Frank B
Well-known member
Just installed 6 x 205 watt Solartec 72 cell panels on the roof of our RV. Voc is 45. Vmpp is 39. All panels are wired parallel with #12 solid to a combiner box, and with #8 over the remaining 20 feet to the solar controller. Battery bank is 6 x GC2 flooded cell batteries from NAPA that are about a year old. System is just installed by myself, and the FM80 is at factory default.
As a test, I have been running my aftermarket 2500 watt inverter to keep the trailer powered, and am using only the FM80 to keep the batteries charged. I deliberately left the propane fridge running on 125V to see what my new system is capable of. Something must be wrong.
I turned off the PV array to the controller this morning when I saw that the batteries were pretty much depleted, and were showing just under 12v. I waited until noon, and turned the array on to see what 'maximum performance' would be, as it is bright and sunny in Calgary today.
The FM80 beings pouring amps into the batteries in bulk mode up until it gets to about 46 amps. It then switches to absorb mode, and input current drops to 40 amps or just below. This changeover takes less than half a minute. Should it not run in bulk mode for several hours?
I tried resetting the controller. Same story. I reset the factory defaults. Same story.
I don't understand what it is that is kicking the controller out of bulk mode and into absorb within a few seconds when the battery bank is pretty much depleted.
HELP!
Frank.
As a test, I have been running my aftermarket 2500 watt inverter to keep the trailer powered, and am using only the FM80 to keep the batteries charged. I deliberately left the propane fridge running on 125V to see what my new system is capable of. Something must be wrong.
I turned off the PV array to the controller this morning when I saw that the batteries were pretty much depleted, and were showing just under 12v. I waited until noon, and turned the array on to see what 'maximum performance' would be, as it is bright and sunny in Calgary today.
The FM80 beings pouring amps into the batteries in bulk mode up until it gets to about 46 amps. It then switches to absorb mode, and input current drops to 40 amps or just below. This changeover takes less than half a minute. Should it not run in bulk mode for several hours?
I tried resetting the controller. Same story. I reset the factory defaults. Same story.
I don't understand what it is that is kicking the controller out of bulk mode and into absorb within a few seconds when the battery bank is pretty much depleted.
HELP!
Frank.