[Spruce]

All i have done is stuck my multifunction Numax leisure in as my van battery , this then gets charged as a normal battery would via the alternator , but i still have all the solar going as that then charges me whilst the van is not running , as i say , i have not had the battery out for 3 days now , by the time i get home im fully charged , and as you know , the solar yield has been utter rubbish lately.

You may remember Spruce saying that i would find summer easy , but in winter it would be hard to achieve my goal of not taking my battery out  , well it would appear that i have cracked it my old son !

All i have to hope now is that the battery can handle the charge i am providing it , i dont think that multiple starts are going to be an issue , i did a test run of 15 starts the other day without actually driving the van or letting it idle during the 2 hour period i did it over , i then went for a 10 mile drive and was right back to being fully charged again .

All i need to work out now is how to upload a pic or vid to ciu or my laptop from my new piece of turd iphone , dont suppose you know do you ?

What milleage is recommended for split relays to be of benefit do you know?
 But sounds like you have cracked it by combining the two together;  alternator n solar.
Wouldnt it be easier to upload onto u tube and then just post a link as youve done b4.  Or use a data/charge cable from phone to laptop?   Other than that, im clueless as i use android phones at mo.

The article I read once suggested that it would take a 750km trip to fully recharge a leisure battery in an Australian RV.

If I consider that as gospel (which seems to back up my 5 hour journey with an 80% charged leisure battery) a split charge relay is more of backup and I don't think can be relied on totally. Solar is an excellent addition but winter is always going to be problematic - based on canal boaters and caravaner experiences.  Even SV Delos (see YouTube) have to be careful of their power consumption and they have solar, 2 wind generators, 2 alternators on their diesel engine and sometimes revert to their diesel driven generator especially when they use their water maker. Cooking is with gas. They are in the tropics atm so plenty of sunshine.

I had considered removing my split charge relay and replacing it with a B2B charger. But I can't see how I would benefit. My Numax charger can sometimes be on for 2 hours when I get home before the charger goes into float mode.

Numax advised me that they don't recommend you charge a leisure battery faster than 10% of its capacity. If I use 15 amps a day and it takes me 15 minutes to drive home, I would need an input of 60 amph to replace that days usage, or 30 amph if I was to consider that next day's out journey. That's not possible.

The other thing I keep thinking about is the instruction Webasto give with their diesel engine preheaters. On starting these heaters draw about 20 amps for around 3 minutes and once fired up power usage settles in as around 4 amps - similar to a Shurfo pump.

The programmer default is 30 minutes run time. If you have the internal circulatory fan on to defrost the windscreen, then Webasto advise that you need a minimum of a 30 minute journey to recharge the battery - the same time as the heater has been run for. (40 minutes = 40 minute journey time, etc.)  So indirectly they are also telling us that a starter battery also takes time to recharge - it isn't instantaneous and doesn't appear to be any faster than our leisure battery takes to charge up.

Lithium ion is a different story, but just far too expensive for us.

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[nathankaye]

My last bit of faffing now withthe panels.
Ive connected them individually to the MPPT controller. So kinda like parrallel but due to the different wattages of the panels and positions I want to rule out one panel sharing the charge with the other. Therefore I have now fitted in line  blocking diodes.
So each panel feeds into a meter so I can see how each is performing. From the meter I now have an inline blocking diode and then it feeds into the MPPT controller.   Ive just spent a moment watching the results to see how its doing and all is well. Watching the Amps shoot up is a good feeling.

Also fitting one to the panel charging my smaller battery. I believe it came with diodes inset but now I can be sure.

All is good.   Not going to worry anymore and now time to crack on

[P @ F]

Sorry chaps but i cant seem to flatten my battery no matter how i try 

Went out with a full battery this morning at 10 and was at home at 4.30 with a full battery , i did about 25 miles tops ,  my solar yield was 40 Wh , my max watt pull was 27 , max voltage was 40.7 from panels.
Max battery voltage was 14.59 v , min was 12.05 v .
I was in  .....Bulk for 5hr 12m (90%).....Absorb for 6m (2%).....Float for 29m (8%) .

Over the day i had used 12 amps through pump  (drill not metered yet) not vast though as i only wound in 70m about 7 times .
12 amps would be about 3.5hrs of solid pumping non stop .

Just wish i could upload the screenshots from the dongle app !
The Numax is sat in the van at 12.99v as i type this , and it hasnt seen a charger for 4 days now !

[P @ F]

And i have just done a bit of maths and that cant be right ..........3.5 hours of solid pumping at 1,7 Lpm is 210m x 1.7 Lpm = 357 L.
My tank is only 250 L which i pretty much emptied .
So either the chinese meter is wrong or pump over run while the system is reaching DE has not been taken into consideration , but thinking about it ,  it wouldnt be would it , the pump is running / drawing a load even when water is not being delivered .

[Spruce]

And i have just done a bit of maths and that cant be right ..........3.5 hours of solid pumping at 1,7 Lpm is 210m x 1.7 Lpm = 357 L.
My tank is only 250 L which i pretty much emptied .
So either the chinese meter is wrong or pump over run while the system is reaching DE has not been taken into consideration , but thinking about it ,  it wouldnt be would it , the pump is running / drawing a load even when water is not being delivered .

We estimate 50% pump running time for really compact work.
At 1.7lpm flow, using a tank full would equate to 2.5hours = +- 40% of your working day. Bearing in mind that the 6.5 total hours includes driving time. (25 miles in your neck of the woods could be anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour.)

Anyway, it doesn't matter. It looks very much like with your work pattern and round route means that you can be pretty much self sufficient energy wise even in winter. But it still early days. In the words of my Indian surgeon to me; "don't get too smart, you're not out of the woods yet." Whilst I had a good laugh at his words, it had a profound effect on my memory as he was and still is to this day, right. As with most things, we need to just keep an eye on the ball so we don't get caught unawares.

Hi five for your achievements, as our grandkids say.

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[Spruce]

Nathan,
If you haven't seen this it might help you with your controller.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YowgBCl1F1I

[P @ F]

That is very interesting Spruce , not doing mppt until it hits upward of 10 w , i wonder if mine performs the same ?
If it does then winter days are really only pwm powered as with me having flat panels 10 watt is hard to achieve .

Yesterday i was pretty much hovering around 10 all day , but it did peak at 27 , how long that went on for i dont know as i would have to watch it all day or buy more add ons for the system , which i dont feel would do any favours , the watts are the watts and not a lot will change that .

But it does show that although i have the ability to harness 120 w i can only hope for as low as 10% of that in poor weather .

[Spruce]

That is very interesting Spruce , not doing mppt until it hits upward of 10 w , i wonder if mine performs the same ?
If it does then winter days are really only pwm powered as with me having flat panels 10 watt is hard to achieve .

Yesterday i was pretty much hovering around 10 all day , but it did peak at 27 , how long that went on for i dont know as i would have to watch it all day or buy more add ons for the system , which i dont feel would do any favours , the watts are the watts and not a lot will change that .

But it does show that although i have the ability to harness 120 w i can only hope for as low as 10% of that in poor weather .

I wondered that as well, but I can't see anyone having done a review on a Victron like this.

But I thought that the same must apply as it wouldn't make sense using the available low sunlight harvest to do the conversion.

I did read somewhere that Victron were going to release a software update to allow more info like the EPEVER solar controller does. That was a year ago. Maybe you could contact them and ask as you are part way there with the dongle.

But then, does it matter? The system as you have it is working for you atm. Next would be to plug you van into the grid as sell the excess power back to your electricity supplier - become a minature solar farm. 

.

[P @ F]

Im pretty sure that the update you mention has just happened , the guy in the shop said that when i set the dongle up it would update automatically straight away as version 29.1 had just come out , i was on 16.1 when i got the controller so its moving along .
Im sure that the wifi the tracer had is also already available to buy , dont see the need to explore that deep yet though .

I have managed to convert my info screens i can get from my bluetooth option now , have a gander , it tells me the basics .

 

[P @ F]

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[Spruce]

Im pretty sure that the update you mention has just happened , the guy in the shop said that when i set the dongle up it would update automatically straight away as version 29.1 had just come out , i was on 16.1 when i got the controller so its moving along .
Im sure that the wifi the tracer had is also already available to buy , dont see the need to explore that deep yet though .

I have managed to convert my info screens i can get from my bluetooth option now , have a gander , it tells me the basics .

This is just fascinating. What 'blows my mind' is how you experimented and by trial and error found out about when to connect your panels in series and in parallel for the best results in power harvesting. So by doing that you have just confirmed what this YouTuber found out about how his Tracer controller worked using graphs.

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[Spruce]

.

Next question.
If you put a load on the MPPT controller, will the current also show up on the 'report' you have there. So in other words, will your controller also monitor your pump current draw if you had the pump wired up to your load connections rather than directly to the battery?

[P @ F]

Yes , its mad isnt it , that Adam Welch knows his stuff , he was the guy i mostly watched when considering trying the solar approach to charging .
Im going to have a look at my info in a mo , to see how the battery state is , i think it was sat at 12.99v at 5.30 yesterday , the van hasnt moved today and the weather is totally pants so this should be interesting , i think since switch on this morning , whenever it decided that was , it should have been sat in float for a while by now . 

[P @ F]

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Next question.
If you put a load on the MPPT controller, will the current also show up on the 'report' you have there. So in other words, will your controller also monitor your pump current draw if you had the pump wired up to your load connections rather than directly to the battery?

Superb question that , matey in the shop told me to stay wired as i was and not use load , and i was to turn load off in the battery settings menu , however it has to be worth a look at , i may do it with the pump but i have seen the drill pull over 10 amp when it was struggling a bit , that could cause damage as the controller is only rated for 10 amp .

I do have a 12v strip light in the shed , in a bit i will put that on an see if it puts it on the info data screen .
First i will check on the battery state as i said .
Keep checking in though as you know i wont be able to resist a little experiment   

[nathankaye]

Cheers Spruce, I havent seen that vid. I supposeim gonna subcribe to his channel as I saw his first review ofthe MPPT and thats why I bought one.
Its an interesting vid, but now it means what was going to be a quick fix to charge my batteries is turning more into a hobby haha.
But with my panels angled and with each one connected to a meter, I know thatthe panel that isnt in direct sun light has been picking up 11watts. Todays its only 8watts  but my other 50w panel is showing 14.72v.  So i should be getting MPPT usuage even on this cloudy rainy day.

So from my panels:
50w    at the moment since 8am     the current voltage is 14.72    and has 0.02 ah

20w  panel   is at 9.65v    and has drawn 0.027ah

My meter after the MPPT is showing  0.03 amps
Whilst holding the panel voltage at 14v.
Think im gonna have to get the dongle and look a little more into this.   Or perhaps just follow P@F  and stick battery in bonnet and wire ituo therr

[P @ F]

OK here is todays report so far , remember it was at 12.99v yesterday at 5.30pm

[P @ F]

Right , the rain has eased off now so im going to have a go at that striplight !

I did notice that in the load section on the first pic , underneath it has a space for current in amps , whether or not it shows on the graph i wont know until i wire it in and reconfigure the settings .

[Spruce]

.

Next question.
If you put a load on the MPPT controller, will the current also show up on the 'report' you have there. So in other words, will your controller also monitor your pump current draw if you had the pump wired up to your load connections rather than directly to the battery?

Superb question that , matey in the shop told me to stay wired as i was and not use load , and i was to turn load off in the battery settings menu , however it has to be worth a look at , i may do it with the pump but i have seen the drill pull over 10 amp when it was struggling a bit , that could cause damage as the controller is only rated for 10 amp .

I do have a 12v strip light in the shed , in a bit i will put that on an see if it puts it on the info data screen .
First i will check on the battery state as i said .
Keep checking in though as you know i wont be able to resist a little experiment 

I definitely wouldn't put your drill through that load connector, but your pump will be fine as it doesn't draw that much current.

If its a Spring Controller you have then I'm sure they use a 7.5 amp fuse don't they?

[P @ F]

Yes Spring controller all fused up so no worries there .

Only problem is i cant get the load output to come live !!
No matter what setting i use it wont switch over to live , im at a loss , i even went to the shop but they are shut .

I assume that you can use both BAT and LOAD outputs at the same time ?

[P @ F]

Mine is the 75/10 ,
I section 4.2 it explains the settings , i cant see a reason why its not working
Always on should sort me , with no waiting time .
All the other settings seem to have a 2 minute wait period before coming live , if that means each time the pump is powered then that is of no use to me .
If it means to initially make the change to live then that would be ok , but does that mean that i have to have say the light connected and on for the 2 minutes for it to go live ?

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/victronconnect:mppt-solarchargers#load_output