatsoever. Power will feed back from your battery when voltage drops below charging through the wire w/o a diode. You do not need to run 2 diodes either. That is just how i do it. It doubles the wire size that way. No juice is running through the ground. Hope this helps. Making 3 more of these myself tomorrow. .
When its connected to the battery bank it only reads like 12.7v, i assumed with the diode connected the panel side of the diode would still read 18v and the battery side of the diode would read the 12.8v of the battery, but no... the panel side of the diode reads 13.05v, the battery side reads 12.4v.
Is this whats supposed to happen?
My question is, is it normal to see the drop in voltage when panel is connected to battery EVEN with diode connected?
@67bird463 Somehow I just erased my response. What is your battery reading without the panel attached? The output will drop when a load is in place. Mine read 13.08 or so typically at the control panel.
Well at 5:30pm im reading about 2.75 amps. voltage is still about 18v when panel is disconnected. connected im about 12.30 on the battery side of the diode, 13.10 on the panel side of the diode. diode was only 1.75 i bought it while i wait for my controller.
I ordered a 10amp charge controller its advertise to regulate at 14v, does that mean the 13v im reading now will be at 14? Allowing me to charge faster?
Also, doesnt a battery need to be at 12.8 for a full charg
@67bird463 It sounds like you are just right on with where you want to be. 13.1v is great. You just want it to be over 12.6. The amps are good for that late in the day now. If you want to add panels I would bump up the size of your controller. As far as fully charged the battery will read 12.66 after it settles.
@ThePailrider I think you would need someone who specializes in that field. Excellent question. I would hope to make more than I need and sell the extra power.
I was surfing around and somehow found this on Google. It was the name got me interested not the title and Yup! It's bearhamo! Proves there’s no where to hide from cyber stalkers ;-) Well-done brother the end result looks very professional. A big fat thumbs up.
Couple ov things here. 1) It's not a good idea to parallel diodes to increase current capacity. They will not share it evenly, whichever one has a lower characteristic voltage will take the lions share are possibly be overloaded.
2) There *will* be diodes already in a charge controller, but one useful thing to do if you are hooking up multiple panels in series is to put a *reversed biased* diode across each one. i.e. cathode goes to +ve. This stops shaded panels from being back driven.
xanataph 2 weeks ago
@xanataph Would there still be a risk of overloading if the need for only one to begin with is present? Thank you for your comments. I am learning so much from people who know alot more about this than I do. I only made this video because when I made my panels I had no idea what to do next. Also, I just purchased more cells and it came with these boxes and what appear to be three diodes in them already. I may be bugging you when the time comes. Thanks again.
bearhamo 2 weeks ago
Easiest way ov course is to get a diode that can handle the full current ov the panel or array. But if that's not possible (or convenient) you can put small value resistors, say 0.5ohm or so in series with each diode. That will cause them to share the current more evenly. Just make sure your resistors are big enough to handle the current.
Some panels nowadays already have the diodes installed for the purpose ov doing what I mentioned in (2) about in my original comment.
xanataph 2 weeks ago
why does my solar system ,13.8 all day and at night it drops down to 12 .6 my ? is if my battery bank is fully charged then why does it drop down to 12.6 every night thanks
joe18370 2 weeks ago
@joe18370 You are doing great 12.6 is fully charged. That is what you want. Batteries will settle after sitting without a charge going into them. Have no fear. My voltage goes up to 14.5 during the day and settles back to 12.66. That is perfect. As with a car alternator, they charge near 15 volts. When the car is shut off the battery settles at 12.66
bearhamo 2 weeks ago
@joe18370 thanks good to no it is doing what it should be thanks for reply
joe18370 2 weeks ago
@bearhamo PLZ tell me the ratings of diode for 18v & 316amps solar panel
MrSheerazjawaid 2 weeks ago
@MrSheerazjawaid I am sorry, I am confused by the question 316 amps?
bearhamo 2 weeks ago
@bearhamo Probably he means 18V/3.16A not 18V/316A cause we can weld with about a 20A current ;-)
netrixrules 5 days ago
The diodes are only needed if you are connecting the solar panels/cells DIRECTLY to a battery.
To prevent electrical feedback once the battery is charged.
If you have a good charge controller between your panels and batteries, you do not need to attach diodes to the panels. The charge controller will stop anything going back to the panels and of course, will also stop the panels from boiling your batteries.
SovakaKindred 1 month ago 3
@SovakaKindred Thanks for the heads up. I do have a very good charge controller. I was still under the impression you needed them. Good to know. Thanks.
bearhamo 1 month ago
@bearhamo I use several different controllers and they are all good quality but the instructions for my Rutland charger says to fit diodes. Best to study the instructions,but dont worry about voltage drop,that will only happen with zener diodes which are designed to regulate voltage. Good video and a great little project.
thra5herxb12s 1 month ago
A diode prevents back flow from the battery into the panel to help prevent a slight load that drains it overnight. Yes it does produce 1/4 volt drop per diode which is why I assume more than 1 is used in parallel with each other like ladder rungs. Also using a simple three pin 7814 (14 volt voltage regulator) will help limit the overvoltage should a bright sunny day threaten to overcharge the battery. They are rated at 1 amp and work best when used with a heat sink to dissipate heat.
RiaRadioFMHD773 1 month ago
Nice job, thanks, i'll use it... sleak&simple ;)
samotako1prvi 1 month ago
I thought charge controllers already contained a diode so you don't need one at each panel. To many diodes results in a voltage drop.
rhooie 3 months ago 2
@rhooie Best talk to someone at Radio Shack about that one. I believe the voltage would go right back out of the batteries when voltage drops below charge or I would not have been advised by someone much smarter than myself to install them.....and. When you buy bulk solar cells, they come with diodes specifically for this purpose. Let me know if you learn otherwise.
bearhamo 3 months ago
@bearhamo
negitive, the folks at radioshack cant tell a component from a cell phone anymore, your better off trying to get a correct answer from a mule then the folks at radio shack
\
Thepockets88 1 month ago
@bearhamo The diodes that come with your bulk buy pack of cells are surely for bypass purposes. To prevent reverse biasing if something creates a shadow on some of your cells. (Bird, leaf, windblown plastic bags, etc.) Otherwise the current from the unshadowed cells heats up the shadowed cells and damages them.
Google solar cell hotspotting for more info.
billybangleballs 3 weeks ago
@billybangleballs Thank you so much for the tip. I sure learn a lot from you guys.
bearhamo 2 weeks ago
@rhooie The voltage drop at 12vdc is very minimal,about 250mv. Not enough to be an issue. You are right,charge controllers are full of diodes but some still insist that you use blocking diodes while others say they are not needed.
thra5herxb12s 1 month ago
I don't know anything about Diodes. Is there a certain direction that they must flow or be set up to work properly? Is there an arrow or something that show this? Can I put them in any which way and they will still work ? Thanks, I appreciate the Pic/Video.
INAGODAVIDA 3 months ago
@INAGODAVIDA Hi, With diodes you want the striped end put in just like in the video. It would be on the end the direction of power would be traveling. Hope this helps.
bearhamo 3 months ago
If you have a good charge controller, do you really need a diode??
Nice video, thanks, like a silent movie.
thamesuser 4 months ago
@thamesuser its the safety.. and a bigger blocking diode can NEVER hurt you.
Me102288 4 months ago
@thamesuser Charge controllers simply turn off power to the batteries so they do not overcharge. Diodes prevent back-feeding power when produced voltage drops below battery charge level.
bearhamo 4 months ago
do i still need a charge controller if i put this on my 75watts solar panels?pls reply asap thanx
ghoku14 4 months ago
@ghoku14 Yes you do. You can get one for your particular application, but if you intend to expand I would go with a larger one.
bearhamo 4 months ago
Comment removed
ghoku14 4 months ago
@bearhamo oh i see,,so whats the main purpose of this two diodes project?i thought is should be the one to regulates the panels out put since it pass through a diodes,,?
ghoku14 4 months ago
@ghoku14 The diodes simply allow the electricity produced to travel to the batteries. They simply prevent power from going back into the panels and going to waste when the power produced is less than 12.6 volt.
bearhamo 4 months ago
@ghoku14 a blocking diode simply doesnt let electricty flow backwards, every battery charger in the world has one or when it was done charging, the battery would start charging the charger.
its a one way door for electricity :-)
Me102288 4 months ago
@Me102288 will the diode maintain the current from the panels to 12-13v? and stops the panel from charging if the battery is fully charged?
ghoku14 4 months ago
@ghoku14 All the diode does is prevent backflowing of power. The charge controller stops the charging if battery is fully charged.
bearhamo 4 months ago
@ghoku14 no not a blocking diode. a charge controller would stop it from overcharging. the blocking diode simply stops the battery from charging the solar array. Its bad to feed electricity into the array, thus you use a blocking diode so it only charges the battery not vice versa :-)
this is why I'm skipping the batterys and using capacitors to store the energy a short time before dumping it into the grid. I either use it or get credited for whatever gets dumped into the grid
Me102288 4 months ago
@Me102288 yup electrical engineering student here and i had to do a project on powering a small apt with panels and yeah that was by far the best choice for cost effectivity whatever you are not using you get credited for what you use during night... but at night we were figuring out another power source... still on it
2EXTRM 2 months ago
@ghoku14 no you dont, inverters can feed it dirrectly into the mains in your house, which if isnt userd by you go's to the grid and spions your meter backwards.. making the electric companys FORCED to credit your account. save yourself the money, learn how to build a simple grid tie inverter :-\
Me102288 4 months ago
hi again bearhamo i look and look over again on photo i got it on 2 diode ,you use 1 or 2 diode in terminal block, is this wiring work only solar pannel only , i try on solar charge controller to 12v xantrax 1200 watts power pack so at night the power not flow backward ,wasteing the power but the solar charge controller not be able to charge the power pack battery
hing983 5 months ago
@hing983 Hi. You want to make sure the diodes are going the right direction. They are one way. I hope this helps.
bearhamo 5 months ago
can you do video instead photo i can't get it the 2 diode thanks
hing983 5 months ago
@hing983 Send me a message and explain the question. I will see if I can help. I do not have a video camera. I only use my 5 year old digital camera.
bearhamo 5 months ago
good instructions. can you add a parts list in the description please?
SurvivalGrounds 5 months ago
thumbs up for the video, thumbs down for the music. whatdo I do?!
SurvivalGrounds 5 months ago
@SurvivalGrounds I originally had a different song. Youtube blocked it and gave me a list to pick from.
bearhamo 5 months ago
Why do all American DIY people seem to buy all of their materials? Its always 'Only $5 for this and $10 that' etc. Are you seriously telling me you cannot salvage an electronic enclosure and electronic parts from the mountains of eWaste in every urban environment?
PhilipMitchellGraham 5 months ago
@PhilipMitchellGraham That is a pretty stereotypical statement. I have salvaged many things I have done here, sorry I did not salvage the diodes. Honestly, I would not know where to start or what the right parts are.
bearhamo 5 months ago
what are the diodes specs?
ferdna1 5 months ago
@ferdna1 Hi. It says 6A05 0526 on it. I hope this helps.
bearhamo 5 months ago
@bearhamo 6 Amp .5 Kv part number 0526 then again you can just measure your panel and pick one.
typical poly cells are .5 volt at 3.6 amp so...
Me102288 4 months ago
nobody told me
meterdatamanagement 6 months ago
@meterdatamanagement =)
bearhamo 6 months ago
this is absolutely the best and most specific video on the tube for preparing for solar panels. thank you so much for taking the time to do this. it's very helpful.
brianjoreski 10 months ago
@brianjoreski Thanks for the kind words. There are many useful videos on youtube. I unfortunately am taking my panels down one at a time due to condensation issues from the method I used to build them (earthforenergy) I think it was. I am disassembling them and building them onto the glass and sealing them with resin so they do not go bad. If you can learn from others mistakes, I highly recommend it. Thanks again for the kind words.
bearhamo 10 months ago
Can I put the diode to the negative side?
edraq58 1 year ago
@edraq58 You could but it will do no good whatsoever. Power will feed back from your battery when voltage drops below charging through the wire w/o a diode. You do not need to run 2 diodes either. That is just how i do it. It doubles the wire size that way. No juice is running through the ground. Hope this helps. Making 3 more of these myself tomorrow. .
bearhamo 1 year ago
my panel puts out about 18v (75watt panel)
When its connected to the battery bank it only reads like 12.7v, i assumed with the diode connected the panel side of the diode would still read 18v and the battery side of the diode would read the 12.8v of the battery, but no... the panel side of the diode reads 13.05v, the battery side reads 12.4v.
Is this whats supposed to happen?
My question is, is it normal to see the drop in voltage when panel is connected to battery EVEN with diode connected?
67bird463 1 year ago
@67bird463 Somehow I just erased my response. What is your battery reading without the panel attached? The output will drop when a load is in place. Mine read 13.08 or so typically at the control panel.
bearhamo 1 year ago
67bird463
2 hours ago
Well at 5:30pm im reading about 2.75 amps. voltage is still about 18v when panel is disconnected. connected im about 12.30 on the battery side of the diode, 13.10 on the panel side of the diode. diode was only 1.75 i bought it while i wait for my controller.
I ordered a 10amp charge controller its advertise to regulate at 14v, does that mean the 13v im reading now will be at 14? Allowing me to charge faster?
Also, doesnt a battery need to be at 12.8 for a full charg
67bird463 1 year ago
@67bird463 It sounds like you are just right on with where you want to be. 13.1v is great. You just want it to be over 12.6. The amps are good for that late in the day now. If you want to add panels I would bump up the size of your controller. As far as fully charged the battery will read 12.66 after it settles.
bearhamo 1 year ago
@67bird463 do you know or can you tell me were i can find out how many panels i would need to run my intire home?
ThePailrider 1 year ago
@ThePailrider I think you would need someone who specializes in that field. Excellent question. I would hope to make more than I need and sell the extra power.
bearhamo 1 year ago
@67bird463 yup its called load. perfectly normal, 12volt car batterys take 13.8 volts to charge
Me102288 4 months ago
I was surfing around and somehow found this on Google. It was the name got me interested not the title and Yup! It's bearhamo! Proves there’s no where to hide from cyber stalkers ;-) Well-done brother the end result looks very professional. A big fat thumbs up.
SpudXXXX 1 year ago
@SpudXXXX Good to know my friends got my six....Wait, are you stalking me? xD
bearhamo 1 year ago
good stuff !
fuckyouobama1 1 year ago 2