Battery monitor

[Deleted member 4404]

I've just fitted a Nasa battery monitor and am very pleased with it; straight forward to fit and set up. It has a large clear display and is easy to use. I looked at various types, but settled on Nasa because of the display size and not needing blue tooth readings on my phone.

Edit- I've added the installation/operating manual to 'Resources'

 

[mistericeman]

Quality bits of kit.... Had one in the transit for 4 years....

 

[wildebus]

I personally like the connectivity (not just Bluetooth but Internet Data Logging) of the Victron Monitors, but if that is not needed, the NASA Marine BMs are very good and certainly easy to read!

 

[mistericeman]

I have to say I'm leaning towards A Victron 712 bluetooth for the motorhome (particularly for the logging function)
I'm just browsing panels at the moment... Thinking of one of these https://www.bimblesolar.com/recsolar300w-TP2BLK
To go with the ctek 250ds I snatched cheap... Still need to get around to fitting it yet though.

 

[Deleted member 4404]

With my Bimble cheapy failing after 3 years, I've ordered a 330w panasonic mono this time, with a Victron mppt controller.

 

[wildebus]

Going off topic from the NASA, but will be ordering this next week:
http://www.lensunsolar.com/Flexible...-panel?product_id=199&sort=p.price&order=DESC
Looks interesting and super low-profile. going onto a VW T5 Poptop and matching up with a Victron 100/20 Controller.

If the customer is ok with it, intending to do a video of the full installation (updating batteries, fitting Inverter, BMV-712 plus Pi running Victron Venus OS and adapting Eberspacher as well) to post on my Youtube channel

 

[Deleted member 4404]

Going off topic from the NASA, but will be ordering this next week:
http://www.lensunsolar.com/Flexible...-panel?product_id=199&sort=p.price&order=DESC
Looks interesting and super low-profile. going onto a VW T5 Poptop and matching up with a Victron 100/20 Controller.

If the customer is ok with it, intending to do a video of the full installation (updating batteries, fitting Inverter, BMV-712 plus Pi running Victron Venus OS and adapting Eberspacher as well) to post on my Youtube channel

Often wondered about the wiring on a pop top, do you just use ordinary solar cable or is there a more flexible option?

 

[wildebus]

Often wondered about the wiring on a pop top, do you just use ordinary solar cable or is there a more flexible option?

This is a very good question
I supplied a setup last month to a chap with a T5 and a High-Low poptop. That kind of roof raises at the rear a few inches as well as a mostly in the front.
For that setup, the owner is going to use a coiled cable as a bit of an experiment to deal with the raise to make it tidy - this kind of thing: https://amzn.to/2IcWSgi . That cable is not ideal at 1.5mm, but the panel is only 150W, so under 10A coming into the controller which is within the limits of a 1.5mm cable for the very short run (as soon as inside, will connect to 2.5mm cable).

The one I am starting next week the poptop is more conventional and could be regarded more like a hinge at the back (so in many ways similar to a solar setup where the panels can be tilted). On this one I expect to use normal cable with enough slack to deal with the slight rise

 

[SquirrellCook]

Going off topic from the NASA, but will be ordering this next week:
http://www.lensunsolar.com/Flexible...-panel?product_id=199&sort=p.price&order=DESC
Looks interesting and super low-profile. going onto a VW T5 Poptop and matching up with a Victron 100/20 Controller.

If the customer is ok with it, intending to do a video of the full installation (updating batteries, fitting Inverter, BMV-712 plus Pi running Victron Venus OS and adapting Eberspacher as well) to post on my Youtube channel

Just a word from experience, we've been using lensun flexible panels for about 4 years or more. Failure rate has been about 50% At first they were happy to supply replacements, towards the end they would only replace if you paid carriage. The down side was often the replacements had a different mounting pattern. Having a flexible GRP roof we bonded studs onto the roof with Kevlar patches. The panel was then retained with aluminium strips with the studs passing through them. When we got good panels we were very pleased with the performance.

Mark

 

[wildebus]

Interesting. It is not a brand I have used before - the customer specified the panels. I would prefer a UK supplier I cannot deny as all conversations are with a lady in China and some slight communication challenges so ongoing support is a slight concern.

 

[wildebus]

Just a word from experience, we've been using lensun flexible panels for about 4 years or more. Failure rate has been about 50% At first they were happy to supply replacements, towards the end they would only replace if you paid carriage. The down side was often the replacements had a different mounting pattern. Having a flexible GRP roof we bonded studs onto the roof with Kevlar patches. The panel was then retained with aluminium strips with the studs passing through them. When we got good panels we were very pleased with the performance.

Mark

Ref your mounting ... How far did you go between supporting the panel? The ribs on the roof means the panel will be supported for the full lengths at either end and in the middle. I am planning to add support strips centrally between the ribs - so the panel will have 5 support lengths in total - so every 4-5". How does that tie up with your panel installations?

 

[SquirrellCook]

Ref your mounting ... How far did you go between supporting the panel? The ribs on the roof means the panel will be supported for the full lengths at either end and in the middle. I am planning to add support strips centrally between the ribs - so the panel will have 5 support lengths in total - so every 4-5". How does that tie up with your panel installations?

In hind sight, I think some of the failure could have been due to vibration of the panel. Under certain conditions air would get under the panels and you could hear them bang the roof. I used 5 100w panels originally. The ones mounted inline with the length of the roof gave most trouble, though worked the best. Mounting across the curvature of the roof was most stable, but reduced the output slightly. I think although flexible, mounting them so they can continue to move is not good for them. They have been improving, one panel must be 4 years old now. I installed them one at a time due to cost and fear that they would be rubbish. The next project is getting miasole panels. The double sided tape mounting scares me. I don't think I have any good pictures other than this of a faulty panel to send to Abby.

 

[wildebus]

Thanks for the reply. much appreciated.
My plan is to use 3M VHB Double Sided Tape for these rather than something like Sikaflex. The VHB will be costing around £30-£40 so not a cheap option but it is meant to be good (I used VHB on various parts of my setup but went belt and braces with bolts as well as didn't trust the roof paint fully. The GRP roof I am fitting these to is unpainted and I have spoken to the Roof manufacturer about it and they are cool with the VHB

Still not a big fan of flexible panels though and I have another install in a few weeks which will almost certainly be going back to rigid glass.

 

[RAW]

I have to say I'm leaning towards A Victron 712 bluetooth for the motorhome (particularly for the logging function)
I'm just browsing panels at the moment... Thinking of one of these https://www.bimblesolar.com/recsolar300w-TP2BLK
To go with the ctek 250ds I snatched cheap... Still need to get around to fitting it yet though.

I got a good deal from Ian at Xerogrid for a Panel, 265W and a Victron MPPT 100 | 30
It's the next project
I am looking at Victron Manual and it says Mount on non flammable surface, large heatsink on the back. Has anyone mounted one of these anywhere. I am looking at doing it at rear of Van, a bit of a long run to battery at the front but will see what gives.
Anywhere in the Van to mount at rear is looking flammable at the moment !!
Has anyone used a Victron 100 | 30 and any idea how hot it might get with a single Solar 265W Panel, I would imagine not that hot as it's rated on nominal at 440W ??
Cheers
Robert

 

[SquirrellCook]

I got a good deal from Ian at Xerogrid for a Panel, 265W and a Victron MPPT 100 | 30
It's the next project
I am looking at Victron Manual and it says Mount on non flammable surface, large heatsink on the back. Has anyone mounted one of these anywhere. I am looking at doing it at rear of Van, a bit of a long run to battery at the front but will see what gives.
Anywhere in the Van to mount at rear is looking flammable at the moment !!
Has anyone used a Victron 100 | 30 and any idea how hot it might get with a single Solar 265W Panel, I would imagine not that hot as it's rated on nominal at 440W ??
Cheers
Robert
View attachment 1401

Mine is in a wooden cupboard mounted to a wooden panel, before closing it up I monitored it for a while and it does not seem to even get warm. Rather than having long cable runs, if your worried about heat. You could mount it to an aluminium panel and then mount the panel where you like?

Mark

 

[RAW]

Hiya Mark

That had crossed my mind as well, using an aluminium plate to mount the controller on
Cheers
Robert

 

[Deleted member 4404]

I mounted my unit (same as yours) on a ply panel close to the batteries. If it does get too warm, which I doubt, I will put some alloy brackets between it and the panel.

 

[RAW]

I mounted my unit (same as yours) on a ply panel close to the batteries. If it does get too warm, which I doubt, I will put some alloy brackets between it and the panel.

Great, that's a good idea on the brackets. Thank-you @Edina

 

[Deleted member 4404]

Great, that's a good idea on the brackets. Thank-you @Edina

I have some used solar panel brackets which I can easily adapt if needed.
Chris

 

[wildebus]

I really don't think you need to worry about the heat generated by a 30A charger combusting a wooden surface All devices tend to have advice like that. Just think of the book "Fahrenheit 451" ... 451 degrees F. (232Cel.) being the temperature for paper to ignite.

As a correlation, after running a 30A B2B charger at full whack constantly for around 4 hours, the outer shell reached 50 Celcius. FWIW, I discussed the optimal mounting of the charger with the company and they said that ideally you would mount on a sheet of metal to help dissipate heat and fit that plate to the ply or whatever, but that really would be belt and braces (and at 50C max temp, I would agree as I had it in free air when it got to 50C)

The closest I have got to any high heat situation on my build is the heat from a ANL fuse holder scorching the ply when I was pulling around 250A for quite a while.