Energy Anybody know anything about solar systems?

I'm on the Big Island aka Hawaii island. I will be going to an auto parts store today and will bring all your advice along.

Still having problems, so tightening the connections wasn't the answer.

 

My batteries are still under warranty. The store I bought them from closed down, but I can probably find an Interstate dealer here. I'll try calling them.

I hope everybody here is safe from the storm.

 

Read the warranty and it only covers defects, so that's not an option.

Read the Battery university article about testing SOC and it says battery needs to be tested after 24 hour rest. SO it looks like I'm going to have to find a way to not use the system for 24 hours. Will ponder how to do that.

 

Put the Money into 3 same TYPE of electrical panels !!! Gen set is for a major power hog , She has a Fan ! , the rest can be serviced Via a Buck or step down unit , Wall warts EAT watts & cost way too much panel to feed.

Test In AM after having enough panels , (every week you'll see them creep up to 12.70) YOU CAN NOT CHARGE 210 amp hour batterys with 5-7 amps from one panel as your using power !!!
NOT in any math !!!
Your batterys are damaged , but get them charged & then a HI charge & test : My NEW battery Bank..... | Survival Monkey Forums

That is important also
Sloth

 

Is the problem the panel? I don't understand which part of the equation is wrong.

 

Each battery took 1 quart of distilled water to fill

 

Those batteries likely need 2 amps per string just to bring them up to charging voltage.
1 battery by its self, 2 amps.
2 batteries in parallel, 4 amp.
So you could have 2, 4, 8 or how ever many amps going to the batteries, depending on how many you have and not actually get any effective charging.

The batteries need to be charged at 10% to 13% of the amp hour rating. So if you have a 100ah battery you want 10 to 13 amps going to it, plus have enough panels to cover any loads drawing while the batteries are charging

 

Your taking the watts @ stickered value & not estimating any loss or bad days in the winter .
So I picked a total of four panels with very close specs as in power .
Then in parallel for a 12Vdc system that works , in 2 X2 for 24 Vdc and in series for a 48Vdc , so flexible in that config . with a KID . When Lilikoian Monkey gets a DVM that can test 10 amps , I'll post how to check panels .
Sloth

 

This is why you need a DVM
digital multimeter how to use on google has lots .

 

Your Tsm-280PA14 panel should put out 44.4 Vdc & short circuit amp's 8.33 Adc. =
280 watts .
Nice panel , not like the ones in the above videos , them are old school ..

 

Yeah unless you have a good MPPT charger you won't get any where near name plate watts.
Typically you get between 66% and 78% of panel watts to the battery with a standard PWM type controller with the panel in full sun.
Then if your panels are not on trackers expect close to 50% of rated watts on average.

 

Were the top of the plates showing & they needed to be covered with water ?

Also when OR if you can get a charge into them , Do the charge out side OR place plastic down under the batterys and then newspaper so when the charge is taken in the acid might come out of the cells & bubble ..
Sloth

Like the above link !

 

I like the

I like the generator idea, and thanks for that link. Amazon won't deliver it, though, so would have to find another way to get it.

 

The plates were covered in water.