Scott,
Thanks for the information. This is exactly what I needed. One more question for you: have you found any limitations in solar panel output with the stationary flat-mount? I was thinking of mounting the panel on a frame that I could tilt if needed. However, this is a more complex mounting and I'm thinking that this may be over-kill.
Probably more PITA than it's worth. I don't think it's that easy to climb up and adjust. I had a 65 watt panel that seemed to keep up well enough. The 135 watt panel is itself overkill. (Unless you install a DC refer, which I was planning.) But if I were doing it again, that's what I'd do.
what size of battery do you have and do you have more than one?
I had a 90 amp intersate battery DCM-090, I think. They gave me "dealer pricing" so it wasn't too painful. I was going to add another 90 amp battery and switch my 3 way refer for a DC unit. My gas-absorption seemed to manage about a 40 degree differential where the DC unit can pull closer to 60 degrees. My driveway is often in excess of 110 in the summer, so the DC refer could have been a better starting point....
Going forward I was going to add another 90 amp battery,
whats up here? why does no one mention the ASC unit FWC installs? its made by specialty concepts....very low priced.
http://www.specialty...oduct_info.html
it seems to do the job for a low price, handles the AGM batteries well, is potted, encapsulated for vibration resistance.
i wonder what kind of failure rates FWC has seen. my guess is little or none.
$40
how much for that blue sea unit?
these things can be paralleled into a battery(s), so how many would it take? 3? $120
I am not an EE! And certainly not a solar specialist, The ASC unit seems comparable to Morningstar. Maybe better? (A guy could completely skip a charge controller and just wire in a two dollar diode, if he wanted to save money.)
The Blue Sky unit is $200, and the tech support guys understood their product and answered my questions. More than I can say for Morningstar. The Blue sky unit is an MPPT charger. I think - someone correct me if I'm wrong! - this essentially means it takes the incoming volt/amps and optimize outbound (i.e. charging) volt/amps. This is supposed to increase the usefull amount of power available for battery charging.
Plus, Blue Sky has a way cooler monitor panel.
Probably the ASC regulator (how different is this from the morningstar charge controller?) is plenty for this application.