Solar Questions

[MegaHawk]

Ok I read the instructions on the charge controller and still have questions. I have a sunsaver MPPT, a 140 panel, and two Agm batteries. I have a sure power seperator that opens the circuit both ways so that the panel will charge my truck batteries. My question is that my camper batteries are not in the camper they are inside my truck so i am unsure how to wire the charge controller. Do i have to run all the way back to the batteries for the battery section and then to the fuse panel for the load section or is there a way to keep all the wiring in the camper?

Thanks for your help!

 

[ntsqd]

If the wiring from the camper to the camper batteries can handle the load from the solar system then you could just tap into the supply wires inside of the camper. It will not be ideal, but it will work. Ideally the wires from the controller to the batteries have the least voltage drop reasonably possible. That means that they should be short and over-sized for the expected current.

I know nothing about the Sure Power stuff. If it is a dual sensing type of combiner then it should combine the truck batteries based on it's programing.

 

[camelracer]

My setup is identical to yours with the camper batteries on the truck. I don't understand your description of the battery separator and how the solar can charge the truck batteries. My separator only connects when the engine is running.

All that aside I wired the Morningstar load terminal to the camper master switch and moved the battery feed wire from that switch to the Morningstar battery terminal. I also moved the battery separator under the hood so it is between the truck and camper batteries. All the circuits are fused.

I also wired the 12v accessary outlet to the battery feed because Morningstar says not to run any size inverter off the load terminals.

 

[MegaHawk]

The separator is a sure power 1315 12v Bi-Directional. My understanding is that when it sees 13.2 volts from the truck it engages and will charge the camper batteries and when it sees 13.2 volts form the solar it also engages and will charge the truck batteries.

So just to be sure i got this correct. You connected the load section of the controller to the switch in what would be the battery compartment that allows you to disconnect power to the entire camper and you connected the those wires to the battery section of the controller?
Thanks for the replies.

 

[ntsqd]

Dual sensing <-> Bi-Directional. Either term works.

I take it that the Morningstar solar controller has a Low Voltage Disconnect built into it. For that to work the controller needs to be between the battery and everything else (excepting any inverter(s), which usually have their own Low Voltage Disconnects). So:
Battery to controller "Battery" terminals.
Camper feed to controller "Load" terminals.

 

[camelracer]

ntsqd is correct. I hooked the load terminals to the camper and the battery terminals to the batteries. One of the reasons I did it this way was because I have the Morningstar monitor panel and you need the camper power on the load terminals in order to monitor power usage. If you don't have a monitor you don't need to use the load terminals unless you want the low voltage disconnect feature.

One advantage of not using the load terminals is that you are not limited by the 15amp Morningstar limit. If I have my halogen flood lights on I'm limited to what else can be turned on without tripping the Morningstar.

 

[ntsqd]

What I was unclear on was where the power from the combiner unit should be wired to. With a 15A limit the Morningstar can't be part of that circuit since it will occasionally exceed that limit. So probably best if it is connected straight to the battery. However, if the Morningstar is tracking amps in - amps out then you're "cheating" it and it's numbers will not be accurate.

 

[camelracer]

The power from the battery separator goes directly to the battery. The 15amp Morningstar limit is only on the load output. The Morningstar unit only tracks solar amps input. The power input from the truck is not monitored.