A Few Hopefully Not to Dumb Solar Questions

[dasadab]

Hi,
My 2015 Hawk has the Zamp 160 Watt panels on the roof. It has the mid-sized compressor 2 way refrig, furnace, etc. It has the factory solar plug on rear. I have a 200 watt flexible which I intend to store in the truck and use when necessary. I soldered a SAE connector to 10 gauge wire (about 20 feet). I tested the panel in the garage under the fluorescent lights (its getting dark outside now). My cheapo multimeter indicates that the panel is producing juice, even under the garage lights. When I plug the panel into the rear socket the Zamp charge controller display shows no charge at all, even though the 160 watt roof mounted factory panels are connected as well.

Q: I am guessing that garage overhead lights just don't have enough power to get the Zamp controller to recognize any current?

Q: I am guessing that I wired the external SAE connections correctly. When I put a multimeter on the rear factory plug, the male prong showed a positive current. The factory rear plug is not labeled. Anyone know if I got the positive/negative correct?

Q: I had the Hawk hooked up to shore power when testing, but the Zamp still did not show any charging whether the shore power was connect or not?

I am basically hoping that I have got things wired correctly, because I don't have enough cable length to take the portable panel out into the sun. The Hawk is not on the truck now.

Thanks for any input. I don't have a high level of confidence that I know what I am doing.

 

[Stalking Light]

When I wired an SAE connector to my foldable panel I first wired red on the pigtail connector I got from FWC with my camper to positive on the panel but that turned out to be backwards for the rear plug.

So, on my Eagle the positive from the panel (male) goes to the female side of the SAE connector on the rear panel.

 

[Ace!]

I don't remember which is which off the top of my head, but they are opposite what I would have thought.

 

[DrJ]

Let me see if I can help here:

1- Normally overhead indoor lights do not produce enough UV radiation for solar panels to collect enough power to make any significant power to charge your batteries. So I'm not surprised your monitor does not show anything.

2- I believe Stalking light is correct. The rear plug is opposite of what you could think. When I had to wire the SAE plug to my portable panel like you have, I had to wire it backwards because of the wall plug FWC uses.
I would recommend having a fuse in your positive wire at you charge controller when you wire this thing. So when you test it outside if you are incorrect you have not damaged anything (except the fuse). I can go look at how my portable panel is wired and send you some pictures later if you want.

3- The Zamp monitor would not show power when you are charging from shore power because of how it is wired. I do not have the Zamp system, but my guess is that it only shows power when charging from solar. The shore power does not run through the zamp before it reaches the battery.
Now if you had a trimetric battery monitor that would show all of this. But of course I am bias towards that for sure..

Hope this helps...

 

[Stalking Light]

For what it's worth I also have an SAE connector and a cheapo Morningstar Sunguard controller attached to my truck battery in case I need to use my foldable to charge that up sometime. The Sunguard will handle up to an 80w panel I think.

 

[dasadab]

Thanks for the very helpful replies.

"Now if you had a trimetric battery monitor that would show all of this. But of course I am bias towards that for sure.."

The trimetric seems like a great idea. I was hesitating because I wasn't sure if it was something that was simply added onto my existing factory system, or whether I had to remove the Zamp display, etc. If it's simply an ad on simple install. Then I am very tempted.


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[dasadab]

Thanks, now with sunlight, everything is working. The male part on the SAE plug on the rear receptacle is the positive.


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

When I wired up our rear SAE plug.
I assumed the female side was positive and male side was negative. I tested it with the meter and was correct.

I spliced in 50 feet of 12-2 cable. (Well actually I bought a spool of 12 gauge black and 12 gauge red and made up my own cable with black electrical tape).

The panel out SAE connector was male end positive (red) and female end (black). I didn't in-line fuse either the roof or the rear wire into the MorningStar controller just the positive wire from controller to battery.

I haven't had any problems with the input side. Should I fuse it?

 

[fireball]

Speaking of fuses... I got the Renogy solar suitcase and it has a 10amp in-line fuse right near the quick-clamps to go on the battery terminals. It seems like 10 amps would be too small?

I am going to wire up a different connection to the battery, so wonder if I should fuse that wire close to the battery?

Thanks!